Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; U.S. Summer Institutes for Pakistani Undergraduate Students, 6123-6129 [06-1069]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6123-6129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1069]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5298]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; U.S. Summer 
Institutes for Pakistani Undergraduate Students

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-06-001SIP.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.0000.
    Key Dates: Application Deadline: March 31, 2006.
    Executive Summary: The Near East/South Asia Branch, Office of 
Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
announces an open competition for public and private non-profit 
organizations to develop and implement the U.S. Summer Institutes for 
Pakistani Undergraduate Students, to take place in the U.S. during the 
summer of 2006. The Bureau anticipates awarding two separate assistance 
awards to support two institutes for Pakistani undergraduate students. 
Each institute is intended to provide a minimum of 15-20 highly 
motivated second- and third-year undergraduate students from Pakistan 
with a six-week academic seminar, including a two-week U.S. travel 
component that will give the participants a deeper understanding of the 
program themes.

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 above is provided 
through legislation.

    Purpose: The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals for the U.S. 
Summer Institutes for Pakistani Undergraduate Students from U.S. 
colleges, universities, consortia of colleges and universities, and 
other not-for-profit academic organizations that have an established 
reputation in one or more of the following fields: Political science, 
international relations, law, history, sociology, American studies, 
and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the study of the 
United States.
    ``The United States Today: Politics, Society and Culture'' Summer 
Institutes are intended to provide two groups of 15-20 undergraduate 
students from Pakistan with an introduction to the main contours of 
contemporary American life and institutions. The Summer Institutes 
should be designed in such a way that the central institutions of the 
American experience political, economic, social, religious and cultural 
are explored through a series of lectures, debates, roundtable 
discussions, and site visits. While the general focus should be on the 
United States today, the program should be structured to provide an 
introductory overview on the evolution of American institutions 
throughout U.S. history. The program should therefore seek to introduce 
participants to the core values of the people of the United States in 
the 21st century as those values have evolved over time.
    Among the many themes and topics that might be explored are: 
American constitutionalism; the American federal system; civil 
liberties and the rule of law; freedom of speech and the role of media, 
particularly broadcast media, in American society; the U.S. political 
economy and market economics;

[[Page 6124]]

American foreign policy; the role of women; multiculturalism; ethnic 
pluralism; the demography of American religion; individualism and 
equality; national unity and diversity; and the role of popular 
culture, literature, music and the arts. The program may be organized 
in a variety of ways--historically, thematically, or topically, or 
through a combination thereof.
    The grantee institution for each institute should take into account 
that the participants may have little or no prior knowledge of the U.S. 
and varying degrees of experience in expressing their opinions, and 
should tailor the curriculum and classroom activities accordingly. The 
grantee institution will be required to develop a program that provides 
ample time and opportunity for discussion, training and interaction, 
rather than standard lectures or broad survey reading assignments.
    It is critical that the participants gain a more informed and 
coherent understanding of the United States and share their own culture 
and way of life. To accomplish this, each institute should include 
opportunities for participants to meet American citizens from a variety 
of backgrounds, to interact with peers, and to speak to appropriate 
student and civic groups about their experiences and life in their home 
countries.
    Additionally, as grassroots ambassadors to the communities in which 
they will be studying, an important objective of the institutes is to 
develop the participants' leadership skills. In this context, the 
programs should include lectures, community service activities, group 
discussions, training, and exercises focusing on such topics as the 
essential attributes of leadership; teambuilding; effective 
communication and problem-solving skills; and management skills for 
diverse organizational settings.
    The host institution for each institute will also be expected to 
provide participants post-program opportunities for further 
investigation and research on the topics and issues examined and 
discussed during each institute.
    Each institute should be six weeks in length including a domestic 
travel component of not more than fourteen (14) days, of which 3-4 days 
should be spent in Washington, DC, at the end of the program. This 
travel component should directly complement the academic residency 
segment. It should include visits to cities and other sites of interest 
in the region of the host institution.
    The project director or one of the key program staff responsible 
for the academic program must have an advanced degree in one of the 
following fields: Political science, history, art, sociology, American 
studies, and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the 
study of the United States. If the project director or key program 
staff does not have an advanced degree, the proposal will be considered 
technically ineligible.
    Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package. Bureau programs are subject to 
the availability of funds.
    Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs 
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources 
of their institutions as well as upon the expertise of nationally 
recognized scholars and other experts throughout the United States. 
Within the limits of their thematic focus and organizing framework, 
institutes should also be designed to:
    1. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary focus to bear 
on the program content;
    2. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and 
institutions that includes a broad and balanced range of perspectives. 
Where possible, programs should therefore include the views not only of 
scholars, cultural critics and public intellectuals, but also those of 
other professionals such as government officials, journalists and 
others who can substantively contribute to the topics at issue; and,
    3. Ensure access to library and material resources that will enable 
grantees to continue their research and studies upon returning to their 
home institutions.
    Participants: As specified in the Project Objectives, Goals and 
Implementation (POGI) guidelines in the solicitation package, each 
program should be designed for highly motivated second- and third-year 
undergraduates from colleges, universities, and teacher training 
institutions in Pakistan who have demonstrated leadership through 
academic achievements, community involvement, and extracurricular 
activities. Their major fields will be varied, including the arts and 
humanities, social sciences, education, business, and other 
professional fields. All participants will be conversant in English.


