Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Arts Exchanges on International Issues Program, 17149-17156 [06-3209]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.
2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et
seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of
October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority
No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as
amended, and Delegation of Authority
No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875],
I hereby determine that the objects to be
included in the exhibition ‘‘Best in
Show! The Dog in Art from the
Renaissance to Today,’’ imported from
abroad for temporary exhibition within
the United States, are of cultural
significance. The objects are imported
pursuant to loan agreements with the
foreign owners or custodians. I also
determine that the exhibition or display
of the exhibit objects at the Bruce
Museum of Arts and Science,
Greenwich, Connecticut, from on or
about May 13, 2006, until on or about
August 27, 2006 and The Museum of
Fine Art, Houston, Texas, from on or
about October 1, 2006, until on or about
January 1, 2007, and at possible
additional venues yet to be determined,
is in the national interest. Public Notice
of these Determinations is ordered to be
published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the exhibit objects, contact Wolodymyr
Sulzynsky, Attorney-Adviser, Office of
the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of
State (telephone: 202/453–8050). The
address is U.S. Department of State, SA–
44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700,
Washington, DC 20547–0001.
Dated: March 27, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. E6–4943 Filed 4–4–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5366]
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Culturally Significant Objects Imported
for Exhibition Determinations: ‘‘The
Colors of Clay: Special Techniques in
Athenians Vases’’
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the
following determinations: Pursuant to
the authority vested in me by the Act of
October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C.
2459), Executive Order 12047 of March
27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.
2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et
seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of
October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority
No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as
amended, and Delegation of Authority
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
17149
No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875],
I hereby determine that the objects to be
included in the exhibition ‘‘The Colors
of Clay: Special Techniques in
Athenians Vases,’’ imported from
abroad for temporary exhibition within
the United States, are of cultural
significance. The objects are imported
pursuant to loan agreements with the
foreign owners or custodians. I also
determine that the exhibition or display
of the exhibit objects at The J. Paul Getty
Museum’s Villa, Malibu, CA, from on or
about June 8, 2006, until on or about
September 4, 2006, and at possible
additional venues yet to be determined,
is in the national interest. Public Notice
of these Determinations is ordered to be
published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the exhibit objects, contact Richard
Lahne, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the
Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State
(telephone: 202/453–8058). The address
is U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301
4th Street, SW., Room 700, Washington,
DC 20547–0001.
objects at The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York, New York, from on or
about June 19, 2006, until on or about
September 3, 2006, and at possible
additional venues yet to be determined,
is in the national interest. Public Notice
of these Determinations is ordered to be
published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the exhibit objects, contact Wolodymyr
Sulzynsky, Attorney-Adviser, Office of
the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of
State (telephone: 202/453–8050). The
address is U.S. Department of State, SA–
44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700,
Washington, DC 20547–0001.
Dated: March 30, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. E6–4941 Filed 4–4–06; 8:45 am]
[Public Notice 5361]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
PE/C/CU–06–03.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Culturally Significant Objects Imported
for Exhibition Determinations:
‘‘Raphael at the Metropolitan: The
Colonna Altarpiece’’
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the
following determinations: Pursuant to
the authority vested in me by the Act of
October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C.
2459), Executive Order 12047 of March
27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.
2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et
seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of
October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority
No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as
amended, and Delegation of Authority
No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875],
I hereby determine that the objects to be
included in the exhibition ‘‘Raphael at
the Metropolitan: The Colonna
Altarpiece,’’ imported from abroad for
temporary exhibition within the United
States, are of cultural significance. The
objects are imported pursuant to loan
agreements with the foreign owners or
custodians. I also determine that the
exhibition or display of the exhibit
Frm 00079
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Arts Exchanges on
International Issues Program
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number: 19.409.
[Public Notice 5363]
PO 00000
Dated: March 23, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. E6–4944 Filed 4–4–06; 8:45 am]
Key Dates: Application Deadline: May
11, 2006.
Executive Summary: The Cultural
Programs Division of the Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for
grants to implement programs that
utilize the arts to engage underserved
youth in selected countries abroad, and
foster linkages and build partnerships
between U.S. and overseas non-profit
arts and cultural organizations. These
international arts exchange projects will
encourage democracy building by
demonstrating the opportunities for
freedom of thought and expression and
underscoring the importance of
empowerment in an open society.
Proposed projects should:
• Engage U.S. and overseas artists and
arts educators with young artists,
underserved youth and youth
influencers (including teachers, artists
and community leaders) through
exchange projects in which one or more
artistic discipline is the core content of
the program.
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
17150
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
• Increase mutual respect and create
partnerships between key professionals
in arts education and youth arts
programs in the United States and in
other countries through multi-phased
people-to-people exchange projects
taking place over eighteen to twentyfour months.
U.S. public and non-profit arts
organizations, arts education programs
and institutions, after-school and out-ofschool arts programs for youth, and artrelated departments of higher education
institutions, meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), and that
have four or more years of experience in
conducting cultural programs for youth
may submit proposals that support the
goals of the Arts Exchanges on
International Issues Program. Please see
Section 111.3 below for other eligibility
requirements.
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 FulbrightHays 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.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Purpose
The Bureau seeks proposals for
projects in which youth influencers
reach underserved youth audiences
through arts education programs, and
youth develop their artistic and
leadership capabilities. The projects
should increase the ability of cultural
organizations to be responsive to their
local communities, especially to
underserved youth, through innovative
arts and arts education programming
and institutional capacity building.
Exchange participants and programs
should produce an artistic or
educational product for the public, such
as a performance, film, presentation,
exhibition or curriculum model that
enhances the broader overseas youth
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
community as well as the program
participants.
