Launched in 2019, the Public Interest Technology University Network is a partnership that unites colleges and universities committed to building the nascent field of public interest technology and growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists. Through the development of curricula, research agendas, and experiential learning programs in the public interest technology space, these institutions aim to develop graduates with skills and knowledge at the intersection of technology and policy.
The RFP application window opens on February 15, 2023, at 12:01 am EST, and closes on March 30, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST.
New America’s PIT-UN is seeking proposals from PIT-UN member institution’s Career Placement or Career Counseling Service staff whose work touches students' interest in public interest technology to provide full-service job fair(s) to connect students and employers who are seeking people who are interested in the work of improving people’s lives through technology and government.
PIT-UN, funded through NVF, anticipates making multiple awards due to this Request for Proposal. Eligible institutions may submit applications for two (2) projects. The purpose of the grant is to empower PIT-UN member institution’s Career Services staff to solve the challenges facing our nation. The PIT-UN seeks to inspire a new generation of diverse and skilled public servants to join the government where they will help keep us safe, respond to emergencies, design high-impact social programs, and engage in cutting-edge research.
Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by PIT-UN to make grant awards. Applications will be evaluated after the due date, and PIT-UN reserves the right to issue partial awards, as determined to be in the best interest of the Network.
The RFP invites proposals for up to $20,000. Budgets should be inclusive of an indirect rate, set at 20% of total direct costs.
Timeline
- February 15, 2023, 12:01 am EST– RFP submission window opens
- February 17, 2023, Open office sessions to answer your RFP questions will be held weekly on Fridays from 12:00 pm (noon) - 12:50 pm EST, until the grant RFP close date on March 30, 2023
- February 23, 2023, 5:00 pm EST– RFP written questions submitted to info@pitcases.org
- February 30, 2023, 5:00 pm EST RFP questions & answers posted to the RFP page on PITcases.org
- Mar 30, 2023, 5:00 pm EST RFP submission window closes all RFP responses are due. No late submissions will be accepted
- Week of April 12, 2023–Winners Notified
- Grant term starts April 15, 2023, and ends on Dec 15, 2023
- Dec 15, 2023, 5:00 pm EST Grant term ends, and Final Reports are due
All work must be completed by December 15, 2023
Questions: Any questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by e-mail to info@pitcases.org by February 23, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Submitted Questions must include the subject line: “RFP# Career Fair-Exploration Questions”.
The entire RFP document is located here
A successful PIT Career Fair should be a collaboration between Principal Investigators and/or Designees of PIT-UN grants within your institution, and outreach to regional employers and/or employer organizations, to ensure that the event facilitates opportunities related not just to technology, but explicitly to public interest technology.
This report should be completed around the mid-point of your grant cycle. In the case of your 2021 Network Challenge grant, the grant cycle is 16 months. The grant period officially ends on April 30, 2023, and final reports are due on June 30, 2023.
We want to be able to connect the on-the-ground work to other funding supports. Ideally, the grant report offers insights that could benefit both your institution and PIT-UN’s grant funders, however, most grantees feel that often reporting is another hoop to jump through.
We want you to consider our reporting requirements as a vehicle to spark dialogue and reflection—requirements that move your institution’s PIT program toward refining and assessing goals.
Material Needed to Complete a Mid-grant Report
- The project title as it appears on the original grant application
- The total funding request and the total expenses to date
- Answers to these questions
- Please describe what is going well with your project. (300-word limit)
- Please describe any challenges you are experiencing with your project (300-word limit)
- In the project application, you were asked to list outcomes and deliverables. As you view your work, are the outcomes and deliverables you listed in your application obtainable? If yes, please describe your progress in obtaining the objectives and deliverables. If not, please share how you would like to revise them. (200-word limit)
- How can we better support your work? (300-word limit)
- How can we assist you in highlighting your work inside and outside of your institution? (300-word limit)
Material Needed to Complete The Final Grant
- a copy of the grant agreement
- Answers to the Exhibit B questions in the original grant agreement
- DEI statistics if you collected that data
- The original NVF Project Budget Template with the reporting tab filled out. If the finance department has a separate financial sheet you can upload that as well.
- Any links or copies of specific deliverables or open educational resources.
- Any links to publications (case studies, reports, papers...) developed out of this work