Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Partnerships for Learning (P4L) Thematic Youth Projects Initiative: Linking Individuals, Knowledge and Culture (LINC), 3965-3971 [05-1527]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 17 (Thursday, January 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3965-3971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1527]



[[Page 3965]]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4977]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Partnerships for Learning (P4L) Thematic Youth 
Projects Initiative: Linking Individuals, Knowledge and Culture (LINC)

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-05-24.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: March 24, 2005.
    Executive Summary: The Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen 
Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces 
an open competition for projects under the P4L Thematic Youth Projects 
Initiative. 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 implement projects for youth in the 
United States and countries with significant Muslim populations. These 
projects will involve an academic and cultural exploration of one of 
three themes and will promote mutual understanding through reciprocal 
exchanges of three- to six-weeks each.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is 
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, 
Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. 
The purpose of the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United 
States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the 
United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen 
the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the 
educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of 
the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to 
assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 
relations between the United States and the other countries of the 
world.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided 
through legislation.
    Purpose: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and 
the Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of U.S. missions overseas are 
supporting the participation of youth in intensive, substantive 
exchanges under the P4L Thematic Youth Projects Initiative. This 
initiative encompasses cultural and civic exchanges as vehicles through 
which the successor generation can re-engage in a dialogue for greater 
understanding.
    The Linking Individuals, Knowledge, and Culture (LINC) program is 
designed to foster mutual understanding between youth participants 
(ages 15-17) from the United States and from countries with significant 
Muslim populations through a three to six week reciprocal exchange 
program that will enhance the participants' knowledge of their host 
country's history, culture, and system of government. Projects will 
also be designed to foster dialogue and joint activities around one of 
three themes: (1) Religion, community, education, and political 
process; (2) governance, accountability, and transparency in civil 
society; or (3) conflict prevention and management. Through these 
people-to-people exchanges, the Bureau seeks to break down stereotypes 
that divide peoples, promote good governance, contribute to conflict 
prevention and management, and build respect for cultural expression 
and identity in a world that is experiencing rapid globalization.
    The overarching goals of the P4L Thematic Youth Projects Initiative 
are:
    1. To develop a sense of civic responsibility and commitment to 
enhancing cultural bridges among youth;
    2. To promote mutual understanding between the United States and 
the people of other countries; and
    3. To foster personal and institutional ties between participants 
and partner countries.
    Each theme also has specific aims, as outlined below. Applicants 
should identify their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes 
based on these program goals and the project specifications provided in 
this solicitation.
    ECA will accept proposals for either multiple-country or single-
country projects. Applicants should present a rationale for a multiple-
country application, and describe how participants from the various 
countries will interact with one another. Each application will be 
judged independently and proposals for a particular country or region 
will be compared only to proposals for the same country or region. 
Proposals that target countries/regions or themes not listed below will 
be deemed technically ineligible. No guarantee is made or implied that 
grants will be awarded in all themes and for all countries listed.
    To qualify for these grants, a partner country must have a 
significant Muslim population (though the beneficiaries of the grant 
are in no way limited to the Muslim population) and must be in the 
following regions: The Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, 
South Asia, and Southeast Asia; the only country in Europe/Eurasia that 
is eligible is Turkey. Programs with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq 
are restricted to one-way exchange visits to the United States. 
Organizations should consider U.S. Department of State travel 
advisories when selecting countries with which they would like to work.
    Grants will support the travel of foreign students to the United 
States and Americans to the overseas partner countries. The minimum 
duration of stay is three weeks, but longer stays (up to six weeks) are 
possible under these grants. During the exchanges, the students will 
participate in activities designed to teach them about community life, 
citizen participation, and the culture of the host country. The program 
activities will introduce the visitors to the community--its leaders 
and institutions and the ways citizens participate in local government 
and the resolution of societal problems--and will include educational 
excursions that serve to enhance the visitors'' understanding of the 
history, culture, political institutions, ethnic diversity, and 
environment of the region. ECA requires participation in a community 
service project. Participants should also have opportunities to give 
presentations on their countries and cultures in community forums. 
Homestays will be the norm, although participants may spend a modest 
portion of their time as a group in a hotel or dormitory setting. Note: 
Delegations should have adults travel with them. These adults may be 
project staff, teachers, or chaperones. Applicants must demonstrate 
their capacity for conducting projects of this nature, focusing on 
three areas of competency: (1) Provision of programs aimed at achieving 
the goals and themes outlined in this document; (2) age-appropriate 
programming for the target audience; and (3) experience in working with 
the proposed partner country or countries. U.S. applicant organizations 
need to have the necessary capacity in the partner country, with either 
its own offices or a partner institution. The requisite capacity 
overseas includes the ability to recruit and select participants, 
organize substantive exchange activities for the American participants, 
provide follow-on activities, and handle the logistical and financial 
arrangements.
    Themes: Applicants should select one of these themes for its 
program offering. Woven throughout the program activities should be 
guidance and training that help the youth participants develop 
leadership skills including, for

