14712 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2011 / Notices 

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 Nonprofit Organizations. 

Please reference the following Web 

sites for additional information: http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants; 

http://fa.statebuy.state.gov. 

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original plus one copy of the following 

reports: 

(1) Interim program and financial 

reports, as required in the cooperative 

agreement; 

(2) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(3) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will be transmitted to OMB, and 

be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(4) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

Award recipients will be required to 

provide reports analyzing their 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

their regular program reports. (Please 

refer to IV. Application and Submission 

Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation information. 

All data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

All reports must be sent to the ECA 

Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer 

listed in the final assistance award 

document. 

VI.4. Program Data Requirements 

Award recipients 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 agreement or who 

benefit from the award funding but do 

not travel. 

(2) Itineraries of international and 

domestic travel, providing dates of 

travel and cities in which any exchange 

experiences take place. Draft schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three weeks prior to the 

beginning of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz, 

Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/ 

PY/T, U.S. Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20522–0503, Tel (202) 

632–6421, Fax (202) 632–9355, 

LantzCS@state.gov. All correspondence 

with the Bureau concerning this RFGP 

should reference the above title and 

number ECA/PE/C/PY–11–30. 

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. 

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: March 9, 2011. 

Ann Stock, 

Assistant Secretary for Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6271 Filed 3–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7365] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Global Connections and 

Exchange Program (GCE) 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–11–32. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Application Deadline: May 9, 2011. 

Executive Summary 

The Youth Programs Division, Office 

of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs 

announces an open competition for two 

or three projects under the Global 

Connections and Exchange Program 

(GCE) in the following countries 

worldwide: Bolivia, Botswana, Ecuador, 

Ethiopia, Ghana, Mongolia, Namibia, 

Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, 

the Philippines, Samoa, Tajikistan, 

Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam, and the 

United States. Public and private nonprofit organizations meeting the 

provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501c(3) 

may submit proposals to facilitate 

online and face-to-face exchanges 

between overseas schools and/or 

community youth organizations and 

counterparts in the United States. 

The Global Connections and 

Exchange Program utilizes technology to 

create a U.S. presence in areas where 

many citizens may have little 

opportunity to travel or participate in 

exchange programs. Through web chats 

and discussion boards, foreign teachers, 

students/youths and youth leaders 

participate in dialogues with U.S. peers 

about their lives, families and 

communities. In addition, theme-based 

curriculum projects will increase 

understanding of issues relevant to both 

U.S. and overseas participants and 

harness their energies to effect positive 

change in their communities. 

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 


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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. 

Program Overview and Goals 

Social media, communication 

technology and blogs offer young people 

opportunities to connect with peers 

across borders and tear down 

misperceptions that lead to 

misunderstanding. In order to harness 

these powerful technology tools to 

remove stereotypes and impel change, 

youth need to be better equipped to use 

social networking sites, interactive 

websites, and new technologies in a 

positive way. 

The goal of the Global Connections 

and Exchange Program is to address 

these issues by developing a cadre of 

technology leaders who have been 

introduced to a broad range of ideas and 

resources through the use of information 

and communication technologies. By 

participating in this program, teachers, 

community youth leaders, and 

secondary school youth in the United 

States and overseas will expand their 

computer literacy skills, improve their 

general knowledge, gain a deeper 

understanding of diverse societies and 

values, and learn to better use 

technology in order to develop their 

leadership skills and influence change 

in their communities. 

GCE also aims to build mutual 

understanding and respect between the 

people of the United States and other 

countries. In addition, the Program 

seeks to encourage respect for diversity 

and promote problem-solving and 

critical thinking among all participants. 

An applicant may choose to support 

partnerships between schools/youth 

centers in the United States with 

schools/youth centers in two, three, or 

four of the countries listed in the 

summary, and may choose to work in 

countries in one world region or 

differing world regions. Applicants may 

not include countries that are not listed 

in this solicitation. 

Program Components: 

The major components of the program 

are as follows: 

(1) Development of social networking 

sites or other types of interactive 

websites for dialogue between U.S. and 

overseas youth; 

(2) Recruitment and selection of 

schools/youth centers and individual 

youth/teachers/community youth 

leaders overseas and in the United 

States; 

(3) Conducting training for teachers, 

community youth leaders and others 

who will lead youth in electronic 

dialogues, themed projects, and 

community outreach; 

(4) Guiding, encouraging, and 

nurturing rich, theme-based discussions 

among program participants; 

(5) Providing participants with 

specialized training in digital dialogue, 

online media sharing, and proper online 

community conduct; 

(6) Producing theme-based projects 

relevant to U.S. and overseas schools 

and communities; 

(7) Conducting community outreach 

whereby participating youth and youth 

leaders reach out to their surrounding 

communities, not only to educate 

community members, but also to ask 

questions of community leaders and 

learn what communities are doing or 

failing to do with the various project 

themes; 

(8) Coordinating recruitment and 

selection with the ECA program Office, 

Public Affairs Sections (PAS) at U.S. 

