Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Faith and Community: A Dialogue, 9990-9995 [E7-3869]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9990-9995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3869]



[[Page 9990]]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5713]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Faith and Community: A Dialogue

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Application Deadline: May 8, 2007.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, announces 
an open competition for multiple grants to support international 
exchange projects under the rubric ``Faith and Community: A Dialogue.'' 
This is a continuation of the Office of Citizen Exchanges' ``Religion 
and Society: A Dialogue'' initiative, conducted over the past several 
fiscal years. Public and private non-profit organizations or consortia 
of such organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal 
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 
develop and implement multi-phased exchanges involving the travel of 
clerics, scholars of religion, educators, and community leaders/
activists from countries with significant Muslim populations to the 
United States and of reciprocal visits by American clerics, scholars of 
religion, and community leaders/activists. (Note that additional 
participant categories may be included in projects for Southeast 
Europe. See below.)
    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.

I. Overview

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges consults with and supports American 
public and private nonprofit organizations in developing and 
implementing multi-phased, often multi-year, exchanges of 
professionals, community leaders, scholars and academics, public policy 
advocates, non-governmental organization activists, and others. These 
exchanges address issues of crucial importance to the United States and 
to other countries; they promote focused, substantive, and cooperative 
interaction among counterparts; and they entail both theoretical and 
experiential learning for all participants. A primary goal is the 
development of sustained, international, institutional and individual 
linkages. In addition to providing a context for professional 
development and collaborative problem-solving, these projects are 
intended to introduce foreign participants and their American 
counterparts to one another's political, social, and economic 
structures, facilitating improved communication and enhancing mutual 
understanding. The exchange proposal should include focused interaction 
with local citizens in all countries and activities to orient 
participants to one another's society and culture.
    The initiative ``Faith and Community: A Dialogue'' will support 
international exchanges of clerics, scholars of religion, educators, 
and community leaders/activists--influential and recognized for their 
ability to communicate, through sermons, in scholarly writing, or 
through community leadership and educational activities--between the 
United States and countries with significant Muslim populations. The 
objectives of the exchange are (1) to enhance the non-American 
participants' understanding of the place of religion, particularly of 
Islam, in the life of American communities; (2) to develop a common 
language for American and non-American participants to examine issues 
of relevance to their respective societies and to develop effective 
approaches to dealing with them; (3) to offer an understanding of 
Islamic practice within a multi-cultural, multi-faith, democratic 
context; and (4) to broaden the understanding of American scholars, 
clerics, and laypersons of Islam and of its place in diverse non-
American societies.
    We solicit projects that focus on a particular theme of relevance 
to faith and community groups in the proposed participating countries. 
Possible themes might be civil discourse in a multi-faith context; the 
role of law in resolving conflicts and preserving freedom of expression 
within and among minority/faith communities; the role of faith 
communities in providing community services; educating for respect and 
co-existence; or the role of law in protecting religious expression in 
diverse societies. We welcome proposals for projects on other themes of 
relevance to participating countries for which the proposing 
institution has, or can mobilize, American participants with 
intellectual expertise and an interest in international dialogue on the 
selected theme. Proposals should explicitly identify how the American 
organization will identify counterpart experts in participating 
countries and state the specific outcome to be achieved by each phase 
or component of the proposed project.
    The project, to be conducted over a period of 18 to 24 months, will 
involve several exchange visits. Initially, one or two American 
scholars/project organizers may travel to designated partner countries 
to deepen their familiarity with the particular issues faced by 
counterpart institutions and communities in those countries and to 
identify individuals who might serve as advisers or be selected as 
participants in the project and to gain their interest in the exchange. 
Subsequently, approximately 12 non-American scholars and clerics will 
travel to the United States for a period of three to four weeks. The 
non-American participants will visit Islamic centers, consult with 
American Muslim scholars and clerics, visit and become familiar with 
libraries and archives of Islamic documents, make presentations and 
participate in discussions at non-Muslim religious institutions and at 
secular institutions that represent America's guarantee of human 
dignity and freedom of worship, engage in inter-religious dialogue, and 
participate in workshops and seminars, both public and at institutions 
dedicated to scholarship and research. Finally, a group of American 
scholars and clerics will travel to the home countries of the non-
American participants, meet with counterparts, visit institutions, and, 
ideally, cooperate with participants in the original U.S. visit in 
presenting a seminar, a series of workshops, etc., in order to expand 
the network of individuals directly affected by the exchange. This 
series of visits would then be repeated in the following year. 
Participants in the second year of exchanges might be the same if the 
goal is to deepen the dialogue, or, if the goal is to accomplish 
broader participation, participants should be selected to reflect that 
objective. During each phase of the exchange, traveling participants 
should be encouraged to have in-depth

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interaction with local citizens and to participate in appropriate 
press, media, and other outreach activities.

