Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: U.S.-Russia Language, Technology, Math, and Science Program, 18793-18798 [E9-9350]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6591]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: U.S.-Russia Language,
Technology, Math, and Science
Program
Announcement Type: New
Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
A/S/X–09–04.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: Application
Deadline, June 8, 2009
Executive Summary: The Teacher
Exchange Branch in the Office of Global
Educational Programs of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA),
U.S. Department of State, announces an
open competition for a Cooperative
Agreement in the amount of
approximately $300,000 to support the
FY 2009 U.S.-Russia Language,
Technology, Math, and Science
Program. This program will provide a
four-week professional development
program in the U.S. for secondary
school teachers from Russia, followed
by a two-week program in Russia for
U.S. teachers and the Russian educators,
and a workshop in Russia led by the
Russian teachers for Russian colleagues.
U.S. organizations meeting the
provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 501(c)(3) are
eligible to apply.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
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 FulbrightHays 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 U.S.-Russia Language,
Technology, Math, and Science Program
will bring outstanding secondary school
teachers from Russia to the United
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
States to augment their subject area
teaching skills and knowledge of the
U.S., as well as provide an opportunity
for U.S. teachers to participate in a
professional development program in
Russia. The overall goals of the program
are: (1) To enable Russian and U.S.
teachers to learn from their
counterparts’ education system and to
improve classroom teaching in both
countries through the exchange of ideas
and expertise; (2) to develop the
leadership skills of Russian and U.S.
teachers through seminars and
workshops in the United States and
Russia; (3) to give additional visibility to
the teaching profession in Russia and to
create among key Russian teaching
professionals a deeper understanding of
the U.S., so that they may share their
experiences of living in the United
States with students and teachers in
their home communities in Russia.
Applicant organizations should seek
to maximize the number of participants
through a cost-effective approach to
program administration. The ratio of
Russian to U.S. participants should be
approximately 3:1.
Proposals should outline six distinct
program components:
A. Program publicity, recruitment,
and selection of teachers in Russia with
the support of a local office or on-theground partner organization. The
Department anticipates that recruitment
will focus on a single Russian region in
consultation with the Public Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassy in Russia,
and that the region will be one in which
teachers have had little or no previous
involvement with exchange
opportunities. Therefore, proposals
should explain how an organization’s
local office or partner organization will
have the flexibility to undertake a
limited but highly focused recruitment
effort in a remote region of Russia.
B. Program publicity, recruitment,
and selection of U.S. teachers.
C. A four-week U.S.-based institute
during the fall of 2010: the institute
should support teachers from the
disciplines of math, science,
information technology, and English as
a Foreign Language (EFL) and provide
two separate sessions: one for teachers
in EFL and the other for the remaining
three teaching disciplines. Russian EFL
teachers participating in the institute
should have strong written and oral
English skills as evidenced by an
institutional TOEFL score of 450 or
higher on the written test. Russian math,
science, and information technology
teachers should be provided with a
program that includes simultaneous
translation. All participants should be
PO 00000
Frm 00111
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18793
teaching professionals with at least five
to ten years of experience.
D. Visit of U.S. teachers to the home
schools of some of the Russian teachers
who participated in the U.S. program to
share best practices during the spring of
2011;
E. A one-day professional
development workshop in Russia led by
teachers who participated in the U.S.
program for their Russian colleagues in
all four teaching disciplines, with
separate sessions provided for EFL
teachers and for teachers in the other
disciplines.
F. Follow-on and alumni activities.
Applicants should propose a calendar
that will include a coherent sequence of
the various program components within
the guidelines noted in the Project
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation
(POGI) for this RFGP.