The proposed program should reach
communities with limited access to
existing arts educational programs, or in
which cultural programs would be
especially effective in strengthening ongoing outreach and education programs
among public audiences. Proposals that
show strong prospects for enhancing
existing long term collaborations or
establishing new collaborative efforts
among participating organizations will
be deemed more competitive under the
program planning and implementation
criterion listed in Section V.1 below.
Participants
Project participants who travel
internationally may be professional
artists, arts educators, arts
administrators, youth (must be at least
18 years old), filmmakers or other arts
and cultural experts. However, incountry youth project participants and
audiences at public presentations
should include adolescents, young
people and the general public. Nonlocal young public audiences may also
participate in the project through tools
such as broadcasting and where
appropriate, Webcasting.
Except in countries experiencing
severe security concerns that would
prevent the travel of U.S. participants,
programs must be two-way exchanges of
people, supporting the travel of roughly
equal numbers of participants from the
U.S. and foreign countries. Exchanges
with countries in which security is a
consideration should include plans to
modify the timing and/or re-configure
the project design.
Projects Guidelines
Proposals will be accepted for projects
in the following artistic disciplines;
Film, Video and Digital Media;
Performing Arts including Dance,
Music, Traditional Arts and Theater;
and Visual Arts including photography.
Each project must use one of these
artistic disciplines as a vehicle for U.S.
and overseas participants to exchange
best practices and innovative ideas to
reach and engage underserved young
audiences in one or more of the eligible
countries listed below. Projects may last
18–24 months following the award of a
grant.
Proposed projects should:
• Focus on the development and
advancement of artistic and leadership
skills of youth and youth influencers.
• Underscore the importance of
empowerment, free expression,
teamwork, leadership, creative and
innovative thinking, and other
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
democratic principles to the process of
creating and presenting works of art.
• Serve youth and communities by
promoting the arts as a mechanism for
encouraging social change and
increasing awareness of challenging
social issues, including, but not limited
to conflict resolution, democratic
understanding, individual success in
the economic world, HIV and AIDS
prevention or building respect among
different communities.
• Increase the ability of performing
and visual arts organizations to be
responsive to their local communities,
especially to underserved youth,
through innovative arts and arts
education programming and
institutional capacity building.
Project Outcomes
Project results should include
strengthening the artistic and leadership
capabilities of project participants
including young artists and youth
influencers; strengthening the ability of
arts and cultural organizations to
provide leadership, empower youth,
especially from underserved
communities, and address significant
social issues of interest to the U.S.; and
creating or developing ongoing
productive relationships between U.S.
and foreign artists, and arts and cultural
organizations.
Participants and audiences will learn
artistic techniques for communicating,
expressing and comprehending ideas
and perceptions. Youth and/or youth
influencers will demonstrate increased
levels of appreciation, knowledge and
understanding of the arts and artistic
skills. Foreign cultural organizations
will expand their ability to provide
leadership, youth and community
empowerment. Each project will
include the presentation of an artistic or
educational product, developed by the
U.S. and foreign participants.
Possible Program Components
• U.S. participants travel to the
overseas exchange partner’s country or
countries to engage youth influencers
and community leaders, to conduct
workshops, residencies, and other arts
projects with young artists and youth
from underserved communities. This
component may include presentations
(performances, exhibitions and the like)
that support the workshop and
exchange activities.
• Working in cooperation with the
public affairs sections of U.S. Embassies
to the extent appropriate, U.S.
participants select overseas candidates
to participate in U.S.-based seminars,
workshops, and shadowing experiences,
and create either individual or joint
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
projects that feature public
presentations including film screenings,
performances and exhibitions.
• Presentations and accompanying
public programs should be designed to
reach a large and diverse public
audience in the partner country or
countries, in addition to workshop
participants. Presentations of work
resulting from the project may also be
scheduled in the U.S.; however, ECA
funds cannot be used for this purpose.
• U.S. and overseas host cultural
organizations devise and implement ongoing programming and educational
activities to engage youth and youth
influencers.
• An alumni network will be created
to foster professional development
opportunities and the ongoing exchange
of best practices.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Eligible Countries
Proposals will only be accepted for
exchange projects with the countries
listed below within the six Department
of State geographic regions. Proposals
that include countries not listed below
will be declared technically ineligible
and given no further consideration in
the review process. Applicants may
submit proposals for projects that
encompass several of the following
countries or regions:
AF—Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya,
Tanzania.
EAP—Burma, Cambodia, China,
Thailand, Vietnam.
EUR—Balkan Region [Projects should
include at least three of the Balkan
Countries: Albania, Bosnia/
Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, and Serbia/Montenegro],
Belarus, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine.
NEA—Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Oman,
Saudi Arabia.
SCA—Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan.
WHA—Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and
Venezuela.
Application Information
Proposals should address each of the
six review criteria. The Six Review
Criteria, against which your proposal
will be evaluated, are listed under the
‘‘Application Review Information’’,
Section V.1. of this RFGP. Proposals that
do not address these criteria will be
deemed not competitive during the
review process.
In addition to addressing the Review
Criteria, proposals should include
documented evidence of the applicant
and partner organization’s artistic merit,
including published reviews and letters
of recommendation from experts in the
artistic discipline featured in your
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
project. However, work samples such as
recordings and/or photographs are not
requested and cannot be reviewed by
the Bureau.
