Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes on American Civilization, Journalism and Media, and for Secondary Educators, 62647-62653 [E6-17970]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 207 (Thursday, October 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62647-62653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17970]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5594]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes on American 
Civilization, Journalism and Media, and for Secondary Educators

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.

[[Page 62648]]

    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E/USS-07-SUSI.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.418.
    Key Dates: Application Deadline: December 8, 2006.
    Executive Summary: The Branch for the Study of the United States, 
Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, invites proposal submissions for the design and 
implementation of three Study of the United States Institutes to take 
place over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2007. These 
institutes should provide a multinational group of experienced 
educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values 
and institutions. Two of these institutes will be for groups of 18 
university level faculty each, one with a focus on American 
Civilization, the other on Journalism and Media. The third institute 
will be a general survey course on the study of the United States, for 
a group of 30 secondary educators. Prospective applicants may only 
submit proposals to host one institute listed under this competition.

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: Study of the United States Institutes are intensive 
academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign university 
faculty, secondary educators, and other scholars the opportunity to 
deepen their understanding of American society, culture and 
institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to 
improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic 
institutions abroad.
    The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals for three different Study 
of the United States Institutes from U.S. colleges, universities, 
consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-for-profit 
academic organizations that have an established reputation in a field 
or discipline related to the specific program themes.
    Overview: Each program should be six weeks in length; participants 
will spend approximately four weeks at the host institution, and 
approximately two weeks on the educational study tour, including two to 
three days in Washington, DC, at the conclusion of the Institute. The 
educational travel component should directly complement the academic 
program, and should include visits to cities and other sites of 
interest in the region around the grantee institution, as well as to 
another geographic region of the country. The grantee institution will 
also be expected to provide participants with guidance and resources 
for further investigation and research on the topics and issues 
examined during the institute after they return home.
    The Study of the U.S. Institute on American Civilization should 
provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly-motivated 
foreign university faculty and other specialists with a deeper 
understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. The 
institute should examine some of the critical historical epochs, 
movements, issues and conflicts that have influenced the development of 
the nation and its people, and should also include a strong 
contemporary component, particularly current political, social, and 
economic issues and debates. The complexity and heterogeneous nature of 
American society should be highlighted, as should the institutions and 
values that enable the nation to accommodate that diversity. The 
program should draw from a diverse disciplinary base, and should itself 
provide a model of how a foreign university might approach the study of 
the United States. One award of up to $275,000 will support this 
institute.
    The Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media should 
provide a multinational group of 18 experienced and highly-motivated 
foreign journalism instructors and other related specialists with a 
deeper understanding of journalism's and the media's roles in U.S. 
society. The institute should examine major topics in journalism, 
including the concept of a ``free press,'' First Amendment rights, and 
the media's relationship to the public interest. The legal and ethical 
questions posed by journalism should be incorporated into every aspect 
of the institute. The institute should cover strategies for teaching 
students of journalism the basics of the tradecraft: researching, 
reporting, writing and editing. The program should also highlight 
technology's impact on journalism, addressing the influence of the 
Internet, the globalization of the news media, the growth of satellite 
television and radio networks, and other advances in media that are 
transforming the profession. One award of up to $275,000 will support 
this institute.
    The Study of the U.S. Institute for Secondary Educators should 
provide a multinational group of 30 experienced secondary school 
educators (teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook 
writers, education ministry officials) with a deeper understanding of 
U.S. society, education, and culture, past and present. The institute 
should be organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. 
civilization and should have a strong contemporary component. Through a 
combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary 
approaches, program content should be imaginatively integrated in order 
to elucidate the history and evolution of U.S. educational institutions 
and values, broadly defined. The program should also serve to 
illuminate contemporary political, social, and economic debates in 
American society. One award of up to $340,000 will support this 
institute.
    Program Design: Each Study of the U.S. Institute should be designed 
as an intensive, academically rigorous seminar for an experienced group 
of educators from abroad. Each institute should be organized through an 
integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar discussions, regional 
travel and site visits, and should also include sessions that expose 
participants to U.S. pedagogical philosophy and practice for teaching 
the discipline. Each institute should also include some opportunity for 
limited but well-directed independent research. Applicants are 
encouraged to design thematically coherent programs in ways that draw 
upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources of their 
institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized expertise of 
scholars and other experts throughout the United States.
    Program Administration: Each Institute should designate an academic 
director who will be present throughout the program to ensure the 
continuity, coherence and integration of all aspects of the academic 
program, including the study tour. In addition to the academic 
director(s), an administrative director or coordinator should be 
assigned to oversee all participant support services, including close 
oversight of the program

