Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: EducationUSA Advising Program for Students and Scholars from the Middle East and North Africa, 30214-30219 [E6-8065]
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6(b)(1), 6(b)(6) and 6(b)(7) of the Act 7 in
particular, in that it will enhance the
ability of the Exchange to enforce
compliance by its members and persons
associated with its members with the
provisions of the Act, the rules and
regulations thereunder, and the rules of
the Exchange; it will help ensure that
members and persons associated with
members are appropriately disciplined
for violations of the Act, the rules and
regulations thereunder, and the rules of
the Exchange; and it will provide a fair
procedure for the disciplining of
members and persons associated with
members.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that
the proposed rule change will impose
any burden on competition that is not
necessary or appropriate in furtherance
of the purposes of the Act.
The Exchange has neither solicited
nor received written comments on the
proposed rule change.
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III. Date of Effectiveness of the
Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
Because the proposed rule change: (i)
Does not significantly affect the
protection of investors or the public
interest; (ii) does not impose any
significant burden on competition; and
(iii) by its terms, does not become
operative for 30 days after the date of
filing, or such shorter time as the
Commission may designate, if
consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest, the
proposed rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)
of the Act 8 and subparagraph (f)(6) of
Rule 19b–4 thereunder.9 The Exchange
has requested that the Commission
waive the 30-day operative delay period
for ‘‘non-controversial’’ proposals and
make the proposed rule change effective
and operative upon filing. The
Commission hereby grants the request.
The Commission believes that waiver of
the 30-day operative delay is consistent
with the protection of investors and the
public interest. In this regard, the
Commission believes that the proposal
should be implemented without delay
because of its immediate applicability
7 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(1); 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(6); and 15
U.S.C. 78f(b)(7).
8 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
9 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
16:42 May 24, 2006
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provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
available for inspection and copying in
the Commission’s Public Reference
Room. Copies of such filing also will be
available for inspection and copying at
the principal office of the Exchange. All
comments received will be posted
without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying
information from submissions. You
should submit only information that
you wish to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File
Number SR–Phlx–2006–26 and should
be submitted on or before June 15, 2006.
IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to
submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing,
including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act.
Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
For the Commission, by the Division of
Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated
authority.12
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–7997 Filed 5–24–06; 8:45 am]
Electronic Comments
• Use the Commission’s Internet
comment form (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml); or
• Send an e-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File
Number SR–Phlx–2006–26 on the
subject line.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Comments on the
Proposed Rule Change Received From
Members, Participants or Others
VerDate Aug<31>2005
with respect to the RSA among the Phlx,
CBOE and the other ORSA
participants.10 For this reason, the
Commission designates the proposal to
be effective and operative upon filing
with the Commission.11
At any time within 60 days of the
filing of the proposed rule change, the
Commission may summarily abrogate
such rule change if it appears to the
Commission that such action is
necessary or appropriate in the public
interest, for the protection of investors,
or otherwise in the furtherance of the
purposes of the Act.
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate
to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary,
Securities and Exchange Commission,
100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC
20549–1090.
All submissions should refer to File
Number SR–Phlx–2006–26. This file
number should be included on the
subject line if e-mail is used. To help the
Commission process and review your
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will
post all comments on the Commission’s
Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
submission, all subsequent
amendments, all written statements
with respect to the proposed rule
change that are filed with the
Commission, and all written
communications relating to the
proposed rule change between the
Commission and any person, other than
those that may be withheld from the
public in accordance with the
10 The Commission notes that the proposed rule
change is based on a similar rule of the Boston
Stock Exchange, Inc. See Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 53436 (March 7, 2006), 71 FR 13194
(March 14, 2006) (SR–BSE–2006–08).
11 For the purposes only of accelerating the
operative date of this proposal, the Commission has
considered the proposed rule’s impact on
efficiency, competition and capital formation. 15
U.S.C. 78c(f).
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BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5419]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: EducationUSA Advising
Program for Students and Scholars
from the Middle East and North Africa
Announcement Type: Cooperative
Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
A/S/A–07–09.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 00.000.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: August 18,
2006.