Competitive proposals should include
the following elements:
• A clear statement in the narrative
section describing which artistic
discipline your project incorporates;
and with which overseas country or
countries you plan to engage in an
exchange project;
• A program idea that involves youth
as active participants in the arts
experience. Cultural programs in which
young people will function only as
passive audience members will be
deemed non-competitive under Review
Criteria Number 1, Quality of Program
Idea, listed in the ‘‘Application Review
Information’’, Section V.1. of this RFGP;
• A clear description of program
objectives and projected outcomes that
respond to Bureau goals for this
competition. Desired outcomes should
be described in qualitative and
quantitative terms. (See the Program
Monitoring and Evaluation section,
Number IV.3d.3 below, for more
information on project objectives and
outcomes);
• A project timeline, listing the
optimal schedule for each program
activity;
• A description of selection processes
for both U.S. and overseas participants;
• Exchange activities that involve and
affect audiences as well as the actual
participants. Proposals should define
the types of participants who will be
recruited and the target audience for
program activities, and should clearly
explain the importance of each to the
overall program plan;
• A description of each proposed
overseas partner organization and an
explanation of how partner
organizations were selected; Letters of
support, translated into English, from
foreign and U.S. partners. Proposals that
do not include letters of support and
commitment from proposed overseas
partner organizations will be ranked less
competitive under Review Criteria
Number 3, Institutional Capacity, listed
in Section V.1. of this RFGP;
• An outline of the applicant
organization’s relevant expertise in the
project theme and country(ies).
Organizations that do not demonstrate a
distinguished record of conducting
cultural programs for youth will be
rated not competitive under Review
Criteria Number 3, Institutional
Capacity, listed in Section V.1.;
• An alternative timeline and/or
contingency program plan if the project
will include countries with security
issues;
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17151
• An outline of relevant experience
managing previous international arts
and/or cultural exchange programs;
• Resumes of responsible,
experienced staff who have
demonstrated a commitment to monitor
grant projects and ensure
implementation;
• A post-grant plan that demonstrates
how the grantee plans to sustain
contacts initiated through the program.
Applicants should outline how U.S. and
foreign participants and host
institutions will continue their
dialogue/exchange activities through
on-going or future projects, once the
ECA-funded grant has concluded.
Optimally, follow-on plans should
include activities to promote the desired
policy outcomes, as well as
communication activities such as
ongoing Internet dialogs and
newsletters.
In addition to addressing the themes
described below, proposals should
develop partner organizations’ capacity
in such areas as strategic planning,
performance management, fund raising,
financial management, human resource
management and decision-making.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY–2006.
Approximate Total Funding:
$1,200,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 4–6
grants of $150,000 to $350,000,
depending on the quality of the
proposals. The Bureau reserves the
possibility of awarding $60,000 grants to
organizations that have at least four
years of experience in conducting
cultural programs for youth, but less
than a four year track record in
conducting international exchanges.
Approximate Average Award:
$200,000.
Floor of Award Range: $50,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000.
Anticipated Award Date: August 30,
2006.
Anticipated Project Completion Date:
January 31, 2008–July 31, 2008. Projects
under this competition may range in
length from eighteen to twenty-four
months depending on the number of
components, the country/region targeted
and the extent of the evaluation plan
proposed by the applicant. The Office of
Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages
applicant organizations to plan enough
time after project activities to measure
project outcomes. Please refer to the
Program Monitoring and Evaluation
section, Number IV.3d.3 below, for
further guidance or evaluation.
Additional Information: Pending
successful implementation of the
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
17152
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
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:
When cost sharing is offered, it is
understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of
cost sharing as stipulated in this RFGP
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 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) Grants awarded to eligible
organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
(b) Technical Eligibility: In addition to
the requirements outlined in the
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
technical format and instructions
document, all proposals must comply
with the following or they will result in
your proposal being declared
technically ineligible and given no
further consideration in the review
process:
1. The Office does not support
proposals limited to conferences or
seminars (i.e. one-to-fourteen day
programs with plenary sessions, main
speakers, panels and passive audiences).
It will support conferences only when
they are a small part of a larger project
in duration that is receiving Bureau
funding from this competition.
2. No funding is available exclusively
to send U.S. citizens to conferences or
conference-type seminars overseas; nor
is funding available for bringing foreign
nationals to conferences or to routine
professional association meetings in the
United States.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
3. The Office of Citizen Exchanges
does not support academic research or
faculty or student fellowships.
4. Proposals for projects involving
countries/regions, themes and/or artistic
disciplines not listed in the RFGP will
be deemed technically ineligible.
5. No funding is available to send
individual artists and/or amateur arts
groups to perform or study overseas.
The Arts Exchanges on International
Issues Program is solely intended to
support the international exchange work
of non-profit organizations. Our grant
program is not open to amateur or
community-based visual or performing
artists. Individuals are not eligible to
apply for funding of their own work.
While our program emphasizes outreach
to youth, all exchange participants must
be at least 18 years of age. However,
educators, managers, program directors
and administrators who work with
youth and/or youth related non-profit
organizations are encouraged to apply
for grant support under this
competition.
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
LaFaye Proctor, Cultural Programs
Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 568, U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
phone number: (202) 203–7488; e-mail:
ProctorLM@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/
C/CU–06–03 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 the program officers
coordinating this competition, Jill
Staggs or Sarah Beale and refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/
C/CU–06–03 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
IV.3. Content and Form of
Submission: Applicants must follow all
instructions in the Solicitation Package.
The original and 12 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 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
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
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) 203–5029. FAX: (202) 453–8640.
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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
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
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17153
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 shortterm 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.
Describe your plans for: i.e.
sustainability, overall program
management, staffing, coordination with
ECA and PAS or any other requirements
etc.
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
17154
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
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. Budget requests must not
exceed $350,000. Proposals that contain
budget requests of more than $350,000
will be declared technically ineligible.
There must be a summary budget as
well as breakdowns reflecting both
administrative and program budgets.
Applicants may provide separate subbudgets for each program component,
phase, location, or activity to provide
clarification.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the
program include the following:
(1) Travel. International and domestic
airfare (per the ‘‘Fly America Act’’),
ground transportation and visas. (J–1
visas for ECA-supported participants
from overseas are issued through the
Embassies at no charge).
