[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 154 (Thursday, August 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45892-45897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6837]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5490]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Summer Language Institutes for American Youth
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Application Deadline: October 5, 2006.
Executive Summary: The Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen
Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces
an open competition for projects to provide foreign language
instruction overseas for American high school students in Summer 2007.
Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may
submit proposals to implement six-to eight-week summer institutes in
China or in an Arabic-speaking country that offer U.S. high school
students formal and informal language instruction through a
comprehensive exchange experience.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended,
Public Law 87-256, 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 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is supporting
the participation of youth in intensive, substantive educational
exchange opportunities that will promote language learning as well as
engage the successor generation in a dialogue for greater
understanding.
Promoting the study of critical languages among American youth is a
vital element of America's security in the post-9/11 world and its
engagement in the global economy, as well as promoting mutual
understanding and respect between the people of the United States and
the citizens of strategically important countries around the world.
The goals of the Summer Language Institute for American Youth are:
To improve the ability of Americans to engage with the
people of other countries through the shared language of the partner
country;
To develop a cadre of Americans with advanced linguistic
skills and cultural understanding who are able to advance the
international dialogue, promote the security of the United States, and
compete effectively in the global economy;
To provide a tangible incentive for the learning and use
of foreign languages.
[[Page 45893]]
In order to achieve these goals, the Bureau is offering the
opportunity for American secondary school students to gain language
skills in Arabic or Chinese. ECA plans to award multiple grants for
Summer Language Institutes. Organizations that wish to apply to
implement institutes in more than one language must submit separate
proposals for each language. Proposed institutes will be compared only
against submissions for the same language. Applicants may apply for a
grant between $100,000 and $250,000 in order to implement an overseas
language institute between June and August 2007.
Through these institutes, high school students from the United
States will spend six to eight weeks on a program abroad in the summer
of 2007. The institutes will provide not only intensive language
instruction in a classroom setting but will also provide language-
learning opportunities through immersion in the cultural, social,
educational, and home life of the partner country. The exchange program
will enhance the participants' knowledge of the host country's history,
culture, and political system.
Indicators of a Successful Program
Pre- and post-institute language testing of participants
will demonstrate a substantive increase in language skills.
Participants will demonstrate `` for example, through
surveys, essays, focus groups, or presentations `` a deeper
understanding of the host country's culture, including its customs,
beliefs, and practices.
Alumni will continue their foreign language study and/or
participate in other exchanges to the participating countries.
Students and families from the host country who engage
with the U.S. participants demonstrate an interest in learning more
about the United States.
Capacity of Administering Organization
U.S. applicant organizations must have the necessary capacity in
the partner country to implement the program through either its own
offices or a partner institution. Organizations applying for this grant
must demonstrate their (or their partners') capacity for conducting
projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1)
Provision of foreign language instruction programs and provision of
educational and cultural exchange activities as outlined in this
document; (2) age-appropriate programming for the target audience; and
(3) experience in working with the proposed partner country or
countries.
Country and Language Information
For all language study, participants will learn speaking,
listening, reading, and writing, including new alphabets. The Bureau
reserves the right to alter the list of eligible countries based on
safety and security concerns.
For Arabic language exchanges: Applicant organizations should plan
to send students to a country in North Africa, the Middle East, or the
Gulf region, with the exception of Algeria, Iraq, Israel, Libya,
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. Students should learn
Modern Standard Arabic in class and colloquial Arabic through informal
study and through interaction with their host families and peers.
Students with basic language skills who are ready for intermediate
instruction will gain the most from this immersion experience, but
participants in the Arabic institutes may be beginning speakers who
have had little or no instruction in the language. The delegation may
be a mix of both groups, as long as the proposed institute makes
explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.
For Chinese language exchanges: Applicant organizations should plan
to send students to Mainland China or Taiwan. Students must learn
Mandarin in class. Teaching materials used in the program should be
available in both simplified and traditional character versions. The
Hanyu pinyin romanization system should be used.
Students with advanced beginner or intermediate language skills who
are ready for further instruction will gain the most from an immersion
experience. Participants in the Chinese institutes will have already
studied the language formally at the time of application for at least
one year. The proposed institute will make explicit accommodation for
learners of varying skill levels.
Participant Selection
The grant recipient will recruit, screen, and select a group of
students representing the ethnic, racial, socio-economic, and religious
diversity of the United States. Students should have completed grade 9,
10, 11, or 12 by summer 2007, and must not be younger than 14 nor older
than 18 by the start date of the institute. Selected students will also
demonstrate suitability for an intensive exchange experience, including
maturity, flexibility, and adaptability. The students' language skills
at the start of the institute will meet the requirements for each
language outlined above.
Institute Summary
Each six to eight-week summer institute overseas for high school
students will focus on language study and cultural immersion and will
include four to six hours per day of formal and informal language
training, plus excursions, briefings and discussions on key issues.
The grant recipient will provide language instruction for a
delegation of teenagers who are likely to have mixed skill levels in
the language. While teaching conversational vocabulary will be
necessary to help students cope with their immersion setting, classes
should also provide formal instruction in grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation, and will cover speaking, listening, reading, and
writing.
During the exchange, the students will also have the opportunity to
participate in activities designed to teach them about community life,
citizen participation, and the culture and history of the host country.
Activities should engage host country teenagers as much as possible.
The program activities will introduce the students to the community--
its leaders and institutions, the ways citizens participate in local
government, and the resolution of societal problems--and will include
educational excursions that serve to enhance the visitors''
understanding of contemporary society, culture, media, political
institutions, ethnic diversity, history, and environment of the region.
ECA requires participation in a community service project that also
involves youth of a similar age from the host country. Participants
should also have opportunities to give presentations on their lives in
the United States in community forums.