Executive Summary: The Educational
Information and Resources Branch
(ECA/A/S/A), Office of Global
Educational Programs, of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs,
announces an open competition to
administer EducationUSA advising
centers in the Middle East and North
Africa. Public and private non-profit
U.S. organizations meeting the
provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3) may submit proposals to offer
overseas educational advising,
orientation, and information services for
international students and scholars in
one or more of twelve locations in the
Middle East and North Africa.
Organizations wishing to apply for this
cooperative agreement must either
currently have offices in the countries
covered by this agreement, or include a
detailed plan in their proposal for
establishing such a presence by January
12 17
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1, 2007, when advising activities must
begin. Maximum expected award level
is $600,000, pending availability of
funds. Start-up costs related to opening
new advising centers (fees, purchase of
equipment, etc.) must be borne by the
applicant, and may not be included in
the budget submission of this proposal.
Applicants are encouraged to keep
headquarters costs as low as possible
and ensure that maximum funding
flows to field offices. Please see POGI
for details.
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: Department of Stateaffiliated EducationUSA advising
centers operate in nearly 450 locations
in 170 countries around the world.
Advisors guide foreign students in their
pursuit of educational opportunities in
the United States and prepare them for
direct exposure to American values,
ideas, models, and traditions. They
provide accurate, unbiased information
on the full range of accredited U.S.
higher educational institutions and
work to build mutual understanding
between the United States and other
countries through educational exchange.
In the Middle East and North Africa,
funding will support foreign student
advising for U.S. study only (not for
study in third countries) in Egypt
(Alexandria and Cairo), Gaza, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman,
Syria, Tunisia, West Bank, and Yemen.
Organizations may apply to operate
centers in one or more of the listed
locations, up to the total of twelve.
The advising centers will offer group
informational and individual advising
sessions for foreign students, and
conduct frequent outreach to local incountry institutions. The advising
centers will provide information on the
following topics: The U.S. education
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system; U.S. colleges, universities,
community colleges and other higher
education institutions; accreditation; the
application process to a U.S. university;
majors and fields of study; testing
requirements; life in the U.S.;
scholarship programs and financial aid;
and visa procedures. Centers will
provide pre-departure orientation
sessions and also try to stay in touch
with students once they are in the
United States, and after they return from
their U.S. experience, as they will be an
excellent source of expertise for new
advisees.
Free introductory group advising
sessions and free access to the library (at
least 50% of the time) must be provided,
but applicants may charge modest,
affordable fees to students for other
services, or devise a membership
package to recover some advising costs.
Applicants may also charge reasonable
fees if services are provided to help U.S.
university representatives traveling in
the region for recruitment purposes. See
POGI for details. Group advising and
outreach sessions should pay particular
attention to reaching out to underserved
populations, to addressing student and
parent safety concerns, and to correcting
misperceptions regarding the U.S. visa
process. Outreach efforts should be
coordinated with Public Affairs and
Consular sections at U.S. Embassies.
Advising centers will provide regular
access, at times convenient to the
public, to the reference library and
computers with Internet to allow
students to conduct online research
related to study in the U.S. The library
will contain, at a minimum, materials
provided by ECA through its annual
online book ordering process; it may
also have catalogues and other materials
sent by accredited U.S. colleges or other
recognized educational sources. A list of
ECA materials may be obtained by
contacting Program Officer Rachel
Waldstein, waldsteinre@state.gov.
Security and public access should be
taken into consideration in terms of
advising center location; EducationUSA
offices should be centrally located and
near public transportation whenever
possible.
The grantee organization will employ
the advisors and handle all personnel
benefits and other human resource
issues. Advisors will be eligible to
participate in Department of Statesponsored training opportunities, to
order reference materials from the
Department of State, and to receive
guidance and assistance from the
Department of State’s Regional
Educational Advising Coordinator
(REAC) based in Rabat, Morocco. The
REAC’s job is to conduct site visits to
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evaluate advising centers and local
country conditions as they relate to
educational advising, share information
with all advisors through a listserv and
newsletter, provide training through
regional and local workshops, and
recommend new advisors for ECA
training programs.
The EducationUSA advising office
serves as the U.S. Embassy’s in-country
resource on U.S. higher education.
