[Federal Register: April 24, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 20210-20214]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap03-128]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 4342]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals: International Sports Programming Initiative
SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an
``International Sports Programming Initiative.'' 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
discuss approaches designed to enhance and improve the infrastructure
of youth sports programs in the following countries: Jordan, Morocco,
Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. To be eligible for consideration under this
competition, proposals must provide a minimum of 50 percent cost
sharing of the amount of grant funds sought from ECA, although
proposals with higher cost sharing levels are welcome. The Office
expects to make approximately three (3) full grants of no more than
$135,000 each under this competition, covering all thematic areas
outlined below.
Announcement Name and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference the ``Open Competition for
International Sports Programming Initiative'' and reference number:
ECA/PE/C/WHAEAP-03-49. Please refer to title and number in all
correspondence or telephone calls to the Office of Citizen Exchanges.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations/institutions
may contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, room 216, SA-44, U.S.
Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
telephone number 202/260-5491, fax number 202/260-0440, or
rharvey@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, Raymond H. Harvey, on all other inquiries and correspondence.
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire
Solicitation Package also may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site
at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all
information before downloading.
Program Information
Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that
directly respond to the following thematic areas. Given budgetary
limitations, projects for other themes and other countries will not be
eligible for consideration under the FY-2003 International Sports
Program Initiative.
Training Sports Coaches: The World Summit on Physical Education
(Berlin, 1999) stated that a ``quality physical education helps
children to develop the patterns of interest in physical activity,
which are essential for healthy development and which lay the
foundation for healthy, adult lifestyles.'' Coaches are critical to the
accomplishment of this goal. A coach not only needs to be qualified to
provide the technical assistance required by young athletes to improve,
but must also understand how to aid a young person to discover how
success in athletics can be translated into achievement in the
development of life skills and in the classroom.
Projects submitted in response to this theme would be aimed at
aiding youth, secondary school and university coaches in the target
countries in the development and implementation of appropriate training
methodologies, through seminars and outreach. The goal is to ensure the
optimal technical proficiency among the coaches participating in the
program while also emphasizing the role sports can play in the long-
term economic well being of youth.
Youth Sports Management Exchange: Exchanges funded under this theme
would help American and foreign youth sport coaches, adult sponsors,
and sports and civic organization officials share their experience in
managing and organizing youth sports activities, particularly in
financially challenging circumstances, and would contribute to better
understanding of the role of sports as a significant factor in
educational success. Program should be designed to convey to the
foreign counterparts the importance of linking success in sports to
educational and leadership achievement and how these factors can
contribute to short-term and long-term economic prospects.
Youth with Disability: Exchanges supported by this theme are
designed to promote and sponsor sports, recreation, fitness and leisure
events for children and adults with physical disabilities. Project
goals include improving the quality of life for people with
disabilities by providing affordable inclusive sports and recreational
experiences that build self-esteem and confidence, enhancing active
participation in community life and making a significant contribution
to the physical and psychological health of people with disabilities.
Programs should be structured to ensure that physically and
developmentally challenged individuals be fully included in the sports
and recreation opportunities in their communities.
Sports and Health: Projects funded under this category will focus
on effective and practical ways to use sport personalities and sports
health professionals to increase awareness among young people of the
importance of following a healthy life style to reduce illness, prevent
injuries and speed the rehabilitation and recovery. Emphasis will be on
the responsibility of the broader community to support healthy
behavior. The project goals are to promote and integrate scientific
research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and
exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness,
health, and quality of life. (Actual medical training and dispensing of
medications are outside the purview of this theme.)
Guidelines: The Office seeks proposals that provide professional
experience and exposure to American life and culture through
internships, workshops and other learning-sharing experiences hosted by
local institutions. The experiences also will provide Americans the
opportunity to learn
[[Page 20211]]
about other cultures and the social and economic challenges young
athletes elsewhere face today. Travel under these grants should provide
for a two-way exchange. Projects should not simply focus on athletic
training; they should be designed to provide practical, hands-on
experience in U.S. public/private sector settings that may be adapted
to an individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may combine
elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and internships
appropriate to the language ability and interests of the participants.
General Program Guidelines
Applicants must identify the local organizations and individuals in
the counterpart country with whom they are proposing to collaborate and
describe in detail previous cooperative programming and/or contacts.