Geographic Focus

    This initiative is worldwide in scope, with primary focus on 
countries with significant Muslim populations. For the FY07 
competition, in order to assure balance with already existing exchange 
programs under this rubric, we shall be particularly interested in 
exchanges focused on the following geographic areas: (1) Francophone 
West Africa (Senegal; Mauritania; Niger; Mali; Guinea; Burkina Faso; 
Chad), (2) North Africa (Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia), (3) Southeastern 
Europe (Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Macedonia; 
Montenegro; Serbia), (4) Southeast Asia (Malaysia; the Philippines; 
Thailand), and (5) The countries of the Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia; 
Kuwait; Qatar; Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates; Oman; Yemen). 
Exchange proposals that focus on two or more countries in a region or 
those that focus on single-country exchanges are equally welcome. For 
projects in Southeast Europe, participants may be educators and others 
who influence youth, journalists specializing in social/inter-communal 
issues, as well as clerics, scholars, and community activists/leaders. 
Projects for this region may also focus more intensely on inter-faith 
dialogue and include activities encouraging tolerance, respect among 
communities, and joint-faith community outreach activities.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages applicants to be 
creative in planning project implementation. Activities for all regions 
may include both theoretical orientation/philosophical background 
sessions and experiential, community-based initiatives designed to 
achieve objectives or produce a specific product (magazine, study 
guide, educational outreach material, etc.) to be used in local 
communities. Applicants should, in their proposals, identify any 
partner organizations and/or individuals overseas or in the U.S. with 
which/whom they are proposing to collaborate and justify the 
collaboration on the basis of the proposed partner's experience, 
accomplishments, etc.

Selection of Participants

    Applications should include a description of a merit-based, focused 
participant selection process. Applicants should anticipate consulting 
with the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies in selecting 
participants, with the Embassy retaining the right to nominate 
participants, to advise the grantee regarding participants recommended 
by other entities, and to determine the appropriateness of granting 
visas.

Public Affairs Section Involvement

    The Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of the U.S. Embassies often play 
an important role in project implementation. The PAS will initially 
evaluate project proposals, and, once a grant is awarded, the PAS may, 
in consultation with the grantee organization, coordinate planning with 
the grantee organization and in-country partners, facilitate in-country 
activities, nominate participants and vet grantee nominations, observe 
in-country activities, and debrief participants. The PAS will also 
evaluate project impact. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
is responsible for producing and signing DS-2019 Forms. These forms 
will be provided the foreign participants by the U.S. Mission as part 
of the process of obtaining the necessary J-1 visas for entry to the 
United States on a government-funded project. Grantee organizations 
must submit data on proposed participants electronically.
    Though project administration and implementation are the 
responsibility of the grantee institution, the grantee is expected to 
inform the PAS in participating countries of its operations and 
procedures and to coordinate with PAS officers in the development of 
project activities. The PAS should be consulted regarding country 
priorities, political and cultural sensitivities, security issues, and 
logistic and programmatic issues.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2007.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,500,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: three or more, with awards ranging 
from $250,000 to $500,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, August 2007.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 1, 2009.

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 the highest possible level of in-cash 
or in-kind cost sharing and funding in support of its programs, and 
those that provide cost sharing that represents 20% or more of the 
total cost of the exchange will receive priority consideration. 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. 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, in the 
course of this competition, grants ranging from $350,000 to $500,000 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 
receive an award under this competition.
    b. Technical Eligibility: Proposals must comply with the 
requirements included in this Request for Grant Proposals in order to 
be considered technically eligible for consideration in the review 
process.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete announcement, either at https://
www.exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps or in the Federal Register 
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. Obtaining an Application Package: The Application Package 
comprises this Request for Grant Proposals and a Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, consisting of required application forms 
and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.

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    The Solicitation Package may be downloaded from: https://
exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm. Please read all 
information before downloading. Alternatively, an electronic 
application package may be obtained from grants.gov. Please see section 
IV.3f for further information.
    IV.2. To receive a hard copy of the Application Package via U.S. 
Postal Service, contact Thomas Johnston, Office of Citizen Exchanges, 
ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF, Room 216, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone (202) 453-8162; Fax (202) 
453-8168; e-mail JohnstonTJ@state.gov. Please refer to Funding 
Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20 on all inquiries and 
correspondence.
    IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all 
instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and ten copies 
of the application should be submitted per the instructions under 
IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and Methods of Submission'' section.
    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, a proposal 
narrative, and a budget. Please refer to the Application Package, 
containing the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 
document, for additional formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1. Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa. The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered 
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the ``Responsible 
Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers 
the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). 
Under the terms of 22 CFR 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 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 62. If your organization has experience as a 
designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including 
the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible 
Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of 
pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of 
participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, 
reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://
exchanges.state.gov or from:
    United States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination 
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547. Telephone: (202) 203-5029. FAX: (202) 453-8640.
    IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and 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 
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,

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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 represent 
specific results a project is intended to achieve and are 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 project. 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. Budgets that limit 
administrative costs to approximately 25% of the funding sought from 
ECA will be given priority consideration.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Direct program expenses
    (2) Administrative costs
    (3) Allowable indirect costs
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: May 8, 2007.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.
    Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two 
ways:
    1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    2. Electronically through https://www.grants.gov. 
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by 
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and 
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery 
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and 
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline 
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be 
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals 
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for 
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure 
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to 
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal 
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for 
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.


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


    The original and ten (10) copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, 
Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    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 the appropriate Public Affairs 
Section(s) at the U.S. embassy(ies) for its(their) 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 (http:/
/www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could 
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate 
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP 
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Once 
registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to 
begin

[[Page 9994]]

the submission process through Grants.gov.
    Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and 
submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support.
    Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726.
    Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time. e-mail: 
support@grants.gov.
    Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC time of 
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been 
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above 
deadline. 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.
    It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via 
the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received 
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for 
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
    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 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 grant 
awards resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below.
    Quality of the program idea: Proposals should be substantive, well 
thought out, focused on issues of demonstrable relevance to all 
proposed participants, and responsive to the exchange suggestions and 
guidelines provided above.
    Implementation Plan and Ability To Achieve Objectives: A detailed 
project implementation plan should establish a clear and logical 
connection between the interest, the expertise, and the logistic 
capacity of the applicant and the objectives to be achieved. The plan 
should discuss in concrete terms how the institution proposes to 
achieve the objectives. Institutional resources--including personnel--
assigned to the project should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
project objectives. The substance of workshops and site visits should 
be included as an attachment, and the responsibilities of U.S. 
participants and in-country partners should be clearly delineated.
    Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include an institutional 
record of successful exchange programs, with reference to responsible 
fiscal management and full compliance with reporting requirements. The 
Bureau will consider the demonstrated potential of new applicants and 
will evaluate the performance record of prior recipients of Bureau 
grants as reported by the Bureau grant staff.
    Post-Grant Activities: Applicants should provide a plan for 
sustained follow-on activity (building on the linkages developed under 
the grant and the activities initially funded by the grant) after grant 
funds have been expended. This will ensure that Bureau-supported 
projects are sustainable and are not isolated events. Funds for all 
post-grant activities must be in the form of contributions from the 
applicant or sources outside the Bureau. Costs for these activities 
should not appear in the proposal budget but should be outlined in the 
narrative.
    Project Evaluation/Monitoring: Proposals should include a detailed 
plan to monitor and evaluate the project. Competitive evaluation plans 
will describe how the applicant organization will measure results, 
defined in both qualitative and quantitative terms and will include 
draft data collection instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc.) in 
Tab E. Successful applicants will be expected to submit a report after 
each project component is concluded or semi-annually, whichever is less 
frequent.
    Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Administrative costs should be 
kept low. Proposal budgets should provide evidence of any cost sharing 
offered, comprised of cash or in-kind contributions. Cost sharing may 
be derived from diverse sources, including private sector contributions 
and/or direct institutional support.
    Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate support for the 
Bureau's policy on diversity. Features relevant to this policy should 
be cited in program implementation (selection of participants, program 
venue, and program evaluation), program content, and program 
administration.

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 one copy of the following reports:

[[Page 9995]]

    1. Semi-annual program and financial reports, which include a 
description of program activities implemented in the course of the six-
month period and an accounting of expenditures.
    2. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration date of the award.
    3. 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.
    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.
    (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: Thomas Johnston, 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF, Room 216, U.S. Department 
of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 
(202) 453-8162; Fax: (202) 453-8168; e-mail: JohnstonTJ@state.gov. 
Correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference 
the title and number ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.
    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.

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: February 27, 2007.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E7-3869 Filed 3-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P