Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), 17749-17755 [E9-8677]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 72 (Thursday, April 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17749-17755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8677]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6579]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

    Request for Grant Proposals: Visual Arts Initiative Program.
    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreements.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50.
    Key Dates:
     Application Deadline: May 19, 2009.
     Executive Summary: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
(ECA) of the U.S. Department of State seeks an organization to assist 
the Cultural Programs Division of the Office of Citizen Exchanges in 
all logistical and administrative aspects related to its support of 
U.S. Embassy sponsored visual arts programs. The visual arts programs 
to be supported are intended to foster good will, engage foreign 
audiences, and provide insight into American culture and values. The 
Visual Arts Initiative (VAI) program will provide funding on a 
competitive basis for posts to showcase American talent overseas. Over 
a period of two years, grantee will be responsible for one-way 
exchanges in the visual arts, providing support to ECA to include 
cyclical solicitation and review of proposals received from U.S. 
Missions abroad using ECA-established criteria; packaging and 
submitting proposals to ECA for final decision; extending financial 
support to selected U.S. partners, and; to reporting on program 
results. The Bureau anticipates that approximately $500,000 will be 
available to support this program.
    The Bureau is interested in receiving proposals from organizations 
with a strong background/thematic expertise in the visual arts, 
institutional commitment to cultural diplomacy and the role of the 
United States in the arts, and a successful track-record in conducting 
international programs in the arts. Organizations that have the 
expertise, interest, and institutional commitment but lack the required 
experience of conducting exchanges may wish to consider developing 
proposals based on consortia type relationships with more experienced, 
eligible organizations. Please note that for these proposals, the role 
of each organization must be clearly defined and any sub-granting 
agreements must be included in the proposal submission.

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

Goals and Objectives
    This competition is based on the premise that the arts provide an 
ideal vehicle for communication between people in the United States and 
other countries and is well-suited to highlight American innovation, 
creativity, and democratic values. Cultural exchanges strengthen 
discourse, nurture the social growth of societies, help counter 
negative stereotypes and demonstrate U.S. commitment to the arts and to 
artistic and educational projects of high quality. Under this premise, 
the Bureau and Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Missions abroad look for 
opportunities to support selected exhibitions or other projects that 
showcase the work of U.S. artists abroad and that can be the basis for 
outreach beyond exhibition halls and into the community. The Bureau 
therefore offers this new funding opportunity for an organization that 
will help facilitate this type of cultural diplomacy abroad.
Desired Grantee Qualifications
    Applicants should have extensive expertise in the visual arts and 
in the organization of international programs. Proposals must therefore 
describe this expertise and reflect a practical understanding of global 
issues, and demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, political, economic, 
and social differences. Special attention should be given to describing 
the applicant organization's experience with planning and implementing 
international cultural exchange projects. Applicants should outline 
their project team's capacity for successfully implementing projects of 
this nature, provide a detailed sample program and timeline to 
illustrate planning capacity and ability to achieve overall objectives. 
Applicants must identify all U.S. and foreign partner organizations 
and/or venues with whom they are proposing to collaborate, and describe 
previous cooperative projects in the section on ``Institutional 
Capacity.'' For this competition, applicants must include in their 
proposal supporting materials or documentation that demonstrates a 
minimum of five years experience in conducting international arts 
programs and four years experience in conducting exchange programs with 
the U.S. Government. Proposals must include references with name and 
contact information for other assistance awards the applicant has 
received in the event the Bureau chooses to be in touch directly.

[[Page 17750]]

    Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve 
the following:
    (1) Work jointly with foreign and U.S. partners, including Public 
Affairs Sections of U.S. Missions, and/or contacts to design, develop, 
and execute a program that achieves the goals described in this 
solicitation.
    (2) Design, build, and implement a program across a three year 
continuum.
    (3) Provide a sound infrastructure for coordination and 
implementation of the entire program. This refers to both substantive 
and administrative components of the program, including but not limited 
to: Receipt, review and recommendations of VAI proposals for possible 
ECA support; arrangement of international and domestic travel for U.S. 
artists/approved participants; briefing and orientation of artists 
prior to departure; visa and passport applications; vaccines and other 
pre-departure procedures; transfer of funds for honoraria; shipping and 
insuring of art and other costs allowed by ECA under the approved 
proposal.
    (4) Successful applicants will also have U.S. partners able and 
willing to provide cost-sharing (including in-kind) in order to help 
cover program costs.
Desired Program Design
    Each year of the grant, ECA will solicit proposals for visual arts 
projects from Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of U.S. Missions in 
countries across the globe. The solicitation will be for proposals in a 
determined/set number of cycles with specific deadlines. The grantee, 
in turn, will receive these proposals from PAS and review them for 
accuracy and completion. It will communicate with PAS when additional 
information or clarification is necessary to obtain a complete and 
comprehensive proposal. The grantee will review and assess proposals 
following other criteria to be determined by ECA. Shortly following the 
cycle deadline, the grantee will present the full package of completed 
proposals in priority order with recommendations and comments that 
correspond to criteria set by ECA. The Bureau will make final decisions 
regarding approval of projects and communicate these to the grantee and 
to the Public Affairs Section (PAS) located at U.S. Missions abroad. 
PAS and/or ECA will communicate final decisions to selected U.S. 
artists. The grantee will subsequently proceed to disburse approved 
funds to the U.S. artist or his/her designated representative. As 
applicable, the grantee will make all travel arrangements for the U.S. 
artist, curator or other approved participant selected by the Bureau to 
participate in the overseas program. Funds are expected to cover such 
costs as international travel, honoraria and/or expenses for shipment 
of art, including insurance. Final determination of funding amounts 
will be made by ECA as part of its approval of projects. Occasionally, 
proposals will be received from PAS outside of the cycle deadlines and 
the grantee may be asked to make a review and recommendation in these 
instances. The grantee will be expected to put together a final report 
within a month of the project completion that will include but not be 
limited to media coverage, reports from PAS, photos or other visuals, 
reports from the selected artist or other approved participant, and 
final costs.
Responsibilities
    In the cooperative agreement, ECA is substantially involved in 
program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. ECA 
responsibilities for this program are as follows:
    [dec221] Each year of the grant ECA will make a worldwide 
solicitation of nominations for visual arts projects from U.S. Missions 
abroad (Public Affairs Sections).
    [dec221] PAS will be one channel for nominations of proposals. 
Grantee may also propose visual arts projects for consideration by PAS. 
However, all nominations for consideration under this program must be 
submitted by PAS to the grantee with a copy to ECA.
    [dec221] ECA will review all the nominations as presented by the 
grantee and make the final selection of projects for award. ECA will 
also make the final determination regarding funding amount for each 
proposal approved.
    [dec221] ECA will notify PAS and, as appropriate, the U.S. artist/
approved participant.
    Grantee responsibilities for this program are as follows:
     Design nomination form and draft solicitation message for 
final approval by ECA.
     Develop a budget that will incrementally allocate the 
total funding over the life-cycle of the entire project.
     Accept, review and analyze incoming proposals using 
criteria set by ECA at the initiation of the program. Criteria may 
include, but is not limited to elements such as artistic quality/
excellence of U.S. artist and art; appropriateness of venue, and; 
opportunities for local outreach. Grantee will need to rely on its 
expertise in the visual arts in order to provide the necessary analysis 
addressing matters related to quality of art to be displayed, 
suitability of U.S. artist selected to represent the U.S., suitability 
of foreign venue.
     Cyclically present to ECA a package of all received 
proposals in priority order with recommendations based on expert 
analysis of all criteria set by ECA.
     For each cycle, the grantee will also provide 
recommendations for funding of each proposal, and produce a report of 
past expenditures to include an itemized listing of actual costs 
compared to budgeted amounts and a detailed plan for the use of any 
funds not expended and carried over. Grantee will need to rely on its 
expertise in arts exchanges in order to provide ECA with an appropriate 
recommendation of suitability of costs for project.
     Once final decisions on proposals have been communicated 
to PAS by ECA and artists or curators informed by ECA or PAS, begin to 
process administrative aspects of program, including but not limited to 
disbursement of moneys to U.S. artists or other envoys, travel 
arrangements, visa and passport, immunizations, payments and other 
applicable logistical elements determined by ECA to be necessary in 
order to support PAS' project.
     Arrange and provide orientation sessions and pre-travel 
briefings and produce press materials for U.S. artists/envoys. 
Orientation sessions should address issues of cultural sensitivity for 
country/ies to be visited by U.S. artist/approved participant/curator.
     Liaise with post and U.S. artist/approved participant/
curator as necessary in order to support logistical aspects of the VAI 
project.
     Within one month from project completion, report on VAI 
project activities compiling PAS and U.S. artist/envoy reports, media 
coverage and an evaluation of the project.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2009.
    Approximate Total Funding: $500,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Approximate Average Award: $500,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2009.
    Anticipated Project Completion Dates: December 30, 2011.
    Additional Information:

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit

[[Page 17751]]

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 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

    (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 making one award 
of approximately $500,000 to support program and administrative costs 
required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations 
with less than four years experience in conducting international 
exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.
    (b.) Proposals must demonstrate that an applicant has an 
established resource base of programming contacts and the ability to 
keep this resource base continuously updated. This resource base should 
include but is not limited to thematically related institutions (e.g., 
visual arts organizations), speakers, thematic specialists, and 
practitioners in a wide range of professional fields in both private 
and public sectors.
    (c.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the list 
of requirements below or they will result in your proposal being 
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in 
the review process:
--For this competition, all eligible organizations must demonstrate a 
minimum of five years' experience successfully conducting international 
arts exchange programs that involved the exchange of participants, as 
well as at least four years' experience successfully conducting 
international programs with the U.S. Government.
--Key U.S. partner institutions and their roles in the project must be 
identified and letters of support provided in the proposal.