Specific information about the counterpart organizations' activities
and accomplishments is required and must be included in the section on
Institutional Capacity. All proposals must contain letters of support
tailored to the project being proposed from all foreign-country partner
organizations.
Exchanges and training programs supported by institutional grants
from the Bureau should operate at two levels: They should enhance
institutional partnerships, and they should offer practical information
and experience to individuals and groups to assist them with their
professional responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the
following characteristics:
[sbull] A proven track record of working in the proposed issue
area;
[sbull] An experienced staff with language facility and a
commitment by the staff to monitor projects locally to improve
accountability;
[sbull] A clear, convincing plan showing how permanent results will
be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the grant; and
[sbull] A follow-on plan beyond the scope of the Bureau grant.
Proposal narratives must:
[sbull] Demonstrate an organization's willingness to consult
closely with the Public Affairs Section and other officers at the U.S.
Embassy.
[sbull] Confirm that all materials developed for the project and
with support from a grant provided under this competition will
acknowledge USG funding for the program.
[sbull] Confirm a commitment to invite representatives of the
Embassy and/or Consulate to participate in various program sessions/
site visits. Please note that this will be a formal requirement in all
final grant awards.
Suggested Program Designs
Bureau-supported exchanges may include internships; study tours;
short-term, non-technical experiential learning, extended and intensive
workshops and seminars taking place in the United States or overseas.
Examples of possible program activities include:
1. A U.S.-based program that includes: Orientation to program
purposes and to U.S. society; study tour/site visits; professional
internships/placements; interaction and dialogue; hands-on training;
professional development; and action plan development.
2. Capacity-building/training-of-trainer (TOT) workshops to help
participants to identify priorities, create work plans, strengthen
professional and volunteer skills, share their experience to committed
people within each country, and become active in a practical and
valuable way.
3. Seed/small grants to indigenous non-profit organizations to
support community-based educational projects that build upon exchange
activities and that address issues of local concern. Proposals may
include a component for a Seed/Small Grants Competition (often referred
to as ``sub-grants'' or ``secondary grants''). This requires a detailed
plan for recruitment and advertising; description of the proposal
review and award mechanism; a plan for how the grantee would monitor
and evaluate small grant activity; and a proposed amount for an average
grant. The small grants should be directly linked to exchange
activities. Small/seed grants may not be used for micro-credit or re-
loaning purposes. Small/seed grants may not exceed 10% of the total
value of the grant funds sought from ECA.
4. Site visits by U.S. facilitators/experts to monitor projects in
the region and to provide additional training and consultations as
needed.
5. Content-based Internet training/ cyber-training to encourage
citizen participation in workshops, fora, chats, and/or discussions via
the Internet that will stimulate communication and information sharing
among key opinion leaders on priority topics as a form of cost sharing.
Proposals that include Internet utilization must reflect knowledge of
the opportunities and obstacles that exist for use of information
technologies in the target country or countries, and, if needed,
provide hardware, software and servers, preferably as a form of cost
sharing. Federal standards are under review and their adoption may
impact on the implementation of these programs.
Selection of Participants
All grant proposals should clearly describe the type of persons who
will participate in the program as well as the process by which
participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in
support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host
institutions to support the internships. In the selection of foreign
participants, the Bureau and U.S. Embassies abroad retain the right to
review all participant nominations and to accept or deny participants
recommended by grantee institutions. The U.S. Embassy in the host
country of the exchange must approve all exchange program foreign
visitors. However, grantee institutions should describe in detail the
recruitment and selection process they recommend. The grantee
institution will also provide the names of American participants and
brief (two pages) biographical data on each American participant to the
Office of Citizen Exchanges for information purposes. Priority will be
given to foreign participants who have not previously traveled to the
United States.
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
[[Page 20212]]
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 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:
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) 401-9810, FAX: (202) 401-9809.
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 of
Educational and Cultural Affairs as required. As a minimum, the data
must include the following: 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.
Budget Guidelines
The Bureau has an overall budget of $400,000 for this competition.
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 has set a ceiling of $135,000 for
proposals funded under this competition. The Bureau encourages
applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding from
private sources in support of its programs.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. Grant awards may not exceed $135,000. 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.
Since Bureau grant assistance constitutes only a portion of total
project funding, proposals should list and provide evidence of other
anticipated sources of financial and in-kind support. To be eligible
for consideration under this competition, proposals must provide a
minimum of 50 percent cost sharing of the amount of grant funds sought
from ECA, although proposals with higher cost sharing levels are
welcome.
