Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Ngwang Choepel Fellows Program, 12244-12250 [E8-4413]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 45 (Thursday, March 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12244-12250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4413]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6116]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Ngwang Choepel Fellows Program

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/WHA/EAP-08-53.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates:
     Application Deadline: May 9, 2008.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes 
proposals in an open competition for the Ngwang Choepel Fellows program 
that focus on the themes of Cultural Preservation and Economic Self-
sufficiency. The Office seeks proposals that train and assist Tibetans 
living in Tibetan communities in China by providing professional 
experience and exposure to American society and culture through 
internships, workshops and other learning activities hosted by U.S. 
institutions. The experiences will also provide Americans the 
opportunity to learn about Tibetan culture and the social and economic 
challenges that Tibetans face today. Applicants may propose programming 
for Tibetans who travel to the United States and/or for Americans who 
travel to Tibet.
    Programs designed for participants from Tibet should not be simply 
academic in nature, but should provide practical, hands-on experience 
in U.S. public or private sector settings that may be adapted to an 
individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may combine 
elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and internships 
appropriate to the language ability and interests of the participants. 
Americans who travel to Tibet will be expected to participate in 
activities that further the goals and objectives of the Tibet Policy 
Act of 2002, as described below.
    Applicants should ensure that their proposals comply with the Tibet 
Policy Act of 2002, particularly that their projects promote in all 
stages the active participation of Tibetans. Section 616(d) of the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 2003 (Pub. L. 107-228) defines the 
Tibet Project Principles:
    (d) Tibet Project Principles--Projects in Tibet supported by 
international financial institutions, other international 
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the United States 
entities referred to in subsection (c), should (1) Be implemented only 
after conducting a thorough assessment of the needs of the

[[Page 12245]]

Tibetan people through field visits and interviews; (2) Be preceded by 
cultural and environmental impact assessments; (3) Foster self-
sufficiency and self-reliance of Tibetans; (4) Promote accountability 
of the development agencies to the Tibetan people and active 
participation of Tibetans in all project stages; (5) Respect Tibetan 
culture, traditions, and the Tibetan knowledge and wisdom about their 
landscape and survival techniques; (6) Be subject to on-site monitoring 
by the development agencies to ensure that the intended target group 
benefits; (7) Be implemented by development agencies prepared to use 
Tibetan as the working language of the projects; (8) Neither provide 
incentive for, nor facilitate the migration and settlement of, non-
Tibetans into Tibet; and (9) Neither provide incentive for, nor 
facilitate the transfer of ownership of, Tibetan land or natural 
resources to non-Tibetans.

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

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that focus on 
the themes of Cultural Preservation and Economic Self-sufficiency under 
this competition for FY-2008 Ngwang Choepel Fellows program.

Cultural Preservation

    Projects under this theme should aim to assist Tibetans in 
preserving their cultural heritage through activities designed to 
reduce the pillage of irreplaceable cultural artifacts, and to create 
opportunities that develop long-term strategies for preserving cultural 
property through training and conservation, museum development, and 
education. Projects might include the preservation of cultural sites; 
objects in a site, museum or similar institution; or forms of 
traditional cultural expression. The proposals may encompass topics 
such as museum needs, historic buildings, collections, archaeological 
sites, rare manuscripts, language, or traditional arts, crafts, or 
music.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

Vocational Education

    The Bureau seeks proposals that emphasize vocational training or 
the administration and development of vocational schools targeted 
towards the practical needs of Tibetan communities. Discussion of how 
to integrate education with economic planning, how to diversify revenue 
sources, and how to recruit, train and retain strong faculty would all 
contribute towards increased emphasis on vocational education and its 
importance to both Americans and Tibetans in a modern and changing 
economy. Vocational education may include practical training of 
entrepreneurs, development of Tibetan-language educational materials 
(such as Tibetan-English teaching guides or Tibetan-language public 
health education materials), or the development of distance learning 
technology for remote rural schools. English-language training projects 
that are held in China are preferred over ones that would bring 
Tibetans to the United States for training.

Developing Entrepreneurship

    Projects under this theme should focus on the skills that Tibetans, 
many of whom come from rural backgrounds with rudimentary economies, 
need to function effectively in a modern economy (e.g. finance, 
accounting, and language skills). Projects should explore how the 
government and the private sector can help promote sustainable 
entrepreneurship, including access to credit, ecologically-conscious 
tourism policies and investment, or English language training for trade 
or tourism purposes. Programs that train aspiring entrepreneurs and 
develop micro-finance programs for them are welcome.