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 Cultural Programs Division of the Office of 
Citizens' Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
ECA/PE/P/CU, Room 569, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20547, 202-453-8175, 202-203-7525, 
BrooksMM@state.gov, to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50 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.
    Please specify Alan Cross and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50 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/grants/open2.html, 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.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for 
ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the 
names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, 
trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In 
fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one 
of the following ways:
    (1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, ``Return of 
Organization Exempt From Income Tax,'' must include a copy of relevant 
portions of this form.
    (2) Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information 
above in the format of their choice.
    In addition to final program reporting requirements, award 
recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived 
from their program reports, listing and describing their grant 
activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior 
executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as 
the one-page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by 
the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by 
the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and 
will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and 
Budget on its USASpending.gov Web site as part of ECA's FFATA reporting 
requirements.
    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

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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 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects 
that any organization receiving an award 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 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 recipient organization 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.
    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

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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. Describe your plans for: Sustainability, overall program 
management, staffing, coordination with ECA and PAS.
    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. 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) Design and implementation of VAI program (including, as 
appropriate, staff, administrative expenses, supplies, equipment, 
production costs for filmmaking project, orientation and de-briefing 
costs, etc.);
    (2) International and domestic travel for U.S. artists/envoys and 
other costs associated (visas, passports, immunization);
    (3) As allowed, costs associated with transportation of art to 
foreign venue, including insurance;
    (4) Costs related to collecting and compiling material for final 
reports to ECA.
    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 19, 2009.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50.
    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., Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal 
Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    2. Electronically through https://www.grants.gov.

    Please Note: ECA strongly encourages organizations interested in 
applying for this competition to submit printed, hard copy 
applications as outlined in section IV.3f.1., below rather than 
submitting electronically through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 
being made as a result of the anticipated high volume of grant 
proposals that will be submitted via the Grants.gov webportal as 
part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. As stated in this RFGPs, 
ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from 
transmission or conversion processes for proposals submitted via 
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 nine (9) 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/CU-09-50, 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 Note: ECA strongly encourages organizations interested in 
applying for this competition to submit printed, hard copy 
applications as outlined in section IV.3f.1. above, rather than 
submitting electronically through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 
being made as a result of the anticipated high volume of grant 
proposals that will be submitted via the Grants.gov webportal as 
part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. As stated in these RFGPs, 
ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from 
transmission or conversion processes for proposals submitted via 
Grants.gov.

    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

[[Page 17754]]

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: grants.gov">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 resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
    Optional--IV.3f.3. You may also state here any limitations on the 
number of applications that an applicant may submit and make it clear 
whether the limitation is on the submitting organization, individual 
program director or both.
    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 
cooperative agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    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, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    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/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.1b. The following additional requirements apply to this project:
    A critical component of current U.S. government Iran policy is the 
support for indigenous Iranian voices. The State Department has made 
the awarding of grants for this purpose a key component of its Iran 
policy. As a condition of licensing these activities, the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has requested the Department of State to 
follow certain procedures to effectuate the goals of Sections 481(b), 
531(a), 571, 582, and 635(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as 
amended); 18 U.S.C. 2339A and 2339B; Executive Order 13224; and 
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 6. These licensing conditions 
mandate that the Department conduct a vetting of potential Iran 
grantees and sub-grantees for counter-terrorism purposes. To conduct 
this vetting the Department will collect information from grantees and 
sub-grantees regarding the identity and background of their key 
employees and Boards of Directors.

    Note: To assure that planning for the inclusion of Iran complies 
with requirements, please contact (Cultural Programs Division--Jill 
Staggs at StaggsJ@state.gov) for additional information.

    All awards made under this competition must be executed according 
to all relevant U.S. laws and policies regarding assistance to the 
Palestinian Authority, and to the West Bank and Gaza. Organizations 
must consult with relevant Public Affairs Offices before entering into 
any formal arrangements or agreements with Palestinian organizations or 
institutions.


[[Page 17755]]


    Note: To assure that planning for the inclusion of the 
Palestinian Authority complies with requirements, please contact 
Cultural Programs Division, Jill Staggs, StaggsJ@state.gov for 
additional information.

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 nine (9) 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 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 Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Alan Cross, 
Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 568, ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, 202-203-7497, 202-205-7525, CrossA@state.gov.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/CU-09-50.
    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: April 8, 2009.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
 [FR Doc. E9-8677 Filed 4-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P