Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: FY2006 International Educators Program, 40774-40779 [05-13878]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 134 (Thursday, July 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40774-40779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13878]



[[Page 40774]]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5135]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: FY2006 International Educators Program

    Announcement Type: Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/X-06-03.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: September 9, 2005.
    Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Office of Global 
Educational Programs announce an open competition to administer a new 
semester-long International Educators Program for outstanding 
secondary-level teachers from Southeast Asia, the Near East, South Asia 
(except Afghanistan) and Russia. The total grant award for program and 
administrative purposes is anticipated to be $1,650,000. 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 cooperate with the Bureau in the administration and implementation 
of the FY2006 International Educators Program.

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

    Overview: The new International Educators Program will bring 
outstanding secondary teachers from Southeast Asia, the Near East, 
South Asia (except Afghanistan) and Russia to the United States to 
further develop expertise in their subject areas, to enhance their 
teaching skills and to increase their knowledge about the United 
States. The goals of the program are: (1) To contribute to the 
improvement of teaching in the participating countries; (2) to provide 
opportunities for under-served populations, especially women, to have 
an important professional opportunity in the U.S. to enhance their 
ability to contribute to national development; (3) to create among key 
professionals and social influencers a deeper understanding of the U.S. 
who can share their experiences of living in a diverse democratic 
society with students and teachers in their home communities; and (4) 
to develop productive and lasting relationships and mutual 
understanding between American and international teachers and their 
students; and (5) to provide opportunities for under-served 
populations, especially women, to have a first-hand experience in the 
U.S. Participants will be younger teaching professionals with five or 
more years of classroom experience and a TOEFL score of 450 or higher 
on the written test (or the equivalent on the CBT). Teachers will be 
selected from many disciplines including English as a Foreign Language, 
social studies, civics, mathematics and science. Public Affairs 
Sections of U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions, in collaboration 
with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X), will coordinate 
the recruitment and nomination of candidates. Nominations will be 
submitted to the grantee organization, which will arrange for external 
professional selection panels to recommend candidates for the approval 
of the Bureau. ECA/A/S/X will approve the final list of grantees and 
will notify candidates of their status through the participating 
Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies.
    Proposals should include two distinct components: (1) The semester-
long program from January to May/June 2007 and (2) the follow-on grants 
to program alumni. Please refer to the Project Objectives, Goals and 
Implementation (POGI) document for specific activities to be conducted 
beginning in late fall of 2006.
    Semester Program: Serious attention needs to be paid to the program 
orientation and to the needs of teachers who may not have the 
advantages of teaching in large metropolitan areas with solid 
opportunities to develop high-level English skills. The semester-long 
program should take place from mid-January to May/June 2007. Teachers 
should be placed in four different clusters of approximately 12 to 14 
individuals each at different U.S. universities that best meet their 
training needs. Teachers will be placed into different groups based on 
criteria to be determined after applications have been submitted. The 
semester program should encompass the following elements:
    (1) Orientation upon arrival;
    (2) Instruction in English language as needed;
    (3) Training in the use of computers for Internet and word 
processing and as tools for teaching EFL or other coursework. Proposals 
should budget for a laptop computer for each participant;
    (4) Intensive training in relevant subjects and teaching 
methodologies through a variety of courses within the host university's 
school of education or other departments (participants will select 
courses based on their individual goals and interests);
    (5) Enrollment in a specially designed group seminar on teaching 
strategies for their home environments and educational leadership;
    (6) Individual and group work periods for research and curriculum 
writing on EFL, civics, and other topics;
    (7) Interaction with Americans at civic and volunteer 
organizations, school board meetings, parent-teacher conferences, or 
other community activities and through short home stays;
    (8) Participation in a substantial six to eight week internship to 
engage participants actively with the American classroom environment.
    a. Host universities should recruit school districts to host groups 
for internships based on brief proposals outlining the interest of the 
school districts, their understanding of the program goals, examples of 
their best practices, and a commitment to mentoring.
    b. School districts should be within easy driving distance of the 
host university, and should be capable of introducing participants to 
more than one approach to teaching (for example, inquiry, active 
classroom, group projects, etc.).
    c. Schools should designate an experienced mentor to oversee the 
day-to-day activities of each participant. Internship activities should 
include: observing a variety of teaching methods as well as computer-
based lessons; working individually with a mentor teacher on curriculum 
development; and team teaching. Public, private, magnet or charter 
schools that have