Embassies, and Ministries of Education, 

if schools are involved in the program; 

(9) Managing all financial aspects of 

the grant; 

(10) Electronically submitting 

monthly updates to the program office 

that describe current, ongoing program 

activities; 

(11) Formulating an evaluation plan 

that links program outcomes to project 

objectives and defines concrete, 

observable activities that demonstrate 

progress to the desired result; 

(12) Developing a plan for continued 

electronic communication among 

participants after the grant expires; 

(13) (OPTIONAL) Planning and 

arranging possible exchanges/trainings 

for teachers and community leaders 

who have emerged as leaders in 

conducting the electronic dialogues and 

themed projects of participating youth; 

(14) (OPTIONAL) Uniting all GCE 

participants. 

In order to unite all GCE participants 

across the multiple grants that ECA will 

award through this FY–2011 program, 

applicants may propose to implement a 

final digital videoconference (DVC) or a 

series of electronic dialogues that bring 

together all the schools and 

organizations overseas and in the 

United States that are participating in 

GCE, or alternately establish a common 

online message board for the use of all 

GCE participants. In these dialogues, 

participants can share and recap 

activities and themes, and illustrate the 

projects that are developing or have 

already been developed under each 

grant. Approximate funding available is 

$5,000. Note: Only one applicant will 

receive funding for this project 

component. 

Information about similar past 

programs can be found at: http:// 

exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/ 

connections.html. 

Project Themes: 

Schools/youth centers overseas that 

are chosen to participate in GCE in 

collaboration with participating U.S. 

schools/youth centers will focus 

together on specific themes. Applicants 

may choose two or three themes, since 

many are interrelated. The first theme, 

leadership development, should be 

included in all projects. 

Themes are as follows: (1) Leadership 

development, (2) environment, (3) rule 

of law/civic education, (4) social 

entrepreneurship, (5) empowering girls 

and young women, (6) peace education, 

(7) food security, (8) health. These 

themes are described in greater detail in 

the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI). 

Organizational Capacity (including 

overseas partners): 

Applicant organizations must 

demonstrate their capacity for 

conducting online programs, with the 

requisite capacity to create, monitor and 

evaluate a program of this nature. This 

includes the following elements: (1) 

Administrative infrastructure in the 

countries designated in the proposal; (2) 

technical expertise to create a webbased, multi-faceted curriculum 

focusing on outlined themes; (3) social 

networking expertise to monitor the 

website and conduct electronic 

dialogues, (4) programmatic experience 

in designing and carrying out thematic 

projects, and (5) experience and 

background in training teachers, youth 

leaders and students in proactive 

communication and interaction. An 

applicant organization may partner with 

an organization or institution to help 

provide the capabilities outlined above. 

Applicants must clearly define and 

name their overseas partner 

organizations or associates and describe 

clearly what roles they will play in the 

project. The partner can be a branch 

office, local non-governmental 

organization, or other associates that 

have the demonstrated ability to 

conduct the specified activities in the 

partner country, including liaison with 

the U.S. embassy. 


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Applicants must also list the affiliated 

schools or youth centers that they have 

selected with the partner organization to 

participate in the electronic dialogues, 

the training of teachers/youth leaders, 

and the themed student projects. These 

may be secondary schools, local 

community youth organizations/centers, 

Binational Centers (BNCs), American 

Corners, or other organizations deemed 

appropriate. Proposals should indicate 

if the project will be conducted as part 

of a classroom curriculum or as an afterschool, extracurricular or community 

activity. The Bureau urges applicants to 

consult with the Public Affairs Sections 

of the participating U.S. Embassies prior 

to submitting their proposal for help in 

vetting in-country partners and schools/ 

youth centers. Please contact the ECA 

Program Officer for contact information. 

Participants: Secondary school-age 

participants must be competitively 

selected to participate in the themefocused projects, electronic dialogues, 

and community outreach. Depending on 

how the program will be implemented, 

students may be selected from one or 

more classrooms or schools, or other 

youth oriented community 

organizations. 