The U.S.-Russia Language,
Technology, Math, and Science Program
will be funded through a Cooperative
Agreement. Please note that in a
Cooperative Agreement, the Teacher
Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X) is
substantially involved in program
activities above and beyond routine
monitoring. ECA/A/S/X activities and
responsibilities for this program are as
follows:
• Formulation of program policy;
• Approval and input on program
timetables, agendas, and administrative
procedures;
• Guidance in execution of all
program components;
• Review and approval of all program
publicity and recruitment materials;
• Approval of participants;
• Approval of decisions related to
special circumstances or problems
throughout the duration of the program;
• Approval of follow-on and alumni
projects;
• Assistance with participant
emergencies; and
• Liaison with the Public Affairs
Section, U.S. Embassy Moscow.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2009.
Approximate Total Funding:
$300,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
Approximate Average Award:
$300,000.
Anticipated Award Date: September
15, 2009.
Anticipated Project Completion Date:
December 31, 2011.
Additional Information:
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
18794
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
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
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, in an
amount up to $300,000 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.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
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.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
IV.1. Contact Information To Request an
Application Package
Please contact William Heaton in the
Teacher Exchange Branch, ECA/A/S/X,
U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
telephone: (202) 453–8888, fax: (202)
453–8890, e-mail: heatonwe@state.gov,
to request a Solicitation Package. Please
refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number ECA/A/S/X–09–04 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 William Heaton,
Teacher Exchange Branch, and refer to
the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/
A/S/X–09–04 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00112
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 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 onepage 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
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 Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs places critically
important emphases on the security and
proper administration of the Exchange
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence
by award recipients and sponsors to all
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
regulations governing the J visa.
Therefore, proposals should
demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to
meet all requirements governing the
administration of the Exchange Visitor
Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62,
including the oversight of Responsible
Officers and Alternate Responsible
Officers, screening and selection of
program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to
participants, monitoring of participants,
proper maintenance and security of
forms, record-keeping, reporting and
other requirements.
The Bureau requests that the award
recipient issue DS–2019 forms under a
Bureau SEVIS program number 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.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for
further information.
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, socioeconomic 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.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
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
PO 00000
Frm 00113
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18795
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 shortterm 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.3e. Please take the following
information into consideration when
preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF–
424A—‘‘Budget Information—NonConstruction 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. It is anticipated
that funding for the cooperative
agreement for program administration
will be approximately $300,000. Please
refer to the Solicitation Package for
complete budget guidelines and
formatting instructions.
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
18796
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
IV.3F. Application Deadline and
Methods of Submission
Application Deadline Date: June 8,
2009.
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/X–09–
04.
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 these RFGPs, ECA bears no
responsibility for data errors resulting from
transmission or conversion processes for
proposals submitted via Grants.gov
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
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
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/
EX/PM’’.
The original and five copies of the
application should be sent to: U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:
ECA/A/S/X–09–04, Program
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547.
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
Public Affairs Section at the U.S.
embassy in Moscow for its 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 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 this RFGP, 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00114
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 website,
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.
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
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
the program office, as well as the Public
Diplomacy section overseas, where
appropriate. Eligible proposals will be
subject to compliance with Federal and
Bureau regulations and guidelines and
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for
advisory review. Proposals may also be
reviewed by the Office of the Legal
Adviser or by other Department
elements. Final funding decisions are at
the discretion of the Department of
State’s Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance
awards cooperative agreements resides
with the Bureau’s Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will
be competitively reviewed according to
the criteria stated below. These criteria
are not rank ordered and all carry equal
weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea:
Proposals should exhibit originality,
substance, precision, and relevance to
the Bureau’s mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda
and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings
and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan
should adhere to the program overview
and guidelines described above.
3. Ability to achieve program
objectives: Objectives should be
reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
Proposals should clearly demonstrate
how the institution will meet the
program’s objectives and plan.
4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed
personnel and institutional resources
should be adequate and appropriate to
achieve the program or project’s goals.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals
should demonstrate substantive support
of the Bureau’s policy on diversity.
Achievable and relevant features should
be cited in both program administration
(selection of participants, program
venue and program evaluation) and
program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource
materials and follow-up activities).
6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals
should provide a plan for continued
follow-on activity (without Bureau
support) ensuring that Bureau
supported programs are not isolated
events.
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.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until
funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed
through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive 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 Nonprofit Organizations.