(2) Per diem. For U.S.-based
programming, organizations should use
the published Federal per diem rates for
individual U.S. cities. Domestic per
diem rates may be accessed at: https://
policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/
homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html.
ECA urges applicants to budget realistic
costs, which reflect the local economy
and do not exceed Federal per diem
rates. Foreign per diem rates can be
accessed at: https://www.state.gov/m/a/
als/prdm/html.
(3) Interpreters. For U.S.-based
activities, ECA strongly encourages
applicants to hire their own locally
based interpreters. However, applicants
may ask ECA to assign State Department
interpreters. One interpreter is typically
needed for every four participants who
require interpretation. When an
applicant proposes to use State
Department interpreters, the following
expenses should be included in the
budget: Published Federal per diem
rates [both lodging and meals and
incidental expenses (M&IE)] and ‘‘homeprogram-home’’ transportation in the
amount of $400 per interpreter. Salary
expenses for State Department
interpreters will be covered by the
Bureau and should not be part of an
applicant’s proposed budget. Bureau
funds cannot support interpreters who
accompany delegations from their home
country or travel internationally.
(4) Book and cultural allowances.
Foreign participants are entitled to a
one-time cultural allowance of $150 per
person, plus a book allowance of $50.
Interpreters should be reimbursed up to
$150 for expenses when they escort
participants to cultural events. U.S.
program staff, trainers or participants
are not eligible to receive these benefits.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:34 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
(5) Consultants. Consultants may be
used to provide specialized expertise or
to make presentations. Honoraria rates
should not exceed $250 per day.
Organizations are encouraged to costshare rates that would exceed that
figure. Subcontracting organizations
may also be employed, in which case
the written agreement between the
prospective grantee and subcontractor
should be included in the proposal.
Such subcontractors should detail the
division of responsibilities and
proposed costs, and subcontracts should
be itemized in the budget.
(6) Room rental. The rental of meeting
space should not exceed $250 per day.
Any rates that exceed this amount
should be cost shared.
(7) Materials. Proposals may contain
costs to purchase, develop and translate
materials for participants. Costs for high
quality translation of materials should
be anticipated and included in the
budget. Grantee organizations should
expect to submit a copy of all program
materials to ECA, and ECA support
should be acknowledged on all
materials developed with its funding.
(8) Equipment. Applicants may
propose to use grant funds to purchase
equipment, such as computers and
printers. Costs for furniture are not
allowed.
(9) Working meals. Only one working
meal may be provided during the
program. Per capita costs may not
exceed $8 for a lunch and $20 for a
dinner, excluding room rental. The
number of invited guests may not
exceed participants by more than a
factor of two-to-one. When setting up a
budget, interpreters should be
considered ‘‘participants.’’
(10) Return travel of participants. A
return travel allowance of $70 for each
participant may be included in the
budget. This allowance would cover
incidental expenses incurred during
international travel.
(11) Health insurance. Foreign
participants will be covered during their
participation in the program by the
ECA-sponsored Accident and Sickness
Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for
which the grantee must enroll them.
Details of that policy can be provided by
the contact officers identified in this
solicitation. The premium is paid by
ECA and should not be included in the
grant proposal budget. However,
applicants are permitted to include
costs for travel insurance for U.S.
participants in the budget.
(12) In-country travel costs for visa
processing purposes. Given the
requirements associated with obtaining
J–1 visas for ECA-supported
participants, applicants should include
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
costs for any travel associated with visa
interviews or DS–2019 pick-up.
(13) Administrative costs. Costs
necessary for the effective
administration of the program may
include salaries for grantee organization
employees, benefits, and other direct
and indirect costs per detailed
instructions in the Application Package.
Administrative costs should not exceed
twenty-five (25) per cent of the total
amount requested from ECA for the
project. Proposals in which the
administrative costs exceed 25% of the
total amount of funding requested from
ECA for the project will be ranked less
competitive in this review element.
Proposals should show strong
administrative cost sharing
contributions from the applicant, the incountry partner and other sources.
Please refer to the Solicitation
Package for complete budget guidelines
and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
Application Deadline Date: Thursday,
May 11, 2006.
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. 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
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and
place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/
EX/PM’’.
The original and 12 copies of the
application should be sent to:U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:
ECA/PE/C/CU–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.
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 appropriate Public
Affairs Section(s) at the U.S.
embassy(ies) for its(their) review.
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
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 award
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 Program Idea: The
program idea must state how you plan
to employ the arts to engage youth,
particularly youth with limited
opportunities, and youth influencers.
Program objectives should be clearly
described and should reflect the
applicant’s expertise in the artistic
discipline and geographic world region
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
featured in your project. The proposal
should state the project’s impact on both
program participants (those who travel
to the U.S. or the partner country, or incountry participants who are actively
involved in the project) and audiences
(those who attend public performances
or exhibitions included in the project).
The proposal should include
documentation of artistic merit and
quality through sources such as
published reviews and letters of
recommendation from experts in the
artistic discipline featured in your
project. However, work samples are not
requested and cannot be evaluated by
the Bureau.
2. Program Planning and
Implementation: A detailed agenda and
relevant work plan must explain how
objectives will be achieved and should
include a timetable for completion of
major tasks. The substance of
workshops, seminars and shadowing
experiences should be described in
detail. The program plan should include
regularly scheduled sessions on an
ongoing basis; one-time or occasional
programs will not be considered. The
program plan must include provisions
for activities with the project
participants and/or their organizations,
after the Bureau-funded project has
concluded. Post-grant planning can
include, but should expand beyond ongoing Internet dialogs, newsletters and/
or other forms of communication
between participants.