Proposals must clearly define criteria 

for the selection of teachers, youth 

leaders, and youth. Since the social 

networking sites or interactive websites 

have the capacity of reaching large 

numbers and a broad spectrum of 

teachers, youth leaders and students 

from many classes, schools, and 

community youth organizations, the 

proposal must clearly describe how 

maximum numbers of participants will 

be reached and drawn in. 

The training of teachers and 

community youth leaders who are 

expected to guide not only youth chosen 

to participate in the present projects, but 

also subsequent generations of students, 

is of paramount importance to the 

project. 

Proposals must outline a training 

plan, training methodology, and 

timeline. Intended outcomes of the 

trainings must be clearly defined. 

Applicants may propose to conduct 

exchanges for teachers/trainers/youth 

leaders to and/or from the United States. 

Proposals must describe in detail the 

possible exchange programs for the 

exchange participants. These must be 

two to three weeks in length and 

include a strong training component, 

but may also include visits to different 

schools and attendance at cultural 

events. 

Sustainability: The applicant must 

provide concrete ideas and outline 

specific steps for maintaining contact 

among participating teachers, 

community youth leaders, and students 

after the program has concluded. All 

participants must be taught or clearly 

shown how to disseminate information 

about the program while it is ongoing 

and after it ends, and how in turn to 

teach their peers to participate in 

similar projects in the future. The steps 

applicants intend to take throughout the 

grant cycle that will ensure 

sustainability must be concrete, doable, 

and clearly outlined. 

Program Guidelines: 

The grants should begin on or about 

September 1, 2011, subject to 

availability of funds, and the grant 

period will be 12 to 20 months in 

duration. Applicants must select and 

name the following: 

• Partner countries; 

• Specific partner organizations in 

each country; 

• Specific collaborating schools/ 

youth centers in the United States and 

overseas. 

Applicants must also outline their 

choice of themes, and present a strong 

justification for their choices. 

Upon award, the recipient must begin 

to coordinate program activities with 

Post and ECA, keeping all involved 

parties informed of program activities 

and events. 

An applicant may choose to partner 

with two to four countries within one 

world region or differing world regions. 

Applicants may not include countries 

not listed in the RFGP. For a grant with 

the specified minimum of two 

countries, the minimum grant request 

should be $200,000 and up to 

approximately $250,000. The maximum 

grant request is $425,000 for four 

countries. 

The Bureau expects to award two to 

three grants under this competition with 

total funding of $850,000. Applicants 

may submit only one proposal. If 

multiple proposals are received from the 

same applicant, all submissions will be 

declared ineligible and given no further 

consideration in the review process. 

Grant recipients must identify the 

program as ‘‘The Global Connections 

and Exchange Program (GCE)’’ at all 

times. Web sites and other materials 

must acknowledge the U.S. Department 

of State as the sponsor, with specific 

recognition of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs. The Bureau will 

retain copyright use of and be allowed 

to distribute materials related to this 

program, as appropriate. 

Grants to be awarded under this 

competition will be based upon the 

quality and responsiveness of proposals 

to the review criteria presented later in 

this RFGP. 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. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2011 

Approximate Total Funding: $850,000 

(pending the availability of funds) 

Approximate Number of Awards: Two 

to three. 

Floor of Award Range: $200,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $425,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, September 1, 2011. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

12 to 20 months after start date, to be 

specified by applicant. 

Additional Information: The 

estimated cost per country is 

approximately $100,000 to $125,000. 

With more countries, per country costs 

should decrease. 

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 

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 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, grantees must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as their 

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 grantee does 

not provide the minimum amount of 

cost sharing as stipulated in the 

approved budget, ECA’s contribution 

will be reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

(a.) Bureau grant guidelines require 

that organizations with less than four 

years experience in conducting 

international exchanges be limited to 

$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 

anticipates making awards in amounts 

exceeding $60,000 to support program 

and administrative costs required to 


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implement this program. Therefore, 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges are ineligible to apply under 

this competition. 

(b.) Proposed sub-award recipients are 

also limited to grant funding of $60,000 

or less if they do not have four years of 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges. 

(c.) Organizations may submit only 

one proposal (total) under this 

competition. If multiple proposals are 

received from the same applicant, all 

submissions will be declared 

technically ineligible and will be 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 

Program Officer Ilo-Mai Harding at 

telephone 202–632–9386 or e-mail 

HardingIM@state.gov. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/ 

C/PY–11–32) 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), 

which provides specific information, 

award criteria and budget instructions 

tailored to this competition. 

