[Federal Register: October 18, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 201)]
[Notices]
[Page 59136-59141]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18oc07-91]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5960]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes on American
Politics and Political Thought, Contemporary American Literature,
Religious Pluralism in the United States, U.S. Foreign Policy, and for
Secondary Educators
Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.418.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: December 14, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Branch for the Study of the United States,
Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, invites proposal submissions for the design and
implementation of five Study of the United States Institutes to take
place over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2008. These
institutes should provide a multinational group of experienced
educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values
and institutions.
Four of these institutes will be for groups of 18 foreign
university level faculty each, focusing on American Politics and
Political Thought, Contemporary American Literature, U.S. Foreign
Policy, and Religious Pluralism in the United States. The fifth
institute will be a general survey course on the study of the United
States, for a group of 30 foreign secondary educators.
Applicants may only propose to host one institute listed under this
competition.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,
Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act.
The purpose of the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United
States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the
United States and the people of other countries * * * ; to strengthen
the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the
educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of
the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to
assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful
relations between the United States and the other countries of the
world.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided
through legislation.
Purpose: Study of the United States Institutes are intensive
academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign university
faculty, secondary educators, and other scholars the opportunity to
deepen their understanding of American society, culture and
institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to
improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic
institutions abroad.
The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals for five different Study
of the United States Institutes from U.S. colleges, universities,
consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-for-profit
academic organizations that have an established reputation in a field
or discipline related to the specific program themes.
Overview: Each program should be six weeks in length; participants
will spend approximately four weeks at the host institution, and
approximately two weeks on the educational study tour, including two to
three days in Washington, DC, at the conclusion of the institute. The
educational travel component should directly complement the academic
program, and should include visits to cities and other sites of
interest in the region around the grantee institution, as well as to
another geographic region of the country. The grantee institution also
will be expected to provide participants with guidance and resources
for further investigation and research on the topics and issues
examined during the institute after they return home.
The Study of the United States Institute on American Politics and
Political Thought should provide a multinational group of 18
experienced foreign university faculty with a deeper understanding of
U.S. political institutions and major currents in American political
thought. The institute should provide the foreign participants insight
into how intellectual and political movements have influenced modern
American political institutions. The institute should provide an
overview of political thought during the founding period
(constitutional foundations), and the development and current
functioning of the American presidency, Congress and the federal
judiciary. The examination of political institutions might be expanded
to include the electoral system, political parties and interest groups,
the civil service system, media and think tanks, or the welfare/
regulatory state. The institute should address modern political and
cultural issues in the United States (including but not limited to
civil rights, women's rights, immigration, etc.), and the significance
of public discourse in the formulation of public policy. One award of
up to $280,000 will support this institute.
The Study of the United States Institute on Contemporary American
Literature should provide a multinational group of up to 18 experienced
foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of
U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of
contemporary American literature. Its purpose is twofold: (1) To
explore contemporary American writers and writing in a variety of
genres; and (2) to suggest how the themes explored in those works
reflect larger currents within contemporary American society and
culture. The program should explore the diversity of the American
literary landscape, examining how major contemporary writers, schools
and movements reflect the traditions of the American literary canon. At
the same time, the program should expose participants to writers who
represent a departure from that tradition, and who are establishing new
directions for American literature. One award of up to $280,000 will
support this institute.
The Study of the United States Institute on Religious Pluralism in
the United States should provide a multinational group of up to 18
experienced foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper
understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an
examination of religious pluralism in the United States and its
intersection with American democracy. Employing a multi-disciplinary
approach, drawing on fields such as history, political science,
sociology, anthropology, law and others where appropriate, the program
should explore both the historical and contemporary relationship
between church and state in the United States; examine the ways in
which religious thought and practice have influenced, and been
influenced by, the development of American-style democracy; examine the
intersections of religion and politics in the United States in such
areas as elections, public policy,
[[Page 59137]]
and foreign policy; and explore the sociology and demography of
religion in the United States today, including a survey of the
diversity of contemporary religious beliefs and its impact on American
politics. One award of up to $280,000 will support this institute.
The Study of the U.S. Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy should
provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university
faculty with a deeper understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is
formulated and implemented with an emphasis on the post Cold War
period. This institute should begin with a review of the historical
development of U.S. foreign policy and cover significant events,
individuals, and philosophies that have dominated U.S. foreign policy.
In addition, the institute should explain the role of key players in
the field of foreign policy including the executive and legislative
branches, the media, public opinion, think-tanks, non-governmental and
international organizations and how these players debate, cooperate,
influence policy, and are held accountable. Regional sessions, for the
entire group, highlighting salient topics such as energy security and
environmental policy in Europe; trade and human rights issues in Asia;
foreign aid and humanitarian assistance in Africa; drug trafficking and
immigration issues for the Western Hemisphere; and combating terrorism
in the Near East and South Asia are among the relevant issues that
might be explored. In addition, sessions focusing on current issues
such nuclear disarmament, the Middle East peace process, or U.S.
military actions would be appropriate. The host institution should
provide a comprehensive and cohesive program, ensuring that a diversity
of views is presented and remain flexible based on final composition of
the participant group. One award of up to $280,000 will support this
institute.
The Study of the U.S. Institute for Secondary Educators should
provide a multinational group of 30 experienced secondary school
educators (teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook
writers, education ministry officials) with a deeper understanding of
U.S. society, education, and culture, past and present. The institute
should be organized around a central theme or themes in U.S.
civilization and should have a strong contemporary component. Through a
combination of traditional, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary
approaches, program content should be integrated in order to elucidate
the history and evolution of U.S. educational institutions and values,
broadly defined. The program should also serve to illuminate
contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American
society. One award of up to $350,000 will support this institute.
