Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Summer Language Institutes for American Youth, 45892-45897 [06-6837]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 154 (Thursday, August 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45892-45897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6837]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5490]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Summer Language Institutes for American Youth

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Application Deadline: October 5, 2006.
    Executive Summary: The Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen 
Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces 
an open competition for projects to provide foreign language 
instruction overseas for American high school students in Summer 2007. 
Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may 
submit proposals to implement six-to eight-week summer institutes in 
China or in an Arabic-speaking country that offer U.S. high school 
students formal and informal language instruction through a 
comprehensive exchange experience.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, 
Public Law 87-256, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through legislation.

Purpose

    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is supporting 
the participation of youth in intensive, substantive educational 
exchange opportunities that will promote language learning as well as 
engage the successor generation in a dialogue for greater 
understanding.
    Promoting the study of critical languages among American youth is a 
vital element of America's security in the post-9/11 world and its 
engagement in the global economy, as well as promoting mutual 
understanding and respect between the people of the United States and 
the citizens of strategically important countries around the world.
    The goals of the Summer Language Institute for American Youth are:
     To improve the ability of Americans to engage with the 
people of other countries through the shared language of the partner 
country;
     To develop a cadre of Americans with advanced linguistic 
skills and cultural understanding who are able to advance the 
international dialogue, promote the security of the United States, and 
compete effectively in the global economy;
     To provide a tangible incentive for the learning and use 
of foreign languages.

[[Page 45893]]

    In order to achieve these goals, the Bureau is offering the 
opportunity for American secondary school students to gain language 
skills in Arabic or Chinese. ECA plans to award multiple grants for 
Summer Language Institutes. Organizations that wish to apply to 
implement institutes in more than one language must submit separate 
proposals for each language. Proposed institutes will be compared only 
against submissions for the same language. Applicants may apply for a 
grant between $100,000 and $250,000 in order to implement an overseas 
language institute between June and August 2007.
    Through these institutes, high school students from the United 
States will spend six to eight weeks on a program abroad in the summer 
of 2007. The institutes will provide not only intensive language 
instruction in a classroom setting but will also provide language-
learning opportunities through immersion in the cultural, social, 
educational, and home life of the partner country. The exchange program 
will enhance the participants' knowledge of the host country's history, 
culture, and political system.

Indicators of a Successful Program

     Pre- and post-institute language testing of participants 
will demonstrate a substantive increase in language skills.
     Participants will demonstrate `` for example, through 
surveys, essays, focus groups, or presentations `` a deeper 
understanding of the host country's culture, including its customs, 
beliefs, and practices.
     Alumni will continue their foreign language study and/or 
participate in other exchanges to the participating countries.
     Students and families from the host country who engage 
with the U.S. participants demonstrate an interest in learning more 
about the United States.

Capacity of Administering Organization

    U.S. applicant organizations must have the necessary capacity in 
the partner country to implement the program through either its own 
offices or a partner institution. Organizations applying for this grant 
must demonstrate their (or their partners') capacity for conducting 
projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) 
Provision of foreign language instruction programs and provision of 
educational and cultural exchange activities as outlined in this 
document; (2) age-appropriate programming for the target audience; and 
(3) experience in working with the proposed partner country or 
countries.

Country and Language Information

    For all language study, participants will learn speaking, 
listening, reading, and writing, including new alphabets. The Bureau 
reserves the right to alter the list of eligible countries based on 
safety and security concerns.
    For Arabic language exchanges: Applicant organizations should plan 
to send students to a country in North Africa, the Middle East, or the 
Gulf region, with the exception of Algeria, Iraq, Israel, Libya, 
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. Students should learn 
Modern Standard Arabic in class and colloquial Arabic through informal 
study and through interaction with their host families and peers.
    Students with basic language skills who are ready for intermediate 
instruction will gain the most from this immersion experience, but 
participants in the Arabic institutes may be beginning speakers who 
have had little or no instruction in the language. The delegation may 
be a mix of both groups, as long as the proposed institute makes 
explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.
    For Chinese language exchanges: Applicant organizations should plan 
to send students to Mainland China or Taiwan. Students must learn 
Mandarin in class. Teaching materials used in the program should be 
available in both simplified and traditional character versions. The 
Hanyu pinyin romanization system should be used.
    Students with advanced beginner or intermediate language skills who 
are ready for further instruction will gain the most from an immersion 
experience. Participants in the Chinese institutes will have already 
studied the language formally at the time of application for at least 
one year. The proposed institute will make explicit accommodation for 
learners of varying skill levels.

