[Federal Register: May 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 101)]
[Notices]
[Page 30214-30219]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25my06-120]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5419]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: EducationUSA Advising Program for Students and
Scholars from the Middle East and North Africa
Announcement Type: Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: August 18, 2006.
Executive 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 to
administer EducationUSA advising centers in the Middle East and North
Africa. Public and private non-profit U.S. 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 of twelve locations in the Middle East and
North Africa. Organizations wishing to apply for this cooperative
agreement must either currently have offices in the countries covered
by this agreement, or include a detailed plan in their proposal for
establishing such a presence by January
[[Page 30215]]
1, 2007, when advising activities must begin. Maximum expected award
level is $600,000, pending availability of funds. Start-up costs
related to opening new advising centers (fees, purchase of equipment,
etc.) must be borne by the applicant, and may not be included in the
budget submission of this proposal. Applicants are encouraged to keep
headquarters costs as low as possible and ensure that maximum funding
flows to field offices. Please see POGI for details.
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: Department of State-affiliated EducationUSA advising
centers operate in nearly 450 locations in 170 countries around the
world. Advisors guide foreign 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
accurate, unbiased information on the full range of accredited U.S.
higher educational institutions and work to build mutual understanding
between the United States and other countries through educational
exchange.
In the Middle East and North Africa, funding will support foreign
student advising for U.S. study only (not for study in third countries)
in Egypt (Alexandria and Cairo), Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank, and Yemen. Organizations may
apply to operate centers in one or more of the listed locations, up to
the total of twelve.
The advising centers will offer group informational and individual
advising sessions for foreign students, and conduct frequent outreach
to local in-country institutions. The advising centers will provide
information on the following topics: The U.S. education system; U.S.
colleges, universities, community colleges and other higher education
institutions; accreditation; the application process to a U.S.
university; majors and fields of study; testing requirements; life in
the U.S.; scholarship programs and financial aid; and visa procedures.
Centers will provide pre-departure orientation sessions and also try to
stay in touch with students once they are in the United States, and
after they return from their U.S. experience, as they will be an
excellent source of expertise for new advisees.
Free introductory group advising sessions and free access to the
library (at least 50% of the time) must be provided, but applicants may
charge modest, affordable fees to students for other services, or
devise a membership package to recover some advising costs. Applicants
may also charge reasonable fees if services are provided to help U.S.
university representatives traveling in the region for recruitment
purposes. See POGI for details. Group advising and outreach sessions
should pay particular attention to reaching out to underserved
populations, to addressing student and parent safety concerns, and to
correcting misperceptions regarding the U.S. visa process. Outreach
efforts should be coordinated with Public Affairs and Consular sections
at U.S. Embassies.
Advising centers will provide regular access, at times convenient
to the public, to the reference library and computers with Internet to
allow students to conduct online research related to study in the U.S.
The library will contain, at a minimum, materials provided by ECA
through its annual online book ordering process; it may also have
catalogues and other materials sent by accredited U.S. colleges or
other recognized educational sources. A list of ECA materials may be
obtained by contacting Program Officer Rachel Waldstein,
waldsteinre@state.gov.
Security and public access should be taken into consideration in
terms of advising center location; EducationUSA offices should be
centrally located and near public transportation whenever possible.
The grantee organization will employ the advisors and handle all
personnel benefits and other human resource issues. Advisors will be
eligible to participate in Department of State-sponsored training
opportunities, to order reference materials from the Department of
State, and to receive guidance and assistance from the Department of
State's Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) based in
Rabat, Morocco. The REAC's job is to conduct site visits to evaluate
advising centers and local country conditions as they relate to
educational advising, share information with all advisors through a
listserv and newsletter, provide training through regional and local
workshops, and recommend new advisors for ECA training programs.
The EducationUSA advising office serves as the U.S. Embassy's in-
country resource on U.S. higher education. Therefore, applicants should
describe their abilities to monitor, to the extent possible, the status
of the education systems in each of the countries and report important
issues to ECA/A/S/A and the U.S. Embassies. Organizations should
develop a network of contacts within the Ministries of Education, local
schools, universities and other appropriate institutions.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. In a cooperative agreement,
ECA/A/S/A is substantially involved in program activities above and
beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/A activities and
responsibilities for this program are as follows: Approve staffing
requirements including level of effort and distribution of
responsibilities among advising staff; select advisors for training and
conference attendance; and designate program priorities such as
outreach to underserved populations, and others as needed. Public
Affairs and Consular officials at U.S. Embassies should be notified of
all in-country outreach activities, to maximize synergies to be
achieved by dual efforts.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007 (pending availability).