Please reference the following
websites 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
PO 00000
Frm 00115
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18797
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.
(4) Quarterly program and financial
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.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Award recipients will be required to
maintain specific data on program
participants and activities in an
electronically accessible database format
that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. As a minimum, the data must
include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact
information and biographic sketch of all
persons who travel internationally on
funds provided by the agreement or who
benefit from the award 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: William
Heaton, Teacher Exchange Branch,
ECA/A/S/X, U.S. Department of State,
SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 349,
Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202)
453–8888, fax: (202) 453–8890, e-mail:
heatonwe@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number ECA/A/S/X–
09–04.
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
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
18798
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices
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 17, 2009.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, for Educational
and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9–9350 Filed 4–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6590]
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Inclusion of Expiration Dates in
Presidential Permits for International
Border Crossings
SUMMARY: The Department of State
announces, in consultation with
relevant Federal agencies, that it will
include an expiration date among the
conditions it establishes in Presidential
permits that it issues for the
construction, operation, and
maintenance of border crossing
facilities. Based on the Department’s
experience and on interagency
consultations, the Department intends
to provide for the expiration of permits
for vehicular border crossings (i.e.,
crossings for cars, trucks, buses, and
trains) ten (10) years after issuance
unless the permittee notifies the
Department within that timeframe that
construction has begun, and for the
expiration of permits for all other border
crossing facilities (e.g., pipelines,
conveyor belts, pedestrian crossings,
etc.) five (5) years after issuance unless
the permittee notifies the Department
within that timeframe that construction
has begun. The Department believes that
this provision provides sufficient time
for viable projects to move forward
while preventing unexecuted permits
from creating needless uncertainty and/
or hindering the development of worthy
projects that would better serve the
national interest.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:20 Apr 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Daniel Darrach, U.S.-Mexico Border
Affairs Coordinator, via e-mail at WHABorderAffairs@state.gov; by phone at
202–647–9894; or by mail at Office of
Mexican Affairs—Room 3909,
Department of State, 2201 C St., NW.,
Washington, DC 20520. Information
about Presidential permits is available at
https://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/permit/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive
Order (EO) 11423 of August 16, 1968, as
amended, authorizes the Secretary of
State to issue Presidential permits for
the construction, connection, operation,
and maintenance of facilities crossing
the international borders of the United
States, including, but not limited to,
bridges and pipelines connecting the
United States with Canada or Mexico.
EO 13337, dated April 30, 2004,
amended EO 11423, inter alia, by
expanding the Presidential permit
program to include at-grade land border
crossings. In order to issue a
Presidential permit, the Secretary or her
delegate must find that a border crossing
is in the U.S. national interest. Within
the context of appropriate border
security, safety, health, and
environmental requirements, it is in the
U.S. national interest to facilitate the
efficient movement of legitimate goods
and travelers across U.S. borders.
Since 1968, the Department has
issued 21 Presidential permits for nonpipeline border crossings on the U.S.Mexico border and one for the U.S.Canada border. Of the 21 U.S.-Mexican
border projects that have received
permits, most began construction within
two to five years. One permitted project
took 16 years to be built, one is under
construction nearly 30 years after
receiving a permit, and three are not
likely to be built although they have had
permits more than 10 years (one of these
permits is more than 30 years old).
These permits were issued to the City of
Mission, Texas (1978), the Union Pacific
Railroad Company (1995), and the
Brownsville Navigation District (1997).
The Department is currently evaluating
whether it should revoke these permits,
given the change of circumstances in
each of the project areas, development
of nearby projects, inaction by the
permittees on the proposed projects,
and lack of interest in pursuing the
corresponding projects in Mexico.