Sustainable Growth and Ecotourism

    Exchanges funded under this theme should help American and Tibetan 
conservationists, tourism planners, and economic planners share their 
experience in managing tourism resources and development projects, 
particularly in ecologically fragile areas, and should contribute to 
increased understanding of conservation and concepts essential to 
responsible economic growth. Local community projects are invited in 
fields such as ecotourism, renewable energy, or poverty alleviation 
projects, including farm technology, animal husbandry, or agricultural 
marketing.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Award.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2008.
    Approximate Total Funding: $650,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 4.
    Approximate Average Award: $162,250.
    Floor of Award Range: $60,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $162,250.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2008.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2010.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew grants that are awarded under this competition 
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, you must maintain written records to support all costs 
which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by 
the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis 
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost 
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum 
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's 
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

[[Page 12246]]

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

    (a) Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four 
years of experience in conducting international 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 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 224, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone number 202-453-8164 and fax number 202-453-8169, 
WrightHC@state.gov to request. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/WHA/EAP-08-53 located at the top of this announcement 
when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify Clint Wright and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/WHA/EAP-08-53 located at the top of this announcement 
on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site at 
https://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or from the 
Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all 
instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be 
submitted per the instructions under IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and 
Methods of Submission'' section below.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative 
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit 
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. 
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access https://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF-424 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 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 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, recordkeeping, 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.,

[[Page 12247]]

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 proposals 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
    (3) understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive 
(subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    (4) Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater
    (5) Participation and responsibility in civic organizations; 
interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; 
continued
    (6) Contacts between participants, community members, and others.
    (7) 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. The budget request may not exceed $162,250. 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 costs: International and domestic airfares; 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. Please note 
that Tibetan participants may not travel to the United States primarily 
for English language instruction.
    Per Diem: For the U.S. program, organizations must use the 
published U.S. Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. 
For activities outside the United States, the published Federal per 
diem rates for foreign city must also be used. Note: U.S. escorting 
staff must use the published Federal per diem rates. Per diem rates may 
be accessed at https://www.state.gov/www/services.html.
    Interpreters: If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are 
available through the U.S. Department of State Language Services 
Division. Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided 
for every four visitors who need interpretation. Bureau grants do not 
pay for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home 
country. Grant proposal budgets should contain per diem published U.S. 
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities for each 
Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home air 
transportation of $800 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel expenses 
during the program. Salary expenses are

[[Page 12248]]

covered by the Bureau and should not be part of an applicant's proposed 
budget. Locally arranged interpreters with adequate skills and 
experience may be used by the grantee in lieu of State Department 
interpreters, with the same 1:4 interpreter to participant ratio. Costs 
associated with using their services may not exceed rates for State 
Department interpreters.
    Book and Cultural Allowance: Foreign participants are entitled to 
and escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per 
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. program staff 
members are not eligible to receive these benefits.
    Consultants: Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise, design or manage development projects or to make 
presentations. Honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per day. Grantee 
organizations may also be used, in which case the written agreement 
between the prospective grantee and sub-grantee should be included in 
the proposal. Sub-grants should be itemized in the budget.
    Room Rental: Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.
    Materials development: Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop, and translate materials for participants.
    Equipment: Proposals may contain limited costs to purchase 
equipment crucial to the success of the program, such as computers, fax 
machines and copy machines. However, equipment costs must be kept to a 
minimum, and costs for furniture are not allowed.
    Working Meal: The grant budget may provide for only one working 
meal during the program.
    Return travel allowance: A return travel allowance of $70 for each 
foreign participant may be included in the budget. This may be used for 
incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    Health Insurance: Foreign participants will be covered under the 
terms of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored health insurance policy. 
The premium is paid by the U.S. Department of State directly to the 
insurance company. Applicants are permitted to included costs for 
travel insurance for U.S. participants in the budget.
    Administrative Costs: Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct or indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the proposal submission instructions.
    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 9, 2008.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/WHA/EAP-08-53.
    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 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-08-53, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, 
Room 534. 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

(Include following language re: disk submission only if proposals will 
be forwarded to embassies. If post input is not necessary, delete 
language.)

    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the 
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the 
proposal in text (.txt) or Microsoft Word 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 (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, 7a.m.-9p.m. Eastern Time
    E-mail: support@grants.gov
    Applicants have until midnight (12:00 a.m.), Washington, DC time of 
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been 
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. 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.

[[Page 12249]]

    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. 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 priority 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.
    (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 
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. 
Priority will be given to proposals whose administrative costs are less 
than thirty (30) per cent of the total funds requested from the Bureau. 
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 Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) and the Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines 
section 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 should not appear in the proposal budget, 
but should be outlined in the narrative.
    (6) Evaluation: Proposals should include a detailed plan to 
evaluate the program. Applicants must identify objectives that respond 
to our goals listed in the RFGP. Objectives should state what the 
concrete results of the program would be. Clearly stated objectives are 
needed to enable an evaluation plan to determine whether the program 
has done what it has set out to do. Applicant's staff must plan to 
evaluate the project's success, after each program phase and at the 
completion of the program activity. As part of the evaluation process, 
your evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs 
and outcomes. Outputs are the units of service (number of participants, 
number of events conducted, number of documents translated or 
distributed). Outcomes are the impacts on individual participants in 
the exchanges, the larger beneficiary audience, and institutional 
structures. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, 
but the focus should be on outcomes. The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the stronger will be the 
evaluation. The Bureau also requires that grantee institutions submit a 
final narrative and financial report.

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

[[Page 12250]]

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:
    1. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    2. A quarterly program report should evaluate the project's success 
for that quarter's activities and a financial report that describes the 
pace of spending in support of overall program objectives.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) 
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and 
provided to the Bureau upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.

VI.4. Optional 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. At a minimum, the data must include the following:
    (1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all 
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant or 
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Clint Wright, 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 224, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone 
number 202-453-8164 and fax number 202-453-8169, WrightHC@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/WHA/EAP-08-53.
    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 26, 2008.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
 [FR Doc. E8-4413 Filed 3-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P