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example, influential public speaking, team-building, critical thinking, 
and goal-setting, so that they are prepared to take action with what 
they have learned.
    (1) Religion, Community, Education, and Political Process: ECA 
welcomes projects that will promote understanding of the role of 
religion and education in shaping community and political life in the 
United States and in participating countries. Proposed programs will 
promote greater communication among religious groups, students, and 
educators and will increase the participants' understanding of how 
community members and leaders interact in and influence society.
    Programs should explore how religion and education can encourage 
openness, tolerance, respect, constructive dialogue, public service, 
and other ways to respect diversity while encouraging different 
communities to work together.
    (2) Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in Civil Society: 
ECA welcomes proposals that will explore the issues of transparency, 
citizen involvement, and effective management in government and 
demonstrate how this can benefit government leaders, non-governmental 
entities, and individual citizens and promote economic wellbeing. 
Proposed programs will promote a respect for governance that is 
transparent and responsive to citizens' concerns and will increase 
understanding of ways that citizens can improve governance, fight 
corruption, and ensure accountability.
    Projects should demonstrate for youth the principles of fair and 
transparent governance and should promote dialogue among youth on this 
theme. Projects must be culturally sensitive and address specific needs 
of the partner country or countries. Individual projects might have the 
young participants explore ways that a country's government, media, and 
NGOs can encourage and support the involvement of its citizenry, 
increase citizen trust, and expand the democratic process.
    (3) Conflict Prevention and Management: Projects for this theme 
should educate youth about ways to prevent, manage, and resolve 
conflict. Proposed projects will help participants explore effective 
approaches for preventing and mitigating conflict between and within 
communities and will increase their understanding of the values 
underlying different conflict prevention and management techniques.
    Proposals must demonstrate strong expertise in the target country 
and local community(ies) to address effectively the sensitive and 
competing interests of target populations. Applicants should 
demonstrate their knowledge of the community or groups experiencing 
conflict (ethnic, religious, border issues, environmental vs. business 
disputes, etc.) or that have the potential for conflict, and proposal 
narratives should outline specifically how the project will introduce 
dialogue and a serious exploration of conflict management approaches.
    Guidelines: Grant periods should begin on or about July 1, 2005. 
The grant period may be between 12 and 18 months in duration.
    The responsibilities of the grant recipient for each project will 
be:

(1) Recruitment and Selection

    (a) Conduct an open, merit-based competition for exchange 
participants. The grantee organization and its overseas partner(s) will 
recruit, screen, and select the participants, in consultation with the 
Public Affairs Section (PAS) of American embassies or other USG 
representative offices overseas, with clearly identified criteria for 
the selection and a formal process. Students must be 15, 16, or 17 
years of age at the time of the exchange, and should have at least one 
year of high school remaining after the exchange.
    (b) Develop plans for outreach and recruitment of both students 
that will generate a strong pool of qualified candidates representing 
ethnic and socio-economic groups and geographic areas;
    (c) Develop student application forms and an interview protocol, in 
consultation with ECA and our overseas representatives;
    (d) Administer an effective English language screening process;
    (e) Adult participants (such as teacher or community leaders who 
work with youth) may be selected to accompany the students on the 
exchange. We encourage the selection of adults who can contribute to 
the project theme and activities. We discourage allowing parents of 
exchange students to travel with them.
    (f) Recommend the final participants and alternates (No invitations 
may be issued without ECA and/or PAS clearance).

