Grant Proposal Requests, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs:
Federal Register: March 3, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 42)
Notices
Page 11837-11843
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
DOCID:fr03mr11-105
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Public Notice: 7353
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership and Teacher Professional Development
Program With Bosnia and Herzegovina
Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-29.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
Application Deadline: April 22, 2011.
Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Youth Leadership and Teacher Professional
Development Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina. 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 conduct U.S.-based exchange activities on civic education, leadership, and community service for high school students and teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bureau will be supporting two exchanges for 21 participants each during the course of 2012; each exchange will be three to four weeks in duration. Applicants should apply to implement both exchanges. The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo will recruit, screen, and select the participating secondary school students and teachers. OPA and the award recipient will jointly support follow-on activities for the alumni.
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Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural
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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.
Overview: The Youth Leadership and Teacher Professional Development
Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina has been implemented annually since 1999 through a partnership of the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) in the
U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo and a U.S. organization or institution that has received an award from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA).
The goals of the program are to:
(1) Promote mutual understanding between the people of the United
States and the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(2) Prepare young leaders to become responsible citizens and contributing members of their communities and to develop their leadership skills;
(3) Nurture a cadre of students and teachers to be actively engaged in addressing issues of concern in their schools and communities upon their return home and are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become citizen activists.
The objectives of the program are for participants to be able to:
(1) Demonstrate a better understanding of the elements of a participatory democracy as practiced in the United States;
(2) Demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills; and
(3) Demonstrate skill at developing project ideas, planning a course of action, and bringing the projects to fruition.
Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities during the
U.S. exchange such as workshops, community and/or school-based programs, seminars, and other activities that are designed to achieve the program's stated goals. Opportunities for the youth and adult participants to interact with their American peers in a sustained, substantive, and in-depth manner must be prominently integrated into the exchange program.
The applicant should present a program plan that allows the participants to thoroughly explore civic participation in the United
States in a creative, memorable, and practical way. Exchange activities should be designed to be replicable and provide practical knowledge and skills that the participants can apply to school and civic activities at home. The two exchanges need not be exactly the same; the program activities may be modified to take advantage of different resources, but should still aim to fulfill the same objectives.
One of the U.S.-based exchanges will take place in spring 2012 and the other in fall 2012. Applicants should propose the period of the exchange, but the exact timing of the project may be altered through the mutual agreement of the Department of State and the award recipient. The program should be no less than three weeks and up to four weeks in duration. Program development should begin in the late summer of 2011.
The participants will be high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 who have demonstrated leadership abilities in their schools and/or communities, and high school teachers who have demonstrated an interest in youth leadership and are expected to remain in positions where they can continue to work with youth. Participants will be proficient in the English language. Each delegation will be 18 students and three teachers.
Applicants should outline their team's capacity for doing projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) Provision of leadership and civic education programming, (2) age-appropriate programming for youth, and (3) working with individuals from Bosnia and
Herzegovina or other areas of Southeast Europe. Applicants need not have a partner in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the U.S. Embassy in
Sarajevo will recruit and select the participants from selected cities in the Federation and in Republika Srpska and will organize a pre- departure orientation.
In pursuit of the goals outlined above, each exchange program provided by the U.S. award recipient organization will include the following:
Working with OPA to provide program materials and preparation sessions at the pre-departure orientation in Sarajevo.
A welcome orientation.
The planning of three to four weeks of exchange activities that provide a creative and substantive program that develops both the youth and the adult participants' knowledge and skill base in civic education, community service, and youth leadership development. The academic and extracurricular components will focus primarily on interactive activities, practical experiences, and other hands-on opportunities that explore the program themes. Some activities should be school and/or community-based, and community service must also be included. It is crucial that programming involve American peers wherever possible. Cultural, social, and recreational activities will balance the schedule.
Opportunities for the educators to work with their
American peers and other professionals and volunteers to help them foster youth leadership, civic education, and community service programs at home.
The arrangement of homestays for the participants in the
United States with properly screened and briefed American families for the majority of the exchange period. Criminal background checks must be conducted for all members of host families (and others living in the home) who are 18 years of age or older.
Logistical arrangements, including lodging and meals not taken at homestays, disbursement of stipends, local travel, and travel between sites.
The development and implementation of a plan to monitor the participants' safety and well-being while on the exchange, and to create opportunities for participants to share potential issues and resolve them promptly. The award recipient will be required to provide proper staff supervision and facilitation to ensure that the teenagers have safe and pedagogically rich programs. Staff, along with the adult participants, will assist the youth with cultural adjustments, provide societal context to enhance learning, and counsel students as needed.
A closing session to summarize the project's activities and prepare participants for their return home.
Assistance in follow-on activities in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, particularly by facilitating continued engagement among the participants, advising and supporting them in the implementation of community service projects, and offering opportunities to reinforce the ideas, values and skills imparted during the exchange. Exchange participants should return home from the exchange prepared to conduct projects that serve a need in their schools or communities, which will be supported by project staff through a follow-on visit in the fall.
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The design and implementation of an evaluation plan that assesses the impact of the project.
