Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: International Sports Programming Initiative, 61938-61945 [E7-21561]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 211 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61938-61945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21561]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5979]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: International Sports Programming Initiative

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/WHA-EAP-08-16.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates: Application Deadline: January 25, 2008.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the 
International Sports Programming Initiative. 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 for 
projects designed to enhance and improve the infrastructure of youth 
sports programs in select countries in Africa, East Asia, the Near East 
and North Africa, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere. The focus of 
all programs must be on reaching out to youth ages 8-18. Programs 
designed to train elite athletes will not be considered. Eligible 
countries are: Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal or the 
trans-Sahara for a Francophone regional project (eligible countries 
included in this regional project must include one country from 
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia as well as one country from Chad, Senegal, 
Niger, Mauritania and Chad); for East Asia: China, Malaysia, 
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam; for the Near East and North Africa: 
Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and 
Yemen; for South Asia: Bangladesh, India; for the Western Hemisphere: 
Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
    For countries that are not designated in the RFGP or that address 
more than one country unless specifically noted, will be deemed 
technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the 
review process.
    For the purposes of this competition, eligible regions are Africa, 
East Asia, the Near East, North Africa, South Asia and the Western 
Hemisphere. No guarantee is made or implied that grants will be awarded 
in all themes or for all countries listed.

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.

[[Page 61939]]

Purpose

    Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that 
directly respond to the following thematic areas. Given budgetary 
limitations, projects for themes and other not listed below will not be 
eligible for consideration under the FY-2008 International Sports 
Program Initiative Competition. Eligible countries to be are:
    Africa: Kenya, South Africa, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal or the 
trans-Sahara for a Francophone regional project (eligible countries 
included in this regional project must include one country from 
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia as well as one country from Mali, Senegal, 
Niger, Mauritania and Chad);
    East Asia: China, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam;
    Near East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, 
Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Yemen;
    South Asia: Bangladesh, India;
    Western Hemisphere: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua and 
Venezuela. Preference will be given to single country projects with the 
exception of the trans-Sahara regional project and the Western 
Hemisphere.

Themes

(1) Training Sports Coaches
    The World Summit on Physical Education (Berlin, 1999) stated that a 
``quality physical education helps children to develop the patterns of 
interest in physical activity, which are essential for healthy 
development and which lay the foundation for healthy, adult 
lifestyles.'' Coaches are critical to the accomplishment of this goal. 
A coach not only needs to be qualified to provide the technical 
assistance required by young athletes to improve, but must also 
understand how to help a young person to discover how success in 
athletics can be translated into achievement in the development of life 
skills and in the classroom.
    Through seminars and outreach, projects submitted in response to 
this theme will aim at aiding youth, secondary school and university 
coaches in the target countries in the development and implementation 
of appropriate training methodologies. The goal is to ensure the 
optimal technical proficiency among the coaches participating in the 
program while also emphasizing the role sports can play in the long-
term economic well-being of youth.
(2) Youth Sports Management Exchange
    Exchanges funded under this theme will enable American and foreign 
youth sport coaches, adult sponsors, and sports association officials 
to share their experience in managing and organizing youth sports 
activities, particularly in financially challenging circumstances, and 
will advance cross-cultural understanding of the role of sports as a 
significant factor in educational success. Americans are in a good 
position to convey to foreign counterparts the importance of linking 
success in sports to educational achievement and demonstrate how these 
two factors contribute to short-term and long-term economic prospects.
(3) Youth With Disability
    Exchanges supported by this theme are designed to promote and 
sponsor sports, recreation, fitness and leisure events for children and 
adults with physical disabilities. Project goals include improving the 
quality of life for people with disabilities by providing affordable, 
inclusive sports and recreational experiences that build self-esteem 
and confidence, enhancing active participation in community life and 
making a significant contribution to the physical and psychological 
health of people with disabilities. Proposals under this theme aim to 
demonstrate that physically and developmentally challenged individuals 
can be included in the sports and recreation opportunities in their 
communities and to develop opportunities for doing so.
(4) Sports and Health
    Projects funded under this category will focus on effective and 
practical ways to use sports personalities and sports health 
professionals to increase awareness among young people of the 
importance of following a healthy lifestyle to reduce illness, prevent 
injuries and speed rehabilitation and recovery. Emphasis will be on the 
responsibility of the broader community to support healthy behavior. 
The project goals are to promote and integrate scientific research, 
education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise 
science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, 
and quality of life. (Actual medical training and dispensing of 
medications are outside the purview of this theme.)