The Presidential permit process,
which emphasizes interagency and
binational coordination, is designed to
ensure that border crossings are built if
and only if there is clear local,
binational, and interagency support for
the project and construction is in the
U.S. national interest. It is not in the
PO 00000
Frm 00116
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
U.S. national interest to commit scarce
government resources (e.g., Customs
and Border Protection inspectors,
highway improvement funds, etc.) as
well as private resources (e.g., land,
capital, etc.) for border crossing projects
that cannot be successfully
implemented within a reasonable time
period. The lapse of time may have an
impact on the Department’s national
interest determination. While the
Department may find a project to be in
the U.S. national interest under a certain
set of circumstances in one period,
those circumstances may change over
time so that five or ten years later, the
Department may conclude that the
project is no longer in the U.S. national
interest or that the relevant agencies
should reconsider their
recommendations on the Department’s
initial grant of the permit. Border
regions are dynamic and fast-changing
and it is important that an outdated
permit not be used to build a border
crossing on a site that is no longer
appropriate for a crossing due to the
lapse of time (e.g., due to changes in
transportation patterns, development
patterns, etc.).
At the same time, the Department
recognizes that, by their nature, border
crossing projects are complex, time
consuming, and subject to political,
financial, regulatory, and logistical
setbacks. It is unrealistic to expect
permits to be implemented instantly
and it would be inefficient to set permit
expiration dates on such a short
timeframe that the relevant agencies are
required to review them repeatedly
while waiting for construction to begin.
The Department has determined, after
consulting with relevant Federal
agencies, including the Border
Facilitation Working Group, and giving
the matter careful consideration, that
Presidential permits for vehicular
border crossings (for cars, trucks, buses,
and trains) will be valid for a period of
ten (10) years, while permits for all
other border crossing facilities (e.g.,
pipelines, conveyor belts, pedestrian
crossings, etc.) will be valid for a period
of five (5) years. In the Department’s
experience, vehicular border crossings
typically involve intricate coordination
among numerous agencies and often use
Federal financing that is not
immediately available, whereas other
border crossing projects are generally
smaller in scale, less expensive, and
dependent on private financing that is
more readily available. The Department
intends to tie the expiration condition
in the permit to the date the permit is
signed and expects that this expiration
condition will be satisfied by the
permittee’s notice to the Department
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 78 (Friday, April 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18793-18798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9350]
[[Page 18793]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6591]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: U.S.-Russia Language, Technology, Math, and Science
Program
Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/X-09-04.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: Application Deadline, June 8, 2009
Executive Summary: The Teacher Exchange Branch in the Office of
Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition
for a Cooperative Agreement in the amount of approximately $300,000 to
support the FY 2009 U.S.-Russia Language, Technology, Math, and Science
Program. This program will provide a four-week professional development
program in the U.S. for secondary school teachers from Russia, followed
by a two-week program in Russia for U.S. teachers and the Russian
educators, and a workshop in Russia led by the Russian teachers for
Russian colleagues. U.S. organizations meeting the provisions described
in Internal Revenue Code section 26 501(c)(3) are eligible to apply.
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 U.S.-Russia Language, Technology, Math, and Science
Program will bring outstanding secondary school teachers from Russia to
the United States to augment their subject area teaching skills and
knowledge of the U.S., as well as provide an opportunity for U.S.
teachers to participate in a professional development program in
Russia. The overall goals of the program are: (1) To enable Russian and
U.S. teachers to learn from their counterparts' education system and to
improve classroom teaching in both countries through the exchange of
ideas and expertise; (2) to develop the leadership skills of Russian
and U.S. teachers through seminars and workshops in the United States
and Russia; (3) to give additional visibility to the teaching
profession in Russia and to create among key Russian teaching
professionals a deeper understanding of the U.S., so that they may
share their experiences of living in the United States with students
and teachers in their home communities in Russia.
Applicant organizations should seek to maximize the number of
participants through a cost-effective approach to program
administration. The ratio of Russian to U.S. participants should be
approximately 3:1.
Proposals should outline six distinct program components:
A. Program publicity, recruitment, and selection of teachers in
Russia with the support of a local office or on-the-ground partner
organization. The Department anticipates that recruitment will focus on
a single Russian region in consultation with the Public Affairs Section
of the U.S. Embassy in Russia, and that the region will be one in which
teachers have had little or no previous involvement with exchange
opportunities. Therefore, proposals should explain how an
organization's local office or partner organization will have the
flexibility to undertake a limited but highly focused recruitment
effort in a remote region of Russia.