Please specify Ilo-Mai Harding and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number (ECA/PE/C/PY–11–32) on all 

other inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

site at http://exchanges.state.gov/grants/ 

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

site at http://www.grants.gov. 

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under ‘‘Application 

Deadline and Methods of Submission’’ 

under the section below. 

IV.3a. Applicants 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 the 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF—424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. Please refer to the 

Solicitation Package. It contains the 

mandatory Proposal Submission 

Instructions (PSI) document and the 

Project Objectives, Goals and 

Implementation (POGI) document for 

additional formatting and technical 

requirements. 

IV.3c. All federal award recipients 

and sub-recipients must maintain 

current registrations in the Central 

Contractor Registration (CCR) database 

and have a Dun and Bradstreet Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number. 

Recipients and sub-recipients must 

maintain accurate and up-to-date 

information in the CCR until all 

program and financial activity and 

reporting have been completed. All 

entities must review and update the 

information at least annually after the 

initial registration and more frequently 

if required information changes or 

another award is granted. 

Applicants must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, 

all applicants for ECA federal assistance 

awards must include in their 

application the names of directors and/ 

or senior executives (current officers, 

trustees, and key employees, regardless 

of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants 

must submit information in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt Form Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 

In addition to final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

and key employees), as well as the onepage description of grant activities, will 

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its USASpending.gov 

Web site as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

If grantee organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if the 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

it must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause the proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing the proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1 Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs is the official program sponsor of 

the exchange program covered by this 

RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau 

will be the ‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the 

program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, 

which covers the administration of the 

Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, 

organizations receiving grant awards 

under this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR 62. 

Therefore, the Bureau expects that 

any organization receiving an award 

under this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 

et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphasis on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient organizations and program 

participants to all regulations governing 

the J visa program status. Therefore, 

proposals should explicitly state in 

writing that the applicant is prepared to 

assist the Bureau in meeting all 

requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If 


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grantee organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

its record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 

et. seq., including the oversight of their 

Responsible Officers and Alternate 

Responsible Officers, screening and 

selection of program participants, 

provision of pre-arrival information and 

orientation to participants, monitoring 

of participants, proper maintenance and 

security of forms, record-keeping, 

reporting and other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS– 

2019 forms to participants in this 

program in order for them to obtain J– 

1 visas for entry into the United States. 

The grant recipient will be responsible 

for obtaining visas for the U.S. 

participants and for submitting 

appropriate information to the Bureau 

in a timely manner before participant 

travel. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov 

or from: 

Office of Designation, Private Sector 

Programs Division, U.S. Department of 

State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA–5, 5th Floor, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20037. 

IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines 

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing 

legislation, programs must maintain a 

non-political character and should be 

balanced and representative of the 

diversity of American political, social, 

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be 

interpreted in the broadest sense and 

encompass differences including, but 

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement 

of these goals in their program contents, 

to the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the success of the 

project, both as the activities unfold and 

at the end of the program. The Bureau 

recommends that proposals 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 recipient organization 

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 study, 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. 

An evaluation plan should include a 

description of project objectives, 

anticipated project outcomes, and how 

and when grantee organization intends 

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. It should also be clearly 

demonstrated how project objectives 

link to the goals of the program 

described in this RFGP. 

The 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. 

We encourage a thorough assessment 

of 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 shortterm outcome, whereas behavior and 

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of the 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.) 

Recipient organizations 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 plans for 

sustainability, overall program 

management, staffing, school linkages 

and projects, reciprocal exchanges, and 

coordination/consultation with ECA 

and PAS. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing the budget: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF– 

424A—‘‘Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs’’ along with a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. There must be a summary 

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting 

both administrative and program 

budgets. Applicants may provide 

separate sub-budgets for each program 


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component, phase, location, or activity 

to provide clarification. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: 

(1) Stipends for U.S. and overseas 

educators; 

(2) Small grants to support 

community service projects; 

(3) Competitions and other types of 

incentives; 

(4) Reciprocal exchanges for a small 

group of students and one educator to/ 

from the United States. 

Organizations are required to use free 

and existing websites for purposes of 

social networking and project 

implementation. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: Monday, 

May 9, 2011. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY– 

11–32 . 

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 the 

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: 

Program Management Division, ECA– 

IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY–11–32, 

SA–5, Floor 4, Department of State, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20037. 

With the submission of the proposal 

package, please also e-mail the 

Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, 

and Budget sections of the proposal, as 

well as any attachments essential to 

understanding the program, in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, and/or PDF, to the 

program officer at HardingIM@state.gov. 