Audience

    Representatives from government and non-governmental organizations, 
coaches, community leaders, and youth audiences.

Ideal Program Model

    The following are suggested program structures that might be 
arranged in any order:
     A U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens to conduct a 
multi-location, in-country program, including clinics and training 
sessions for government officials (Ministry of Sports and Ministry of 
Education); coaches (adult and youth); NGO representatives, including 
representatives from a relevant sports federation; community officials, 
including local authorities associated with recreational facilities; 
youth audiences (equal numbers of boys and girls); elected local 
government officials; and sports management professionals to support 
one of the themes listed.
     An in-country partner (a local university, government 
agency or other appropriate organization, such as a relevant sports 
federation) co-hosts an activity with the U.S. grantee institution, and 
participate in the selection of participants for the U.S. program.
     A U.S. program includes site visits designed to provide 
participants with background information on U.S. approaches to the 
themes listed in the announcement; internships with appropriate sports-
related organizations and at community-based recreational facilities; 
and a one-day debriefing and evaluation.
     U.S. experts conduct who served as internship hosts or 
coordinated site implement an in-country program.
     Participants in the U.S. program design the project and 
serve as co-presenters.
     Materials translates into the target language, small 
grants for projects designed to expand the exchange experience and 
support for the development of alumni associations might also be 
considered.
     Encourage all participants to enroll in the Bureau of 
Education and Cultural Affairs' alumni Web site.

Participant Selection

    Proposals should clearly describe the types of persons that will 
participate in the program, as well as the participant recruitment and 
selection processes. For programs that include U.S. internships, 
applicants should submit letters of support from host institutions. In 
the selection of foreign participants, the Bureau and U.S. embassies 
retain the right to review all participant nominations and to accept or 
refuse participants recommended by grantee institutions. When U.S. 
participants are selected, grantee institutions must

[[Page 61940]]

provide their names and brief biographical data to the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges. Priority in two-way exchange proposals will be given 
to foreign participants who have not previously traveled to the United 
States.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2008.
    Approximate Total Funding: $2,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 15-18.
    Approximate Average Award: $175,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $60,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: Approximately $175,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, August 31, 
2008.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2009-June 30, 
2010.
    Projects under this competition may range in length from one to 
three years depending on the number of project components, the country/
region targeted and the extent of the evaluation plan proposed by the 
applicant. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages 
applicant organizations to plan enough time after project activities to 
measure project outcomes. Please refer to the Program Monitoring and 
Evaluation section, item IV.3d.3 below, for further guidance on 
evaluation.

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. Cost sharing is an important 
element of the ECA-grantee institution relationship, and it 
demonstrates the implementing organization's commitment to the program. 
Cost sharing is included as one criterion for grant proposal 
evaluation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to cost share a portion 
of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost sharing, including 
contributions from the applicant, proposed in-country partner(s), and 
other sources should be indicated in the budget request. Proposal 
budgets that do not reflect cost sharing will be deemed less 
competitive under the Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing criterion 
(item V.1 below). 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.
    (b) Technical Eligibility: In addition to the requirements outlined 
in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) technical format and 
instructions document, all proposals must comply with the following or 
they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible 
and given no further consideration in the review process.
    The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or 
seminars (i.e., one- to fourteen-day programs with plenary sessions, 
main speakers, panels, and a passive audience). It will support 
conferences only when they are a small part of a larger project in 
duration that is receiving Bureau funding from this competition.
    No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to 
conferences or conference-type seminars overseas; nor is funding 
available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine 
professional association meetings in the United States.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges does not support academic research 
or faculty or student fellowships. Applicants may not submit more than 
one (1) proposal for this competition. Organizations that submit 
proposals that exceed these limits will result in having all of their 
proposals declared technically ineligible, and none of the submissions 
will be reviewed by a State Department panel. Proposals that target 
countries/regions or themes not listed in the RFGP will be deemed 
technically ineligible.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

    IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please 
contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone: 202-453-8163; fax: 202-453-8168; or e-mail 
harveyrh@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/WHA-EAP-08-16) 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 PSI document that consists of 
required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal 
preparation.
    Please specify the Bureau Program Officer listed for each region 
and theme above and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/
WHA-EAP-08-16) 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, 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 
sent per the instructions under IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and 
Methods of Submission'' below.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative 
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit 
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. 
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF-424 which is part of the formal application 
package.

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    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 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 critically 
important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange 
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program 
organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the 
J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in 
writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting 
all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor 
Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has 
experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the 
applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 
62, et seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and 
Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program 
participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to 
participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and 
security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at https://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office 
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029, 
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
    IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and 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, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.
    Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    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.

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    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. For this competition, requests should not exceed 
approximately $175,000. 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:
    Travel. International and domestic airfare; visas; transit costs; 
ground transportation costs. Please note that all air travel must be in 
compliance with the Fly America Act. There is no charge for J-1 visas 
for participants in Bureau sponsored programs.
    2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use 
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. 
Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: https://policyworks.gov/org/
main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. ECA requests applicants to 
budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy and do not exceed 
Federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed at: 
https://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/html.
    3. Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, ECA strongly encourages 
applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters. However, 
applicants may ask ECA to assign State Department interpreters. One 
interpreter is typically needed for every four participants who require 
interpretation. When an applicant proposes to use State Department 
interpreters, the following expenses should be included in the budget: 
Published Federal per diem rates (both ``lodging'' and ``M&IE'') and 
``home-program-home'' transportation in the amount of $400 per 
interpreter. Salary expenses for State Department interpreters will be 
covered by the Bureau and should not be part of an applicant's proposed 
budget. Bureau funds cannot support interpreters who accompany 
delegations from their home country or travel internationally.
    4. Book and Cultural Allowances. Foreign participants are entitled 
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book 
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for 
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program 
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these 
benefits.
    5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed 
$250 per day. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that 
would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be 
employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective 
grantee and sub-grantee should be included in the proposal. Such sub-
grants should detail the division of responsibilities and proposed 
costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.
    6. Room rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 
per day. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.
    7. Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and 
translate materials for participants. Costs for high quality 
translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the 
budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all 
program materials to ECA, and ECA support should be acknowledged on all 
materials developed with its funding.
    8. Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to purchase 
equipment, such as computers and printers; these costs should be 
justified in the budget narrative. Costs for furniture are not allowed.
    9. Working meal. Normally, no more than one working meal may be 
provided during the program. Per capita costs may not exceed $15-$25 
for lunch and $20-$35 for dinner, excluding room rental. The number of 
invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a factor of 
two-to-one. When setting up a budget, interpreters should be considered 
``participants.''
    10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. This allowance 
would cover incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during 
their participation in the U.S. program by the ECA-sponsored Accident 
and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for which the grantee must 
enroll them. Details of that policy can be provided by the contact 
officers identified in this solicitation. The premium is paid by ECA 
and should not be included in the grant proposal budget. However, 
applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. 
participants in the budget.
    12. Wire transfer fees. When necessary, applicants may include 
costs to transfer funds to partner organizations overseas. Grantees are 
urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these 
transfers by host governments.
    13. In-country travel costs for visa processing purposes. Given the 
requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported 
participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated 
with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.
    14. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. While there is no 
rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which the 
administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested ECA grant 
funds will be more competitive under the cost effectiveness and cost 
sharing criterion, per item V.1 below. Proposals should show strong 
administrative cost sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-
country partner and other sources.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: Thursday, January 25, 2008.

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    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/WHA-EAP-08-16.
    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 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 PSI of the solicitation 
document.
    IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications: Due to heightened security 
measures, proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally recognized 
overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne 
Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. The delivery services used by 
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and 
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery 
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and 
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline 
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be 
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals 
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for 
consideration under this competition. It is each applicant's 
responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible 
tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the 
Internet. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. Delivery 
of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in 
person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at 
any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package.

    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 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/WHA-EAP-08-16, 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 PSI 
of the solicitation document.
    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).
    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 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.
    IV.3h. Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. 
Embassy for its review.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public 
Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for grants 
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and should reflect the applicant's 
expertise in the subject area and region. Objectives should respond to 
the topics in this announcement and should relate to the current 
conditions in the target country/countries. A detailed agenda and 
relevant work plan should explain how objectives will be achieved and 
should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance 
of workshops, internships, seminars and/or consulting should be 
described in detail. Sample training schedules should be outlined. 
Responsibilities of proposed in-country partners should be clearly 
described. A discussion of how the applicant intends to address 
language issues should be included, if needed.
    2. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include (1) the 
institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) detailed 
information about proposed in-country partner(s) and the history of the 
partnership; (3) an outline of prior awards--U.S. government and/or 
private support received for the target theme/country/region; and (4) 
descriptions of experienced staff members who will implement the

[[Page 61944]]

program. The proposal should reflect the institution's expertise in the 
subject area and knowledge of the conditions in the target country/
countries. 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 adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals. The 
Bureau strongly encourages applicants to submit letters of support from 
proposed in-country partners.
    3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs in the proposal budget, including salaries, honoraria and 
subcontracts for services, should be kept to a minimum. Proposals whose 
administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) percent of the 
total funds requested from the Bureau will be deemed more competitive 
under this criterion. Applicants are strongly encouraged to cost share 
a portion of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost-sharing, 
including contributions from the applicant, proposed in-country 
partner(s), and other sources should be included in the budget request. 
Proposal budgets that do not reflect cost sharing will be deemed not 
competitive in this category.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities). Applicants should refer to the Bureau's 
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the PSI and the 
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines section, Item IV.3d.2, 
above for additional guidance.
    5. Post-Grant Activities: Applicants should provide a plan to 
conduct activities after the Bureau-funded project has concluded in 
order to ensure that Bureau-supported programs are not isolated events. 
Funds for all post-grant activities must be in the form of 
contributions from the applicant or sources outside of the Bureau. 
Costs for these activities must not appear in the proposal budget, but 
should be outlined in the narrative.
    6. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals should include a 
detailed plan to monitor and evaluate the program. Program objectives 
should target clearly defined results in quantitative terms. 
Competitive evaluation plans will describe how applicant organizations 
would measure these results, and proposals should include draft data 
collection instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc) in Tab E. See the 
``Program Monitoring/Evaluation'' section, item IV.3d.3 above for more 
information on the components of a competitive evaluation plan. 
Successful applicants (grantee institutions) will be expected to submit 
a report after each program component concludes or on a quarterly 
basis, whichever is less frequent. The Bureau also requires that 
grantee institutions submit a final narrative and financial report no 
more than 90 days after the expiration of a grant. Please refer to the 
``Program Management/Evaluation'' section, item IV.3d.3 above for more 
guidance.

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:
    A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the 
expiration of the award; Any interim report(s) required in the Bureau 
grant agreement document.
    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.
    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 workdays prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Raymond Harvey, 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, ECA/PE/C/WHA-EAP-08-
16, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW.,

[[Page 61945]]

Washington, DC 20547; tel.: 202-453-8163; fax: 202-453-8168; 
harveyrh@state.gov.
    For correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/WHA-EAP-08-16. 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: October 22, 2007.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-21561 Filed 10-31-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P