3. Institutional Capacity: Proposals
should include the institution’s mission
and date that the organization was
established. Proposals should reflect the
institution’s prior work with the
overseas partner organization(s),
expertise in the subject area and
knowledge of conditions in the target
country/countries, and ability to engage
young participants and/or reach out to
young audience members. Evidence of
the overseas partner organization’s
artistic merit and ability should be
included in your proposal. Descriptions
of the experience and qualifications of
staff members who will implement the
program should be included in the
proposals. Applicants also need to
include an outline of prior U.S.
government and/or private sector grant
awards received for the target theme/
country/region. The Bureau will
consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated
potential of new applicants. Proposals
must include letters of support and
commitment from proposed overseas
partner organizations. Proposals that do
not include letters of support and
commitment from proposed overseas
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17155
partner organizations will be ranked less
competitive under this review element.
4. Cost Effectiveness and Cost
Sharing: Overhead and administrative
costs in the proposal budget, including
salaries should be kept to a minimum
and should not exceed twenty-five (25)
per cent of the total amount requested
from ECA for the project. Proposals in
which the administrative costs exceed
twenty-five (25) per cent of the total
amount requested from ECA for the
project will be ranked less competitive
in this review element. Applicants are
strongly encouraged to cost share a
portion of overhead and administrative
expenses. Cost sharing, including
contributions from the applicant,
proposed in-country partner(s) and
other sources must be included in the
budget request. Proposals that do not
reflect a cost sharing of twenty (20) per
cent will be ranked less competitive in
this review category.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals
must demonstrate substantive support
of the Bureau’s policy on diversity
[stated in the Bureau’s Diversity,
Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in
the Proposal Submission Instructions
(PSI)]. Achievable and relevant features
should be cited in both program
administration (selection of
participants, program venue and
program evaluation) and program
content (including orientation and
wrap-up sessions, program meetings,
resource materials and follow-up
activities). Competitive proposals will
include strategies for selecting diverse
participants from both the U.S. and the
overseas partner country(ies).
6. Monitoring and Evaluation:
Proposals should include a detailed
plan to monitor and evaluate the
program. Competitive evaluation plans
will describe how applicant
organizations will measure the project’s
success at meeting program objectives in
quantitative terms, and should include
draft data collection instruments such as
surveys and questionnaires. Proposals
should include a plan to evaluate the
success of each component, both as
activities unfold and at the end of the
program. Evaluation plans should
address the project’s success in
enhancing both the artistic and
leadership skills of the targeted youth
population. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to inform the Bureau of
exchange activity results and changes to
the program plan and/or project timeline.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards
cannot be made until funds have been
appropriated by Congress, allocated and
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
17156
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2006 / Notices
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 Nonprofit 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 copies of the following
reports:
(1) A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award;
(2) Quarterly program and financial
reports which should include a
summary of project activities
accomplished and any changes or
modifications to the remaining program
components.
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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:10 Apr 04, 2006
Jkt 208001
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.
availability of funds. Awards made will
be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 29, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 06–3209 Filed 4–4–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice Before Waiver With Respect to
land at Hamilton Municipal Airport,
Hamilton, NY
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent of waiver with
respect to land.
AGENCY:
For questions about this
announcement, contact: The Cultural
Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU,
Room 568, ECA/PE/C/CU–06–03,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, U.S. Department of State, SA–
44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547, (202) 203–7488,
ProctorLM@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number: ECA/PE/C/
CU–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.
SUMMARY: The FAA is publishing notice
of the proposed release of
approximately 3.0 acres of land located
at Hamilton Municipal Airport, to allow
its sale for non-aviation development.
The parcel was part of the airport
property acquired with federal funding
support under the Airport Improvement
Program. The Village of Hamilton
proposes to sell the land to a developer
who will develop it as a Medical office
Building.
FAA’s action is to release the land
from a deem provision requiring
aeronautical use of the property. The
Village of Hamilton has stated that it has
no aeronautical use for the parcel now
or in the near future according to the
Hamilton Municipal Airport Layout
Plan.
The Fair Market Value of the land will
be paid to the Village of Hamilton to be
used for the capital development of
Hamilton Municipal Airport.
Any comments the agency receives
will be considered as a part of the
decision.
VIII. Other Information
DATES:
VII. Agency Contacts
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
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Comments must be received on
or before May 5, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this
application may be mailed or delivered
in triplicate to the FAA at the following
address: Mr. Otto N. Suriani, Acting
Manager, FAA New York Airports
District Office, 60 Old County Road,
Suite 446, Garden City, New York
11530.
In addition, one copy of any
comments submitted to the FAA must
be mailed or delivered to Mrs. Sue
McVaugh, Mayor, Hamilton, New York
at the following address: Mrs. Sue
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17149-17156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3209]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5361]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Arts Exchanges on International Issues Program
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.409.
Key Dates: Application Deadline: May 11, 2006.
Executive Summary: The Cultural Programs Division of the Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces
an open competition for grants to implement programs that utilize the
arts to engage underserved youth in selected countries abroad, and
foster linkages and build partnerships between U.S. and overseas non-
profit arts and cultural organizations. These international arts
exchange projects will encourage democracy building by demonstrating
the opportunities for freedom of thought and expression and
underscoring the importance of empowerment in an open society.
Proposed projects should:
Engage U.S. and overseas artists and arts educators with
young artists, underserved youth and youth influencers (including
teachers, artists and community leaders) through exchange projects in
which one or more artistic discipline is the core content of the
program.
[[Page 17150]]
Increase mutual respect and create partnerships between
key professionals in arts education and youth arts programs in the
United States and in other countries through multi-phased people-to-
people exchange projects taking place over eighteen to twenty-four
months.