Participant Selection

    The grant recipient will recruit, screen, and select a group of 
students representing the ethnic, racial, socio-economic, and religious 
diversity of the United States. Students should have completed grade 9, 
10, 11, or 12 by summer 2007, and must not be younger than 14 nor older 
than 18 by the start date of the institute. Selected students will also 
demonstrate suitability for an intensive exchange experience, including 
maturity, flexibility, and adaptability. The students' language skills 
at the start of the institute will meet the requirements for each 
language outlined above.

Institute Summary

    Each six to eight-week summer institute overseas for high school 
students will focus on language study and cultural immersion and will 
include four to six hours per day of formal and informal language 
training, plus excursions, briefings and discussions on key issues.
    The grant recipient will provide language instruction for a 
delegation of teenagers who are likely to have mixed skill levels in 
the language. While teaching conversational vocabulary will be 
necessary to help students cope with their immersion setting, classes 
should also provide formal instruction in grammar, vocabulary, and 
pronunciation, and will cover speaking, listening, reading, and 
writing.
    During the exchange, the students will also have the opportunity to 
participate in activities designed to teach them about community life, 
citizen participation, and the culture and history of the host country. 
Activities should engage host country teenagers as much as possible. 
The program activities will introduce the students to the community--
its leaders and institutions, the ways citizens participate in local 
government, and the resolution of societal problems--and will include 
educational excursions that serve to enhance the visitors'' 
understanding of contemporary society, culture, media, political 
institutions, ethnic diversity, history, and environment of the region. 
ECA requires participation in a community service project that also 
involves youth of a similar age from the host country. Participants 
should also have opportunities to give presentations on their lives in 
the United States in community forums.
    Since the purpose of the institute is to provide an immersion 
program for the language learners and increase their language skills, 
ECA strongly urges organizations to arrange homestays with local 
families for as much of the duration of the institute as possible, 
balancing this with time spent in a hotel or dormitory setting where 
the participants may be more inclined to speak English.
    The delegation should have an adult accompany them on the 
international flight to the host country, and adult staff should be 
available to support the participants during the course of the 
institute.
    Applicants must provide a plan of follow-up with alumni, such as by 
E-mail, through a Web site or weblog, and/or in person, primarily for 
the purpose of supporting the continuation of the

[[Page 45894]]

students' language studies. Grant recipients should assist alumni in 
maintaining connections with organizations and individuals in the host 
country. The grant recipient will be expected to work in coordination 
with ECA to track the activities of alumni and their continued interest 
in studying the language.

School Partnerships

    The Summer Language Institutes are well suited for involving a 
school partnership. Applicants may weave a school partnership component 
into their proposals as a way to deepen the institutional ties between 
schools in the United States and in the partner country. This approach 
is best suited for existing partnerships, but could also help further 
nascent relationships. The desirability of a school partnership 
component includes the prospect of offering institutional, rather than 
just individual, benefits; curriculum development; a ``multiplier 
effect'' or the opportunity to engage many people in the school 
community in the institute; and the building of sustainable 
relationships as school linkages span many years.
    School partnerships may be included in a variety of ways. Students 
could travel to a partner school, either as a host site for the 
institute or to visit during the institute for a school tour, home 
hospitality, or a social activity. Teachers could team-teach in 
language or other subjects. Partner schools could offer follow-on 
activities for institute alumni such as digital video conferences, 
online language practice, implementation of joint projects (via DVC or 
online) that were initiated during the institute, e.g., an oral history 
of their communities or a water testing project.
    Building the Summer Language Institute on a school partnership is 
not required but suggested for those applicants with these linkages. If 
you choose this approach, please make explicit mention of the benefits 
in your proposal.
    Grant funding includes recruitment and selection of participants, 
orientation, travel, tuition and maintenance costs, educational 
enhancements, cultural and social activities, alumni activities, and 
administrative costs.


