[Federal Register: September 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 181)]
[Notices]
[Page 54764-54766]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18se03-90]
[[Page 54764]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 4492]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals: Educational Advising Program for the Middle East and North
Africa
SUMMARY: The Educational Information and Resources Branch (ECA/A/S/A),
Office of Global Educational Programs, of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, announces an open competition for educational
advising in the Middle East and North Africa. 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 offer
overseas educational advising, orientation, and information services
for international students and scholars in one or more, up to a total
of nine, locations in the Middle East and North Africa.
Program Information
Overview: ECA-supported educational advising offices guide students
in their pursuit of educational opportunities in the United States and
prepare them for direct exposure to American values, ideas, models, and
traditions. They provide up-to-date, unbiased information on the range
of accredited U.S. educational institutions and work to build mutual
understanding between the United States and other countries through
educational exchange.
Department of State-affiliated overseas educational advising
services operate in nearly five hundred locations around the world. In
the Middle East and North Africa, awards will be made to support
advising in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia,
West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. Organizations may apply to operate centers
in one or more, up to the total of nine, listed locations. If support
for more than one center within any particular location is requested,
the proposal should provide a rationale.
The advising centers will provide information about study
opportunities in the U.S., will offer group informational sessions and
individual advising, and will conduct outreach to local institutions.
The advising centers will provide accurate information and advising on
the following topics: The U.S. education system; U.S. colleges,
universities, and other higher education institutions; the application
process to a U.S. university; majors and fields of study; testing
requirements; life in the U.S.; visa procedures; scholarship programs
and financial aid; and pre-departure orientation. Advisers will be
eligible to participate in Department of State-sponsored training
opportunities, to receive reference materials for the advising center
from the Department of State, and to receive guidance and assistance
from the Department of State's Regional Educational Advising
Coordinator (REAC) located in Rabat, Morocco.
As potential students from North Africa and the Middle East express
uncertainty about whether they are welcome in the U.S. and seriously
consider study in other countries that advertise themselves as
``safe,'' student numbers from the region are declining on U.S.
campuses. Proposals should describe in detail creative methods for
responding to Middle Eastern/North Africa student concerns and for
promoting U.S. education during unsettled times.
Guidelines: Grants will begin on January 1, 2004 and end December
31, 2004. Organizations may apply to provide advising services in one
or more of the above-listed countries. Educational advising services
must be provided on a regularly scheduled basis, open to the public at
least 30 hours per week, with additional hours reserved for program
development, administrative work, and communications. As the referral
service of the U.S. Embassy, the educational advising office serves as
the in-country resource on U.S. higher education.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
Solicitation Package for further information.
Budget Guidelines
To support advising in the region, the program will award a total
of up to $450,000 for all centers for a one-year period. Grants awarded
to eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
The Bureau encourages participants to provide maximum levels of cost
sharing and funding from private sources in support of its programs.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget with a summary budget
as well as detail reflecting both administrative and program budgets.
If applying for more than one site, applicants should provide separate
budgets for each location, as well as identifiable program components
and activities. Overhead and indirect costs should not exceed 36% of
the amount requested.
Allowable costs include the following:
A. Program costs.
(1) Advisers' salaries and benefits;
(2) Office supplies and expenses, including rent, communications,
postage, shipping, utilities;
B. Indirect costs.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/A/
S/A-04-08.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Global Educational
Programs, Educational Information and Resources Branch, ECA/A/S/A, Room
349, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20547, phone: (202) 619-5434, fax: (202) 401-1433, e-mail:
jfrisbie@pd.state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. The
Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard
guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program
Officer Jean Frisbie on all other inquiries and correspondence.
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.
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. Please read all
information before downloading.
New OMB Requirement
An OMB policy directive published in the Federal Register on
Friday, June 27, 2003, requires that all organizations applying for
Federal grants or cooperative agreements must provide a Dun and
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when
applying for all Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after
October 1, 2003. The complete OMB policy directive can be referenced at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/062703_grant_ identifier.pdf.
Please also visit the ECA Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm
for additional information on how to comply
with this new directive.
Deadline for Proposals
All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, October
24, 2003.
[[Page 54765]]
Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked
the due date but received on a later date will not be accepted. Each
applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by the above
deadline.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and eight copies of the application should be
sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/A-04-08, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM,
Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. embassy for
its review.
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 the total 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.
Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J
visa) Programs and adherence by grantees 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 Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR
6Z, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants,
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms,
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
Review Process
The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will
review them 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 grants resides with the
Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's
mission.
2. Program planning and ability to achieve program objectives:
Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive
undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to
the program overview and guidelines described above. Proposals should
clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's
objectives and plan. Advising centers must be in place to begin work on
January 1, 2004.
3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration and program
content.
5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals. Institutions should be knowledgeable about the Middle
East and North Africa with governmental permission to operate in the
locations listed.
6. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful educational advising programs or
exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as
determined by Bureau Grant Staff. The Bureau will consider the past
performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new
applicants.
7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
8. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants will be
expected to submit reports semiannually.
9. Cost-effectiveness and cost-sharing: The overhead and other
indirect costs of the proposal 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.
10. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects
should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of State's
geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential
impact, and significance in the partner countries.
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-
[[Page 54766]]
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.
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.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Dated: August 9, 2003.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 03-23859 Filed 9-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P