Therefore, applicants should describe
their abilities to monitor, to the extent
possible, the status of the education
systems in each of the countries and
report important issues to ECA/A/S/A
and the U.S. Embassies. Organizations
should develop a network of contacts
within the Ministries of Education, local
schools, universities and other
appropriate institutions.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
Agreement. In a cooperative agreement,
ECA/A/S/A is substantially involved in
program activities above and beyond
routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/A
activities and responsibilities for this
program are as follows: Approve staffing
requirements including level of effort
and distribution of responsibilities
among advising staff; select advisors for
training and conference attendance; and
designate program priorities such as
outreach to underserved populations,
and others as needed. Public Affairs and
Consular officials at U.S. Embassies
should be notified of all in-country
outreach activities, to maximize
synergies to be achieved by dual efforts.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007 (pending
availability).
Approximate Total Funding:
Minimum of $450,000 and, pending
availability of funds, up to $600,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: One
or more.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending
availability of funds, January 1, 2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date:
December 31, 2007.
Additional Information: Pending
successful implementation of this
program and the availability of funds in
subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA’s
intent to renew this grant for two
additional fiscal years, before openly
competing it again.
Applicants must submit a
comprehensive budget with a summary
budget as well as detailed
administrative and program budgets.
Organizations may apply to provide
advising services in one or more of the
above-listed countries. Educational
advising services must be provided on
a regularly scheduled basis, open to the
public for group and individual use at
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least 30 hours per week, with free access
to library and computer at least 50% of
those hours. Additional hours may be
reserved for program development,
administrative work, and
communications. If applying for more
than one site, applicants should provide
separate budgets and identify proposed
program components and activities for
each location. Proposals with overhead
and indirect costs exceeding 35% of the
amount requested will be deemed less
competitive.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications
may be submitted by public and private
U.S. non-profit organizations meeting
the provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds:
There is no minimum or maximum
percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is
understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of
cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal
and later included in an approved grant
agreement. Cost sharing may be in the
form of allowable direct or indirect
costs. For accountability, you must
maintain written records to support all
costs 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.
Overhead and indirect costs should
not exceed 35% of the amount
requested.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:
Grants awarded to eligible organizations
with less than four years of experience
in conducting international exchange
programs will be limited to $60,000.
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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.
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IV.1. Contact Information to Request
an Application Package: Please contact
the Educational Information and
Resources Branch of the Office of Global
Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/A,
room 349, U.S. Department of State,
SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, tel: 202–453–
8866. fax: 202–453–8890, e-mail:
Waldsteinre@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/
S/A–07–09 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.
It also contains the Project Objectives,
Goals and Implementation (POGI)
document, which provides specific
information, award criteria and budget
instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Program Officer Rachel
Waldstein and refer to the Funding
Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/A–07–
09 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 application should be sent per the
instructions under IV.3f. ‘‘Application
Deadline and Methods of Submission’’
below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to
apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government.
This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely
identifies business entities. Obtaining a
DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number,
access https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–
866–705–5711. Please ensure that your
DUNS number is included in the
appropriate box of the SF–424 which is
part of the formal application package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an
executive summary, proposal narrative
and budget.
Please Refer to the Solicitation
Package. It contains the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
document and the Project Objectives,
Goals and Implementation (POGI)
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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: For your
information only, the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs is
placing renewed emphasis on the secure
and proper administration of Exchange
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence
by grantees and sponsors to all
regulations governing the J visa.
Therefore, proposals should
demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to
meet all requirements governing the
administration of the Exchange Visitor
Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62,
including the oversight of Responsible
Officers and Alternate Responsible
Officers, screening and selection of
program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to
participants, monitoring of participants,
proper maintenance and security of
forms, recordkeeping, reporting and
other requirements. The Grantee will be
responsible for issuing DS–2019 forms
to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is
available at https://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of
State, Office of Exchange Coordination
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44,
Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547. Telephone:
(202) 203–5029. FAX: (202) 453–8640.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for
further information.
IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and
Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the
Bureau’s authorizing legislation,
programs must maintain a non-political
character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of
American political, social, and cultural
life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted
in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion,
geographic location, socio-economic
status, and physical challenges.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to
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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
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16:42 May 24, 2006
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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 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.
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Please describe your plans for:
Provision of services affordable to
students, financial sustainability of
centers, use of EducationUSA advisingrelated program income to fund further
advising activities, overall program
management, coordination of activities
with ECA as well as Public Affairs and
Consular Sections at U.S. Embassies,
staffing to provide an adequate level of
service, and avoiding overlap with
support for other ECA programs if
applicable. (Applicants that have
received other ECA grants on which
proposed staff also work should specify
programs and amount of staff time
devoted to them.)