U.S. public and non-profit arts organizations, arts education
programs and institutions, after-school and out-of-school arts programs
for youth, and art-related departments of higher education
institutions, meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), and that have four or more years of
experience in conducting cultural programs for youth may submit
proposals that support the goals of the Arts Exchanges on International
Issues Program. Please see Section 111.3 below for other eligibility
requirements.
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 seeks proposals for projects in which youth influencers
reach underserved youth audiences through arts education programs, and
youth develop their artistic and leadership capabilities. The projects
should increase the ability of cultural organizations to be responsive
to their local communities, especially to underserved youth, through
innovative arts and arts education programming and institutional
capacity building. Exchange participants and programs should produce an
artistic or educational product for the public, such as a performance,
film, presentation, exhibition or curriculum model that enhances the
broader overseas youth community as well as the program participants.
The proposed program should reach communities with limited access
to existing arts educational programs, or in which cultural programs
would be especially effective in strengthening on-going outreach and
education programs among public audiences. Proposals that show strong
prospects for enhancing existing long term collaborations or
establishing new collaborative efforts among participating
organizations will be deemed more competitive under the program
planning and implementation criterion listed in Section V.1 below.
Participants
Project participants who travel internationally may be professional
artists, arts educators, arts administrators, youth (must be at least
18 years old), filmmakers or other arts and cultural experts. However,
in-country youth project participants and audiences at public
presentations should include adolescents, young people and the general
public. Non-local young public audiences may also participate in the
project through tools such as broadcasting and where appropriate,
Webcasting.
Except in countries experiencing severe security concerns that
would prevent the travel of U.S. participants, programs must be two-way
exchanges of people, supporting the travel of roughly equal numbers of
participants from the U.S. and foreign countries. Exchanges with
countries in which security is a consideration should include plans to
modify the timing and/or re-configure the project design.
Projects Guidelines
Proposals will be accepted for projects in the following artistic
disciplines; Film, Video and Digital Media; Performing Arts including
Dance, Music, Traditional Arts and Theater; and Visual Arts including
photography. Each project must use one of these artistic disciplines as
a vehicle for U.S. and overseas participants to exchange best practices
and innovative ideas to reach and engage underserved young audiences in
one or more of the eligible countries listed below. Projects may last
18-24 months following the award of a grant.
Proposed projects should:
Focus on the development and advancement of artistic and
leadership skills of youth and youth influencers.
Underscore the importance of empowerment, free expression,
teamwork, leadership, creative and innovative thinking, and other
democratic principles to the process of creating and presenting works
of art.
Serve youth and communities by promoting the arts as a
mechanism for encouraging social change and increasing awareness of
challenging social issues, including, but not limited to conflict
resolution, democratic understanding, individual success in the
economic world, HIV and AIDS prevention or building respect among
different communities.
Increase the ability of performing and visual arts
organizations to be responsive to their local communities, especially
to underserved youth, through innovative arts and arts education
programming and institutional capacity building.
Project Outcomes
Project results should include strengthening the artistic and
leadership capabilities of project participants including young artists
and youth influencers; strengthening the ability of arts and cultural
organizations to provide leadership, empower youth, especially from
underserved communities, and address significant social issues of
interest to the U.S.; and creating or developing ongoing productive
relationships between U.S. and foreign artists, and arts and cultural
organizations.
Participants and audiences will learn artistic techniques for
communicating, expressing and comprehending ideas and perceptions.
Youth and/or youth influencers will demonstrate increased levels of
appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the arts and artistic
skills. Foreign cultural organizations will expand their ability to
provide leadership, youth and community empowerment. Each project will
include the presentation of an artistic or educational product,
developed by the U.S. and foreign participants.
Possible Program Components
U.S. participants travel to the overseas exchange
partner's country or countries to engage youth influencers and
community leaders, to conduct workshops, residencies, and other arts
projects with young artists and youth from underserved communities.
This component may include presentations (performances, exhibitions and
the like) that support the workshop and exchange activities.
Working in cooperation with the public affairs sections of
U.S. Embassies to the extent appropriate, U.S. participants select
overseas candidates to participate in U.S.-based seminars, workshops,
and shadowing experiences, and create either individual or joint
[[Page 17151]]
projects that feature public presentations including film screenings,
performances and exhibitions.
Presentations and accompanying public programs should be
designed to reach a large and diverse public audience in the partner
country or countries, in addition to workshop participants.
Presentations of work resulting from the project may also be scheduled
in the U.S.; however, ECA funds cannot be used for this purpose.
U.S. and overseas host cultural organizations devise and
implement on-going programming and educational activities to engage
youth and youth influencers.
An alumni network will be created to foster professional
development opportunities and the ongoing exchange of best practices.
Eligible Countries
Proposals will only be accepted for exchange projects with the
countries listed below within the six Department of State geographic
regions. Proposals that include countries not listed below will be
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in
the review process. Applicants may submit proposals for projects that
encompass several of the following countries or regions:
AF--Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania.
EAP--Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam.
EUR--Balkan Region [Projects should include at least three of the
Balkan Countries: Albania, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, and Serbia/Montenegro], Belarus, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine.
NEA--Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia.
SCA--Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
WHA--Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.
Application Information
Proposals should address each of the six review criteria. The Six
Review Criteria, against which your proposal will be evaluated, are
listed under the ``Application Review Information'', Section V.1. of
this RFGP. Proposals that do not address these criteria will be deemed
not competitive during the review process.
In addition to addressing the Review Criteria, proposals should
include documented evidence of the applicant and partner organization's
artistic merit, including published reviews and letters of
recommendation from experts in the artistic discipline featured in your
project. However, work samples such as recordings and/or photographs
are not requested and cannot be reviewed by the Bureau.