(2) Preparation

    (a) Contact participants before the program to provide them with 
program information, pre-departure materials, and to gather information 
about their specific interests;
    (b) Facilitate the visa process, working with ECA and PAS;
    (c) Conduct a pre-departure orientation for participants, including 
general and program-specific information;
    (d) Make all round-trip international (complying with the Fly 
America Act) and domestic travel arrangements for the participants.

(3) Exchange Activities

    (a) Design, plan, and implement an intensive and substantive three- 
to six-week long program on the stated themes. Exchange activities must 
promote program goals. Activities may be school- or community-based, as 
appropriate to the project.
    (b) Recruit the participation of schools, volunteer and service 
organizations, local businesses, and local/state government agencies by 
providing a clear, written statement of program objectives, philosophy, 
and procedures;
    (c) Recruit, screen and select local host families to offer 
homestays (lodging and meals) to the participants during their stay in 
the host community(ies) and to make other housing arrangements as 
needed;
    (d) Orient host institutions, staff, and families to the goals of 
the program and to the cultures and sensitivities of the visitors;
    (e) Arrange appropriate community, cultural, social, and civic 
activities, and make provisions for religious observance;
    (f) Engage both foreign and U.S. participants in at least one 
community service activity (e.g., visit to a food bank, a park clean-
up) during their exchanges. The program should provide context for the 
participants--identifying community needs, volunteerism, charitable 
giving, etc.--and a debriefing so that the service activity is not an 
isolated event and helps participants see how they would apply the 
experience at home.
    (g) Provide day-to-day monitoring of the program, preventing and 
dealing with any misunderstandings or adjustment issues that may arise;
    (h) Provide a closing session to summarize the project activities, 
prepare participants for their return home, and to plan for the future.

(4) Follow-on Activities

    (a) Conduct follow-on activities with program alumni, such as 
seminars and other gatherings and the provision of materials, to 
reinforce values and skills imparted during the exchange program and to 
help them apply what they have learned to serve their schools and 
communities;
    (b) Applicants may present creative and effective ways to address 
the project themes, for both program participants and their peers, as a 
means to amplify the program impact. Follow-on

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activities should be funded by both the Bureau grant and other non-
Bureau sources.
    (5) Work in consultation with ECA and PAS in the implementation of 
the program, provide timely reporting of progress to ECA and PAS, and 
comply with financial and program reporting requirements;
    (6) Manage all financial aspects of the program, including stipend 
disbursements to the participants and management of sub-grant 
relationships with partner organizations;
    (7) Design and implement an evaluation plan that assesses the 
impact of the program (See section IV.3d.3).
    Proposal Contents: In the 20 page, one-sided, double-spaced 
narrative, please describe the proposed project in detail, including 
the themes, guidelines, and responsibilities outlined above. We 
recommend using the following outline to organize your narrative. Refer 
to the proposal review criteria in this document for further guidance.
    (1) Vision.
    (a) Statement of the applicant's objectives as they relate to the 
Department's goals.
    (b) Measurable outcomes.
    (2) Country selection--Provide an explanation for the selection of 
countries for inclusion in this program.
    (3) Program Activities--Describe the recruitment, selection, 
orientation, and exchanges (thematic and academic elements, cultural 
activities, participant monitoring, logistics). Include a sample 
itinerary.
    (4) Diversity--Describe how various aspects of the program 
(selection, exchange activities, etc.) will promote an understanding of 
geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity in the U.S. and the 
partner countries.
    (5) Follow-on Activities--Describe programming provided for 
exchange alumni.
    (6) Multiplier effect--Describe how the program design will ensure 
that the effects of the exchange activities extend to individuals 
beyond those who travel.
    (7) Program Evaluation Plan--Describe the design and methodology.
    (8) Organization Capacity and Program Management--Describe the 
organization and program staffing (identify individuals and their 
responsibilities, both in the U.S. and overseas), structure, and 
resources. Indicate plan for working with ECA and PAS.
    (9) Work Plan/Time Frame.
    Please include any attachments in Tab E of your proposal. Limit the 
attachments to those essential for completing an understanding of the 
proposal.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package for further information.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2005.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,150,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 5-10.
    Floor of Award Range: $50,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $250,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: July 1, 2005.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: 12-18 months after start date, 
to be specified by applicant based on project plan.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of the 
projects and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, ECA 
reserves the right to renew grants for up to two additional fiscal 
years before openly competing grants under this program again.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code 
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost 
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For 
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs 
that are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by 
the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis 
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost 
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum 
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's 
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

