China Rule of Law

Title: China Rule of Law This is a pre-solicitation notice only. No applications are requested at this time. Except for the following information, no additional information regarding this planned Request for Applications (RFA) is available at this time. All information will be supplied at the time the RFA is issued which currently is expected to occur on or about May 30, 2008. Issuance of an RFA will be subject to internal USAID approvals and the availability of funds. Applications for funding should NOT be submitted until after the RFA is issued. USAID plans to issue an RFA and award a cooperative agreement to one or more U.S. university(ies) or NGO(s). Through this program, USAID hopes to build on the work of current grantees in China and to expand it into a targeted area related to the Rule of Law. This may also include expanding the technical and human capacity-building strengths of higher education institutions or NGOs in the United States with their counterparts abroad in China to address rule of law issues. Advancing the rule of law in China and related legal reforms can enhance economic development, advance human rights, contribute to political reform, counter corruption, and improve China’s interactions with the international community. The planned program may include activities that: 1. collaboratively address the full array of complex economic, social, educational, and development issues and challenges related to the rule of law; 2. strengthen the institutions’ respective capacities for teaching, research, and service to address the development priorities needed to securely establish the rule of law; 3. contribute to the preparation of a responsible citizenry and a skilled workforce engaged in a global marketplace governed by the rule of law; 4. increase attention to and understanding of rule of law development issues; and, 5. disseminate information on the rule of law and share results of development cooperation both abroad and in the United States. USAID seeks to enhance mutual, fully collaborative relationships between Chinese and U.S. higher education institutions and NGOs and their public and private sector partners in both countries. This program will enhance the capacity of institutions and stakeholders of both nations to examine mutual development problems related to the rule of law, work in strategic alliances to develop solutions, and create the basis for improved relations between the two countries.