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Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary The NRCS, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking opportunities to partner with and support the efforts of natural resource conservation partners in Connecticut. The overall intent of this solicitation is to enter into partnerships to provide technical assistance and underlying support functions in the delivery, development, promotion, and support of soil, water and wildlife conservation programs to Connecticut’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. Key technical assistance emphasis areas include Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry, Water Quality, and Wildlife. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to: • Educate farmers, ranchers, and landowners in successful application of Farm Bill programs and/or • Deliver conservation planning, management, and implementation of climate smart conservation practices related to climate change mitigation and/or • Provide the underlying support functions necessary to maintaining conservation planning and delivery projects. This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and/or noncompliant proposals will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant. The Connecticut State Conservationist reserves the right not to fund any or all applications. NRCS will accept applications under this notice for single or multiyear applications submitted by eligible entities. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 23, 2023. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by June 16, 2023 and expects to execute awards by September 30,2023. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Over a period of 10 years, the Women’s Risk and Need Assessment (WRNA) was developed based on Canadian research that stressed the importance of assessing and addressing dynamic risk factors and gender-responsive research and theory, including research suggesting that women’s pathways to criminal legal involvement is different from men’s [ChesneyLind, 1997; Daly, 1992]. The research also summarizes the gender-responsive tools that are available for managing and supervising women in various correctional settings [Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003; Buell, Modley, & Van Voorhis, 2011; Covington, 1998, 2000]. The premise for the development of the WRNA was that tools currently in use generally over-classified (and on some occasions under-classified) women, and therefore inappropriately assigned them to institutional placement or housing and did not match services and programs to their actual risk and need. Further, services and programs were often not available, as there had been no accurate determination for their need, an outcome based on tools that often overlooked issues more salient to women. Therefore, the mandated completion of assessment and classification tools often became a “paperwork” exercise, and ultimately the assessments were filed away and not used to guide decision-making. Today, the WRNA, a tool that appropriately accounts for women’s risk and need, has been applied nationally and internationally for assessment and case planning with women who are at various points of involvement with the correctional system, from pretrial to community supervision.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS. This announcement is to provide notice of NIC to make an award without full competition.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition to support the Office of U.S. Speaker Program. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(3) may submit proposals to provide administrative and programmatic support for the U.S. Speaker Program. Through this cooperative agreement, ECA plans to support approximately 700 programs annually engaging all regions of the world.For over 40 years, the Office of the U.S. Speaker Program has built lasting and sustained relations with U.S. citizen experts and foreign interlocutors that serve the American people. To accomplish this goal, the U.S. Speaker Program recruits dynamic American experts for in-person and/or virtual exchanges. All U.S. speakers are U.S. citizens. Through the Program, diverse American professionals establish and sustain linkages with foreign audiences and institutions, which directly contribute to economic and educational opportunities in the United States and around the world. The U.S. Speaker Program works with U.S. embassies and consulates to produce impactful traveling programs ranging from three days to three weeks in length and virtual programs, which can take place on a single specified date and time and may be part of a continuing series. Programmatic formats include lectures, workshops, seminars, and training series. Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposal submissions for the FY 2023 Community Engagement Exchange Program (CEE) in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct this international civic leadership exchange program. Initiated in 2020, the CEE Program is a bold new global initiative to support approximately 115-120 passionate emerging leaders, ages 21-27, from over 100 countries around the world working at the nexus of public, private, and non-profit sectors to address public concerns and improve the quality of community. These CEE Fellows undertake a professional practicum with placements in public institutions, government offices, social incubators, businesses, or non-profit organizations. At their practicums, Fellows work with professional American counterparts and seasoned civil society and community leaders, called CEE Host Supervisors, on pre-defined substantive issues of mutual interest. In addition to the professional practicum, Fellows engage in robust leadership training, service-learning, and opportunities to transform ideas into actionable community projects in their home countries. The program also supports overseas travel for approximately 25-30 American participants from U.S. host organizations and approximately 20 global leadership professionals known as CEE Specialists, including alumni of U.S. government programs, to work with CEE Fellows on community engagement projects of mutual interest in the United States and overseas. In particular, the CEE Specialists provide mentorship and guidance to Fellows related to their program theme, geographic region, and acclimation to USG programming. CEE promotes a global civil society eco-system by building a network of emerging and seasoned civil society and community leaders in the United States and around the world through international exchanges, civic leadership education, innovative community initiatives, and civil society projects that maximize the program’s reach and amplify local, regional, and global impact. Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy France Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement an exchange program for up to 30 French high school students, in the United States, for fifteen days in July and/or August 2024. Through the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service program, up to 30 young adults from France between the ages of 15 and 18 will develop the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to become more engaged in their communities, learn about the U.S. education system, and will further their understanding of the United States. Please follow all instructions below. Purpose of the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service Program: Established in 2008, the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service Program selects high-school participants from underserved backgrounds across France, including the French Caribbean, to participate in a yearlong leadership training program that encourages volunteerism, self-confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and independence. Participants will attend two pre-departure training sessions between January 2024 and June 2024, as well as a debriefing upon their return, organized by a different French implementing NGO, in coordination with the organization awarded the overall grant. In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Paris, the recipient organization will design the two-week U.S. exchange program, in July and/or August 2024, which will enhance participants’ understanding of American democratic institutions and volunteer initiatives. Participants will travel to Washington D.C. for initial programming. After spending time in Washington D.C., they will be divided into subgroups in three different cities/host communities, where they will be placed with American host families and meet American students their age. They will then return to Washington D.C. for debriefing and evaluation, as well as visits to the Department of State and the French Embassy to the U.S. Participants will engage in a variety of activities, including but not limited to workshops on leadership and community service, community site visits related to program themes, interactive training and discussion groups, volunteer opportunities, visits to educational facilities, local cultural activities, homestays, and other activities designed to achieve the program’s stated goals. The exchange must include multiple opportunities for participants to have significant, meaningful interactions with their American peers. Follow-on activities with the participants are an essential part of the program, and the exchange activities should prepare participants to apply the knowledge and skills that they will have acquired during their time in the United States in the planning of concrete projects in their home communities. Program Objectives: Promote equal opportunities for all and encourage knowledge-sharing and intercultural dialogue between French and American youth. Raise awareness about civic engagement and volunteerism among young people. Strengthen Franco-American friendship and understanding through soft diplomacy. Offer French youth the chance to represent their peers and participate in civic initiatives abroad. Build leadership skills, encourage volunteerism, self-confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and nurture excellence and civic engagement among young leaders from underserved communities. Allow participants to become pillars of community organization, keeping their peers involved in positive social activities and promoting tolerance and achievement. Provide participants with tools to build alliances with American counterparts and to produce positive change in underserved communities. Program Outline: Applicants must demonstrate their capacity for conducting international exchanges in the U.S.; administering exchanges focused on youth that involve different geographic regions; implementing exchange projects that address specific policy challenges; and providing substantive programming and leadership training for youth. The award recipient will be responsible for the oversight and management of performance of all sub-award recipients under the award. U.S. Embassy France reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal project configurations, budgets, participating countries and regions, and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. The budget should include international travel to and from the U.S. for up to 30 participants (including domestic travel for up to 25 metropolitan participants to and from Paris and their French city of residence). One staff member must accompany participants for the international travel (France-U.S.-France). The budget should include the in-country travel and local transportation, lodging, activities, food, insurance, and ESTA costs for up to 30 participants. As participants are under 18, they must be accompanied by facilitators and the host families must be validated by the recipient organization. Participants and Audiences: Up to 30 outstanding French high school students, between the ages of 15 and 18, many from underprivileged backgrounds with leadership potential and commitment to civic engagement. For more information, eligibility, and deadlines please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity PDS-France-FY2023-03 and/or refer to the U.S. Embassy in France website (Grants Programs). Questions can be directed to GrantsFrance@state.gov We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

As part of the SHEP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) prepared a Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan (MAMP) that outlines numerous projects and processes that will be carried out to assess project-induced impacts on the environment. One project, or component of the MAMP, included creating a baseline data bank. This data collection, integration, and analysis was initiated in September 2013 and drew upon prior research, readily available data, and new research in the Savannah River Basin and Estuary, located in Georgia and South Carolina, to develop and implement a web-based geographic information system (GIS), which is accessible to the public (http://www.shep.uga.edu/#&panel1-1). This information includes data on the resources of concern such as water quality, fisheries, groundwater, wetlands, etc. Monitoring data and the data integration/analysis conducted as part of the work will be used to evaluate the physical, chemical and biological impacts of the SHEP as discussed in the MAMP. Data will be used to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation features that will be constructed as part of the SHEP to ensure the levels of environmental effects predicted in the Environmental Impact Statement are not exceeded. A. Program Description/Objective: (brief description of the anticipated work) To evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation features constructed for the SHEP, data must be collected to establish a baseline databank. In addition to the data that will be generated from various pre-construction monitoring studies, existing data on resources in Savannah Harbor must be collected. A literature search would be conducted to identify previous applicable surveys and projects. In addition to locating existing data, resources such as, but not limited to, USACE published reports and surveys that would contain data useful in establishing the SHEP post-construction impacts will be reviewed. Data for resources of concern such as water quality, fisheries, groundwater, wetlands, etc. would be collected. The data will be combined with SHEP monitoring data and integrated into an existing online GIS and web portal.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on submarine and sublacustrine slope stability that will make use of newly collected sediment cores and high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and geophysical data from subduction zones. Specifically, seek to understand how the mechanical strength properties and source characteristics of marine and lake sediment influences slope stability along earthquake prone active margins through a cross-disciplinary collaboration. The USGS is interested in investigating the response of submarine and sublacustrine sediment to earthquake shaking by measuring the geomechanical properties of sediment samples collected along subduction zone margins and applying these parameters to numerical simulations of submarine/sublacustrine slope stability. Systematic characterization of seafloor/lakefloor sediments and comparison with submarine/sublacustrine landslide distribution will allow improved assessment of earthquake shaking proxies and ground motion hazard predictions. The goals of this study are part of the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program (CMHRP) mission to identify and characterize coastal and marine geohazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides) and to develop probabilistic hazard assessments for the nation. In addition, results from this study will provide information and data valuable to the offshore wind energy industry as some of the study area falls within newly released lease areas.

This research project focuses on quantifying basic forest stand metrics through the application of ML to remotely sensed data. The project will leverage global data to develop understanding of forest growth and successional conditions at a local level. Numerous environmental variables and forest inventory data must be incorporated to train ML algorithms on high performance computing systems (HPCs) to achieve resolutions that lead to understanding of carbon stores at a local level (e.g., a single DOD installation). Knowing that understanding dominant forest habitat type and forest volume (as calculated from tree height, diameter, and density) will yield significant understanding to forest carbon storage, the purpose of this work is to demonstrate that basic forest inventory metrics (e.g., tree diameter and density) may be effectively quantified from ML. The Government is not expecting the periods of performances to overlap. Objectives: The objectives of the project for the initial year are as follows:1. Develop technical team and identify initial study area(s) of interest.2. Develop and test a proof of concept outlining novel methods to quantify basic forest stand metrics.3. Compile a repository of forest inventory data from national and international partners. 4. Validate accuracy of resulting, prototype forest stand metrics. The objectives of the project for Optional Year 1 are as follows:1. Expand the study area(s) and refine the prototype novel methods (developed during initial year) to quantify basic forest stand metrics.2. If required, expand the repository of forest inventory data from national and international partners to cover the second year’s study area.3. Validate accuracy of resulting, large area forest stand metrics by prioritized areas of interest. 4. Generate peer-reviewed journal article with ERDC researchers to describe the application of novel methodologies to quantify basic forest stand metrics developed during initial year of the project. The objectives of the project for Optional Year 2 are as follows:1. Conduct a final accuracy assessment and if required, refine the established methods to increase basic forest stand metric accuracy.2. Generate a peer-reviewed journal article(s) in conjunction with ERDC researchers integrating all study conclusions.3. Develop and present public seminars based on study findings. Successful applicants should have expert knowledge of: 1) forestry, natural resources, and carbon storage; 2) field data collection capabilities; 3) compiling national and global forest inventory databases; 4) experience developing novel approaches to machine learning of forest characteristics. Areas of expertise that may be required in combination to perform this study include:1) Capacity to collect and/or compile forest inventory data at up to global scales.2) Advanced computing capabilities for ML applications to characterize forest metrics.3) Development of novel ML approaches to improve forest inventory, forest characterization, and/or forest carbon storage research with local and global applications.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support WHA’s Race, Ethnicity, and Social Inclusion (RESI) policy goals in Brazil and Colombia to advance reforms that promote equity and equality, eliminate barriers to inclusion, and create equal access and opportunities for members of marginalized and underserved communities.This project aims to increase collaboration and strengthen networks among host country civil society partners in Brazil and Colombia to advance reforms that promote equity and equality, eliminate barriers to inclusion, and create equal access and opportunities for members of marginalized and underserved communities. In Colombia, projects should include focus on civil society engagement in the U.S. - Colombia Action Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality (CAPREE), including but not limited to utilizing CAPREE to advance a U.S. government priority of full implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of Colombia’s 2016 Peace Accord. In Brazil, projects should include a focus on the U.S. - Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality (JAPER). Through training of diverse civil society leaders and capacity building of civil society and community networks, this project seeks to further RESI goals. Proposals must provide concrete examples linking to the objectives of these bilateral agreements.