Competitive proposals should include the following elements:
A clear statement in the narrative section describing
which artistic discipline your project incorporates; and with which
overseas country or countries you plan to engage in an exchange
project;
A program idea that involves youth as active participants
in the arts experience. Cultural programs in which young people will
function only as passive audience members will be deemed non-
competitive under Review Criteria Number 1, Quality of Program Idea,
listed in the ``Application Review Information'', Section V.1. of this
RFGP;
A clear description of program objectives and projected
outcomes that respond to Bureau goals for this competition. Desired
outcomes should be described in qualitative and quantitative terms.
(See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section, Number IV.3d.3
below, for more information on project objectives and outcomes);
A project timeline, listing the optimal schedule for each
program activity;
A description of selection processes for both U.S. and
overseas participants;
Exchange activities that involve and affect audiences as
well as the actual participants. Proposals should define the types of
participants who will be recruited and the target audience for program
activities, and should clearly explain the importance of each to the
overall program plan;
A description of each proposed overseas partner
organization and an explanation of how partner organizations were
selected; Letters of support, translated into English, from foreign and
U.S. partners. Proposals that do not include letters of support and
commitment from proposed overseas partner organizations will be ranked
less competitive under Review Criteria Number 3, Institutional
Capacity, listed in Section V.1. of this RFGP;
An outline of the applicant organization's relevant
expertise in the project theme and country(ies). Organizations that do
not demonstrate a distinguished record of conducting cultural programs
for youth will be rated not competitive under Review Criteria Number 3,
Institutional Capacity, listed in Section V.1.;
An alternative timeline and/or contingency program plan if
the project will include countries with security issues;
An outline of relevant experience managing previous
international arts and/or cultural exchange programs;
Resumes of responsible, experienced staff who have
demonstrated a commitment to monitor grant projects and ensure
implementation;
A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans
to sustain contacts initiated through the program. Applicants should
outline how U.S. and foreign participants and host institutions will
continue their dialogue/exchange activities through on-going or future
projects, once the ECA-funded grant has concluded. Optimally, follow-on
plans should include activities to promote the desired policy outcomes,
as well as communication activities such as ongoing Internet dialogs
and newsletters.
In addition to addressing the themes described below, proposals
should develop partner organizations' capacity in such areas as
strategic planning, performance management, fund raising, financial
management, human resource management and decision-making.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2006.
Approximate Total Funding: $1,200,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 4-6 grants of $150,000 to $350,000,
depending on the quality of the proposals. The Bureau reserves the
possibility of awarding $60,000 grants to organizations that have at
least four years of experience in conducting cultural programs for
youth, but less than a four year track record in conducting
international exchanges.
Approximate Average Award: $200,000.
Floor of Award Range: $50,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000.
Anticipated Award Date: August 30, 2006.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: January 31, 2008-July 31,
2008. Projects under this competition may range in length from eighteen
to twenty-four months depending on the number of components, the
country/region targeted and the extent of the evaluation plan proposed
by the applicant. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages
applicant organizations to plan enough time after project activities to
measure project outcomes. Please refer to the Program Monitoring and
Evaluation section, Number IV.3d.3 below, for further guidance or
evaluation.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of the
[[Page 17152]]
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: When cost sharing is
offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide
the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in this RFGP 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 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) Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will
be limited to $60,000.
(b) Technical Eligibility: In addition to the requirements outlined
in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) technical format and
instructions document, all proposals must comply with the following or
they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible
and given no further consideration in the review process:
1. The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or
seminars (i.e. one-to-fourteen day programs with plenary sessions, main
speakers, panels and passive audiences). It will support conferences
only when they are a small part of a larger project in duration that is
receiving Bureau funding from this competition.
2. No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to
conferences or conference-type seminars overseas; nor is funding
available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine
professional association meetings in the United States.
3. The Office of Citizen Exchanges does not support academic
research or faculty or student fellowships.
4. Proposals for projects involving countries/regions, themes and/
or artistic disciplines not listed in the RFGP will be deemed
technically ineligible.
5. No funding is available to send individual artists and/or
amateur arts groups to perform or study overseas.
The Arts Exchanges on International Issues Program is solely
intended to support the international exchange work of non-profit
organizations. Our grant program is not open to amateur or community-
based visual or performing artists. Individuals are not eligible to
apply for funding of their own work. While our program emphasizes
outreach to youth, all exchange participants must be at least 18 years
of age. However, educators, managers, program directors and
administrators who work with youth and/or youth related non-profit
organizations are encouraged to apply for grant support under this
competition.
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 LaFaye Proctor, Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room
568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20547, phone number: (202) 203-7488; e-mail: ProctorLM@state.gov to
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03 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 the program officers coordinating this competition,
Jill Staggs or Sarah Beale and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number
ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03 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 12 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 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
[[Page 17153]]
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) 203-5029.
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
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 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.
Describe your plans for: i.e. sustainability, overall program
management, staffing, coordination with ECA and PAS or any other
requirements etc.
[[Page 17154]]
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. Budget requests must not exceed $350,000. Proposals
that contain budget requests of more than $350,000 will be declared
technically ineligible. 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.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Travel. International and domestic airfare (per the ``Fly
America Act''), ground transportation and visas. (J-1 visas for ECA-
supported participants from overseas are issued through the Embassies
at no charge).
(2) Per diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities.
Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: https://policyworks.gov/org/
main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. ECA urges applicants to
budget realistic costs, which reflect the local economy and do not
exceed Federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed
at: https://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/html.
(3) Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, ECA strongly
encourages applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters.