The Bureau will provide these files 

electronically to the Public Affairs 

Sections at the relevant U.S. Embassies 

for their review. 

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 Note: ECA bears no responsibility 

for applicant timeliness of submission or data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes for proposals submitted 

via Grants.gov. 

Please follow the instructions 

available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of 

the site (http://www.grants.gov/ 

GetStarted). 

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov 

registration process could take several 

weeks. Therefore, applicants should 

check with appropriate staff within their 

organizations immediately after 

reviewing this RFGP to confirm or 

determine their registration status with 

Grants.gov. 

Once registered, the amount of time it 

can take to upload an application will 

vary depending on a variety of factors 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your internet connection. 

In addition, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend 

that applicant organizations not wait 

until the application deadline to begin 

the submission process through 

Grants.gov. 

The Grants.gov Web site includes 

extensive information on all phases/ 

aspects of the Grants.gov process, 

including an extensive section on 

frequently asked questions, located 

under the ‘‘For Applicants’’ section of 

the website. ECA strongly recommends 

that all potential applicants review 

thoroughly the Grants.gov website, well 

in advance of submitting a proposal 

through the Grants.gov system. ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Direct all questions regarding 

Grants.gov registration and submission 

to: Grants.gov Customer Support. 

Contact Center Phone: 800–518–4726. 

Business Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 

a.m.–9 p.m. Eastern Time. 

E-mail: support@grants.gov. 

Applicants have until midnight (12 

a.m.), Washington, DC time of the 

closing date to ensure that their entire 

application has been uploaded to the 

Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions 

to the above deadline. Applications 

uploaded to the site after midnight of 

the application deadline date will be 

automatically rejected by the grants.gov 

system, and will be technically 

ineligible. 

Please refer to the Grants.gov website, 

for definitions of various ‘‘application 

statuses’’ and the difference between a 

submission receipt and a submission 

validation. 

Applicants will receive a validation email from grants.gov upon the 

successful submission of an application. 

Again, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. Therefore, we 

strongly recommend that you not wait 

until the application deadline to begin 

the submission process through 

Grants.gov. ECA will not notify you 

upon receipt of electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all 

applicants submitting proposals via the 

Grants.gov web portal to ensure that 

proposals have been received by 

Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications: Executive Order 12372 

does not apply to this program. 

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 


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the program office, as well as Public 

Diplomacy sections overseas, where 

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be 

subject to compliance with Federal and 

Bureau regulations and guidelines, and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for grants resides 

with the Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the Program Idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. 

2. Program Planning/Ability to 

Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals 

should clearly convey a feasible plan 

that supports program goals and is 

relevant to the Bureau’s mission. The 

substance of online activities should be 

described in detail. A detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should adhere to 

the program overview and guidelines 

described above. Reviewers will 

evaluate how training and the 

curriculum will support online learning 

and collaboration among students/ 

teachers/youth leaders. They will also 

assess how objectives will be achieved 

and make sure that the timetable is 

feasible for completion of major tasks. 

3. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Geographic, gender and socio-economic 

diversity should be reflected in the 

selection of schools and participants. 

The curriculum content should 

reinforce cultural diversity in the 

broadest sense of the term. 

4. Institutional Capacity/Track 

Record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources in both the 

United States and in the partner 

countries should be clearly enumerated 

and be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program goals. Proposals 

should exhibit significant experience in 

social networking as well as 

implementing web-based educational 

projects at the high school level. 

Reviewers will assess the organization’s 

institutional record of successful 

programs, including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements as 

determined by the Bureau’s Grants 

Division. The Bureau will consider the 

past performance of prior recipients and 

the demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

5. Follow-On Activities: Proposals 

should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activities (without Bureau 

support) ensuring that Bureau 

supported programs are not isolated 

events. Reviewers will examine ways in 

which social networking sites are 

managed and their applicability for use 

when funds are no longer available. 

6. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

Draft survey questionnaires or other 

techniques, plus descriptions of 

methodologies that link outcomes to 

original project objectives is strongly 

recommended, particularly for prior 

grant recipients implementing similar 

programs. Grantee organizations are 

expected to submit interim reports and 

one final report. Organizations must 

also electronically submit monthly 

progress reports that clearly describe 

program activities. 

7. 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. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices: 

Final awards cannot be made until 

funds have been appropriated by 

Congress, allocated and committed 

through internal Bureau procedures. 