Approximate Total Funding: Minimum of $450,000 and, pending
availability of funds, up to $600,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: One or more.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, January 1,
2007.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2007.
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 grant for two additional fiscal years,
before openly competing it again.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget with a summary budget
as well as detailed administrative and program budgets. 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 for group and individual
use at
[[Page 30216]]
least 30 hours per week, with free access to library and computer at
least 50% of those hours. Additional hours may be reserved for program
development, administrative work, and communications. If applying for
more than one site, applicants should provide separate budgets and
identify proposed program components and activities for each location.
Proposals with overhead and indirect costs exceeding 35% of the amount
requested will be deemed less competitive.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public
and private U.S. non-profit organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs
which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by
the Federal Government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
Overhead and indirect costs should not exceed 35% of the amount
requested.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: Grants awarded to eligible
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Note: 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.
IV.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please
contact the Educational Information and Resources Branch of the Office
of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/A, room 349, U.S. Department of
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, tel: 202-453-
8866. fax: 202-453-8890, e-mail: Waldsteinre@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number
ECA/A/S/A-07-09 located at the top of this announcement when making
your request.
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 Program Officer Rachel Waldstein and refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/A-07-09 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. 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
sent per the instructions under 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 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. 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: For
your information only, 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, recordkeeping, reporting and other
requirements. The Grantee 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 physical
challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
[[Page 30217]]
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review
criteria under the ``Support for Diversity'' section for specific
suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal. Public Law
104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that
the governments of the countries described above do not have
inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the
full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as
well as substantive knowledge.
Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people
trained or the number of seminars conducted. 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.
Please describe your plans for: Provision of services affordable to
students, financial sustainability of centers, use of EducationUSA
advising-related program income to fund further advising activities,
overall program management, coordination of activities with ECA as well
as Public Affairs and Consular Sections at U.S. Embassies, staffing to
provide an adequate level of service, and avoiding overlap with support
for other ECA programs if applicable. (Applicants that have received
other ECA grants on which proposed staff also work should specify
programs and amount of staff time devoted to them.)
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 for each country in which they propose to operate. 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. The most competitive proposals will have
overhead and indirect costs which do not exceed 35% of the total
funding requested.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
A. Program Costs
(1) Advisers' salaries and benefits;
(2) Office supplies and expenses, including rent, utilities,
communications, postage, shipping; publicity, materials and travel for
outreach activities.
B. Indirect Costs
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
Application Deadline Date: Friday, August 18, 2006.
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.
[[Page 30218]]
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''.
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-07-09, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
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.) of the closing date to
ensure that their entire applications have been uploaded to the
grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of
the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order
12372 does not apply to this program.
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 appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S.
embassy(ies) for its(their) review.
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 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 (cooperative agreements) 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. Please
see POGI for description of each criterion.
1. Quality of the program idea.
2. Program planning/ability to achieve program objectives.
3. Institutional capacity/record.
4. Area expertise.
5. Multiplier effect/impact.
6. Support of diversity.
7. Cost effectiveness/cost sharing.
8. Project evaluation.
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 andIndian
Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), ``Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.''
OMB Circular No. A-102, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-133, ``Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.''
Please reference the following Web sites for additional
information:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy
original plus one copy and electronic version of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award; financial report must include program
income from all advising activities (see POGI for description of
applicable services).
(2) Quarterly program and financial reports which should include
discussion of advising activities at each center, challenges
encountered and efforts to overcome them, and an accounting of
EducationUSA-related program income as mentioned above.
Grantees will be required to provide analysis of 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
[[Page 30219]]
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.
Optional--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 grant funding but do not travel.
(2) Monthly statistics of advising center usage, to be sent by e-
mail directly to the REAC.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Rachel Waldstein,
Program Officer, Educational Information and Resources Branch, ECA/A/S/
A, Room 349, ECA/A/S/A-07-09, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone 202-453-8866, fax 202-453-
8890, Waldsteinre@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/A/S/A-07-09.
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: May 16, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. E6-8065 Filed 5-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P