However, applicants may ask ECA to assign State Department
interpreters. One interpreter is typically needed for every four
participants who require interpretation. When an applicant proposes to
use State Department interpreters, the following expenses should be
included in the budget: Published Federal per diem rates [both lodging
and meals and incidental expenses (M&IE)] and ``home-program-home''
transportation in the amount of $400 per interpreter. Salary expenses
for State Department interpreters will be covered by the Bureau and
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget. Bureau funds
cannot support interpreters who accompany delegations from their home
country or travel internationally.
(4) Book and cultural allowances. Foreign participants are entitled
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these
benefits.
(5) Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized
expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed
$250 per day. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that
would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be
employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective
grantee and subcontractor should be included in the proposal. Such
subcontractors should detail the division of responsibilities and
proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.
(6) Room rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250
per day. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.
(7) Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and
translate materials for participants. Costs for high quality
translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the
budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all
program materials to ECA, and ECA support should be acknowledged on all
materials developed with its funding.
(8) Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to
purchase equipment, such as computers and printers. Costs for furniture
are not allowed.
(9) Working meals. Only one working meal may be provided during the
program. Per capita costs may not exceed $8 for a lunch and $20 for a
dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may not
exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. When setting
up a budget, interpreters should be considered ``participants.''
(10) Return travel of participants. A return travel allowance of
$70 for each participant may be included in the budget. This allowance
would cover incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
(11) Health insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during
their participation in the program by the ECA-sponsored Accident and
Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for which the grantee must
enroll them. Details of that policy can be provided by the contact
officers identified in this solicitation. The premium is paid by ECA
and should not be included in the grant proposal budget. However,
applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S.
participants in the budget.
(12) In-country travel costs for visa processing purposes. Given
the requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported
participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated
with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.
(13) Administrative costs. Costs necessary for the effective
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. Administrative
costs should not exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total amount
requested from ECA for the project. Proposals in which the
administrative costs exceed 25% of the total amount of funding
requested from ECA for the project will be ranked less competitive in
this review element. Proposals should show strong administrative cost
sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country partner and
other sources.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times: Application Deadline Date:
Thursday, May 11, 2006.
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. 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
[[Page 17155]]
extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an envelope
addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
The original and 12 copies of the application should be sent
to:U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-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.
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 appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S.
embassy(ies) for its(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 State's
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance award 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 Program Idea: The program idea must state how you
plan to employ the arts to engage youth, particularly youth with
limited opportunities, and youth influencers. Program objectives should
be clearly described and should reflect the applicant's expertise in
the artistic discipline and geographic world region featured in your
project. The proposal should state the project's impact on both program
participants (those who travel to the U.S. or the partner country, or
in-country participants who are actively involved in the project) and
audiences (those who attend public performances or exhibitions included
in the project). The proposal should include documentation of artistic
merit and quality through sources such as published reviews and letters
of recommendation from experts in the artistic discipline featured in
your project. However, work samples are not requested and cannot be
evaluated by the Bureau.
2. Program Planning and Implementation: A detailed agenda and
relevant work plan must explain how objectives will be achieved and
should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance
of workshops, seminars and shadowing experiences should be described in
detail. The program plan should include regularly scheduled sessions on
an ongoing basis; one-time or occasional programs will not be
considered. The program plan must include provisions for activities
with the project participants and/or their organizations, after the
Bureau-funded project has concluded. Post-grant planning can include,
but should expand beyond on-going Internet dialogs, newsletters and/or
other forms of communication between participants.
3. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include the
institution's mission and date that the organization was established.
Proposals should reflect the institution's prior work with the overseas
partner organization(s), expertise in the subject area and knowledge of
conditions in the target country/countries, and ability to engage young
participants and/or reach out to young audience members. Evidence of
the overseas partner organization's artistic merit and ability should
be included in your proposal. Descriptions of the experience and
qualifications of staff members who will implement the program should
be included in the proposals. Applicants also need to include an
outline of prior U.S. government and/or private sector grant awards
received for the target theme/country/region. The Bureau will consider
the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential
of new applicants. Proposals must include letters of support and
commitment from proposed overseas partner organizations. Proposals that
do not include letters of support and commitment from proposed overseas
partner organizations will be ranked less competitive under this review
element.
4. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative
costs in the proposal budget, including salaries should be kept to a
minimum and should not exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total
amount requested from ECA for the project. Proposals in which the
administrative costs exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total
amount requested from ECA for the project will be ranked less
competitive in this review element. Applicants are strongly encouraged
to cost share a portion of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost
sharing, including contributions from the applicant, proposed in-
country partner(s) and other sources must be included in the budget
request. Proposals that do not reflect a cost sharing of twenty (20)
per cent will be ranked less competitive in this review category.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals must demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity [stated in the Bureau's
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal Submission
Instructions (PSI)]. Achievable and relevant features should be cited
in both program administration (selection of participants, program
venue and program evaluation) and program content (including
orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities). Competitive proposals will include
strategies for selecting diverse participants from both the U.S. and
the overseas partner country(ies).
6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals should include a detailed
plan to monitor and evaluate the program. Competitive evaluation plans
will describe how applicant organizations will measure the project's
success at meeting program objectives in quantitative terms, and should
include draft data collection instruments such as surveys and
questionnaires. Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the success
of each component, both as activities unfold and at the end of the
program. Evaluation plans should address the project's success in
enhancing both the artistic and leadership skills of the targeted youth
population. It is the applicant's responsibility to inform the Bureau
of exchange activity results and changes to the program plan and/or
project time-line.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and
[[Page 17156]]
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 copies of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award;
(2) Quarterly program and financial reports which should include a
summary of project activities accomplished and any changes or
modifications to the remaining program components.
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.
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: The Cultural
Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 568, ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, (202) 203-7488,
ProctorLM@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number: ECA/PE/C/CU-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.
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: March 29, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 06-3209 Filed 4-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P