Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Programs Academic Year Disability Components, 75787-75793 [E8-29366]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 240 (Friday, December 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75787-75793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-29366]


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

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6449]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Youth Programs Academic Year Disability Components

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-09-05.

[[Page 75788]]

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates: June 2009-August 2010.
    Application Deadline: February 6, 2009.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for the management of the Disability Components for 
two Academic Year programs. This includes conducting a five-day summer 
Preparatory Workshop and a two-day spring Leadership and Reentry 
Workshop for Students with Disabilities from Eurasia participating in 
the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program and from countries with 
significant Muslim populations participating in the Youth Exchange and 
Study (YES) Program, as well as providing support services to these 
students throughout the year by assisting grantee placement 
organizations and maintaining regular communication with each student, 
as needed. Approximately 30 high school-aged students will participate 
in the Disability Component Program.

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: It is Bureau policy that recruitment of people with 
disabilities at every level should be a priority in all sponsored 
programming. It is ECA's goal to provide each student with a disability 
participating in the FLEX or YES Program with an integrated three-phase 
program designed to enhance their experience in the United States. This 
will include providing a Preparatory Workshop upon the students' 
arrival in the U.S. and developing an action plan with each student for 
the coming year. The grantee organization will then continue to support 
each of these students and work with their placement organizations to 
assist the students in taking advantage of local opportunities for 
people with disabilities. Finally, the process will include 
implementing the Leadership and Reentry Workshop to assist the students 
in discussing their year's experience and preparing for their return 
home as individuals with disabilities.
    Background: The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Youth Exchange 
and Study (YES) programs bring secondary school students from Eurasia 
and countries with significant Muslim populations to the United States 
for an academic year. During their time in the United States, these 
students live with American host families and attend U.S. high schools. 
Since 1995, the FLEX program has included a component for students with 
disabilities. In Eurasia, young people with disabilities may be treated 
differently than they are in the United States. These young people with 
disabilities may be more sheltered from mainstream society or attend 
special schools or institutions. Students may not be familiar with the 
technology, tools, and services available for people with disabilities 
in the United States, and may need extra assistance in learning to use 
the resources available. A similar situation exists in the countries 
from which the YES students come, with obstacles for full inclusion in 
society compared to people without disabilities. Therefore, the 
Disabilities Components program was expanded in 2006 to include YES 
students.
    The program should be designed to support the following specific 
activities/components:

1. Preparatory Workshop for Students With Disabilities

    Generally, FLEX and YES participants with disabilities adjust well 
to American life and culture and realize the same positive effects as 
non-disabled participants. The grantee organization will assess the 
students' abilities and special needs and provide information to 
placement organizations (POs) on accommodations that each student may 
require, as well as assist each PO in identifying resources to support 
the student in the host community. The Preparatory Workshop will also 
introduce and guide students' expectations and skills for the U.S. 
academic year as individuals with disabilities. The grantee 
organization will focus on identifying local activities and resources 
to prepare each student to incorporate disability-related themes into 
their FLEX or YES program objectives of participation in community 
service and enhancement activities designed to involve them in civic 
education, democracy building, and mutual understanding.
    2. Ongoing Support and Academic Year Programming: Placement 
organizations have varying levels of experience working with students 
with disabilities and often lack resources and counseling expertise. 
Providing such support services during the year will undoubtedly offer 
students with disabilities access to opportunities that they may not be 
aware of as well as enhance their experiences in their American host 
communities. However, in addition to providing for the physical and 
emotional support of students with disabilities, POs also need guidance 
in identifying appropriate disability-related local community service 
and enhancement opportunities to provide for the programmatic aspects 
of the students' FLEX or YES experience. Your organization's expertise 
and knowledge of resources around the country will provide valuable 
assistance to POs in planning meaningful activities that can enhance 
and enrich the students' experiences while in the United States, and 
they will be well-prepared to use their new knowledge and skills in 
their home countries.
    3. Leadership and Reentry Workshop for Students With Disabilities: 
After having enjoyed the accessibility and other disability support 
that exists in the U.S., FLEX and YES students with disabilities are 
often not well prepared to return to the less disability-friendly 
environments of their home countries. It is important to adequately 
prepare program participants with disabilities for the reverse culture 
shock that may occur when they return home. Therefore, this workshop 
should focus solely on the readjustment of each student as a person 
with a disability, as the students will also be attending other reentry 
workshops conducted for all FLEX and YES students by their respective 
placement organizations at the end of the program year. These other 
workshops will provide more general training for readjustment to the 
students' home cultures. Additional goals of the Leadership and Reentry 
workshop are to conduct activities to further develop leadership 
skills, team building, and empowerment skills to assist students in 
returning to their home countries.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2009.
    Approximate Total Funding: Up to $220,000, pending availability of 
funds.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One.