IV.1. Contact Information To Request an Application Package

    Please contact the Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 568, Washington, 
DC 20547, (202) 203-7502, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail NowlinJR@state.gov 
to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Program Title 
and the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-05-24) located at the 
top of this announcement when making your request.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify Bureau Program Officer Carolyn Lantz and refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement 
on all other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
Web site at https://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm. Please 
read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and eight copies of the application should be 
sent per the instructions under IV.3e. ``Submission Dates and Times 
section'' below.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative 
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit 
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. 
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the

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appropriate box of the SF-424 form that is part of the formal 
application package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please refer to the solicitation package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project 
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1. Adherence To All Regulations Governing the J Visa. The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered 
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the ``Responsible 
Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which 
covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving 
grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating with or 
assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The 
actions of grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the 
sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR part 62. 
Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant 
under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable 
the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and 
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program 
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that 
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all 
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs 
as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has experience as 
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq., 
including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate 
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, 
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, 
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program. A copy of the 
complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor 
(J) programs is available at https://exchanges.state.gov or from: United 
States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination and 
Designation, ECA/EC/ECD-SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 401-9810, FAX: (202) 401-9809.
    IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this 
principle both in program administration and in program content. Please 
refer to the review criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section 
for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal. 
Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of 
educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not 
fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take 
appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such 
programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.'' 
Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of the countries 
described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection 
process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their 
program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
    IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation. Proposals must include 
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the 
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends 
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes 
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee 
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key 
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning 
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the 
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in 
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan 
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as 
well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation 
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your 
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure 
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic 
organizations; interpretation and explanation of

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experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between 
participants, community members, and others.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.
    Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate 
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term 
outcomes.
    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be 
judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation 
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] 
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All 
data collected, including survey responses and contact information, 
must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the 
Bureau upon request.
    IV.3e. Budget Guidelines. Please take the following information 
into consideration when preparing your budget.
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Grant requests must not be less than $50,000 nor 
greater than $250,000. Eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to a grant maximum of $60,000. There are no specific country 
allocations. The Bureau anticipates awarding multiple grants; the exact 
number of grants will be based on the number and quality of the 
submitted proposals. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, 
or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the 
program and the availability of funds. Proposal budgets must include a 
summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and 
program budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each 
program component, phase, location, or activity to provide 
clarification.
    Suggested program costs include, but are not limited to, the 
following:
    [cir] Staff travel.
    [cir] Participant travel (international, domestic, local ground 
transportation).
    [cir] Orientation.
    [cir] Cultural activities.
    [cir] Food and lodging.
    [cir] Follow-on activities.
    [cir] Evaluation.
    [cir] Stipends or allowances.
    [cir] Justifiable expenses directly related to program activities.
    Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise or to make 
presentations. Honoraria should not exceed $250 per day. Organizations 
are encouraged to cost-share any rates that exceed that amount.
    Please note that there are no fees for the J-1 visas that foreign 
participants will use to enter the United States; there may be visa 
fees for the U.S. travelers. Applicants should budget for travel to the 
nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for visa interviews.
    Exchange participants will be enrolled in the Bureau's Accident and 
Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE). Applicants need not include 
travel insurance costs in their budgets.
    While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, 
the Bureau urges applicants to keep administrative costs as low and 
reasonable as possible. Proposals should show strong administrative 
cost sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country partner, 
and other sources.
    Please refer to the PSI for allowable costs and complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times: Application Deadline Date: 
Thursday, March 24, 2005.
    Explanation of Deadlines: In light of recent events and heightened 
security measures, proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally 
recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, 
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) 
and be shipped no later than the above deadline. The delivery services 
used by applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping 
identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via the 
Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly 
recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or 
before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days 
after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under 
this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are 
ineligible for consideration under this competition. It is each 
applicant's responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a 
legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the 
Internet. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. Delivery 
of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in 
person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at 
any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered. 
Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package.
    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure to 
include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an 
envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
    The original, one fully-tabbed copy, and seven copies of the 
application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 9 copies, bound with large 
binder clips) should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-05-24, 
Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.
    With the submission of the proposal package, please also submit the 
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget sections of the 
proposal as e-mail attachments in Microsoft Word and/or Excel to the 
program officer at LantzCS@state.gov. The Bureau will provide these 
files electronically to the Public Affairs Sections at the relevant 
U.S. embassies for their review.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public 
Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of