B. Program publicity, recruitment, and selection of U.S. teachers.
C. A four-week U.S.-based institute during the fall of 2010: the
institute should support teachers from the disciplines of math,
science, information technology, and English as a Foreign Language
(EFL) and provide two separate sessions: one for teachers in EFL and
the other for the remaining three teaching disciplines. Russian EFL
teachers participating in the institute should have strong written and
oral English skills as evidenced by an institutional TOEFL score of 450
or higher on the written test. Russian math, science, and information
technology teachers should be provided with a program that includes
simultaneous translation. All participants should be teaching
professionals with at least five to ten years of experience.
D. Visit of U.S. teachers to the home schools of some of the
Russian teachers who participated in the U.S. program to share best
practices during the spring of 2011;
E. A one-day professional development workshop in Russia led by
teachers who participated in the U.S. program for their Russian
colleagues in all four teaching disciplines, with separate sessions
provided for EFL teachers and for teachers in the other disciplines.
F. Follow-on and alumni activities.
Applicants should propose a calendar that will include a coherent
sequence of the various program components within the guidelines noted
in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) for this
RFGP.
The U.S.-Russia Language, Technology, Math, and Science Program
will be funded through a Cooperative Agreement. Please note that in a
Cooperative Agreement, the Teacher Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X) is
substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine
monitoring. ECA/A/S/X activities and responsibilities for this program
are as follows:
Formulation of program policy;
Approval and input on program timetables, agendas, and
administrative procedures;
Guidance in execution of all program components;
Review and approval of all program publicity and
recruitment materials;
Approval of participants;
Approval of decisions related to special circumstances or
problems throughout the duration of the program;
Approval of follow-on and alumni projects;
Assistance with participant emergencies; and
Liaison with the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy
Moscow.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2009.
Approximate Total Funding: $300,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
Approximate Average Award: $300,000.
Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2009.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2011.
Additional Information:
[[Page 18794]]
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 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,
in an amount up to $300,000 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 William Heaton in the Teacher Exchange Branch, ECA/
A/S/X, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 453-8888, fax: (202) 453-8890,
e-mail: heatonwe@state.gov, to request a Solicitation Package. Please
refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/X-09-04 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 William Heaton, Teacher Exchange Branch, and refer
to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/X-09-04 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.
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 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 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 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically
important emphases on the security and proper administration of the
Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients
and sponsors to all
[[Page 18795]]
regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should
demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing
the administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22
CFR 62, including the oversight of 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 Bureau requests that the award recipient issue DS-2019 forms
under a Bureau SEVIS program number 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.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
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 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.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. It is anticipated that
funding for the cooperative agreement for program administration will
be approximately $300,000. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
[[Page 18796]]
IV.3F. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission
Application Deadline Date: June 8, 2009.
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/X-09-04.
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 these 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 five copies of the application should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/X-09-04, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
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 Public
Affairs Section at the U.S. embassy in Moscow for its 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 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 this RFGP, 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 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 website, 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.
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
[[Page 18797]]
the program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas,
where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance
with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to
Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed
by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements.
Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of
State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance awards cooperative agreements
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's
mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described
above.
3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities).
6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
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.1. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive 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 websites 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.
(4) Quarterly program and financial 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.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Award recipients will be required to maintain specific data on
program participants and activities in an electronically accessible
database format that can be shared with the Bureau as required. As a
minimum, the data must include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the agreement
or who benefit from the award 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: William Heaton,
Teacher Exchange Branch, ECA/A/S/X, U.S. Department of State, SA-44,
301 4th Street, SW., Room 349, Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 453-
8888, fax: (202) 453-8890, e-mail: heatonwe@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/A/S/X-09-04.
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
[[Page 18798]]
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 17, 2009.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, for Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9-9350 Filed 4-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P