Expanding Pathways to New Economy Careers - Build Back Better Regional Challenge

As a part of the Southwest Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative, the Block Center is playing a central role in establishing a highly coordinated, regional upskilling system serving the regional robotics and advanced manufacturing fields, opening up a range of training options outside of traditional four-year and advanced degrees, and ensuring that programs evolve based on industry needs.

The 2024 Block Center Build Back Better Request for Proposals (RFP)

The Block Center seeks applicants leading or supporting skills-focused training projects that help Southwestern Pennsylvanians secure jobs in robotics and advanced manufacturing in our region. We encourage community-based educators, non-profit organizations, labor unions, and experts in robotics, computer science, engineering, or learning science to apply. Carnegie Mellon staff and faculty working with community-based organizations are welcome to apply. We expect applications to demonstrate strong employer relationships or plans for developing those relationships.

We expect most award allocations to be between $60,000 and $100,000 for project cycles completed within a 12-month timeframe.

Preference will be given to projects that remove barriers to access and success for disadvantaged and underrepresented populations and exhibit potential for longevity beyond the performance period. Projects that serve covered populations, including BIPOC, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and/or individuals with a language barrier are encouraged to apply.

Eligible Recipients. The following types of organizations can apply, whether leading a training program or supporting one (for instance, by offering curriculum support, wraparound services that enable participants to enroll and succeed in the program, etc.).

• Educators at institutes of higher education
• Public or private non-profit organizations
• Labor unions registered as non-profit organizations

Please Note: The following are ineligible to receive funds: K-12 public and private school educators and for-profit entities.

Awardees must be active within the 11-county region of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.

Allowable Costs. Permissible use of Block Center funds includes:

• Curriculum development
• Salary support
• Student or consultant support
• Education technology purchases
• Facilities costs
• Wraparound services enabling participants to access and stay enrolled in the program include childcare, travel stipends, and tuition stipends. 
  • Note: You must document that these costs are necessary and reasonable for participants to be able to participate in the program. 
  • Note: You also must have a method to estimate that the costs are closely related to the actual costs a participant incurs to participate in the program (for example, if the applicant’s proposed program is two days a week, funds cannot be used to cover a participant’s travel for five days a week.)
• Please see the federal government’s Uniform Guidance, 2CFR 200 for more information.

Proposal Submission Instructions. Completed proposals should be submitted to THIS LINK by Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET.

Applications will be reviewed by the Block Center’s Build Back Better project funding committee, which includes representatives from the Simon Initiative, Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of the President, and Southwest Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria.

• Potential impact on job placement and upskilling regional residents (both in terms of likelihood of success and size and scope of impact)
• Robustness of recent engagement with regional employers and implementation of employer needs into programming
• Composition and quality of team/partnership, including clarity of team structure and level of administrative burden
• Potential for program longevity beyond the period of performance
• Focus on removing barriers to access and success for underrepresented populations

Timeline.

Project Narrative Questions. All applicants must answer the following questions by submitting a project narrative document. 

The downloadable project narrative template is here. 

1. Project leads and key partners: List the project leads and key partners (titles and full organization name, including legal name, type of organization, and fiscal sponsor, if applicable).
2. Project description: Describe the training project, including the curriculum overview, the target participants, the team leading the project, and the anticipated start and end dates for the first cohort this opportunity would fund. (500 words)
3. Project outcomes: Describe the expected measurable outcomes, including the jobs the project will prepare participants for. (300 words)
4. Engagement with employers: Upskilling projects should meet the needs of robotics and manufacturing employers in the region, thus ensuring that participants are trained for existing jobs. Please describe your recent engagement with regional employers and how your project will address their needs. (300 words)
5. Program participation: Describe how you plan to a) recruit participants and b) remove barriers to participation, for instance, through outreach, mentorship, or wraparound services. (300 words)
6. Project novelty: Will your project pilot new curricula or educational interventions? Are you expanding on proven curricula or interventions? Please describe. (300 words)
7. Involvement with Carnegie Mellon University: If a Carnegie Mellon researcher or other researcher is involved in the project: Briefly, what is the state of research in this area? What research questions could this help answer? Describe how you plan to collect data and ensure participant privacy. (300 words)
8. Existing funds: If you have existing funds secured for this project, please describe sources and remaining needs. (Use your uploaded budget document for further elaboration on need.) (300 words)
9. Prior funding: Has your organization previously received funds from Carnegie Mellon? If so, for what? (150 words) Has your organization received funds from the federal government using a SAM.gov account? If so, please share your UEI number. (If you have not, you should begin this sometimes lengthy process now.) (150 words)
10. Project expansion: What are your plans for scaling the project if successful? Please describe plans and anticipated funding sources. (300 words)
11. Submission of a project budget document is required. The downloadable budget template is here. Submission of any other relevant documents is optional.
    