[[Page 62649]]

participants, and budgetary, logistical, and other administrative 
arrangements.
    Participants: Participants will be nominated by U.S. Embassies and 
Fulbright Commissions, with final selection made by the Bureau's Branch 
for the Study of the United States. Every effort will be made to select 
a balanced mix of male and female participants. Participants will be 
drawn from all regions of the world and will be diverse in terms of 
age, professional position, and experience abroad. All participants 
will have a good knowledge of English. Participants may come from 
educational institutions where the study of the U.S. is relatively 
well-developed, or they may be pioneers in this field within their home 
institutions. Some participants may not have visited the United States 
previously, while others may have had sustained professional contact 
with American scholars and American scholarship as well as prior study 
and travel experience in the U.S. In all cases, participants will be 
accomplished teachers and scholars who will be prepared to participate 
in an intellectually rigorous academic seminar that offers a collegial 
atmosphere conducive to the exchange of ideas.
    Program Dates: The Institutes should be a maximum of 44 days in 
length (including participant arrival and departure days) and should 
begin in June 2007.
    Program Guidelines: While the conception and structure of the 
institute agenda is the responsibility of the organizers, it is 
essential that proposals provide a detailed and comprehensive narrative 
describing the objectives of the institute; the title, scope and 
content of each session; planned site visits; and how each session 
relates to the overall institute theme. A syllabus must be included 
that indicates the subject matter for each lecture, panel discussion, 
group presentation or other activity. The syllabus should also confirm 
or provisionally identify proposed speakers, trainers, and session 
leaders, and clearly show how assigned readings will advance the goals 
of each session. A calendar of all program activities must be included 
in the proposal, as well as a description of plans for public and media 
outreach in connection with the Institute. Overall, proposals will be 
reviewed on the basis of their responsiveness to RFGP criteria, 
coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.


    Please note: In a cooperative agreement, the Branch for the 
Study of the United States is substantially involved in program 
activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring. The Branch 
will assume the following responsibilities for the Institute: 
participate in the selection of participants; oversee the Institute 
through one or more site visits; debrief participants in Washington, 
DC at the conclusion of the Institute; and engage in follow-on 
communication with the participants after they return to their home 
countries. The Branch may request that the grantee institution make 
modifications to the academic residency and/or educational travel 
components of the program. The recipient will be required to obtain 
approval of significant program changes in advance of their 
implementation.


II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is detailed in the previous paragraph.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2007 (pending availability of funds).
    Approximate Total Funding: $900,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 3.
    Approximate Average Award: Two awards of $275,000 for 18 
participants each; one award of $340,000 for 30 participants Floor of 
Award Range: $275,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $340,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, March 1, 
2007.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 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 these cooperative agreements for two additional 
fiscal years, before openly competing them again.

III. Eligibility Information

    III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
    III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or 
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau 
strongly 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 that are claimed as 
your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal 
Government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for 
determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost 
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum 
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's 
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
    III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: a. Grants awarded to 
eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in 
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. 
ECA anticipates awarding three grants in amounts over $60,000 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.
    b. Technical Eligibility: It is the Bureau's intent to award three 
separate cooperative agreements to three different institutions under 
this competition. Therefore prospective applicants may only submit one 
proposal under this competition. All applicants must comply with this 
requirement. Should an applicant submit multiple proposals under this 
competition, all proposals will be declared technically ineligible and 
given no further consideration in the review process.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending 
inquiries or submitting proposals. 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 Branch for the Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS, 
Room 314, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202) 453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533 to 
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/A/E/USS-07-SUSI located at the top of this announcement when 
making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f. for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required

