Understanding and Countering Disinformation for African Journalists

Description

Africa Regional Services, Bureau of African Affairs’ Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (AF/PDPA) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition to submit applications to organize a training on Understanding and Countering Disinformation for African Journalists. The program aims to empower journalists with the skills and knowledge to effectively counter misinformation and disinformation, ensuring accurate and responsible reporting. The series of workshops should include but are not limited to the following topics: Understanding and Identifying Misinformation/Disinformation and its Impact Fact-Checking, Online/Offline Content Verification Methods, Recognizing Red Flags and Manipulative Tactics Ethical Reporting and Considerations in the Age of Misinformation/Disinformation Strategies for Countering Disinformation Combatting Online Abuse Against Journalists and Building Resilience Misinformation and Disinformation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence The project will be conducted in French and English, virtually over six months. It will consist of online presentations and dialogues between American experts and African audience, discussing theories and case studies, and sharing best practices, strategies, and resources. Budget permitting the project will design an in-person colloquium with selected participants. The project should also provide a strategy for and facilitate peer-to-peer contact and content sharing between program participants following program completion. All subject matter experts must be American citizens. Targeted countries are sub-Saharan African countries, with a priority given to West African countries. Please follow all instructions below. Background: The extensive spread of false information poses a significant obstacle to the stability and prosperity of African nations. Those orchestrating elaborate disinformation schemes targeting African media are leveraging the rapid expansion and accessibility of digital communication channels to overhaul the continent's information landscape at a pace and scale previously unattainable through traditional means. A clear correlation exists between the extent of disinformation and societal unrest. False narratives have directly incited violent conflicts, supported political turmoil, intimidated members of civil society into silence, and obscured acts of corruption and exploitation. These actions have tangible repercussions, eroding the rights, freedoms, and security of African populations. Furthermore, rapid advancements in technology pave the way for AI-driven content to further sow seeds of distrust and disorder within democratic systems. Africa Regional Services announces a call for institutional partners and individuals with extensive experience and capacity in training and outreach among African media organizations in the field of countering disinformation to submit proposals for online and in-person training of African journalists on disinformation. Subject to availability of funds, Africa Regional Services will award a grant as described below. The successful applicant must have previous experience managing the award amount of $250,000 or greater and must demonstrate capacity to manage a continent-wide grant in countering disinformation. The criteria for the competition should ensure that proposals be tailored toward African audiences. Proposed projects should include monitoring and evaluation plans. Project Audience(s): Male and female African journalists/reporters from print, broadcast, and digital media outlets. Must ensure gender balance among target audience aged 25 to 50. Project Goal: The program will help improve the quality of news in African countries through capacity building of journalists to counter misinformation/disinformation, while utilizing American subject-matter expertise. Project Objectives: Projects should be designed to achieve the following: Objective 1: Increase the professional capacity of African journalists through training workshops on countering misinformation/disinformation. Objective 2: Participants to develop and publish stories showcasing the application of skills acquired in the training sessions. Priority Regions: Sub-Saharan African countries including but not limited to Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Chad, Cameroon, Togo, Benin. Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. Africa Regional Services may entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. This notice is subject to availability of funding. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov. Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at www.grants.gov. Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. Please ensure: The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity All documents are in English All budgets are in U.S. dollars All pages are numbered All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. The following documents are required: Mandatory application forms SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at www.grants.gov. SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at www.grants.gov. SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at www.grants.gov. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. Proposal (10 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below. Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact. Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate. Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. Attachments: 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file. Official permission letters, if required for program activities Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. Note: As of April 2

Eligibility

Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category code 25. These codes correspond to applicant types (state/local government, tribal organization, nonprofit, educational institution, individual, small business, etc.) defined in Grants.gov's own eligibility reference. See the current Grants.gov eligibility categories or check the official listing below for this opportunity's exact eligibility statement.

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