FAQ’s:

Who is eligible to receive funds?

1. Educators at institutes of higher education
2. Public or private non-profit organizations
3. Labor unions registered as non-profit organizations
4. K-12 public and private school educators are ineligible to receive funds.
5. For-profit entities are ineligible to receive funds.

Please contact us if you would like to confirm your eligibility.

What is the period of performance? Awardees will have 12 months from their project start date. Extensions may be available in extenuating circumstances.

My project trains workers for jobs in industries other than those mentioned in the RFP. Are we eligible to receive funds? We are interested in projects that train workers for robotics and advanced manufacturing jobs and jobs in adjacent industries for which the skills are transferable, including mobile computing and information technology. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to confirm your eligibility.

What do you mean by “disadvantaged and underrepresented populations”? Populations include but are not limited to women and nonbinary people, BIPOC individuals, limited English proficiency (LEP) populations, persons with disabilities, and those from geographic/regional, coal-impacted, technological, and underserved populations. 

My organization is already a recipient of Build Back Better funds. Can we still apply? Yes, Build Back Better partner institution members are welcome to apply as long as this award will be used for a project different from any already funded through BBB.

My organization is an eligible applicant with a relevant project, but we want to expand our project team with others from the list of eligible recipients. Can you help connect me with partners? Yes. To express your interest, please get in touch with Block Center Executive Director Steve Wray (stevewray@cmu.edu) and Seeding Societal Futures Program Manager Hannah Graber (hgraber@andrew.cmu.edu).

Through what mechanism will the awardees receive funds? We plan to establish sub-awardees as sub-recipients and, in extenuating circumstances, as vendors. The application asks whether you have previously received Carnegie Mellon funds, which will inform us of our method of transferring funds. Funds are disbursed via reimbursement based on invoices. For example, if you incur costs in September 2024 and invoice us at the end of September, we will pay you within 30 days by the end of October 2024.

How will awardees’ progress be monitored? The CMU Block Center will formally meet with awardees at three points during the project period: four months in, eight months in, and completion. Each meeting will review progress toward stated goals, challenges, and project improvement and expansion opportunities. 

My organization is not ready to apply this year. Will there be further funding opportunities? Yes. This is the second of three anticipated funding opportunities the Block Center will release between now and 2025. All three will have the same general mission, application process, and funding procedures. 

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Block Center Executive Director Steve Wray (stevewray@cmu.edu) and Seeding Societal Futures Program Manager Hannah Graber (hgraber@andrew.cmu.edu) before the July 16th deadline.

2023 Block Build Back Better Subaward Recipients

• “Bridging the Gap Between Education and Talent” – Pittsburgh Technology Council/Fortyx80
• “Pittsburgh Gateways Corp/CorePower Job Training Program” – Pittsburgh Gateways
• “Essentials of Robotics: Short-Term Certificate Program” –  Justin Starr, Community College of Allegheny County
• “Providing Robotics Skills Training to Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Program” – New Century Careers
• “Manufacturing Career Readiness Curriculum Pilot” – Catalyst Connection
• “Growth Mindset Training for and in the Labor Market” – Ashley Orr, CMU Heinz College
• “AI Tech Training” – Vu Nguyen, CMU Robotics Academy
• "Machine Learning Augmented Youth Welding Training Support from Ideation, Planning, to Manufacturing" -  Dina El-Sanfaly, CMU School of Design & Daragh Byrne, CMU School of Architecture
• “New Bridges to the Digital Economy” – Lee Branstetter, CMU Heinz College

The programs will leverage cutting-edge research and collaboration between the education and business communities– including regional universities as well as community colleges – to develop, test and scale technologies and training interventions particularly suitable to removing barriers to access and success for disadvantaged and underrepresented populations. In addition, they will aim to equip regional education and training providers with highly relevant and quality curricula, teaching capabilities, technology, technological knowhow and industry connections to ensure their training adequately serves the needs of the robotics and AI cluster.