Example: A proposal requests $125,000 in grant funds from ECA,
for a project with a total budget of $500,000. The required minimum
allowable cost sharing offered must amount to at least $62,500. In
this case, the cost sharing far exceeds the minimum, since actual
cost sharing is $375,000.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated
in this RFGP 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
allowable costs, which are claimed as being your contribution to cost
participation, 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
proportionately to the contribution.
The following project costs are eligible for consideration for
funding:
1. Travel costs. International and domestic airfares; visas;
transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air
travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act. There is no
charge for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs.
Please note that Tibetan participants may not travel to the U.S.
primarily for English language instruction.
2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of
using a flat $160/day for program participants or the published U.S.
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities
outside the U.S., the published Federal per diem rates must be used.
Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the published Federal per
diem rates, not the flat rate. Per diem rates may be accessed at
http://www.policyworks.gov/.
3. Interpreters: If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are
available through the U.S. Department of State Language Services
Division. Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided
for every four visitors who need interpretation. Bureau grants do not
pay for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home
country. Grant proposal budgets should contain a flat $160/day per diem
for each Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home
air transportation of $400 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel
expenses during the program. Salary expenses are covered centrally and
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget. Locally arranged
interpreters with adequate skills and experience may be used by the
grantee in lieu of State Department interpreters, with the same 1:4
interpreter to participant ratio. Costs associated with using their
services may not exceed rates for U.S. Department of State
interpreters.
4. Book and cultural allowance: Foreign participants are entitled
to and escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. program staff
members are not eligible to receive these benefits.
5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized
expertise, design or manage development projects or to make
presentations. Honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per day.
Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the
written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor
should be included in the proposal. Subcontracts should be itemized in
the budget.
6. Room rental. Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.
7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop, and translate materials for participants.
8. Equipment. Proposals may contain limited costs to purchase
equipment crucial to the success of the program, such as computers, fax
machines and copy machines. However, equipment costs must be kept to a
minimum, and costs for furniture are not allowed.
9. Working Meal. The grant budget may provide for only one working
meal during the program. Per capita costs may not exceed $5-8 for a
lunch and $14-20 for a dinner, excluding room rental. The number of
invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a factor of
two-to-one. Interpreters must be included as participants.
10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. This may be
used for incidental
[[Page 20213]]
expenses incurred during international travel.
11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under
the terms of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored health insurance
policy. The premium is paid by the U.S. Department of State directly to
the insurance company. Applicants are permitted to included costs for
travel insurance for U.S. participants in the budget.
12. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective
administration of the program may include salaries for grant
organization employees, benefits, and other direct or indirect costs
per detailed instructions in the Solicitation Package.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
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, May 30,
2003. 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 ten copies of the application should be sent
to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/WHAEAP-03-49, 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 on a 3.5'' diskette,
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will
transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs section at
the U.S. Embassy for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it
takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.
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.
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. The Program Office and the Public
Diplomacy section overseas will review all eligible proposals. 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 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. Program planning to achieve program objectives: Proposals should
clearly demonstrate how the institution plans to achieve the program's
objectives. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.
The proposal should contain a detailed agenda and relevant work plan
that demonstrates substantive undertakings and logistical capacity.
Agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines
described above.
2. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals. For technical projects, foreign experts and their
local partners will be required to have the necessary education,
training and experience for the work to be undertaken, in addition to
language skills where applicable.
3. Institutional Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful development 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. Many
successful applicants will have a multiyear track record of successful
work in the selected country or within the region.
4. 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.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities).
6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should identify other types of
exchanges or linkages that might be undertaken after completion of the
Bureau supported activity.
7. Monitoring and Project Evaluation Plan: Proposals should provide
a detailed plan for monitoring and evaluating the program. The
evaluation plan should identify anticipated outcomes and performance
requirements clearly related to program objectives and activities and
include procedures for ongoing monitoring and corrective action when
necessary. The identification of best practices relating to project
administration is also encouraged, as is the discussion of unforeseen
difficulties.
8. Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing: The overhead and administrative
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be
kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and
appropriate. Proposals must provide 30% cost sharing (of the amount of
grant funds requested from ECA) through other
[[Page 20214]]
private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the
program above is provided through legislation.
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: April 16, 2003.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. 03-10177 Filed 4-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P