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 for each country in which they
propose to operate. 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. The
most competitive proposals will have
overhead and indirect costs which do
not exceed 35% of the total funding
requested.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the
program include the following:
A. Program Costs
(1) Advisers’ salaries and benefits;
(2) Office supplies and expenses,
including rent, utilities,
communications, postage, shipping;
publicity, materials and travel for
outreach activities.
B. Indirect Costs
Please refer to the Solicitation
Package for complete budget guidelines
and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/A–07–
09.
Application Deadline Date: Friday,
August 18, 2006.
Methods of Submission: Applications
may be submitted in one of two ways:
(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally
recognized overnight delivery service
(i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS,
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service
Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://
www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all
applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF–
424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
of the solicitation document.
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IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed
Applications. Applications must be
shipped no later than the above
deadline. Delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place,
centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed
via the Internet and delivery people
who are identifiable by commonly
recognized uniforms and delivery
vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before
the above deadline but received at ECA
more than seven days after the deadline
will be ineligible for further
consideration under this competition.
Proposals shipped after the established
deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition.
ECA will not notify you upon receipt of
application. It is each applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that each
package is marked with a legible
tracking number and to monitor/confirm
delivery to ECA via the Internet.
Delivery of proposal packages may not
be made via local courier service or in
person for this competition. Faxed
documents will not be accepted at any
time. Only proposals submitted as
stated above will be considered.
cchase on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Important note: When preparing your
submission please make sure to include one
extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and
place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/
EX/PM’’.
Applicants must follow all
instructions in the Solicitation Package.
The original and eight copies of the
application should be sent to: U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:
ECA/A/S/A–07–09, Program
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547.
IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic
Applications: Applicants have the
option of submitting proposals
electronically through Grants.gov
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete
solicitation packages are available at
Grants.gov in the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the
system. Please follow the instructions
available in the ‘‘Get Started’’ portion of
the site
(https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Applicants have until midnight (12
a.m.) of the closing date to ensure that
their entire applications have been
uploaded to the grants.gov site.
Applications uploaded to the site after
midnight of the application deadline
date will be automatically rejected by
the grants.gov system, and will be
technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a
confirmation e-mail from grants.gov
upon the successful submission of an
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:42 May 24, 2006
Jkt 208001
application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of
Applications: Executive Order 12372
does not apply to this program.
Applicants must also submit the
‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal
Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in
text (.txt) format on a PC-formatted disk.
The Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the 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
awards (cooperative agreements) resides
with the Bureau’s Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will
be competitively reviewed according to
the criteria stated below. These criteria
are not rank ordered and all carry equal
weight in the proposal evaluation.
Please see POGI for description of each
criterion.
1. Quality of the program idea.
2. Program planning/ability to achieve
program objectives.
3. Institutional capacity/record.
4. Area expertise.
5. Multiplier effect/impact.
6. Support of diversity.
7. Cost effectiveness/cost sharing.
8. Project evaluation.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices: Final awards
cannot be made until funds have been
appropriated by Congress, allocated and
committed through internal Bureau
procedures. Successful applicants will
receive an Assistance Award Document
(AAD) from the Bureau’s Grants Office.
The AAD and the original grant
proposal with subsequent modifications
(if applicable) shall be the only binding
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Frm 00106
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 andIndian
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 one copy and electronic
version of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award; financial report
must include program income from all
advising activities (see POGI for
description of applicable services).
(2) Quarterly program and financial
reports which should include
discussion of advising activities at each
center, challenges encountered and
efforts to overcome them, and an
accounting of EducationUSA-related
program income as mentioned above.
Grantees will be required to provide
analysis of 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
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 101 / Thursday, May 25, 2006 / Notices
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.
Optional—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 grant funding but do not
travel.
(2) Monthly statistics of advising
center usage, to be sent by e-mail
directly to the REAC.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this
announcement, contact: Rachel
Waldstein, Program Officer, Educational
Information and Resources Branch,
ECA/A/S/A, Room 349, ECA/A/S/A–
07–09, U.S. Department of State, SA–44,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547, telephone 202–453–8866, fax
202–453–8890, Waldsteinre@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number ECA/A/S/A–
07–09.