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developed best practices may all be included.
    (9) Cultural activities to encourage mutual understanding between 
participants and Americans, the mission of the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs;
    (10) Travel to Washington, DC during the second half of the program 
for a three- to four-day workshop including visits to the Department of 
State, cultural sites, and relevant educational organizations.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs encourages 
partnership and collaboration with local school districts. Applicants 
should outline how host school districts will be selected and how 
teachers will collaborate with schools and local communities.
    Follow-on Programming: American host secondary schools will be 
eligible to apply for follow-on grants after the program ends. 
Proposals for these grants should be submitted to the grantee 
organization by the U.S. host schools in collaboration with the 
participant's home school overseas. All proposals should be developed 
within the context of global and U.S. Embassy priorities. The proposals 
should encourage further cooperation between project participants and 
their U.S. schools to build on the semester-long stays in the U.S. For 
example, host teachers or administrators might travel to their foreign 
partner's home school for a short reciprocal exchange and/or take part 
in teacher-training programs for other foreign teachers/topics. U.S. 
host schools might propose Internet linkages between their school and 
their partner's school. No student exchanges will be funded. The 
proposal should outline a process for promoting the opportunity to U.S. 
host schools and for reviewing and selecting recipients of follow-on 
grants. Proposals should budget approximately $100,000 for this 
purpose. The process should include coordination with the Fulbright 
Teacher Exchange Branch and the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission 
for review and approval. The Bureau will determine the final selection 
of grantees.
Program Planning and Implementation
    Applicant organizations should submit a narrative outlining a 
comprehensive strategy for the administration and program 
implementation of the International Educators Program. The narrative 
should include a design for the semester-long program, a process for 
selecting host U.S. universities through sub-grants, a plan for 
monitoring the teachers' academic and professional programs, and an 
approach to alumni programming through follow-on grants.
    The comprehensive program strategy should reflect a vision for the 
initiative as a whole, interpreting the goals of the International 
Educators Program with creativity, as well as providing innovative 
ideas for the program. The strategy should include a description of how 
the various components of the program will be integrated to build upon 
and reinforce one another.
    In a cooperative agreement, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Office 
(ECA/A/S/X) will be substantially involved in program activities in 
addition to routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/X activities and 
responsibilities for this program are as follows:
     Formulation of program policy;
     Reviewing of draft texts for publicity and program 
guidelines prior to publication;
     Cooperation in the development of plans for specific 
university-based programs and enhancement activities for the teachers 
such as the Washington, DC workshop;
     Applicant country eligibility and nomination guidelines.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2006.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,650,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Approximate Average Award: Pending availability of funds, 
$1,650,000 million.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, December 1, 
2005.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2008.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years, 
before openly competing it 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, applicants must maintain written records to support all 
costs, which are claimed as their 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

    Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than 
four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited 
to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates issuing one award, in an 
amount up to $1,650,000 to support program and administrative costs 
required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations 
with less than four years experience in conducting international 
exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.

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 Patricia Mosley of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange 
Branch, ECA/A/S/X, Room 349, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 619-4556, fax (202) 
401-1433, e-mail: MosleyPJ@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. 
Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/X-06-03 when 
making your request.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI)

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document which consists of required application forms, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation.
    It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation 
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria 
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.