Since the purpose of the institute is to provide an immersion
program for the language learners and increase their language skills,
ECA strongly urges organizations to arrange homestays with local
families for as much of the duration of the institute as possible,
balancing this with time spent in a hotel or dormitory setting where
the participants may be more inclined to speak English.
The delegation should have an adult accompany them on the
international flight to the host country, and adult staff should be
available to support the participants during the course of the
institute.
Applicants must provide a plan of follow-up with alumni, such as by
E-mail, through a Web site or weblog, and/or in person, primarily for
the purpose of supporting the continuation of the
[[Page 45894]]
students' language studies. Grant recipients should assist alumni in
maintaining connections with organizations and individuals in the host
country. The grant recipient will be expected to work in coordination
with ECA to track the activities of alumni and their continued interest
in studying the language.
School Partnerships
The Summer Language Institutes are well suited for involving a
school partnership. Applicants may weave a school partnership component
into their proposals as a way to deepen the institutional ties between
schools in the United States and in the partner country. This approach
is best suited for existing partnerships, but could also help further
nascent relationships. The desirability of a school partnership
component includes the prospect of offering institutional, rather than
just individual, benefits; curriculum development; a ``multiplier
effect'' or the opportunity to engage many people in the school
community in the institute; and the building of sustainable
relationships as school linkages span many years.
School partnerships may be included in a variety of ways. Students
could travel to a partner school, either as a host site for the
institute or to visit during the institute for a school tour, home
hospitality, or a social activity. Teachers could team-teach in
language or other subjects. Partner schools could offer follow-on
activities for institute alumni such as digital video conferences,
online language practice, implementation of joint projects (via DVC or
online) that were initiated during the institute, e.g., an oral history
of their communities or a water testing project.
Building the Summer Language Institute on a school partnership is
not required but suggested for those applicants with these linkages. If
you choose this approach, please make explicit mention of the benefits
in your proposal.
Grant funding includes recruitment and selection of participants,
orientation, travel, tuition and maintenance costs, educational
enhancements, cultural and social activities, alumni activities, and
administrative costs.
Note: All printed materials and formal oral communications
should acknowledge the role of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Drafts of printed materials
developed for this program should be submitted to ECA for review and
distribution as it sees fit. Copies of materials given to and
prepared by the students should be provided to the ECA program
office in a timely fashion.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the
Proposal Submission Instructions, including the Project Objectives,
Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document, for further information.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007.
Approximate Total Funding: $1,000,000, pending availability of
funds.
Approximate Number of Awards: 5.
Floor of Award Range: $100,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $250,000.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, the proposed
start date is January 20, 2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: Approximately 14 to 18 months
after the start date, depending on the proposed program plan.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, ECA
may renew these grants for two additional fiscal years.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants
Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs
which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by
the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements
Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than
four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited
to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding grants in the
range of $100,000 to $250,000 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 urges 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 Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568,
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington DC
20547, Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail:
LantzCS@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to
the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03) located at the top
of this announcement when making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained
from http://www.grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further
information.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application
forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria,
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Bureau Program Officer Carolyn Lantz and refer to
the Funding Opportunity Number 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 http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or
from the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
[[Page 45895]]
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 http://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 form that 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. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information
when preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1 Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa: The
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the ``Responsible
Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which
covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving
grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating with or
assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The
actions of grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the
sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR part 62.
Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant
under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable
the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs
as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has experience as
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et. seq.,
including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants,
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms,
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for
issuing any DS-2019 forms to foreign participants.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029,
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical
challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the
advancement of this principle both in program administration and in
program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the `Support
for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating
diversity into your proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in
carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries
whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau
``shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for
participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of
such countries.'' Public Law 106--113 requires that the governments of
the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in
the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these
goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as
well as substantive knowledge.
Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and
placed in a reasonable 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.
[[Page 45896]]
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.)
Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All
data collected, including survey responses and contact information,
must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the
Bureau upon request.
IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration
when preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the
entire program. Grant requests should be at least $100,000 and should
not exceed $250,000. There must be a summary budget as well as
breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets.
Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component,
phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
Please refer to the POGI and the PSI documents in the Solicitation
Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: October 5, 2006.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
Methods of Submission:
Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:
1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S.
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
2. Electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications: Applications must be
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time.
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure to
include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an
envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
The original, one fully-tabbed copy, and six copies of the
application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 8 copies) should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
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.
Applicants must also submit the executive summary, proposal
narrative, budget section, and any important appendices as e-mail
attachments in Microsoft Word and Excel to the following e-mail
address: LantzCS@state.gov. In the E-mail message subject line, include
the name of the applicant organization and the partner country. The
Bureau will transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs
Sections of the relevant U.S. Embassies for review.
IV.3f.2--Submitting Electronic Applications: Applicants have the
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov
(http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system. Please follow the
instructions available in the ``Get Started'' portion of the site
(http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC, time, of
the closing date to ensure that their entire applications have been
uploaded to the grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site
after midnight of the application deadline date will be automatically
rejected by the grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
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
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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
assistance awards (grants) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Please see proposal review criteria in the accompanying Project
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD)
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S.
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the
application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles
for Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian
Governments''.
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative
Requirements 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:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants:
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI
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. Interim program and financial reports that include information
on the progress made on the program plan and program results to date.
Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports.
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3)
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
All data collected, including survey responses and contact
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and
provided to the Bureau upon request.
All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Organizations awarded grants will be required to maintain specific
data on program participants and activities in an electronically
accessible database format that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. 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 grant or
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
2. Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to
the official opening of the activity.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz,
Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03, U.S. Department of
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 568, Washington, DC 20547,
Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail LantzCS@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-07-03.
Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: August 3, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. 06-6837 Filed 8-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P