    Note: All printed materials and formal oral communications 
should acknowledge the role of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau 
of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Drafts of printed materials 
developed for this program should be submitted to ECA for review and 
distribution as it sees fit. Copies of materials given to and 
prepared by the students should be provided to the ECA program 
office in a timely fashion.


    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Proposal Submission Instructions, including the Project Objectives, 
Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document, for further information.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2007.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,000,000, pending availability of 
funds.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 5.
    Floor of Award Range: $100,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $250,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, the proposed 
start date is January 20, 2007.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: Approximately 14 to 18 months 
after the start date, depending on the proposed program plan.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, ECA 
may renew these grants for two additional fiscal years.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible applicants

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

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost 
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For 
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs 
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

    Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than 
four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited 
to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding grants in the 
range of $100,000 to $250,000 to support program and administrative 
costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, 
organizations with less than four years experience in conducting 
international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. 
The Bureau urges applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing 
and funding in support of its programs.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package

    Please contact the Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington DC 
20547, Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail: 
LantzCS@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03) located at the top 
of this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from https://www.grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further 
information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application 
forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation 
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria, 
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
    Please specify Bureau Program Officer Carolyn Lantz and refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement 
on all other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
Web site at https://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or 
from the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov.

[[Page 45895]]

    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 submitted per the instructions under 
IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and Methods of Submission'' 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 form that is part of the formal 
application package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project 
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1 Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa: The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered 
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the ``Responsible 
Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which 
covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving 
grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating with or 
assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The 
actions of grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the 
sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR part 62. 
Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant 
under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable 
the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and 
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program 
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that 
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all 
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs 
as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has experience as 
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et. seq., 
including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate 
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, 
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, 
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing any DS-2019 forms to foreign participants.
    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.

[[Page 45896]]

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.
    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. Grant requests should be at least $100,000 and should 
not exceed $250,000. There must be a summary budget as well as 
breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets. 
Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, 
phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
    Please refer to the POGI and the PSI documents in the Solicitation 
Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: October 5, 2006.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
    Methods of Submission:
    Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:
    1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    2. Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications: Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by 
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and 
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery 
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and 
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline 
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be 
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals 
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for 
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure 
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to 
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal 
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for 
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure to 
include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an 
envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
    The original, one fully-tabbed copy, and six copies of the 
application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 8 copies) should be sent to: 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03, 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.
    Applicants must also submit the executive summary, proposal 
narrative, budget section, and any important appendices as e-mail 
attachments in Microsoft Word and Excel to the following e-mail 
address: LantzCS@state.gov. In the E-mail message subject line, include 
the name of the applicant organization and the partner country. The 
Bureau will transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs 
Sections of the relevant U.S. Embassies for review.
    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.), Washington, DC, time, 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.

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

[[Page 45897]]

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 (grants) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Please see proposal review criteria in the accompanying Project 
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1a. Award Notices

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

VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles 
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles 
for Educational Institutions.''
    OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
    OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
    OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
    OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and 
Non-profit Organizations.
    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants:
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. Interim program and financial reports that include information 
on the progress made on the program plan and program results to date.
    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: Carolyn Lantz, 
Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 568, Washington, DC 20547, 
Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail LantzCS@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
    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: August 3, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 06-6837 Filed 8-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P