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 seven 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 
appropriate box of the SF-424 which 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 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed emphasis 
on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) 
Programs and adherence by grantees and sponsors to all regulations 
governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the 
applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the 
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 
62, including the oversight of 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, 
recordkeeping, reporting and other requirements. The Grantee 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.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
    IV.3.d.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 physical 
challenges. 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.3.d.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, how and when you intend to measure these 
outcomes (performance indicators), and how these outcomes relate to the 
above goals. 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

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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 of teachers to apply 
knowledge in home schools and community; interpretation and explanation 
of experiences and new knowledge gained to school administrators and 
other colleagues; continued contacts between participants and others.
    4. Institutional changes influencing policy improvement, 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.)
    ECA/A/S/X and the Bureau's Office of Policy and Evaluation will 
work with the recipient of this cooperative agreement to develop 
appropriate evaluation goals and performance indicators.
    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.3.d.4. Describe your Plans for Staffing: Please provide a 
staffing plan, which outlines the responsibilities of each staff person 
and explains which staff member will be accountable for each program 
responsibility. Wherever possible please streamline administrative 
processes.
IV.3e
    Please take the following information into consideration when 
preparing your budget:
    IV.3.e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
program. The budget should not exceed $1,650,000 for program and 
administrative costs. It should indicate the number of participants 
that can be accommodated at this funding level, based on detailed 
calculations of program and administrative costs. There must be a 
summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and 
program budgets for host campus and foreign teacher involvement in the 
program. Applicants should provide separate sub-budgets for the 
semester program and the follow-on grant component.
    The summary and detailed administrative and program budgets should 
be accompanied by a narrative which provides a brief rationale for each 
line item including a methodology for estimating an appropriate average 
maintenance allowance level and tuition costs for the participants. The 
total administrative costs funded by the Bureau must be reasonable and 
appropriate. Pending the availability of funds, the grant should begin 
on December 1, 2005 and should expire on September 30, 2008.
    IV.3.e.2. Allowable costs for the program and additional budget 
guidance are outlined in detail in the POGI document.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times
    Application Deadline Date: September 9, 2005.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Due to 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.
    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 and seven copies of the application should be sent to: 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/X-06-03, 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. In 
addition, an electronic copy of the narrative and budget should be sent 
to Rozina Damanwala (DamanwalaRR@state.gov).
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
    Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

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 State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's 
Grants Officer.

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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. Program Development and Management: The proposed narrative 
should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the 
Bureau's mission as well as the objectives of the International 
Educators Program. It should include an effective program plan and 
demonstrate how the distribution of administrative resources will 
ensure adequate attention to program administration, including host 
institution selection.
    2. Multiplier Effect/Impact: The proposed administrative strategy 
should maximize the program's potential to encourage participants to 
build on the their exchange experience after returning to their home 
countries.
    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 
(resource materials and follow-up activities).
    4. Institutional Capacity and Record: 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. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be 
adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals.
    5. Follow-on and Alumni Activities: Proposals should provide a plan 
for continued follow-on activity (both with and without Bureau support) 
ensuring that the International Educators Program is not an isolated 
event. Activities should include administration of the follow-on grants 
component, tracking and maintaining updated lists of all alumni and 
facilitating additional follow-up activities for alumni.
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the International Educators Program's degree of 
success in meeting program objectives, both as the activities unfold 
and at their conclusion. Draft survey questionnaires or other 
techniques plus description of methodologies to use to link outcomes to 
original project objectives are recommended. Successful applicants will 
be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component 
is concluded, or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
    7. Cost-effectiveness and Cost Sharing: The overhead and 
administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and 
honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. 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.1. 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; 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:
    Quarterly financial reports; semi-annual program reports; and final 
program and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration 
of the award.
    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 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.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Rozina Damanwala, 
Office of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/X, Room 349, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone: 202-619-6589, fax 202-401-1433, DamanwalaRR@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the title and number ECA/A/S/X-06-03. 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.
    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.


[[Page 40779]]


    Dated: July 5, 2005.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 05-13878 Filed 7-13-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P