Program Design: Each Study of the U.S. Institute should be designed
as an intensive, academically rigorous seminar for an experienced group
of educators from abroad. Each institute should be organized through an
integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar discussions, regional
travel and site visits, and should also include sessions that expose
participants to U.S. pedagogical philosophy and practice for teaching
the discipline. Each institute should also include some opportunity for
limited but well-directed independent research.
Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources
of their institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized
expertise of scholars and other experts throughout the United States.
Further details on specific program responsibilities can be found
in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.
Interested organizations should read the entire Federal Register
announcement for all information prior to preparing proposals. Please
refer to the solicitation package for further instructions.
Please note: In a cooperative agreement, the Branch for the
Study of the United States is substantially involved in program
activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring. The Branch
will assume the following responsibilities for the institute:
participate in the selection of participants; oversee the institute
through one or more site visits; debrief participants in Washington,
DC at the conclusion of the institute; and engage in follow-on
communication with the participants after they return to their home
countries. The Branch may request that the grantee institution make
modifications to the academic residency and/or educational travel
components of the program. The recipient will be required to obtain
approval of significant program changes in advance of their
implementation.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in
this program is detailed in the previous paragraph.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2008 (pending availability of funds).
Approximate Total Funding: $1,470,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 5.
Approximate Average Award: Four awards of $280,000 for 18
participants each; one award of $350,000 for 30 participants.
Floor of Award Range: $280,000.
Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, March 1,
2008.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 2008
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is
ECA's intent to renew these cooperative agreements for two additional
fiscal years, before openly competing them again.
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
strongly 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 that 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: (a.) Grants awarded to
eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
ECA anticipates awarding five grants in amounts over $60,000 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.
(b.) Technical Eligibility: It is the Bureau's intent to award five
separate cooperative agreements to five different institutions under
this competition. Therefore prospective applicants may
[[Page 59138]]
only submit one proposal under this competition. All applicants must
comply with this requirement. Should an applicant submit multiple
proposals under this competition, all proposals will be declared
technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review
process.
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 Branch for the Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS,
Room 314, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202) 453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533 to
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number ECA/A/E/USS-08-05 located at the top of this announcement when
making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f. for further information.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application
forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. It also
contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI)
document, which provides specific information, award criteria and
budget instructions tailored to this competition.
For specific questions on the institutes on American Politics and
Political Thought or Religious Pluralism in the United States, please
specify Brendan Walsh, WalshBM@state.gov. For specific questions on the
institute on Secondary Educators, please specify Jennifer Phillips,
PhillipsJA@state.gov. For specific questions on the institute on U.S.
Foreign Policy or Contemporary American Literature, please specify
Sanda Chao, ChaoSL@state.gov and refer to the Funding Opportunity
Number ECA/A/E/USS-08-05 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. Please read all
ll
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 section IV.3f, ``Application
Deadline and Methods of Submission,'' 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 form 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 PSI document and the 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
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 the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR
part 62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants,
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms,
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
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) 203-5029,
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socio-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
(V.2.) 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 strongly
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
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(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.3d.4. Describe your plans for overall program management,
staffing, and coordination with Branch for the Study of the United
States. The Branch considers these to be essential elements of your
program; please be sure to give sufficient attention to them in your
proposal. Please refer to the Technical Eligibility Requirements and
the POGI in the Solicitation Package for specific guidelines.
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 institute. Awards for the institutes on American Politics and
Political Theory, Contemporary American Literature, U.S. Foreign
Policy, and Religious Pluralism in the United States may not exceed
$280,000. The award for the institute for Secondary Educators may not
exceed $350,000. While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to
program costs, the Bureau urges applicant organizations to keep
administrative costs as low and reasonable as possible. 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.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Institute staff salary and benefits.
(2) Participant housing and meals.
(3) Participant travel and per diem.
(4) Textbooks, educational materials and admissions fees.
(5) Honoraria for guest speakers.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: December 14, 2007.
Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.
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 eight (8) copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.
[[Page 59140]]
Applicants submitting hard-copy applications 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 regional bureaus and Public
Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies and for their review, as
appropriate.
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 application has 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 eligible proposals will be reviewed by the
ECA program office and the Public Affairs Sections, where appropriate.
Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and
Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels
for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of
the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final funding
decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's Assistant
Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical
authority for cooperative agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants
Officer.
V.2. 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 Program Idea/Plan: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's
mission. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate
substantive undertakings and logistical capacity.
2. Ability to Achieve Overall Program Objectives: Objectives should
be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
3. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (program venue,
study tour venue, and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, site visits, program meetings and
resource materials).
4. Evaluation and Follow-Up: Proposals should include a plan to
evaluate the institute'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
institute objectives is strongly recommended. Proposals should also
discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned grantees as a means
of establishing longer-term individual and institutional linkages.
5. Cost-Effectiveness/Cost-Sharing: The overhead and administrative
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be
kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and
appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other
private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
6. Institutional Track Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate
an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grants
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed
personnel and institutional resources should be fully qualified to
achieve the institute's goals.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1. 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
rms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy
more than 90 days after the expiration of the award.
Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports.
Please refer to Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3d.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.
[[Page 59141]]
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Branch for the
Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS, Room 314, U.S. Department of
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202)
453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533. For specific questions on the institutes
on American Politics and Political Thought or Religious Pluralism in
the United States, please contact Brendan Walsh, WalshBM@state.gov. For
specific questions on the institute on Secondary Educators, please
contact Jennifer Phillips, PhillipsJA@state.gov. For specific questions
on the institute on U.S. Foreign Policy or Contemporary American
Literature, please contact Sanda Chao, ChaoSL@state.gov. All
correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference
the title ``Study of the U.S. Institutes'' and number ECA/A/E/USS-08-
05.
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: October 9, 2007.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-20594 Filed 10-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P