    Please note: The level of English among the students may vary. 
The host institution will be required to prepare lectures and 
discussions meeting the highest academic standards while using 
language appropriate for students with English as their second or 
third language.
    The U.S. Embassy will make a particular effort to recruit 
participants from non-elite or underprivileged backgrounds and from 
both rural and urban sectors of Pakistan. All participants will be 
22 years of age or younger; have completed their first or second 
year of undergraduate studies; be committed to returning to their 
home universities in the fall of 2006 following completion of their 
institute program; have had little or no prior study or travel 
experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home 
countries; and be willing and able to fully participate in an 
intensive academic program, community service, and active 
educational travel program. As participants will be selected in 
large part on the basis of their demonstrated leadership capacity, 
it is expected they will utilize the experience derived from the 
program in positions of leadership upon return to their home 
countries.


    Please note: Special attention will be required on the part of 
the host institution to the students' limited knowledge of the U.S. 
and their varying levels of academic sophistication. Special 
sensitivity on the part of the host institution also will be 
required to the cultural traditions and religious practices of the 
participating students, who will represent a variety of Muslim or 
other religious traditions. Special requirements and restrictions 
regarding diet, daily worship, housing and medical care should be 
considered. The Bureau will provide guidance and assistance, as 
needed.


    Program Dates: Ideally, the program should be 44 days in length 
(including participant arrival and departure days) and is anticipated 
to begin mid July 2006.
    Program Guidelines: While the conception and structure of each 
institute program is the responsibility of the organizers, it is 
critically important that proposals provide a full, detailed and 
comprehensive narrative describing the objectives of the institute; the 
title, scope and content of each session; and how each session relates 
to the overall institute theme. A syllabus must be included that 
indicates the subject matter for each lecture, panel discussion or 
other activity (e.g., group exercises), confirms or provisionally 
identifies proposed lecturers, trainers and session leaders, and 
clearly shows how assigned readings will support each session. A 
calendar of all program activities must also be included. Additionally, 
applicant institutions should describe their plans for public and media 
outreach in connection with the program.


    Note: In a cooperative agreement, the Bureau is substantially 
involved in program activities above and beyond routine grant 
monitoring. ECA activities and responsibilities for this program are 
as follows: ECA will participate in the selection of participants, 
exercise oversight with one or

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more site visits, debrief participants while they are in Washington 
and also engage in follow-up communications with the participants 
upon their return home. ECA may require changes in the content of 
the program as well as the activities proposed after the grant is 
awarded. The recipient will be required to obtain review and 
approval of significant agenda/syllabus changes in advance of their 
implementation.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under ``Note'' above. The numbers below reflect 
figures for each institute.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-06.
    Approximate Total Funding for each institute: $250,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 2.
    Approximate Average Award for each institute: $250,000.
    Floor of Award Range for each institute: $225,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range for each institute: $250,000.
    Anticipated Award Date for each institute: Pending availability of 
funds, May 18, 2006.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date for each institute: September 
30, 2006.

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 cooperative 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 
which 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

    (a.) Bureau grant and cooperative agreement guidelines require that 
organizations with less than four years experience in conducting 
international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 
anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement in an amount up to 
$250,000 for each institute to support program and administrative costs 
required to implement these exchange programs. Therefore, organizations 
with less than four years experience in conducting international 
exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.
    (b.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
following: The project director or one of the key program staff 
responsible for the academic program must have an advanced degree in 
one of the following fields: political science, international 
relations, law, history, art, sociology, literature, American studies, 
and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the program 
themes. Failure to meet this criterion will result in your proposal 
being declared technically ineligible and given no further 
consideration in the review process.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending 
inquiries or submitting proposals. ECA staff will be available to 
consult with prospective applicant institutions about program design 
and content up until the proposal submission deadline. 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 Near East/South Asia Branch ECA/A/E/NEA-SA, Room 
Number 252, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, telephone number (202) 453-8096 and fax number 
(202) 453-8095, e-mail KreiserJD@state.gov to request a Solicitation 
Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-
06-001SIP located at the top of this announcement when making your 
request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) 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.
    Please specify Program Officer Joshua Kreiser and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-06-001SIP 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, or 
from the grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov. 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 ten (10) copies of the application should be 
sent per the instructions under IV.3f. ``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.