[[Page 75789]]

    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, April 2009.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 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 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, 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.
    III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 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 making one award, in an amount up to $220,000 
to support program and administrative costs required to implement this 
exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years 
experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to 
apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to 
provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its 
programs.

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 Amy Schulz in the Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 
Number 220, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 453-8158, fax (202) 453-8169, or e-
mail SchulzAJ@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package.
    Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top 
of this announcement when making your request. Alternatively, an 
electronic application package may be obtained from grants.gov. Please 
see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. It also 
contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) 
document, which provides specific information, award criteria and 
budget instructions tailored to this competition.
    Please specify Bureau Program Officer Amy Schulz and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-09-05) 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 and the Project 
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application.

    Please note: Effective March 14, 2008, all applicants for ECA 
federal assistance awards must include with their application, a 
copy of page 5, Part V-A, ``Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, 
and Key Employees'' of their most recent Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS) Form 990, ``Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.'' 
If an applicant does not file an IRS Form 990, but instead files 
Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ)--``Organization Exempt Under Section 
501(c)(3),'' applicants must include with their application a copy 
of Page 1, Part 1, ``Compensation of the Five Highest Paid Employees 
Other Than Officers, Directors and Trustees,'' of their most recent 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form--Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-
EZ).
    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 
awards (either a grant or cooperative agreement) under this RFGP will 
be third parties ``cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the 
conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The actions of recipient 
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 an award under

[[Page 75790]]

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 recipient 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 timeframe), 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.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.

    Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate 
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-
term outcomes.
    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will 
be judged on how well it (1) Specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives 
clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) 
identifies when particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) 
provides a clear description of the data collection strategies for 
each outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please 
note that evaluation plans that deal only with the first level of 
outcomes [satisfaction] will be deemed less competitive under the 
present evaluation criteria.)
    Recipient organizations will be required to provide reports 
analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular 
program reports. All data collected, including survey responses and 
contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years 
and provided to the Bureau upon request.

    IV.3d.4. For informational and planning purposes, we are informing 
all potential applicants that ECA is in the process of developing 
comprehensive approaches to alumni programming, Web portal development 
supported through ECA assistance awards (grants/cooperative agreements) 
and the expansion of private/public partnerships to increase the reach 
of ECA's exchange programs. In the event your proposal is recommended 
for funding, you may receive additional guidance/information related to 
these

[[Page 75791]]

topics during the negotiation stage of the approval process.
    In addition, all recipients of ECA grants or cooperative agreements 
should be prepared to state in any announcement or publicity where it 
is not inappropriate, that activities are assisted financially by the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States 
Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 
1961, as amended. Award recipients are strongly encouraged to use the 
Department seal on all promotional and related materials for ECA funded 
programs which support the commemoration of special occasions or 
events, but only after first obtaining written permission from the ECA 
program office(r) assigned to the project.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Budget requests may not exceed $220,000. There must be 
a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative 
and program budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for 
each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide 
clarification.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Round-trip transportation for participants from their host 
communities to/from the Leadership and Reentry workshop site.
    (2) Daily travel at workshop site location as necessary.
    (3) Accommodations and meals for participants during the time of 
the workshop.
    (4) Rental of facilities and equipment.
    (5) Fees for relevant excursions and cultural activities.
    (6) Honoraria for speakers/trainers, as appropriate.
    (7) Necessary reasonable accommodations.
    (8) Materials development.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: Friday, February 6, 2009.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-09-05.
    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 
Program 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 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-09-05, 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. In 
addition, validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can 
take up to two business days.
    Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the 
application deadline to begin the submission process through 
Grants.gov.
    The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all 
phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive 
section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For 
Applicants'' section of the Web site. ECA strongly recommends that all 
potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in 
advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA 
bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or 
conversion processes.
    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.
    Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various 
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission 
receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a 
validation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an 
application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via 
Grants.gov can take up to two business days. Therefore, we strongly 
recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the 
submission process through Grants.gov. 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

[[Page 75792]]

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 grants 
assistance 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: 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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, and resource 
materials).
    4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    5. 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 awards (grants or cooperative agreements) 
as determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider the past 
performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new 
applicants.
    6. 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 is recommended.
    7. Cost-effectiveness and 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.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 a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with 
subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding 
authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The 
FAA 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://
fa.statebuy.state.gov.
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original plus two copies of the following reports:
    (1.) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days 
after the expiration of the award;
    (2.) A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program 
outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award. This 
one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to 
the public via OMB's USAspending.gov Web site--as part of ECA's Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting 
requirements.
    (3.) A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports.
    Award recipients 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.

VII. Agency Contact

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Amy Schulz, Program 
Officer, Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 220, Reference 
Number ECA/PE/C/PY-09-05, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 453-8158 and fax (202) 
453-8169, E-mail: SchulzAJ@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-09-05.
    Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries

[[Page 75793]]

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: December 2, 2008.
Goli Ameri,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E8-29366 Filed 12-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P