Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAKAB 12 AW 005 SCA 04062012
Apply for SCAKAB 12 AW 005 SCA 04062012
- The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Level Curriculum Development and Educational Policy Support for English Teaching in Afghanistan Higher Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501 Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 30, 2012 and posted on Apr 6, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligibility is open to all U.S., Afghan, and international non profit organizations or companies with direct experience in English teaching and educational policy work, and a proven track record of success implementing projects in Afghanistan. U.S. organizations will be required to partner with an Afghan organization or company.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "National Level Curriculum Development and Educational Policy Support for English Teaching in Afghanistan Higher Education" (Funding Opportunity Number SCAKAB 12 AW 005) is a U.S. government-funded competitive assistance program administered under the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. It was issued as a Request for Proposals for a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient would be expected to work closely with the U.S. government and Afghan counterparts rather than operate fully independently. The project period runs from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014, and the program sits within the education and public diplomacy space (CFDA 19.501, Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan).
At its core, the opportunity is aimed at fixing a national coordination gap in English-language teaching across Afghanistan's higher education system. While English Departments existed at up to fourteen public universities, including Kabul University as the country’s flagship institution, there was no ministry-level mechanism to coordinate curriculum development, set nationwide standards, or guide policy for English instruction. The project is designed to help the Ministry of Higher Education move from a decentralized, campus-by-campus approach to one with national standards, shared expectations, and clearer pathways for both students and faculty.
A central expectation of the award is providing technical support to the Ministry of Higher Education to establish an English language unit within the Ministry itself. This unit would be responsible for designing national standards for English teaching in higher education and building the Ministry’s internal capacity to manage and sustain those standards. The RFP highlights several concrete components that proposals were expected to address, including in-service training for Ministry officials, creating measurable benchmarks of English proficiency to track progress over time, and forming a coordinating body that can support English teaching for students and staff across institutions. In addition, the project is expected to help the Ministry develop clear policies and procedures for how international donor-funded scholarships are publicized, and how candidates are recruited and selected for undergraduate and graduate study opportunities.
On the curriculum side, the grant calls for structured support to draft Student Objectives and Performance Indicators for Integrated English Language Skills courses spanning all four years of university study (years 1 through 4). The emphasis is on building an outcomes-based framework that clarifies what students should be able to do at each year level, and what performance indicators can be used to confirm they are meeting those expectations. A key deliverable is aligning the English language skills required at the end of each academic level with the English language proficiency expected for each related certification level, so that instruction, assessment, and credentials reinforce one another instead of operating as separate systems.
Financially, the opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an estimated total funding amount of $1,000,000 and an award ceiling of $1,000,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The posting date was April 6, 2012, with an original closing date of June 6, 2012 that was later extended to June 20, 2012, and the announcement was archived on July 6, 2012.
Eligibility was intentionally broad but experience-focused. The competition was open to U.S., Afghan, and international nonprofit organizations or companies, as long as they had direct experience in English teaching and educational policy work and could show a proven record of successfully implementing projects in Afghanistan. A specific condition applied to U.S. organizations: they were required to partner with an Afghan organization or company, reflecting the program’s emphasis on local collaboration and on-ground operational credibility.
Overall, the grant is best understood as a national systems-building effort rather than a single-university program. It combines institution-building inside the Ministry of Higher Education, national policy and coordination mechanisms, and detailed curriculum and learning-outcomes work intended to standardize English teaching across public universities. The expected end state is a more coherent national structure for English instruction, with defined standards, measurable proficiency benchmarks, coordinated oversight, and transparent scholarship selection processes that can be sustained beyond the two-year project timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the official title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "National Level Curriculum Development and Educational Policy Support for English Teaching in Afghanistan Higher Education."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SCAKAB 12 AW 005.
Which U.S. government entity administers this opportunity?
This is a U.S. government-funded competitive assistance program administered under the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The opportunity was issued as a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It means the selected recipient would be expected to work closely with the U.S. government and Afghan counterparts, rather than operating fully independently.
What program area does this grant fall under?
The program sits within the education and public diplomacy space under CFDA 19.501 (Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan).
What problem is this grant designed to address?
It targets a national coordination gap in English-language teaching across Afghanistan's higher education system, where English Departments existed at up to fourteen public universities but there was no ministry-level mechanism to coordinate curriculum development, set nationwide standards, or guide English teaching policy.
How many universities are referenced as having English Departments?
The opportunity notes English Departments existed at up to fourteen public universities, including Kabul University.
Is this a single-university project?
No. It is described as a national systems-building effort intended to standardize and coordinate English teaching across public universities, not a program limited to one institution.
What is the project period for the award?
The project period runs from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014.
What is the expected total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount is $1,000,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is $1,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What are the posting and closing dates for the RFP?
The posting date was April 6, 2012. The original closing date was June 6, 2012, and it was later extended to June 20, 2012.
When was the announcement archived?
The announcement was archived on July 6, 2012.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is open to U.S., Afghan, and international nonprofit organizations or companies, provided they have direct experience in English teaching and educational policy work and can demonstrate a proven record of successfully implementing projects in Afghanistan.
Are for-profit companies allowed to apply?
Yes. The eligibility description includes nonprofit organizations or companies, as long as they meet the experience requirements and have a proven implementation record in Afghanistan.
Are there any special eligibility conditions for U.S. organizations?
Yes. U.S. organizations are required to partner with an Afghan organization or company.
What is the main institutional focus within the Afghan government?
A central expectation is providing technical support to the Ministry of Higher Education to establish an English language unit within the Ministry.
What is the purpose of establishing an English language unit within the Ministry of Higher Education?
The unit is expected to be responsible for designing national standards for English teaching in higher education and building the Ministry's internal capacity to manage and sustain those standards.
What kinds of capacity-building activities are highlighted for Ministry officials?
The RFP highlights in-service training for Ministry officials as one of the concrete components proposals were expected to address.
Does the opportunity emphasize measurable results in English proficiency?
Yes. It calls for creating measurable benchmarks of English proficiency to track progress over time.
Is there an expected coordination mechanism beyond a Ministry unit?
Yes. The opportunity describes forming a coordinating body that can support English teaching for students and staff across institutions.
What scholarship-related policies are included in the scope?
The project is expected to help the Ministry develop clear policies and procedures for how international donor-funded scholarships are publicized, and how candidates are recruited and selected for undergraduate and graduate study opportunities.
What curriculum deliverables are specifically called for?
The grant calls for structured support to draft Student Objectives and Performance Indicators for Integrated English Language Skills courses spanning all four years of university study (years 1 through 4).
What does "outcomes-based" mean in the context of this RFP?
Within the description provided, it refers to clarifying what students should be able to do at each year level and defining performance indicators that can be used to confirm they are meeting those expectations.
Does the opportunity require alignment between instruction and certification?
Yes. A key deliverable is aligning the English language skills required at the end of each academic level with the English language proficiency expected for each related certification level, so instruction, assessment, and credentials reinforce one another.
What is the intended end state by the end of the two-year project?
The expected end state is a more coherent national structure for English instruction, including defined standards, measurable proficiency benchmarks, coordinated oversight, and transparent scholarship selection processes that can be sustained beyond the project timeline.
How is the current system described, and what change is the project trying to achieve?
The current system is described as decentralized and campus-by-campus. The project aims to help the Ministry of Higher Education move toward national standards, shared expectations, and clearer pathways for students and faculty.
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