[[Page 3970]]

State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for grants resides with the Bureau's Grants 
Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission. Proposals should display an understanding of the goals of the 
program. Exchange activities should ensure efficient use of program 
resources. Proposals will demonstrate a commitment to excellence and 
creativity in the implementation and management of the program. 
Proposed projects should receive positive assessments by the U.S. 
Department of State's geographic area desk and overseas officers of 
program need, potential impact, and significance in the partner 
countries.
    2. Program planning: Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, 
flexible, and respond to the priorities outlined in this announcement. 
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the 
program's objectives and plan. A detailed agenda and relevant work plan 
will demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. The 
agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines 
described above and will show the timetable by which major tasks will 
be completed. The substance of workshops and exchange activities should 
be described in detail and included as an attachment. The 
responsibilities of partner organizations will be clearly delineated.
    3. Support of diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    4. Institutional capacity: Applicants should demonstrate knowledge 
of each country's educational environment and the capacity to recruit, 
select, and orient U.S. and foreign exchange students. Proposals should 
include (1) the institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) 
detailed information about proposed in-country partners; (3) an outline 
of prior awards for work in the region; and (4) descriptions of 
experienced personnel who will implement the program. Institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's 
goals. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of 
successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management 
and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau 
grants as determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider 
the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential 
of new applicants.
    5. Project evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the project's successes and challenges, both as 
the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The evaluation 
plan should show a clear link between program objectives and expected 
outcomes, and should include a description of performance indicators 
and measurement tools. Applicants should provide draft questionnaires 
or other techniques for use in surveying participants to facilitate the 
demonstration of results. Applicants will indicate their willingness to 
submit periodic progress reports in accordance with the program 
office's expectations.
    6. Follow-on and sustainability: Proposals should provide a 
strategy for the use of alumni to work together to further the impact 
of the program both within the context of the grant (with Bureau 
support) and after its completion (without the Bureau's financial 
support).
    7. Multiplier effect: The program design should include efforts to 
expand the impact of the exchanges beyond just those who travel. 
Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, 
including maximum sharing of information and the establishment of long-
term institutional and individual linkages.
    8. Cost-effectiveness/Cost sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be 
kept as low as possible. While lower ``per participant'' figures will 
be more competitive, the Bureau expects all figures to be realistic. 
All other items should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals should 
maximize cost sharing through other private sector support as well as 
institutional direct funding contributions.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1a. Award Notices

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. 
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant 
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the 
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. 
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and 
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the 
application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.

VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles 
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles 
for Educational Institutions.''
    OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
    OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
    OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
    OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and 
Non-profit Organizations.
    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants and https://
exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

    You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one copy of the 
following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) Interim reports, as required in the Bureau grant agreement.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) 
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must

[[Page 3971]]

be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the Bureau 
upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.
    Program Data Requirements: Organizations awarded grants will be 
required to maintain specific data on program participants and 
activities in an electronically accessible database format that can be 
shared with the Bureau as required. As a minimum, the data must include 
the following:
    (1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all 
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant or 
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. The ECA Program Officer must receive final schedules for in-
country and U.S. activities at least three working days prior to the 
official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz, 
Program Officer, Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
(202) 203-7505, fax (202) 203-7529, e-mail LantzCS@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-05-24.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

VIII. Other Information

    Notice: The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding 
and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory 
information provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language 
will not be binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award 
commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right 
to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the 
needs of the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be 
subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section 
VI.3 above.

    Dated: January 19, 2005.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 05-1527 Filed 1-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P