[[Page 62650]]

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.
    For specific questions on the Institutes on American Civilization 
or for Secondary Educators, please specify Jennifer Phillips, 
PhillipsJA@state.gov. For specific questions on the Institute on 
Journalism and Media, specify Adam Van Loon, VanLoonAE@state.gov and 
refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/E/USS-07-SUSI located at 
the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet:
    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
Web site at: https://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or 
from the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all 
instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be 
submitted per the instructions under section 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 form 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 PSI document and the POGI document for 
additional formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1. Adherence to all regulations governing the J visa: The 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed emphasis 
on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) 
Programs and adherence by grantees and sponsors to all regulations 
governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the 
applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the 
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 
62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate 
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, 
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, 
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants 
in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office 
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029, 
Fax: (202) 453-8640.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
    IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities. 
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 (V.2.) 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 strongly 
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

[[Page 62651]]

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.3d.4. Describe your plans for overall program management, 
staffing, and coordination with Branch for the Study of the United 
States. The Branch considers these to be essential elements of your 
program; please be sure to give sufficient attention to them in your 
proposal. Please refer to the Technical Eligibility Requirements and 
the POGI in the Solicitation Package for specific guidelines.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Awards for the Institutes on American Civilization and 
Journalism and Media may not exceed $275,000, and administrative costs 
should be approximately $90,000. The award for the Institute for 
Secondary Educators may not exceed $340,000, and administrative costs 
should be approximately $110,000. 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.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Institute staff salary and benefits.
    (2) Participant housing and meals.
    (3) Participant travel and per diem.
    (4) Textbooks, educational materials and admissions fees.
    (5) Honoraria for guest speakers.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: December 8, 2006.
    Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-07-SUSI.
    Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two 
ways:
    1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    2. Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by 
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and 
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery 
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and 
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline 
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be 
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals 
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for 
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure 
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to 
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal 
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for 
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.


    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure 
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it 
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.


    The original and eight (8) copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547.
    Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-07-SUSI.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications 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 regional bureaus and Public 
Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies and for their review, as 
appropriate.
    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 (12:00 a.m.), Washington, DC time of 
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has 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

[[Page 62652]]

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 ECA program office and 
the Public Affairs Sections, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
cooperative agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
    V.2. Review Criteria: Technically eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These 
criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the 
proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of Program Idea/Plan: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate 
substantive undertakings and logistical capacity.
    2. Ability to Achieve Overall Program Objectives: Objectives should 
be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    3. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (program venue, 
study tour venue, and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, site visits, program meetings and 
resource materials).
    4. Evaluation and Follow-Up: Proposals should include a plan to 
evaluate the Institute's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique 
plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
institute objectives is strongly recommended. Proposals should also 
discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned grantees as a means 
of establishing longer-term individual and institutional linkages.
    5. Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be 
kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and 
appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other 
private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    6. Institutional Track Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate 
an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grants 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be fully qualified to 
achieve the Institute's goals.

VI. Award Administration Information

    VI.1. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have 
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal 
Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive an Assistance 
Award Document (AAD) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the 
original grant proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) 
shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient 
and the U.S. Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants 
Officer, and mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified 
in the application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.
    VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for 
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements 
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.

    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants; https://
exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original plus one (1) copy of the final program and financial report no 
more than 90 days after the expiration of the award.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
Please refer to Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3d.3) above 
for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and 
provided to the Bureau upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Branch for the 
Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS, Room 314, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202) 
453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533. For specific questions on the Institutes 
on American Civilization or for Secondary Educators, contact Jennifer 
Phillips at PhillipsJA@state.gov. For specific questions on the 
Institute on Journalism and Media, contact Adam Van Loon at 
VanLoonAE@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the title ``Study of the U.S. Institutes'' and number ECA/A/
E/USS-07-SUSI.
    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

[[Page 62653]]

be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per 
section VI.3 above.

    Dated: October 19, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E6-17970 Filed 10-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P