Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders on U.S. History and Government, 62169-62173 [2010-25327]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62169-62173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25327]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 7195]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes for Student 
Leaders on U.S. History and Government

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E/USS-11-10.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.009.
    Key Dates: July-August, 2011 and January, February, 2012.
    Application Deadline: December 3, 2010.
    Executive Summary: The Branch for the Study of the United States, 
Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs (ECA), invites proposal submissions for the design and 
implementation of six (6) Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student 
Leaders on U.S. History and Government, pending the availability of 
funds. Participants will be drawn from countries throughout Central and 
South America and the Caribbean. Three institutes will be conducted 
entirely in Spanish, and the remaining three in English. Each academic 
institute will be five weeks in duration, including a one-week 
integrated study tour.

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: All ECA programs seek to increase mutual understanding 
between the people of the United States and the people of other 
countries. The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on U.S. 
History and Government provide a group of undergraduate students, who 
have little to no prior experience in the U.S., with an introduction to 
U.S. history, government, society, and culture. In addition to this 
core American Studies component, students will participate in seminars, 
workshops, and activities to strengthen their leadership skills. 
Participants will also engage in volunteer activities and learn about 
civic engagement as a core American value. Throughout the course of the 
institutes, participants will interact with American peers in the 
classroom, community, and through a weekend long home-stay experience.
    This award will support up to 120 undergraduate participants. Three 
institutes for twenty participants each will take place in Summer 2011 
while an additional three institutes will take place in Winter 2012. 
Please refer to the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation 
(POGI) document for programmatic details.

    Please note:  This award will be in the form of a cooperative 
agreement. In a cooperative agreement, ECA is substantially involved 
in the management and oversight of the institute. Please refer to 
the statement of work in the POGI to see the division of 
responsibilities between the recipient institution and the Program 
Office.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number 1 above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2011.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,440,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One.
    Approximate Average Award: $1,440,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, February 
2011.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: February, 2012.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this cooperative agreement for two additional 
fiscal years, before openly competing it again.

III. Eligibility Information

    III.1. Eligible applicants: The Bureau is seeking detailed 
proposals from accredited post-secondary U.S. institutions (community 
colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities), 
consortia of organizations, and/or from public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the eligibility requirements outlined below.
    The Bureau intends to issue one award and is seeking proposals from 
organizations with the ability to administer, support, and oversee the 
six academic institutes. Recipient organizations may be public or 
private organizations that provide sub-awards to up to six institutions 
of higher education to implement the institutes. Or, higher education 
institutions may apply to administer and implement the institutes 
working with branch campuses, other colleges in a consortium, or 
partnering with any other institution of higher education.
    Institutions of higher education may host no more than one 
institute at a time (for up to 20 students), but may host up to two 
institutes per year (e.g. a summer and a winter institute); this policy 
is to advance the Bureau's goals of diversity and increased mutual 
understanding, and to provide more individualized attention to 
participants.
    The recipient organization will serve as the lead organization and 
will be responsible for the oversight of all six institutes and must 
appoint a project director who will be the main point of contact and 
liaison with ECA.
    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

[[Page 62170]]

in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110, 
(Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost Sharing and Matching. In the event you do 
not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the 
approved budget, ECA's contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
    III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: Bureau grant guidelines 
require that organizations with less than four years experience in 
conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau 
funding. ECA anticipates making one award, in an amount up to 
$1,440,000 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 the Study of the U.S. Branch, ECA/A/E/USS, SA-5, 4th Floor, 
U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037, 
tel: (202) 632-3337, fax: (202) 632-9411, RustanAM@state.gov to request 
a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number 
(ECA/A/E/USS-11-10) 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 competitioin.
    Please specify Program Officer Amy M. Rustan and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/A/E/USS-11-10) 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 provided 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 website 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 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, recordkeeping, reporting and other 
requirements.
    ECA prefers that the award recipient issue 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, Office of Designation, ECA/
EC/D/P5, SA-5, 5th Floor, Department of State, Washington, DC 20037.
    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-

[[Page 62171]]

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
    The recipient organization should clearly describe its plan for 
overseeing the activities of up to six host institutions. Ideally the 
recipient organization staff will conduct site visits at each host 
institution once throughout the course of each Institute. Additionally, 
the recipient organization should provide to ECA a brief weekly written 
summary of the highlights of each program and a description of any 
challenges and how they were addressed. The Bureau expects that the 
recipient organization will be in regular contact with all host 
institutions and stay up to date on all issues.
    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. 
Proposals should include a draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus a description of a methodology to be used to link 
outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the 
recipient organization will survey participants and be able to provide 
responses to key evaluation questions including participants' 
satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, and 
changes in behavior as a result of the program. The evaluation plan 
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as 
well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depends heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Evaluation plans 
should include a description of project objectives, anticipated project 
outcomes, and how and when outcomes (performance indicators) will be 
measured. 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. Proposals should also 
demonstrate how project objectives link to the goals of the program 
described in the academic residency component above.
    The 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.

    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).
    The recipient organization will be required to synthesize the 
evaluation findings of participating host institutions and analyze and 
compile findings into single reports to be provided to ECA at 
established deadlines. 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. Administrative costs 
should be kept to a minimum and should represent no greater than 30% of 
total project costs.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Institute staff salary and benefits.
    (2) Participant housing and meals.
    (3) Participant domestic travel and per diem.
    (4) Textbooks, educational materials, and admissions fees.
    (5) Honoraria for guest speakers.
    (6) Follow-on programming for alumni of Study of the United States 
programs.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions. The POGI document includes a 
sample budget; please refer to the suggested line items and amounts, 
when listed.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: December 3, 2010.
    Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-11-10.
    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.
    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

[[Page 62172]]

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 six (6) copies of the application should be sent 
to: Program Management Division, ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/A/E/USS-11-
10, SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20037.
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 bears no responsibility for applicant 
timeliness of submission or data errors resulting from transmission 
or conversion processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov.

    To submit an online application, 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 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.
    IV.3f.3 Applicant organizations may submit no more than one 
application under this competition.
    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. Quality of Program Plan and Ability To Achieve Program 
Objectives: Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, precision, 
and relevance to the Bureau's mission. A detailed agenda and relevant 
work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical 
capacity. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 
Proposals should demonstrate clearly how the institution will meet the 
program's objectives and plan.
    2. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (program venue 
and program evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up 
sessions, program meetings, presenters, and resource materials).
    3. 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 and 
description of the methodology used to link outcomes to original 
project objectives are strongly recommended.
    4. 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.
    5. Institutional Track Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate 
an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grants 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be fully qualified to 
achieve the project's goals.
    6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should discuss provisions made 
for follow-up with returned participants as a means of establishing 
longer-term individual and institutional linkages.

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,

[[Page 62173]]

and mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the 
application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for 
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements 
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.

    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information:
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants;
    https://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original and an electronic copy of the following reports:
    (1.) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days 
after the expiration of the award;
    (2.) A 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 website--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 reference the program ``Monitoring and 
Evaluation'' section in the POGI.)
    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: Program Officer Amy 
M. Rustan, U.S. Department of State, Study of the U.S. Branch, ECA/A/E/
USS, SA-5, 4th floor, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-0503, 
tel: (202) 632-3337, fax: (202) 632-9411.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
indicate reference number ECA/A/E/USS-11-10.

VIII. Other Information

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment 
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 
above.

    Dated: October 1, 2010.
Ann Stock,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-25327 Filed 10-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P