Please note:
In a cooperative agreement, the Department of State is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring. The Department's activities and responsibilities for this program are as follows:
(1) The U.S. Embassy will serve as the in-country partner and manage the recruitment and selection of the participants, cover their in-country expenses, arrange and purchase the international travel, and oversee their follow-on activities.
(2) Provide advice and assistance in the execution of all program components.
(3) Facilitate interaction within the Department of State, to include ECA, the regional bureaus, and overseas posts.
(4) Arrange meetings with Department of State officials in
Washington, DC.
(5) Issue DS-2019 forms and J-1 visas for the participants. All participants will travel on a U.S. Government designation for the J
Exchange Visitor Program.
(6) Approve final calendar of exchange activities.
(7) Monitor and evaluate the program, through regular communication with the award recipient and possibly one or more site visits.
Additional Information:
The organization must inform the ECA Program Officer of their progress at each stage of the project's implementation in a timely fashion, and will be required to obtain approval of any significant program changes in advance of their implementation.
Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the stated objectives will be met. The proposal narrative should provide detailed information on the major project activities, and applicants should explain and justify their programmatic choices. 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. Projects must comply with J- 1 visa regulations for the International Visitor and Government Visitor category. Please be sure to refer to the complete Solicitation
Package--this RFGP, the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation
(POGI), and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)--for further information.
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Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2011.
Approximate Total Funding: $200,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: One.
Approximate Average Award: $200,000.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, proposed start date is summer 2011.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: February 28, 2013.
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.
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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. Please note that cost sharing is one of the criteria by which proposals will be judged.
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 Office of Management and Budget (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 cooperative agreement 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 an award in an amount that exceeds $60,000 to support the program and administrative costs required to implement these exchange programs. Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
(b.) Proposed sub-award recipients are also limited to grant funding of $60,000 or less if they do not have four years of experience in conducting international exchanges.
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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, Office of Citizen
Exchanges (ECA/PE/C/PY/T), 3rd floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 632-6421, or e-mail
LantzCS@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-11-29) when making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Bureau Program Officer Carolyn Lantz and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-11-29) 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/grants/open2.html, or from the
Grants.gov Web site at http://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.
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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 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. All Federal award recipients and sub-recipients must maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration
(CCR) database and have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number. Recipients and sub-recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in the CCR until all program and financial activity and reporting have been completed. All entities must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted.
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 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 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 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 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 62 et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by recipient organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible
Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http:// exchanges.state.gov or from: Office of Designation, Private Sector
Programs Division, U.S. Department of State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th
Floor, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
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
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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. 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. 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 Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: Friday, April 22, 2011.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-11-29.
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 and six copies of the application should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Program Management Division ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY- 11-29, SA-5, Floor 4, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
With the submission of the proposal package, please also e-mail the
Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget sections of the proposal, as well as any essential attachments, in Microsoft Word and/ or Excel to the program officer at LantzCS@state.gov. The Bureau will provide these files electronically to the Office of Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo for its review.
IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic Applications
Applicants have the option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation
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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
Please follow the instructions available in the `Get Started' portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov.
Once registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your internet connection. In addition, validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two business days.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the submission process through
Grants.gov.
The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For
Applicants'' section of the Web site. ECA strongly recommends that all potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support, Contact Center Phone: 800- 518-4726, Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time, E- mail: support@grants.gov.
Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC time of the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via
Grants.gov can take up to two business days. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the submission process through Grants.gov. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.
It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via the Grants.gov Web portal to ensure that proposals have been received by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.
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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 assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the
Bureau's Grants Officer.
V.2. Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. 1. Quality of the program idea: Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. The proposal should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan. The proposed program should be creative and well developed, respond to the design outlined in the solicitation, and demonstrate originality. It should be clearly and accurately written, substantive, and with sufficient detail. 2. Program planning: A detailed agenda and work plan should clearly demonstrate how objectives would be achieved. The agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.
The substance of workshops, seminars, presentations, school-based activities, and/or site visits should be described in detail. Proposals should also provide a plan for a Bureau-supported follow-on visit by project staff to Bosnia and Herzegovina, plus a plan for continued follow-on activity, not necessarily with Bureau support, that ensures that this program is not an isolated event. 3. Support of diversity: Support of diversity is an important feature of Bureau programs. The proposal should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity in program content. Applicants should demonstrate readiness to accommodate participants with physical disabilities. 4. Institutional capacity and track record: Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional record, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by the Bureau's Office of Contracts. The Bureau will consider the past performance. 5. Program evaluation: The proposal should include a plan to evaluate the program's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The proposal should include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. Please see Section
IV.3d.3. of this announcement for more information. 6. Cost-effectiveness and cost sharing: The applicant should demonstrate efficient use of Bureau funds. 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. The proposal should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.
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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
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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://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one 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 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 interim program reports.
(4.) Interim program and financial reports, as required in the cooperative agreement.
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.
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Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz,
Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY/T, 2200 C St., NW., 3rd Floor,
U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20037, Telephone: (202) 632- 6421, E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-11-29.
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.
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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: February 23, 2011.
Ann Stock,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
FR Doc. 2011-4716 Filed 3-2-11; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