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.
cchase on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:42 May 24, 2006
Jkt 208001
Dated: May 16, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E6–8065 Filed 5–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
Aviation Proceedings, Agreements
Filed the Week Ending May 5, 2006
The following Agreements were filed
with the Department of Transportation
under the sections 412 and 414 of the
Federal Aviation Act, as amended (49
U.S.C. 1382 and 1384) and procedures
governing proceedings to enforce these
provisions. Answers may be filed within
21 days after the filing of the
application.
Docket Number: OST–2006–24688.
Date Filed: May 1, 2006.
Parties: Members of the International
Air Transport Association.
Subject:
Mail Vote 488—Resolution 010o,
TC3 Within South East Asia,
Special Passenger Amending Resolution
from Chinese
Taipei to South East Asia.
Intended effective date: May 15, 2006.
Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. E6–8044 Filed 5–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
Notice of Applications for Certificates
of Public Convenience and Necessity
and Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed
Under Subpart B (Formerly Subpart Q)
During the Week Ending May 5, 2006
The following Applications for
Certificates of Public Convenience and
Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier
Permits were filed under subpart B
(formerly subpart Q) of the Department
of Transportation’s Procedural
Regulations (See 14 CFR 301.201 et.
seq.). The due date for Answers,
Conforming Applications, or Motions to
Modify Scope are set forth below for
each application. Following the Answer
period DOT may process the application
by expedited procedures. Such
procedures may consist of the adoption
of a show-cause order, a tentative order,
or in appropriate cases a final order
without further proceedings.
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Fmt 4703
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30219
Docket Number: OST–2005–22228
and OST–2005–24735.
Date Filed: May 3, 2006.
Due Date for Answers, Conforming
Applications, or Motion to Modify
Scope: May 24, 2006.
Description: Application of
Cargoitalia, S.p.A. requesting a foreign
air carrier permit to provide scheduled
and charter air service of property and
mail between Italy and the United
States.
Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. E6–8045 Filed 5–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
RTCA Government/Industry Air Traffic
Management Advisory Committee
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of RTCA Government/
Industry Air Traffic Management
Advisory Committee.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice
to advise the public of a meeting of
RTCA Government/Industry Air Traffic
Management Advisory Committee.
DATES: The meeting will be held June
16, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
FAA Headquarters, 800 Independence
Avenue, SW., Bessie Coleman
Conference Center (2nd Floor),
Washington, DC 20591.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
RTCA Secretariat, 1828 L Street, NW.,
Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036;
telephone (202) 833–9339; fax (202)
833–9434; Web site https://www.rtca.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–
463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice is
hereby given for the Air Traffic
Management Advisory Committee
meeting. Note: Non-Government
attendees to the meeting must go
through security and be escorted to and
from the conference room. Attendees
with laptops will be required to register
them at the security desk upon arrival
and departure. Agenda items will be
posted on https://www.rtca.org Web site.
Attendance is open to the interested
public but limited to space availability.
With the approval of the chairmen,
members of the public may present oral
statements at the meeting. Persons
wishing to present statements or obtain
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 101 (Thursday, May 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30214-30219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8065]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5419]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: EducationUSA Advising Program for Students and
Scholars from the Middle East and North Africa
Announcement Type: Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: August 18, 2006.
Executive Summary: The Educational Information and Resources Branch
(ECA/A/S/A), Office of Global Educational Programs, of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces an open competition to
administer EducationUSA advising centers in the Middle East and North
Africa. Public and private non-profit U.S. organizations meeting the
provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3) may submit proposals to offer overseas educational advising,
orientation, and information services for international students and
scholars in one or more of twelve locations in the Middle East and
North Africa. Organizations wishing to apply for this cooperative
agreement must either currently have offices in the countries covered
by this agreement, or include a detailed plan in their proposal for
establishing such a presence by January
[[Page 30215]]
1, 2007, when advising activities must begin. Maximum expected award
level is $600,000, pending availability of funds. Start-up costs
related to opening new advising centers (fees, purchase of equipment,
etc.) must be borne by the applicant, and may not be included in the
budget submission of this proposal. Applicants are encouraged to keep
headquarters costs as low as possible and ensure that maximum funding
flows to field offices. Please see POGI for details.
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: Department of State-affiliated EducationUSA advising
centers operate in nearly 450 locations in 170 countries around the
world. Advisors guide foreign students in their pursuit of educational
opportunities in the United States and prepare them for direct exposure
to American values, ideas, models, and traditions. They provide
accurate, unbiased information on the full range of accredited U.S.
higher educational institutions and work to build mutual understanding
between the United States and other countries through educational
exchange.
In the Middle East and North Africa, funding will support foreign
student advising for U.S. study only (not for study in third countries)
in Egypt (Alexandria and Cairo), Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank, and Yemen. Organizations may
apply to operate centers in one or more of the listed locations, up to
the total of twelve.
The advising centers will offer group informational and individual
advising sessions for foreign students, and conduct frequent outreach
to local in-country institutions. The advising centers will provide
information on the following topics: The U.S. education system; U.S.
colleges, universities, community colleges and other higher education
institutions; accreditation; the application process to a U.S.
university; majors and fields of study; testing requirements; life in
the U.S.; scholarship programs and financial aid; and visa procedures.
Centers will provide pre-departure orientation sessions and also try to
stay in touch with students once they are in the United States, and
after they return from their U.S. experience, as they will be an
excellent source of expertise for new advisees.
Free introductory group advising sessions and free access to the
library (at least 50% of the time) must be provided, but applicants may
charge modest, affordable fees to students for other services, or
devise a membership package to recover some advising costs. Applicants
may also charge reasonable fees if services are provided to help U.S.
university representatives traveling in the region for recruitment
purposes. See POGI for details. Group advising and outreach sessions
should pay particular attention to reaching out to underserved
populations, to addressing student and parent safety concerns, and to
correcting misperceptions regarding the U.S. visa process. Outreach
efforts should be coordinated with Public Affairs and Consular sections
at U.S. Embassies.
Advising centers will provide regular access, at times convenient
to the public, to the reference library and computers with Internet to
allow students to conduct online research related to study in the U.S.
The library will contain, at a minimum, materials provided by ECA
through its annual online book ordering process; it may also have
catalogues and other materials sent by accredited U.S. colleges or
other recognized educational sources. A list of ECA materials may be
obtained by contacting Program Officer Rachel Waldstein,
waldsteinre@state.gov.
Security and public access should be taken into consideration in
terms of advising center location; EducationUSA offices should be
centrally located and near public transportation whenever possible.
The grantee organization will employ the advisors and handle all
personnel benefits and other human resource issues. Advisors will be
eligible to participate in Department of State-sponsored training
opportunities, to order reference materials from the Department of
State, and to receive guidance and assistance from the Department of
State's Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) based in
Rabat, Morocco. The REAC's job is to conduct site visits to evaluate
advising centers and local country conditions as they relate to
educational advising, share information with all advisors through a
listserv and newsletter, provide training through regional and local
workshops, and recommend new advisors for ECA training programs.
The EducationUSA advising office serves as the U.S. Embassy's in-
country resource on U.S. higher education. Therefore, applicants should
describe their abilities to monitor, to the extent possible, the status
of the education systems in each of the countries and report important
issues to ECA/A/S/A and the U.S. Embassies. Organizations should
develop a network of contacts within the Ministries of Education, local
schools, universities and other appropriate institutions.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. In a cooperative agreement,
ECA/A/S/A is substantially involved in program activities above and
beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/A activities and
responsibilities for this program are as follows: Approve staffing
requirements including level of effort and distribution of
responsibilities among advising staff; select advisors for training and
conference attendance; and designate program priorities such as
outreach to underserved populations, and others as needed. Public
Affairs and Consular officials at U.S. Embassies should be notified of
all in-country outreach activities, to maximize synergies to be
achieved by dual efforts.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007 (pending availability).
Approximate Total Funding: Minimum of $450,000 and, pending
availability of funds, up to $600,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: One or more.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, January 1,
2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2007.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is
ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years,
before openly competing it again.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget with a summary budget
as well as detailed administrative and program budgets. Organizations
may apply to provide advising services in one or more of the above-
listed countries. Educational advising services must be provided on a
regularly scheduled basis, open to the public for group and individual
use at
[[Page 30216]]
least 30 hours per week, with free access to library and computer at
least 50% of those hours. Additional hours may be reserved for program
development, administrative work, and communications. If applying for
more than one site, applicants should provide separate budgets and
identify proposed program components and activities for each location.
Proposals with overhead and indirect costs exceeding 35% of the amount
requested will be deemed less competitive.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public
and private U.S. non-profit organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs
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.
Overhead and indirect costs should not exceed 35% of the amount
requested.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: Grants awarded to eligible
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement
before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition
with applicants until the proposal review process has been
completed.
IV.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please
contact the Educational Information and Resources Branch of the Office
of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/A, room 349, U.S. Department of
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, tel: 202-453-
8866. fax: 202-453-8890, e-mail: Waldsteinre@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number
ECA/A/S/A-07-09 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.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Program Officer Rachel Waldstein and refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/A-07-09 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 application should be
sent per the instructions under IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and
Methods of Submission'' below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the
appropriate box of the SF-424 which is part of the formal application
package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal
narrative and budget.
Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional
formatting and technical requirements.
IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information
when preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa: For
your information only, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
is placing renewed emphasis on the secure and proper administration of
Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantees and
sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals
should demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements
governing the administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set
forth in 22 CFR part 62, including the oversight of Responsible
Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of
program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and
orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper
maintenance and security of forms, recordkeeping, reporting and other
requirements. The Grantee will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms
to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. Telephone: (202) 203-5029.
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical
challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
[[Page 30217]]
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.
Please describe your plans for: Provision of services affordable to
students, financial sustainability of centers, use of EducationUSA
advising-related program income to fund further advising activities,
overall program management, coordination of activities with ECA as well
as Public Affairs and Consular Sections at U.S. Embassies, staffing to
provide an adequate level of service, and avoiding overlap with support
for other ECA programs if applicable. (Applicants that have received
other ECA grants on which proposed staff also work should specify
programs and amount of staff time devoted to them.)
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 for each country in which they propose to operate. 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. The most competitive proposals will have
overhead and indirect costs which do not exceed 35% of the total
funding requested.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
A. Program Costs
(1) Advisers' salaries and benefits;
(2) Office supplies and expenses, including rent, utilities,
communications, postage, shipping; publicity, materials and travel for
outreach activities.
B. Indirect Costs
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
Application Deadline Date: Friday, August 18, 2006.
Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two
ways:
(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S.
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
(2) Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
[[Page 30218]]
IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time.
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package.
The original and eight copies of the application should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/A-07-09, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic Applications: Applicants have the
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system. Please follow the
instructions available in the ``Get Started'' portion of the site
(https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.) of the closing date to
ensure that their entire applications have been uploaded to the
grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of
the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order
12372 does not apply to this program.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the 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 awards (cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's
Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation. Please
see POGI for description of each criterion.
1. Quality of the program idea.
2. Program planning/ability to achieve program objectives.
3. Institutional capacity/record.
4. Area expertise.
5. Multiplier effect/impact.
6. Support of diversity.
7. Cost effectiveness/cost sharing.
8. Project evaluation.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal
Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive an Assistance
Award Document (AAD) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the
original grant proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable)
shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient
and the U.S. Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants
Officer, and mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified
in the application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Terms and
Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the
following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local andIndian
Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), ``Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.''
OMB Circular No. A-102, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-133, ``Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.''
Please reference the following Web sites for additional
information:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
https://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy
original plus one copy and electronic version of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award; financial report must include program
income from all advising activities (see POGI for description of
applicable services).
(2) Quarterly program and financial reports which should include
discussion of advising activities at each center, challenges
encountered and efforts to overcome them, and an accounting of
EducationUSA-related program income as mentioned above.
Grantees will be required to provide analysis of their evaluation
findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. (Please refer
to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for
Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.)
All data collected, including survey responses and contact
information, must
[[Page 30219]]
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.
Optional--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 grant funding but do not travel.
(2) Monthly statistics of advising center usage, to be sent by e-
mail directly to the REAC.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Rachel Waldstein,
Program Officer, Educational Information and Resources Branch, ECA/A/S/
A, Room 349, ECA/A/S/A-07-09, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone 202-453-8866, fax 202-453-
8890, Waldsteinre@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
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: May 16, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. E6-8065 Filed 5-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
