Closing Date: January 31,2012.

The United States Government, represented by the Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade (EGAT), Office of Education (ED), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), World Vision, Inc. (WVUS), and World Vision Australia (WVA) (collectively herein “World Vision”), is seeking innovative applications from eligible institutions (as defined in the RFA) to support the program entitled “All Children Reading Competition.” All awards under this RFA will be issued as grants not to exceed US $300,000.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and World Vision (collectively referred to as the “Founding Partners”) are seeking game-changing innovations with the potential to dramatically improve reading skills and low literacy rates among primary grade children. Through a multiyear initiative called All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR), the Founding Partners will collaborate to achieve the goal of global action to improve child literacy. While recognizing that there are many factors required to improve student learning outcomes in primary grade reading, the Founding Partners have established the All Children Reading Competition to focus on two needs that are both important and largely unmet in low- and lowermiddle income countries: teaching and learning materials and education data.

The All Children Reading Competition will support innovative approaches that draw on current research findings related to effective instruction in primary grade reading as well as technology, information, and communication advances that may lead to substantial impact on student learning outcomes at scale. In this context, “innovation” refers to novel business or organizational models, operational or production processes, or products or services that lead to substantial and sustainable improvements in student reading in primary grades. We seek innovations that produce development outcomes more effectively, cost efficiently, and that reach more beneficiaries. Innovative and potentially transformative solutions may be funded through grants to support new ideas as well as emergent practices, products, or programs.

The Founding Partners are calling on for-profit companies, non-governmental organizations and associations, academic/educational research institutions, faith-based organizations, civil society and foundations—together or in partnership—to take up this challenge. Applicants are encouraged to “think outside of the box,” using creative practices and methodologies to develop innovations clearly linked to improving student learning outcomes in primary grade reading.

All questions from interested applicants must be submitted to allchildrenreading@usaid.gov no later than 2 PM EST (14:00) on December 9, 2011. Applications are due no later than 2:00 P.M. EST (14:00) on January 31, 2012. MF3GJSHF2K6Z

Source and More Information: