Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant Proposals: Future Leaders Exchange Civic Education Workshop, 63218-63222 [E7-21942]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 216 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63218-63222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21942]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5987]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Future Leaders Exchange Civic Education Workshop

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-08-03.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:
    Key Dates: Spring 2008.
    Application Deadline: January 3, 2008.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 
Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an 
open competition for the conduct of a spring 2008 Civic Education 
workshop for students participating in the academic year Future Leaders 
Exchange (FLEX) program. The goal of the workshop is to broaden the 
participants' knowledge and understanding of the democratic concepts 
that are integral to a civil society and provide them with tools they 
can take home to utilize as future leaders of their countries. Public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to develop and 
conduct a one-week workshop in Washington, DC, in Spring 2008 on 
elements of a civil society. The workshop should include approximately 
110 high school students from 11 Eurasian countries (Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, 
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan) who are attending 
school in the United States during the 2007/08 academic year. Workshop 
participants will be selected through an essay contest from among a 
group of 1,100 students who are participating in the academic year 
component of the Division's Future Leaders Exchange program. Proposals 
should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as 
well as institutional direct funding contributions.

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

    This workshop should provide an opportunity for participants to 
gain a better understanding of the democratic concepts and values that 
are an integral part of American society and culture. Concepts such as 
citizen empowerment, volunteerism, community action, and debate should 
be included in program components. The program should also enable 
participants to learn firsthand about the federal system of government, 
observe government institutions, hear about and discuss issues on the 
federal agenda, and interact with government officials. Dedicated time 
blocks should be provided for exposure to and education about the 
American electoral process, taking into account the upcoming U.S. 
presidential election. Special attention also should be paid to those 
issues that will be particularly significant to people from the 
countries of the former Soviet Union.

Responsibilities

    The recipient of the grant is responsible for developing and 
conducting the Civic Education Workshop based on the Project 
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) guidelines. The grantee 
organization will also be responsible for coordinating travel 
arrangements for each Workshop participant from his/her host community 
to Washington, D.C., and return, and for providing room and board for 
students during their time in Washington. The program should be 
arranged for seven days, including arrival and departure. The grantee 
organization will be provided with the names of the academic year 
students who will have been chosen for the Spring Workshop after 
competing in an essay contest. The essays will have been reviewed by 
independent, objective, specially-trained selectors.

Guidelines

    The Workshop should be held in late winter or early spring 2008 
during a time when Congress is in session. Proposals must effectively 
describe the organization's ability to accomplish the following 
essential components of the program:
    1. Provide a one-week Civic Education workshop in Washington, DC, 
as described above and held at the time period indicated. Program 
components should include sessions on U.S. domestic and foreign policy, 
the role of the media in a civil society, citizen empowerment, 
volunteerism and community activism, and federalism.
    2. In coordination with the Bureau's Youth Programs Division (ECA/
PE/C/PY), provide pre-program training for organization staff on the 
society and culture of participating countries.
    3. Provide housing and meals for all students throughout the 
workshop.
    4. Arrange roundtrip travel for participants from their U.S. host 
communities to Washington, DC, in coordination with FLEX placement 
organizations. (Note: Students will likely be coming from most of the 
50 states.) Provide ground transportation for Workshop students in the 
DC area, including to and from Dulles Airport.
    5. Provide opportunities to attend cultural events, and visit 
museums and monuments.
    6. Coordinate with ECA/PE/C/PY and the Office of Legislative 
Affairs (H) in making appropriate arrangements for individual meetings 
for all Workshop participants with their respective Members of Congress 
(Senators and/or Representative).
    7. Provide staff to assist in case of medical emergencies.
    8. Incorporate a Workshop program component designed to facilitate 
students' transition from the DC program back to their host 
communities. Include a description of the ways in which all students 
will be encouraged to share what they have learned, both in their U.S. 
host communities and when they return to their home countries.
    9. Provide a mechanism for evaluation of the program in terms of 
its impact on

[[Page 63219]]

the students and its success in fulfilling the objectives.
    A competitive proposal will incorporate important elements of 
American culture in sessions that are largely interactive and designed 
to appeal to high school-age students. The workshops must be 
substantive and academic while, at the same time, be paced 
realistically to meet the needs of young people.
    Significant cost sharing is important since it will enable a 
greater number of students to participate. Therefore, those proposals 
that show more generous and creative cost sharing will be deemed more 
competitive. Please refer to the Program Objectives, Goals, and 
Implementation section of the Solicitation Package for greater detail 
regarding the design of component parts as well as other program 
information.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2008.
    Approximate Total Funding: $178,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, March 2008.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 2008.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years, 
before openly competing it again.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

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

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost 
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For 
accountability, the grantee organization must maintain written records 
to support all costs which are claimed as its 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 the organization 
does 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 one 
grant, in an amount up to $178,000 to support program and 
administrative costs required to implement this program. Therefore, 
organizations with less than four years experience in conducting 
international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. 
As stated above, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum 
levels of cost-sharing and funding from private sources in support of 
its programs.
    (b.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
Application and Submission requirements described below or they will 
result in your proposal being 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

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/
PY), Room 568, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 203-7513; fax (202) 203-7529; e-
mail: BeachLF@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. The 
Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation. It also contains the POGI 
document, which provides specific information, award criteria and 
budget instructions tailored to this competition. Please refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-08-03) 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.
    Please specify ECA Program Officer Diana Aronson and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number 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 
IV.3f., ``Application Deadline and Methods of Submission'' section, 
below.
    IV.3a. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission: Applicants 
are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from 
the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, 
which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is 
easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that 
your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF--424 
which is part of the formal application package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget. Please refer to the Solicitation Package. It 
contains the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document 
and the POGI 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:

[[Page 63220]]

    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. 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):
    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.

    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.)
    The grantee organization will be required to provide reports 
analyzing its evaluation findings to the Bureau in its 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: Applicants must submit a comprehensive 
budget for the entire program. The award may not exceed $178,000. There 
must be a summary budget, as well as breakdowns

[[Page 63221]]

reflecting both administrative and program budgets.
    Organizations must bid on arranging a program for a minimum of 110 
students but may increase the number of participants through cost 
sharing the additional expenses incurred. Proposals that maximize the 
number of students will be favorably viewed. One grant will be awarded 
for this activity.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further details, 
including a list of allowable costs for the program, complete budget 
guidelines, and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission: Application 
Deadline Date: Thursday, January 3, 2008. Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/
PY-08-03. Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one 
of two ways:
    (1.) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    (2.) Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 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 seven 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/PY-08-03, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic Applications:
    Applicants have the option of submitting proposals electronically 
through Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 
packages are available at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the 
system. Please follow the instructions available in the `Get Started' 
portion of the site (https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    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.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public 
Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the 
Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission, as well as the objectives of the FLEX program. Program design 
must reflect an understanding of young people and of cultural traits 
that would be specific to this population.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda 
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact/follow on: Proposed programs should 
describe the impact that workshop participants will have on others, 
both in their U.S. host communities and in their respective Eurasian 
country after they return home. There should be a plan for providing 
students with tools they can take back to their Eurasian home countries 
to implement concepts and ideas they have gained from the workshop. 
Proposals also should explain how

[[Page 63222]]

participants will be prepared to transition back to their host 
communities.
    5. 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 (program venue 
and program evaluation) and program content (topics of program sessions 
and meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    7. Institution's 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 Grant 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    8. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity'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 
project objectives are recommended. The successful applicant will be 
expected to submit a final report.
    9. 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.

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 and 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 a 
final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the 
expiration of the award.
    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: Diana S. Aronson, 
Office of Citizen Exchanges/Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 
568, ECA/PE/C/PY-08-03, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone (202) 203-7501, Fax (202) 
203-7529, e-mail AronsonDS@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-08-03.
    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: October 29, 2007.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-21942 Filed 11-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P