[[Page 6126]]

    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 part 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, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements. 
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) 203-5029, 
Fax: (202) 453-8640.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
    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 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.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 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: Because the cooperative agreements to be awarded 
under the terms of this RFGP are likely to be of less than one 
year's duration, prospective host institutions will not be expected 
to be able to demonstrate significant specific results in terms of 
participant behavior or institutional changes during the agreement 
period. Applicant institutions monitoring and evaluation plans 
should, therefore, focus primarily on the first and more 
particularly the second level of outcomes (learning). ECA will 
assume principal responsibility for developing performance 
indicators and conducting post-institute evaluations to measure 
changes in participant behavior as a result of the program, and 
effect of the program on institutions, over time.


    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.

[[Page 6127]]

    IV.3d.4. Describe your plans for overall program management, 
staffing, and coordination with ECA. ECA considers program management, 
staffing and coordination with the Department of State essential 
elements of your program. Please be sure to give sufficient attention 
to these elements in your proposal. Please refer to the Technical 
Eligibility Requirements and the POGI in the Solicitation package for 
specific guidelines.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Awards for each institute may not exceed $250,000. 
There must be 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. Separate budgets must be submitted if applicants 
intend to submit proposals for each institute.
    Based on a group of 15-20 participants, the total Bureau-funded 
budget (program and administrative) for each program should not exceed 
$250,000, with Bureau-funded administrative costs as defined in the 
budget details section of the solicitation package accounting for no 
more than $85,000 of the total amount.
    Justifications for any costs above these amounts must be clearly 
indicated in the proposal submission. Proposals should try to maximize 
cost sharing in all facets of the program and to stimulate U.S. private 
sector, including foundation and corporate, support. Applicants must 
submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program. The Bureau 
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in 
accordance with the needs of the program, and availability of U.S. 
government funding.
    Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for 
complete institute budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Institute staff salary and benefits;
    (2) Honoraria for Guest speakers;
    (3) Participant per diem.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: Friday, March 31, 2006.
    Reference Number: ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-06-001SIP.
    Methods of Submission:
    Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:
    (1.) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    (2.) Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
    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.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. 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. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. 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. 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.


    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 ten (10) copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E/NEA-SA/06-001SIP, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, 
Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic Applications. Applicants have the 
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov 
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available 
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system. Please follow the 
instructions available in the ``Get Started'' portion of the site 
(https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.) of the closing date to 
ensure that their entire applications have been uploaded to the 
grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of 
the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the 
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
    Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon 
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you 
upon receipt of electronic applications.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. embassy for 
its 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 State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
cooperative agreements 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. Overall Quality of Proposal, Program Planning and 
Administration, and Ability To Achieve Objectives: Proposals should 
exhibit originality and substance, consonant with the highest standards 
of American teaching and scholarship, and be suitable for students with 
English as their second or third language. Program elements should be

[[Page 6128]]

tailored for students with limited knowledge of the U.S. and with 
varying degrees of academic sophistication. Lectures, panels, and other 
interactive classroom activities, readings, community service, and site 
visits, taken as a whole, should offer a balanced presentation of 
issues, reflecting both the continuity of the American experience as 
well its inherent diversity and dynamism. Proposals should demonstrate 
careful planning. The organization and structure of each institute 
should be clearly delineated and be fully responsive to all program 
objectives. A program syllabus (noting specific sessions and topical 
readings supporting each academic unit) should be included, as should a 
calendar of activities. The travel component should not simply be a 
tour, but should be an integral and substantive part of the program, 
reinforcing and complementing the academic segment. Proposals should 
provide evidence of continuous administrative and managerial capacity 
as well as the means by which program activities and logistical matters 
will be implemented. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and 
flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will 
meet the program's objectives and plan.
    2. Institutional Capacity and Record/Ability: Proposed personnel, 
including faculty and administrative staff as well as outside 
presenters, should be fully qualified to achieve the project's goals. 
Library and meeting facilities, housing, meals, transportation and 
other logistical arrangements should fully meet the needs of 
participants. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of 
successful exchange program activities, indicating the experience that 
the organization and its professional staff have had working with 
foreign students. The Bureau will consider the past performance of 
prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. ``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. Applicant should 
highlight instances of diversity in their proposal.
    4. Project Evaluation and Follow-up: Proposals should include a 
plan to evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities unfold 
and at the end of the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus description of a methodology to link outcomes to 
original project objectives is strongly recommended. Proposals should 
discuss provisions for follow-up with returned grantees as a means of 
establishing longer-term individual and institutional linkages.
    5. 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.

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 two (2) copies 
of a final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the 
conclusion of the program.
    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.3d.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.

VI.4. 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. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Joshua Kreiser, 
ECA/A/E/NEA-SA, Room Number 252, Ref. : ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-06-
001SIP, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, telephone number (202) 453-8096 and fax number 
(202) 453-8095, e-mail KreiserJD@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/A/E/NEA-SA-06-001SIP.
    Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or 
submitting proposals. Once the RFGP

[[Page 6129]]

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 31, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 06-1069 Filed 2-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-U