Successful applicants will receive a 

Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from 

the Bureau’s Grants Office. The FAA 

and the original proposal with 

subsequent modifications (if applicable) 

shall be the only binding authorizing 

document between the recipient and the 

U.S. Government. The FAA 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 Nonprofit Organizations 

Please reference the following 

websites for additional information: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants. 

http://fa.statebuy.state.gov 

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original of the following reports plus 

two copies of the following reports: 

(1.) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2.) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will be transmitted to OMB, and 

be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(3.) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

(4.) Interim program and quarterly 

financial reports that describe program 

activities and progress, and funds spent. 

Award recipients will be required to 

provide reports analyzing their 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

their regular program reports. (Please 

refer to IV. Application and Submission 

Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation information. 

All data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

All reports must be sent to the ECA 

Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer 

listed in the final assistance award 

document. 

VI.4. Program Data Requirements: 

Award recipients will be required to 

maintain specific data on program 

participants and activities in an 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2011 / Notices 14719 

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 of all persons who travel 

internationally on funds provided by 

the agreement or who benefit from the 

award funding but do not travel. 

(2) Itineraries of international and 

domestic travel, providing dates of 

travel and cities in which any exchange 

experiences take place. Final schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three work days prior to the 

official opening of the activity. 

(3) Information about participating 

schools and organizations including, but 

not limited to, location, demography, 

participating program leaders, teachers, 

students, and youth. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Ilo-Mai 

Harding, Program Officer, Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, ECA–PE–C–PY, 

Room 3–H17, U.S. Department of State, 

SA–5, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20037, telephone: 202–632–9386, 

fax number: 202–632–9355, E-mail: 

HardingIM@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number: ECA/PE/C/ 

PY–11–32. 

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. 

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: March 9, 2011. 

Ann Stock, 

Assistant Secretary for Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6297 Filed 3–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7366] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Professional Exchanges 

Congress 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C–11–21. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Key Dates: Spring and Fall 2012. 

Application Deadline: May 19, 2011 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs invites 

proposal submissions to conduct the 

2012 spring and fall End-of-Program 

‘‘Professional Exchanges Congresses’’ for 

individuals from Africa, East Asia and 

the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and 

North Africa, South and Central Asia 

and the Western Hemisphere 

participating in the Legislative Fellows 

Program, the Women’s Empowerment 

Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program. Public and private non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit 

proposals to conduct two three-day 

Professional Exchanges Congresses in 

spring and fall 2012. These professional 

exchange programs support and 

encourage young government and civil 

society leaders, roughly ages 25–38, 

from eligible countries to gain 

knowledge of U.S. practices and 

techniques in their field of expertise, 

explore governance principles and 

practices in both public and civil 

society institutions in the United States, 

and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. 

society, culture, and people. These 

professional exchange programs are also 

designed to provide U.S. participants 

the opportunity to share their 

professional expertise with counterparts 

in eligible countries and gain a deeper 

understanding of the societies, cultures, 

and professional arena of their foreign 

colleagues. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

I.1. 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 FulbrightHays 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. 

I.2. Purpose 

ECA anticipates funding one grant of 

approximately $576,000 for the 

development, management, and 

implementation of two (2) Professional 

Exchanges Congresses that will occur at 

the end of both the spring and fall 

fellowship components for the 2012 

Legislative Fellows Program, Women’s 

Empowerment Program, and Young 

Entrepreneurs Program. 

These professional exchange 

programs are two-way exchanges 

involving current or potential 

government and civil society leaders 

from both the U.S. and foreign countries 

who will effect positive change in their 

workplace and communities and 

develop long-term engagement between 

their home organizations and foreign 

counterparts. In addition to the 

professional focus of the program, 

foreign participants will be provided 

opportunities to explore governance as 

practiced in the United States, and in 

particular the interface between 

government and civil society. 

Additional information about these 

professional exchange programs can be 

located on the Federal Registry under 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Open Competition for the 

Professional Exchange Programs, 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/ 

C–11–01. 

The three-day Professional Exchanges 

Congresses should build upon the 

thematic focus of the Legislative 

Fellows Program, the Women’s 

Empowerment Program, and the Young 

Entrepreneurs Program; work to 

reinforce programmatic goals; allow for 

engaged interaction between individuals 

from different countries; highlight key 

learning objectives; outline plans for 

follow-on projects; and help the 

professional exchange participants 

translate and utilize their U.S. 

experiences in their home communities. 

Special attention should be paid to 

integrating these three professional 

exchange programs, and concepts such 

as citizen empowerment, grassroots 

advocacy, volunteerism, community 

action, and leadership into the Congress 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES