Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2011 / Notices 14725 

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 an 

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 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 an 

electronic version and one hard copy 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 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.) Quarterly program and financial 

reports highlighting all major activities 

undertaken during the grant period 

including program analysis and lessons 

learned. 

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. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Linne ́a E. 

Allison, U.S. Department of State, Office 

of Citizen Exchanges, Professional 

Exchanges, ECA/PE/C–EAP–ECA–SCA, 

SA–5, 3rd Floor, ECA/PE/C–11–21, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20037, (202) 632–6060, Fax: (202) 632– 

6492, allisonle@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

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

11–21. 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, Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6279 Filed 3–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7368] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Open Competition for 

Professional Exchange Programs 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C–11–01. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2011. 

Application Deadline: May 12, 2011. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges (ECA/PE/C), Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs 

(ECA), announces an open competition 

for grants to conduct the 2011 

professional exchange programs. This 

opportunity is designed to bring young 

foreign professionals to the United 

States for four week to six week-long 

fellowships in organizations related to 

their field of work, followed by 

American counterparts who will travel 

overseas for reciprocal fellowships. 

Projects should take place over the 

course of one to two years, and engage 

up-and-coming and mid-level 

government or civil society 

professionals who will effect positive 

change in their institutions and 

communities through the following 

initiatives: The Legislative Fellows 

Program, the Women’s Empowerment 

Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program. 

U.S. public and non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue code 

section 26 U.S.C. 501(c) (3) may submit 

proposals that support the goals of these 

professional exchange programs (the 

Legislative Fellows Program, the 

Women’s Empowerment Program, and 

the Young Entrepreneurs Program). The 

basic framework that should be 

followed for all three of these programs, 

including the expected outputs and 

program timeline, is described in 

sections I.2 through I.6 below. 

Elaboration on specific aspects of these 

programs, and the eligible countries, are 

provided in Section I.7 below. 


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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 

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. 

I.2. Purpose and Program Description 

The 2011 professional exchange 

programs (the Legislative Fellows 

Program, the Women’s Empowerment 

Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program) are two-way exchanges 

involving current or potential 

government and civil society leaders in 

the areas of entrepreneurship, the 

legislative process, and women’s 

empowerment. This is one of two 

RFGPs being published simultaneously 

in the Federal Register to support the 

overall goals and objectives of the 2011 

professional exchange programs. 

Reflecting both Department and 

Bureau priorities, those goals are to: (1) 

Provide participants from eligible 

countries an opportunity 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; (2) 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 people of other 

countries; and 3) promote mutual 

understanding and lasting, mutually 

beneficial partnerships between key 

professionals and organizations in the 

United States and their counterparts in 

eligible countries. 

As a result of the program it is 

expected that participants from both the 

U.S. and foreign countries will effect 

positive change in their workplaces and 

communities and develop long-term 

engagement between their home 

organizations and foreign counterparts. 

I.3. Participants. ‘‘Participants’’ are 

defined as those who travel under grant 

funding from their country of origin to 

a designated exchange country. It is 

acceptable for there to be more foreign 

participants than American participants 

under this program model; however, 

applicants are encouraged to include 

approximately as many American as 

foreign participants to emphasize that 

this program is reciprocal in nature. 

Foreign participants should be 

selected through a merit-based, 

competitive process. They should be upand-coming and mid-level government 

or civil society professionals with 

experience and current employment 

related to one of the designated areas. 

Because of the nature of this program, 

all selected participants must be highly 

proficient in written and oral English, 

self-directed, able to work effectively in 

a cross-cultural setting, and have 

demonstrated leadership abilities. 

U.S. participants should include 

professionals with relevant expertise 

from the government and civil society 

organizations where the foreign 

participants are placed. While U.S. 

participants are not required to have 

foreign language ability or previous 

country-specific experience, it is highly 

encouraged. 

I.4. Partner Organizations. Applicants 

must identify the U.S.-based and 

foreign-based organizations and 

individuals with whom they are 

proposing to collaborate and describe 

previous cooperative activities, if any. 

Successful proposals will include 

qualified and established partner 

organizations/offices in each of the 

regions where participants are being 

recruited. Also, proposals must 

demonstrate capacity in the U.S. to 

secure relevant fellowship placements 

for foreign participants: Proposals that 

include this information—especially 

with letters of commitment from 

possible U.S-based host organizations— 

will be deemed more competitive. 

I.5. Project Outputs. Successful grant 

applicants must fully demonstrate a 

capacity to provide the following project 

outputs: 

I.5a. Recruit participants. The grant 

recipient will recruit and select 

qualified individuals from throughout 

the target country(ies) for two cohorts of 

both U.S. and foreign participants. 

Foreign participants should be selected, 

with the knowledge and participation of 

the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the 

U.S. Embassy, through a merit-based, 

competitive process. Unless an 

organization has its own presence in the 

partner country(ies), an in-country or 

regional partner organization should be 

designated to coordinate participant 

screening, selection, and orientation 

prior to their departure for the United 

States. While the PAS should be 

involved in participant selection, 

responsibility for coordination and 

implementation will lie completely with 

the grantee organization. 

I.5b. Facilitate the visa process. The 

grant recipient will work with ECA and 

the PAS to procure U.S. visas for foreign 

participants and work directly with the 

foreign embassy of the partner country 

to arrange visas for U.S. travelers. The 

recipient will collect and deliver to 

ECA/PE/C all biographical information 

from foreign participants necessary to 

complete the DS–2019 form required for 

J–1 visas. ECA will issue the DS–2019 

forms required for J visas; see Section 

IV.3d.1. for additional information 

related to the administration of J visa 

programs. 

I.5c. Arrange all round-trip 

international travel. The recipient will 

comply with all federal regulations 

regarding the use of U.S. government 

funds for travel including the Fly 

America Act. 

I.5d. Conduct two rounds of U.S. 

Participant Engagement. The grant 

recipient will be responsible for 

arranging four-week to six-week 

fellowships in the United States for 

foreign participants. Fellowships should 

be designed to offer the maximum 

hands-on experience for all participants 

within relevant agencies and/or 

organizations. One placement that 

allows the participant to get an insider 

look and feel of the organization is 

preferable to serial, short-term 

placements with several organizations. 

The purpose of each placement is to 

provide first-hand experience of the 

inner, day-to-day workings of a relevant 

U.S. workplace and an opportunity for 

the participant to form work and 

personal relationships with U.S. coworkers. While some group activities 

may be appropriate, site visits where the 

participants have only a brief glimpse of 

a variety of organizations should be kept 

to a minimum. 

The Program Office anticipates that 

all proposals will adhere to the model 

outlined in this RFGP. However, in very 

limited circumstances, when a 

compelling reason exists to deviate 

slightly from the program model (for 

example a somewhat shortened 

timeline, or alternate dates), this will be 

taken it into consideration in the review 

process. 

I.5e. Engage with participants via the 

ECA Alumni social network. Grantees 

should describe plans to utilize the ECA 

Alumni Web site, a proprietary social 

networking site for the exclusive use of 

ECA program participants, grantee 


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organizations, and ECA program staff. 

Grantees should communicate with 

their participants through the Web site 

from the time they are identified, 

through the life of the project and 

beyond. The site can be used to provide 

logistical information to the participants 

as well as project content. The award 

recipient must be able to create a 

dynamic on-line environment and 

substantive content that engages 

participants in on-going group 

discussions on programmatic themes as 

they relate to the participants’ 

experience in the U.S. and their home 

countries. 

I.5f. Conduct two rounds of overseas 

activities for U.S. participants. The 

recipient will arrange two to three 

weeks of overseas travel for U.S. 

participants to conduct on-site 

consultancies and joint programming 

with foreign participants and their 

colleagues, and, if appropriate and 

feasible, arrange fellowship placements 

for U.S. participants to learn from their 

counterparts and share their 

professional expertise. Proposals should 

present a convincing and detailed work 

plan for the U.S. participants while they 

are with the home organizations of the 

foreign participants. Activities should 

engage a wide range of people and focus 

on building the sustainability of the 

participants’ professional and 

institutional relationships beyond the 

grant period. 

I.5g. Conduct a Pre-Departure 

Orientation and an In-Country 

Orientation for all Participants. The 

grantee will be responsible for 

conducting a pre-departure orientation 

for foreign participants prior to their 

departure from their home countries. 

The grantee should also provide a 

comprehensive orientation for foreign 

participants upon their arrival in the 

United States and for U.S. Participants 

prior to their travel abroad. Many, if not 

most, of the foreign participants will 

never have been to the U.S. before this 

project. Pre-departure orientation topics 

should include an overview of travel 

logistics, arrival information, J–1 visa 

regulations, programmatic expectations, 

as well as issues related to U.S. culture, 

and their programs. Their orientation 

should provide not only information on 

their fellowship placements and 

logistics, but also cover more day-to-day 

considerations for working and living in 

the U.S., such as information on the 

community where they’ll be located, 

cross-cultural issues, standards of 

conduct, etc. Project goals, performance 

measurements, a calendar of events and 

the participants’ place in the wider 

project and program should be 

discussed. 

I.5h. Facilitate the participation of the 

foreign professional participants in two 

Professional Exchanges Congresses. At 

the conclusion of each round of U.S.- 

based fellowships, the grantee will 

coordinate with ECA and other grant 

recipients in implementing a three-day 

Congress in Washington, DC, for all FY 

2011 professional exchange participants 

from foreign countries. The Professional 

Exchanges Congress is intended to 

provide the participants: 

• The opportunity to network with 

colleagues from around the world, 

sharing their own U.S. experience and 

learning about the experiences of others; 

• A contextual framework for 

understanding the ‘‘fellowship 

experience’’, the broader exchange 

program, and civil society issues as they 

pertain to individual professional 

backgrounds and expertise; 

• Substantive dialogue to examine the 

interplay of government and civil 

society; 

• A deeper understanding of the ways 

an individual, organization, or interest 

group can generate change for the 

common good; and 

• An enhanced appreciation of the 

importance of public diplomacy in the 

global community. 

Grantees must be willing and able to 

participate in regularly scheduled 

planning meetings via teleconference 

with ECA and other grantee 

organizations. Grantees’ ability and 

willingness to work collaboratively are 

key to making each Congress a 

meaningful and significant capstone 

that ties seamlessly with individual 

projects and participants’ experience. 

It is anticipated that a grant for the 

overall planning, management, and 

implementation of the Congresses will 

be awarded in a separate competition 

(ECA/PE/C–11–21) to which grant 

recipients of this funding opportunity 

(ECA/PE/C–11–01) and other U.S. 

public and non-profit organizations 

meeting the provisions described in 

Internal Revenue code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) will be eligible to apply. 

I.5i. Monitor, evaluate, and report on 

project. The Department of State places 

high importance on monitoring and 

evaluation as a means of ensuring and 

measuring a project’s success. Proposals 

must include a detailed monitoring and 

evaluation plan that assesses the impact 

of the project on the participant, his/her 

organization, and community. Please 

refer to section. IV.3d.3. Project 

Monitoring and Evaluation below. 

I.5j. Carry out post-grant engagement. 

The grant recipient will develop 

enhancement activities that reinforce 

project goals after the participants’ 

return to their home country. This 

includes encouraging participants’ ongoing involvement with the on-line 

Alumni community and helping them 

maintain and expand their ties to their 

fellowship placement organizations. 

I.5k. Conduct Re-entry Seminar. The 

grant recipient will conduct an incountry re-entry seminar or ‘‘debrief’’ for 

all returning foreign participants. If 

possible, the dates of the seminar or 

debrief should coincide with 

international arrival schedules to ensure 

limited domestic travel and good 

stewardship of federal funds. The grant 

recipient should consult with the Public 

Affairs Section on the development of 

the program date and agenda. The 

seminar should be interactive in nature 

with a special emphasis on creating a 

forum for participants to share their 

reflections and observations of their 

U.S. exchange experience. 

I.5l. Manage all financial aspects of 

the project. The grantee will be 

responsible for budget oversight and 

management of project activities, 

including participant costs and 

transparent arrangements of sub-grant 

relationships with partner 

organizations, if applicable. 

Important: Logistics for the 

Washington, DC, Congresses, including 

local transportation, lodging and meals 

for all participants, will be covered 

under a separate grant. Therefore, these 

expenses should NOT be included in 

individual budgets under this 

solicitation. Please see IV.3e.2o for 

further details. 

I.6. Projected Timeline. ECA envisions 

the 2011 professional exchange 

programs calendar as follows: 

• Fall 2011: Planning for first foreign 

cohort travel to the U.S. (participant 

recruitment, selection; J–1 visas; 

arranging fellowship placements, etc.) 

• April 2012: Travel to the U.S. by the 

first cohort of foreign participants for 

four-week to six-week fellowships. 

• May 2–4, 2012: Three-day 

enrichment component in Washington, 

DC, at the end of the U.S. stay that 

includes a Professional Exchanges 

Congress for all Spring 2012 

participants. 

• Spring 2012: Planning for first U.S. 

cohort travel abroad (schedule, flights 

visas; etc.) 

• Summer 2012: Travel by the first 

cohort of U.S. participants overseas for 

two to three weeks. 

• Summer 2012: Planning for second 

foreign cohort travel to U.S. 

• September/October 2012: Travel to 

the U.S by second cohort of foreign 

participants for four-week to six-week 

fellowships. 


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• November 7–9, 2012: Three-day 

enrichment component in Washington, 

DC, at the end of the U.S. stay that 

includes a Professional Exchanges 

Congress for all Fall 2012 participants. 

• Fall 2012: Planning for second U.S. 

cohort travel abroad. 

• Winter 2012–3: Travel by the 

second cohort of U.S. participants 

overseas for two to three weeks. 

I.7. Only proposals that involve the 

following will be considered technically 

eligible: 

I.7a. Legislative Fellows Program 

The Legislative Fellows Program will 

engage professionals who are actively 

involved in the legislative process and/ 

or policy-making through their work in 

government, civic education 

organizations, citizen advocacy groups, 

political parties, or election monitoring 

organizations. During their time in the 

United States, the participants will 

examine the relationship between civil 

society and government, and the issue 

of public corruption and accountability. 

Participants will observe the role of 

their U.S. counterparts in various levels 

of the U.S. government, through 

placements in Congressional offices 

(including state/district offices), state 

legislatures, city councils/local 

government bodies, advocacy groups or 

other relevant organizations across the 

United States, engage in dialogue, and 

develop plans for projects that support 

more responsive social and political 

institutions. 

U.S. participants will be selected from 

staff members at the various fellowship 

sites who will act as primary hosts/ 

mentors to the foreign fellows during 

their U.S. stay, including staff of the 

U.S. Congress, state legislatures, city 

councils/local governments, and 

advocacy groups. After the U.S.-based 

fellowships are completed, these 

American participants will travel 

overseas to their counterparts’ home 

countries for on-site consultancies and 

joint programming with foreign 

participants and their colleagues, and, if 

appropriate and feasible, arrange 

fellowship placements for U.S. 

participants to learn from their 

counterparts and share their 

professional expertise. This 

programming could also include 

outreach activities, engaging the local 

media and giving presentations to wider 

audiences. 

I.7a.1. Sub-Saharan Africa (AF): 

Angola, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, 

Zimbabwe 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program should include one or more of 

the countries listed above. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Jim Ogul, tel: (202) 

632–6055, e-mail: OgulJE@state.gov. 

I.7a.2. East Asia and Pacific (EAP): 

Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Taiwan 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program should include at least three (3) 

of the countries/territories listed above. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: 

(202) 632–6067, e-mail: 

MeierAW2@state.gov. 

I.7a.3. Europe (EUR): Armenia, 

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, 

Turkey, Ukraine 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program should include all of the 

countries listed above. Participants from 

Russia and Turkey combined should 

constitute at least one half of the total 

participants. 

Approximate Grant Award: $900,000 

to $1,000,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 90 to 100 

Program Contact: Linne ́a E. Allison, 

tel: (202) 632–6060, e-mail: 

AllisonLE@state.gov. 

I.7a.4. Europe (EUR): Bulgaria, 

Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, 

Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program should include at least three (3) 

of the countries listed above, and should 

have a specific focus on the 

involvement of minority communities 

and/or the immigrant population in 

legislatures and government. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Linne ́a E. Allison, 

tel: (202) 632–6060, e-mail: 

AllisonLE@state.gov. 

I.7a.5. Near East/North Africa (NEA): 

Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, 

Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, 

Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United 

Arab Emirates, and Yemen 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program may include multiple countries 

or be single-country projects. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants: 35 to 

45 

Program Contact: Thomas Johnston, 

tel: (202) 632–6056, e-mail: 

JohnstonTJ@state.gov. 

I.7a.6. South and Central Asia (SCA): 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, 

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sri 

Lanka and Pakistan 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program should include at least five (5) 

of the countries listed above, and should 

include within the broader program (i.e. 

not limited solely to) a focus on 

grassroots involvement and youth 

engagement in civil society/political 

decisionmaking. For proposals that 

include Afghanistan, security 

conditions will dictate whether it will 

be possible to conduct programming for 

American participants in Afghanistan, 

and this should be addressed 

specifically, including appropriate 

contingencies. 

Approximate Grant Award: $650,000 

to $750,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 65 to 75 

Program Contact: Karin Brandenburg, 

tel: (202) 632–9368, e-mail: 

BrandenburgKL@state.gov. 

I.7a.7. Western Hemisphere (WHA): 

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, 

Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El 

Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, 

Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, 

Peru, Venezuela 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Legislative Fellows 

Program must include participants from 

Mexico and Brazil, and at least seven (7) 

additional countries from the above list, 

including representative countries from 

2 Caribbean, 2 Central American, and 3 

South American countries. 

Approximate Grant Award: $650,000 

to $750,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 65 to 75 

Program Contact: Carol Herrera, tel: 

(202) 632–6054, email: 

HerreraCA1@state.gov. 

I.7b. Women’s Empowerment Program 

The Women’s Empowerment Program 

will focus on the unique interests of 

women in issues that affect the broader 

society, including business, civil 

society, and journalism. Participants 

will represent women-owned 

businesses, non-governmental 

organizations, healthcare industries, and 

educational institutions. During their 4– 

6 week fellowships in the United States, 

participants will gain firsthand 

knowledge of how organizations and 

institutions advocate on behalf of 

women and their critical role in 

community advancement, while also 

participating in site visits and speciallydesigned seminars. 

U.S. participants will be selected from 

those individuals who act as primary 

hosts/mentors to the foreign participants 


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during their U.S. stay. After the U.S.- 

based fellowships are completed, these 

American participants will travel 

overseas to the participants’ home 

countries to engage with their 

counterparts on the role of women in 

civil society. The programs will include 

joint programming with foreign 

participants and their colleagues, and, if 

appropriate and feasible, fellowship 

placements for U.S. participants. This 

programming could also include 

outreach activities, engaging the local 

media and giving presentations to wider 

audiences. 

I.7b.1. Sub-Saharan Africa (AF): 

Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, 

South Africa, Zimbabwe 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should include at least two (2) 

of the countries listed above and 

specifically emphasize women’s 

entrepreneurship and employment 

skills development for participation in 

the workforce. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Jim Ogul, tel: (202) 

632–6055, e-mail: OgulJE@state.gov. 

I.7b.2. Sub-Saharan Africa (AF): 

Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, 

South Africa, Zimbabwe 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should include at least two (2) 

of the countries listed above and 

specifically emphasize building 

partnerships between U.S. and 

international women and organizations 

devoted to health issues such as HIV/ 

AIDS, nutrition, maternal health, 

disease prevention, gender-based 

violence or other relevant health issues. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Jim Ogul, tel: (202) 

632–6055, e-mail: OgulJE@state.gov. 

I.7b.3. East Asia and Pacific (EAP): 

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should be regional in scope, 

including all four (4) of the Lower 

Mekong countries listed above and 

should endeavor to empower women to 

increase local capacity and connectivity. 

Specifically, proposals should 

emphasize strengthening local 

community infrastructure and capacity, 

especially in the area of technology, 

such as improving women’s access to 

reliable mobile technology and services. 

Participants should be placed at nongovernmental organizations, advocacy 

groups, relevant government offices, 

small businesses or other related 

organizations and focus on advancing 

gender equality by bringing together 

women and technology. 

Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: 

(202) 632–6071, e-mail: 

MeierAW2@state.gov. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

I.7b.4. East Asia and Pacific (EAP): 

Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, 

Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, 

Timor-Leste, Tonga 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should include at least four (4) 

of the countries listed above, and should 

focus on the development of civil 

society groups that focus on women. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: 

(202) 632–6067, e-mail: 

MeierAW2@state.gov. 

I.7b.5. East Asia and Pacific (EAP): 

Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, 

Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, 

Thailand, Vietnam 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should include at least four (4) 

of the countries listed above, with a 

specific emphasis on women’s 

entrepreneurship. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: 

(202) 632–6071, e-mail: 

MeierAW2@state.gov. 

I.7b6. South and Central Asia (SCA): 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, 

India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka 

(including the Maldives) 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program include at least four (4) of the 

countries listed above. For proposals 

that include Afghanistan, security 

conditions will dictate whether it will 

be possible to conduct programming for 

American participants in Afghanistan, 

and this should be addressed 

specifically. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Karin Brandenburg, 

tel: (202) 632–9368, e-mail: 

BrandenburgKL@state.gov. 

I.7b.7. Western Hemisphere (WHA): 

Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, 

Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, El 

Salvador, Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, 

Guatemala, Barbados (and the Eastern 

Caribbean), Costa Rica 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Women’s Empowerment 

Program should support professionals 

who are actively involved in enhancing 

the role of civil society in the following 

sectors: Economic Development, 

Environmental Sustainability and 

Health. Projects should directly engage 

African descendant and indigenous 

communities. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Carol Herrera, tel: 

(202) 632–6054, email: 

HerreraCA1@state.gov. 

I.7c. Young Entrepreneurs Program 

The Young Entrepreneurs Program 

will engage small business owners, 

business professionals and business 

educators, to observe best practices in 

business, engage in dialogue with their 

peers in the U.S., and complete 

individually tailored fellowships in 

appropriate organizations. Participants 

will increase their understanding of the 

links between entrepreneurial activity 

and free markets, as well as the 

importance of transparency and 

accountability in business and 

government through the participants’ 

direct involvement in American 

businesses. 

U.S. participants will be selected from 

those individuals who act as primary 

hosts/mentors to the foreign fellows 

during their U.S. stay. After the U.S.- 

based fellowships are completed, these 

American participants will travel 

overseas to the participants’ home 

countries for on-site consultancies and 

joint programming with foreign 

participants and their colleagues, and, if 

appropriate and feasible, arrange 

fellowship placements for U.S. 

participants to learn from their 

counterparts and share their 

professional expertise. This 

programming could also include 

outreach activities, engaging the local 

media and giving presentations to wider 

audiences. 

I.7c.1. East Asia and Pacific (EAP): 

Ngwang Choephel Fellows Program— 

Tibetan Autonomous Region or Tibetan 

areas of China 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program should be designed to carry out 

a two-way Professional program as 

described in section I.2 through I.6 

above, but on a smaller scale; it is 

expected that there will only be one 

cycle of participants under this 


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program, as opposed to the two cycles 

described in the 2011 professional 

exchange program overview. The 

economic outcomes on which the 

proposals focus could, for example, 

include economic activity related to 

cultural preservation and eco-tourism. 

Proposals should incorporate alternate 

plans into their narrative in anticipation 

of any difficulties of participants 

traveling to or from the Tibetan 

Autonomous Region or the Tibetan 

areas of China. 

Program Contact: Linne ́a E. Allison, 

tel: (202) 632–6060, e-mail: 

AllisonLE@state.gov. 

Approximate Grant Award: $200,000 

to $250,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 20 to 25 

I.7c.2. Near East/North Africa (NEA): 

Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, 

Palestinian Territories, Syria 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program should include at least four (4) 

of the countries listed above. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Thomas Johnston, 

tel: (202) 632–6056, e-mail: 

JohnstonTJ@state.gov. 

I.7c.3. South and Central Asia (SCA): 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 

Tajikistan 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program should include at least one of 

the countries listed above, and should 

focus on strengthening the 

entrepreneurial system in each country, 

advocating and enabling greater 

economic diversification. For proposals 

that include Afghanistan, security 

conditions will dictate whether it will 

be possible to conduct programming for 

American participants in Afghanistan, 

and this should be addressed 

specifically. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Karin Brandenburg, 

tel: (202) 632–9368, e-mail: 

BrandenburgKL@state.gov. 

I.7c.4. Western Hemisphere (WHA): 

Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, 

Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, El 

Salvador, Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, 

Guatemala, Ecuador 

Proposals submitted under this 

section of the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program will engage professionals who 

are actively involved in working to 

improve the lives of young people living 

in communities threatened by conflict 

and insecurity due to lack of positive 

economic opportunities. Proposals 

should focus on engaging young social 

entrepreneurs to promote sustainable 

and inclusive community economic 

empowerment. Projects should engage 

African Descendants, Indigenous 

peoples, and other socially excluded 

communities. Fellows from 

communities confronted by drugs, 

crime, and gang violence can be 

community leaders, educators, and 

other youth-program implementers who 

are placed with government, NGO and 

community organizations that work 

with youth to offer positive alternatives 

to gangs, drug-trafficking, and 

associated violence. 

Approximate Grant Award: $350,000 

to $450,000 

Approximate no. of participants per 

award: 35 to 45 

Program Contact: Carol Herrera, tel: 

(202) 632–6054, Email: 

HerreraCA1@state.gov. 

I.8. What to Include in Your Proposal 

I.8a. Executive Summary. The 

Executive Summary should be one page 

in length and include the project title, 

the goals of the project, the target 

countries, the names of all partner 

organizations responsible for project 

implementation, the numbers of 

participants, both foreign and American, 

and the number of proposed exchanges 

and approximate dates. 

I.8b. Proposal Narrative. In 20, 

double-spaced pages the narrative 

should include: 

I.8b.1. Project Goals, Objectives, 

Anticipated Outcomes. A clear, succinct 

statement of project goals, objectives 

and anticipated outcomes that expand 

upon ECA/PE/C goals as stated in this 

RFGP. Objectives should be described in 

specific, measurable, and realistic terms 

that are achievable within the scope of 

the project, both in terms of time and 

funding. They should be framed from 

the participant perspective, i.e., ‘‘By 

(time), the participants will * * *’’ They 

should be guided by one or more of the 

following questions. (Please see section 

IV.3d.3. Project Monitoring and 

Evaluation for assistance in identifying 

and defining outcomes.) 

1. What specifically will participants, 

U.S. and foreign, learn as a result of this 

project? 

2. What new attitudes will 

participants, U.S. and foreign, develop, 

or what new ideas will they encounter 

as a result of this project? 

3. How will the participants’ behavior 

change as a result of this project? What 

new actions will they take? 

4. Will participants be a catalyst for 

change in their schools, work-places, 

communities, or institutions? How so? 

Proposals that clearly delineate 

salient objectives in measurable terms 

and plan activities in a sequence that 

will progressively lead to achieving 

those objectives, will be considered 

more competitive. 

I.8b.2. Background Information on 

Implementing Organizations. 

Information on all organizations and 

staff involved in the implementation of 

the project including the mission, 

relevant expertise in the project theme 

and country(ies), examples of past 

activities and accomplishments, ongoing and planned activities not 

including the proposed project. 

I.8b.3. Roles and Responsibilities. A 

clear delineation of the roles and 

responsibilities of all partner 

organizations in terms of project 

logistics, management, and oversight. 

I.8b.4. Project Management Plan. A 

simple project management plan for the 

two-year life of the project that lists, in 

table format, outputs (major events or 

tasks performed by the grantee 

organization or partners), dates and the 

person or group responsible. 

I.8b.5. Support of Diversity. A 

description on how the Bureau’s policy 

on Support of Diversity will be 

integrated into all aspects of the project 

including but not limited to fellowship 

placements, program materials, training 

methodology, etc. Please refer to 

guidance in PSI under ‘‘Diversity, 

Freedom and Democracy Guidelines.’’ 

I.8b.6. Post-grant Plan. A post-grant 

plan that demonstrates how the grantee 

and participants will collaborate and 

communicate after the ECA-funded 

grant has concluded. 

I.8b.7. Evaluation Plan. An evaluation 

plan that follows the guidance provided 

in this RFGP. Please refer to section 

IV.3d.3. ‘‘Project Evaluation’’ below. 

Detailed evaluation plans that put the 

narrative over the 20-page limit and 

sample surveys or other evaluation tools 

may be included in TAB E. 

I.8b.8. Budget. Please refer to section 

IV.3e. Budget Submission in this 

document and the PSI for guidance on 

preparing your budget. 

I.8b.9. Working with the ECA Office of 

Public Affairs and Strategic 

Communications and the Public Affairs 

Section. Proposals should include plans 

to work with ECA’s Office of Public 

Affairs and Strategic Communications 

in developing a coordinated media and 

public outreach strategy to strengthen 

the identity, increase the program’s 

visibility, and raise the public 

awareness of the Legislative Fellows 

Program, the Women’s Empowerment 

Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program. All grantees will need to 

incorporate the respective program’s 


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brand (provided by ECA) and give credit 

to ECA throughout all of its educational 

and outreach materials including its 

website with final approval by ECA. 

Proposals should also include an 

articulated plan as to how the grantee 

plans to work closely with the Public 

Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in 

the relevant country(ies) to develop 

plans for project implementation, to 

select project participants, conduct 

outreach, and to invite representatives 

of the Embassy(ies) and/or consulate(s) 

to participate in project sessions or site 

visits. Grantee organizations should 

include a scheduled debrief with 

Embassy representatives following the 

foreign participants’ return to their 

home countries, and where possible, at 

the conclusion of the U.S. participants’ 

visit. All plans must be approved by 

ECA. 

I.8b.10. Acknowledging ECA’s 

Financial Support and use of program 

logo. An acknowledgement to follow 

guidance in the PSI entitled 

‘‘Acknowledgement of ECA’s Financial 

Support and Use of the Department 

Seal’’. Proposals should also indicate 

that grantee organization’s plan to use 

the three ECA-developed program logos 

(one each for the Legislative Fellows 

Program, the Women’s Empowerment 

Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs 

Program) in all relevant program 

materials, applications, websites, and 

other related materials. 

I.8b.11. Alumni Outreach. An 

acknowledgement to comply with 

‘‘ECA’s General Policy Guidance on 

Alumni Outreach/Follow-on and 

Engagement’’ provided in the PSI. 

I.8c Attachments 

I.8c.1. Resumes. Resumes of principal 

staff of all partner organizations 

involved in the implementation of the 

project should be included in TAB E. 

I.8c.2. Letters of Commitment and/or 

letters of support. Letters of 

commitment or support from partner 

organizations partner institutions 

should demonstrate a capacity to 

arrange and conduct U.S. and overseas 

activities and should also be included in 

TAB E. 

I.8c.3. Project Materials. Materials that 

help demonstrate project design and 

implementation should be included in 

TAB E. These include: 

1. Draft agendas of professional 

workshops, conferences and seminars 

including pre-departure, orientation and 

final conference activities 

2. Draft application and recruitment 

materials 

3. Draft selection and interview 

materials 

4. Outline of alumni programming 

including sample of small grant 

applications 

5. Sample evaluation and survey 

instruments 

6. Project management plan 

7. Project promotional materials 

8. Sample of any on-line sessions 

I.8c.4. Unsolicited Documents. 

Attachments that do not directly 

address the proposed project (i.e., 

organization brochures, pamphlets, 

unsolicited reports) are strongly 

discouraged. 

II. Award Information 

II.1. Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

II.2. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2011. 

II.3. Approximate Total Funding: 

$8,300,000. 

II.4. Approximate Number of Awards: 

15–20. 

II.5. Approximate Average Award: 

$400,000. 

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 USC 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, 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 costsharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Four Years of Exchange 

Experience. 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 an amount 

from $300,000 and higher to support 

program and administrative costs 

required to implement the projects 

under this RFGP. Therefore, 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges are ineligible to apply under 

this competition. 

III.4. Technical Eligibility: All 

proposals must comply with the 

following or they will result in your 

proposal being declared technically 

ineligible and given no further 

consideration in the review process. 

• Eligible applicants may not submit 

more than one proposal under this 

competition. 

• Eligible applicants may only 

propose working with the countries and 

themes listed under each of the themes 

of this RFGP. 

• No funding is available exclusively 

to send U.S. citizens to conferences or 

conference type seminars overseas; nor 

is funding available for bringing foreign 

nationals to conferences or to routine 

professional association meetings in the 

United States. 

• Please refer to the Proposal 

Submission Instruction (PSI) document 

for additional requirements. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete Solicitation 

Package before sending inquiries or 

submitting proposals. All applicants are 

strongly encouraged to consult with the 

Washington, DC-based State Department 

contact for the themes/regions listed in this 

solicitation. Applicants are also strongly 

encouraged to consult with Public Affairs 

Officers at U.S. Embassies in relevant 

countries as they develop proposals 

responding to this RFGP. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau and Embassy 

staff may not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review process 

has been completed. 

IV.1. Contact Information To Request a 

Solicitation Package 

Please contact David Gustafson in the 

Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, 

U.S. Department of State, SA–5, 3rd 

Floor, 2200 C St, NW., Washington, DC 

20037, ph: (202) 632–6083, 

GustafsonDP@state.gov, to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/ 

C–11–01 located at the top of this 

announcement when making your 

request. An electronic solicitation 

package may be obtained from http:// 

www.grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f 

for further information. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via the Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

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


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open2.html or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

search.do;jsessionid=

Jq8YKvxYr8YPgjW2VSLdBhwhY0NxsF

zdgctFJGDpfQYdJV2GzJl9!-1163459943?

mode=AGENCYSEARCH&agency=DOS. 

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The Solicitation Package includes both 

the Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) 

and the Proposal Submission 

Instruction (PSI) document, which 

consists of required application forms, 

and standard guidelines for proposal 

preparation. Applicants should assure 

that proposals respond to guidance 

provided in both documents. 

IV.3a. DUNS number. 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 ninedigit 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.dunand

bradstreet.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. Proposal Components: All 

proposals must contain an executive 

summary, proposal narrative and 

budget. Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Solicitation Instructions (PSI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. Registration and Non-Profit 

Status: 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. 

You 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 From 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 

website as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

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. Additional Information 

IV.3d1. Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs is the official program sponsor of 

the exchange program covered by this 

RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau 

will be the ‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the 

program under the terms of 22 CFR part 

62, which covers the administration of 

the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 

part 62, organizations receiving awards 

(either a grant or cooperative agreement) 

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 part 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 

part 62 et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases 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 part 62. 

If your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq., including the oversight 

of their Responsible Officers and 

Alternate Responsible Officers, 

screening and selection of program 

participants, provision of pre-arrival 

information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, recordkeeping, reporting and 

other requirements. The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be 

responsible for issuing DS–2019 forms 

to participants in this program. A copy 

of the complete regulations governing 

the administration of Exchange Visitor 

(J) programs is available at http:// 

travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/ 

types_1267.html or from: United States 

Department of State, Office of Exchange 

Coordination and Designation, (ECA/ 

EC/D), SA–5, Floor C2, Department of 

State, Washington, DC 20037. 

IV.3d2. 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 


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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.3d3. Project Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the project’s 

success, both as the activities unfold, at 

the end of the project and beyond. The 

Bureau recommends that each proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other instruments plus a description of 

a methodology to be used 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 project, learning as a result of the 

project, changes in behavior as a result 

of the project, and effects of the project 

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, 

participant-centric goals and intended 

outcomes at the outset of a project. 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). (Note the call for 

measurements at the baseline and for 

short term and longer-term outcomes.) 

The more that outcomes are ‘‘smart’’ 

(specific, measurable, attainable, resultsoriented, 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 ECA/PE/C goals described in this 

RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

project 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 in participant learning, 

behavior, and at the participant’s 

institution. Findings on outputs and 

outcomes should both be reported, but 

the emphasis 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 impact): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

project 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 each 

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 (e.g., surveys, interviews, tests, 

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 

project 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.3e. Budget Submission. Please 

follow the guidelines in this section and 

consult the PSI when preparing the 

budget submission. 

IV.3e.1. Form SF–424A. Applicants 

must submit SF–424A—‘‘Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

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 subbudgets for each program component, 

phase, location, or activity to provide 

clarification. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs. Allowable 

costs for the project include the 

following: 

IV.3e.2a. Travel. International and 

domestic airfare; airline baggage and 

seat fees; visas; transit costs; ground 

transportation costs. Please note that all 

air travel must be in compliance with 

the Fly America Act. There is no charge 

for J–1 visas for participants in Bureau 

sponsored projects. 

IV.3e.2b. Per Diem. For U.S.-based 

programming, organizations should use 

the published Federal per diem rates for 

individual U.S. cities. Domestic per 

diem rates may be accessed at: http://

www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287. 

ECA requests applicants to budget 

realistic costs that reflect the local 

economy and do not exceed Federal per 

diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can 

be accessed at: http://aoprals.state.gov/ 

content.asp?content_id=184&menu_

id=78. 

IV.3e.2c. Interpreters. We anticipate 

that all participants coming to the U.S. 

on this program have good English 

skills. However, if special circumstances 

warrant the use of interpretation, ECA 

strongly encourages applicants to hire 

their own locally-based interpreters but 

may ask ECA to assign State Department 

interpreters. One interpreter is typically 

needed for every four participants who 

require interpretation. When an 

applicant proposes to use State 

Department interpreters, the following 

expenses should be included in the 

budget: Published Federal per diem 

rates (both ‘‘lodging’’ and ‘‘M&IE’’) and 

‘‘home-program-home’’ transportation in 

the amount of $400 per interpreter. 

Salary expenses for State Department 

interpreters will be covered by the 

Bureau and should not be part of an 

applicant’s proposed budget. Bureau 

funds cannot support interpreters who 

accompany delegations from their home 

country or travel internationally. 

IV.3e.2d. Book and Cultural 

Allowances. Foreign participants are 

entitled to a one-time cultural allowance 

of $150 per person, plus a book 

allowance of $50. Interpreters should be 

reimbursed up to $150 for expenses 


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when they escort participants to cultural 

events. U.S. project staff, trainers or 

participants are not eligible to receive 

these benefits. 

IV.3e.2e. Consultants. Consultants 

may be used to provide specialized 

expertise or to make presentations. 

Honoraria rates should not exceed $250 

per day. Organizations are encouraged 

to cost-share rates that would exceed 

that figure. Subcontracting organizations 

may also be employed, in which case 

the written agreement between the 

prospective grantee and sub-grantee 

should be included in the proposal. 

Such sub-grants should detail the 

division of responsibilities and 

proposed costs, and subcontracts should 

be itemized in the budget. 

IV.3e.2f. Room rental. The rental of 

meeting space should not exceed $250 

per day. Any rates that exceed this 

amount should be cost shared. 

IV.3e.2g. Materials. Proposals may 

contain costs to purchase, develop and 

translate materials for participants. 

Costs for high quality translation of 

materials should be anticipated and 

included in the budget. Grantee 

organizations should expect to submit a 

copy of all project materials to ECA, and 

ECA support should be acknowledged 

on all materials developed with its 

funding. 

IV.3e.2h. Supplies. Applicants may 

propose to use grant funds to purchase 

supplies, such as computers and 

printers; supply costs should be 

justified in the budget narrative. Costs 

for furniture are not allowed. 

IV.3e.2i. Working meal. One working 

meal may be provided during each U.S.- 

based or foreign-based travel 

component. Per capita costs may not 

exceed $45/person, excluding room 

rental. The number of invited guests 

may not exceed participants by more 

than a factor of two-to-one. When 

setting up a budget, interpreters should 

be counted as participants. 

IV.3e.2j. Return travel allowance. A 

return travel allowance of $70 for each 

foreign participant may be included in 

the budget. This allowance would cover 

incidental expenses incurred during 

international travel. 

IV.3e.2k. Re-entry Seminars. Costs 

related to providing foreign participants 

a re-entry seminar may include per 

diem, hotel accommodations, material 

development, and other related 

expenses. 

IV.3e.2l. Health Insurance. The grant 

recipient will be responsible for 

enrolling foreign and U.S. participants 

in the program by the ECA-sponsored 

Accident and Sickness Program for 

Exchanges (ASPE). The premium is paid 

by ECA and should not be included in 

the grant proposal budget. Applicants 

may include costs for travel insurance 

for U.S. and foreign participants in the 

budget. 

IV.3e.2m. Wire transfer fees. When 

necessary, applicants may include costs 

to transfer funds to partner 

organizations overseas. Grantees are 

urged to research applicable taxes that 

may be imposed on these transfers by 

host governments. 

IV.3e.2n. In-country travel costs for 

visa processing purposes. Visas for 

foreign participants are provided by 

DOS and should not be included in the 

budget. Given the requirements 

associated with obtaining J–1 visas for 

ECA-supported participants, applicants 

should include costs for any travel 

associated with procuring visas, 

including travel for interviews, 

delivering or picking-up passports, etc. 

IV.3e.2o. Administrative Costs. Costs 

necessary for the effective 

administration of the project may 

include salaries for grantee organization 

employees, benefits, and other direct 

and indirect costs per detailed 

instructions in the PSI. While there is 

no rigid ratio of administrative to 

project costs, proposals in which the 

administrative costs do not exceed 25% 

of the total requested ECA grant funds 

will be more competitive under the cost 

effectiveness and cost sharing criterion, 

per item V.1 below. Proposals should 

show strong administrative cost sharing 

contributions from the applicant, the incountry partner and other sources. 

IV.3e.2p. Professional Exchanges 

Congresses, Washington, DC: Proposals 

should incorporate a minimum of three 

(3) days and four (4) nights in 

Washington, DC into their project plan 

in order for each group of participants 

to attend one of the Professional 

Exchanges Congresses that will take 

place in spring (May 2–4, 2012) and fall 

(November 7–9, 2012.) All logistics, 

including local transportation, hotel, 

and meals will be arranged and paid for 

through a separate grant that will cover 

expenses for all participants and staff 

attending the Professional Exchanges 

Congresses. Expenses for the 

Professional Exchanges Congress must 

not be included in your budget. The 

only allowable costs associated with the 

Washington, DC-based component are: 

1. Travel to/from Washington, DC: PE/ 

C strongly encourages program 

managers to plan for the Congress to 

occur at the end of the fellowship 

period and to send participants home 

directly from the Washington area. If, 

for programmatic reasons, the 

Professional Exchanges Congress must 

be scheduled before the fellowships are 

completed, travel from Washington to 

the next U.S. site should be included in 

the budget. 

2. Additional Days: PE/C strongly 

encourages program managers to take 

advantage of the opportunity to arrange 

meetings with government agencies and 

national organizations represented in 

the DC metro area that are relevant to 

the participants’ areas of expertise. If 

more than three days and four nights are 

programmed, costs for lodging, meals, 

and miscellaneous expenses for all 

additional days should be included in 

the budget. 

3. Cultural/thematic programming: 

All expenses for cultural and relevant 

thematic activities programmed on 

additional days beyond the three days 

and four nights set aside for the 

Professional Exchanges Congresses 

should be included in the budget. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: May 12, 

2011. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C–11–01. 

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., 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 package. 

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 


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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: 

Program Management Division, ECA– 

IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C–11–01, SA– 

5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

CD–ROM. As appropriate, the Bureau 

will provide these files electronically to 

U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section(s) 

for 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 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 you 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 Web site. 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. 

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 award grants 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: 

V.2a. Quality of Project Idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and direct linkage 

to the goals of ECA/PE/C’s Professional 

Exchanges Program as well as relevance 

to the Bureau’s mission of mutual 

understanding. Proposals should 

demonstrate a realistic and achievable 

scope that fits within the budgetary and 

time parameters set forth in the RFGP. 

V.2b. Project Planning and Ability to 

Achieve Objectives: Project objectives 

should be framed from the participant 

perspective, targeting participant 

satisfaction with the project, his/her 

learning and changes in behavior as a 

result of the project, and institutional 

change as a result of the participant 

having taken part in the project. A 

detailed agenda should demonstrate 

how and when these objectives will be 

achieved. A project management plan 

should provide, in table format, outputs 

(major events or tasks by the grantee 

and/or partner organizations), dates, and 

the person or group responsible. 

Responsibilities of proposed in-country 

partners should be clearly described. 

V.2c. Project Monitoring and 

Evaluation: 

Proposals should include a detailed 

plan to monitor and evaluate the 

effectiveness and overall impact of the 

project. Project objectives should target 

clearly defined results in quantitative 

terms. Competitive evaluation plans 

will describe how applicant 

organizations would measure these 

results, and proposals should include 

draft data collection instruments 

(surveys, questionnaires, de-briefing 

sessions, etc.) in Tab E. 

V.2d. Institutional Capacity: 

Proposals should include (1) The 

institution’s mission and date of 

establishment; (2) detailed information 

about proposed in-country partner(s) 

and the history of the partnership; (3) an 

outline of prior awards—U.S. 

government and/or private support 

received for the target theme/country/ 

region; and (4) descriptions of 

experienced staff members who will 

implement the program. The proposal 

should reflect the institution’s expertise 

in the subject area and knowledge of the 

conditions in the target country/ 

countries. 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 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program’s goals. The Bureau strongly 

encourages applicants to submit letters 

of support from proposed in-country 

partners. 

V.2e. Cost Effectiveness and Cost 

Sharing: Overhead and administrative 

costs in the proposal budget, including 

salaries, honoraria and subcontracts for 

services, should be kept to a minimum. 

The number of participants and actual 

project days should be maximized. 

Proposals that employ other creative 

techniques to increase or stretch 

funding dollars, such as home-stays for 

foreign participants, and funding or inkind support from other public and 

private partners, will be deemed more 

competitive. Proposals in which the 


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administrative costs do not exceed 25% 

of the total requested ECA grant funds 

will be more competitive (see IV.3e.2 14 

for clarification on this). Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to cost share a 

portion of overhead and administrative 

expenses. Cost-sharing, including 

contributions from the applicant, 

proposed in-country partner(s), and 

other sources should be included in the 

budget request. Proposal budgets that do 

not reflect cost sharing will be deemed 

not competitive on this criterion. 

V.2f. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both project administration 

(selection of participants, project venues 

and evaluation) and program content 

(orientation and wrap-up sessions, 

meetings, resource materials and followup activities). Applicants should refer to 

the Bureau’s Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal 

Submission Instructions (PSI). 

V.2g. Post-Grant Activities: 

Applicants should provide a plan to 

conduct activities after the Bureaufunded project has concluded in order 

to ensure that Bureau-supported 

programs are not isolated events. Funds 

for all post-grant activities must be in 

the form of contributions from the 

applicant or sources outside of the 

Bureau. Costs for these activities must 

not appear in the proposal budget, but 

should be outlined in the narrative. 

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 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.2a. Additional Requirements for 

the Palestinian Authority, West Bank, 

and Gaza. All awards made under this 

competition must be executed according 

to all relevant U.S. laws and policies 

regarding assistance to the Palestinian 

Authority, and to the West Bank and 

Gaza. Organizations must consult with 

relevant Public Affairs Offices before 

entering into any formal arrangements 

or agreements with Palestinian 

organizations or institutions. 

Note: To assure that planning for the 

inclusion of the Palestinian Authority 

complies with requirements, please contact 

Tom Johnston, Tel. (202) 632–6056; e-mail: 

JohnstonTJ@state.gov for additional 

information. 

VI.2b. Special Provision for Performance 

in a Designated Combat Area (Currently 

Iraq and Afghanistan) 

All Recipient personnel deploying to 

areas of combat operations, as 

designated by the Secretary of Defense 

(currently Iraq and Afghanistan), under 

assistance awards over $100,000 or 

performance over 14 days must register 

in the Department of Defense 

maintained Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker 

(SPOT) system. Recipients of federal 

assistance awards shall register in SPOT 

before deployment, or if already in the 

designated operational area, register 

upon becoming an employee under the 

assistance award, and maintain current 

data in SPOT. Information on how to 

register in SPOT will be available from 

your Grants Officer or Grants Officer 

Representative during the final 

negotiation and approval stages in the 

federal assistance awards process. 

Recipients of federal assistance awards 

are advised that adherence to this policy 

and procedure will be a requirement of 

all final federal assistance awards issued 

by ECA. 

Recipient performance may require 

the use of armed private security 

personnel. To the extent that such 

private security contractors (PSCs) are 

required, grantees are required to ensure 

they adhere to Chief of Mission (COM) 

policies and procedures regarding the 

operation, oversight, and accountability 

of PSCs. 

VI.3. Administrative and National 

Policy Requirements 

Terms and Conditions for the 

Administration of ECA agreements 

include the following Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

guidance: 

• Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Nonprofit Organizations.’’ 

• Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Educational Institutions.’’ 

• Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

State, Local and Indian Governments.’’ 

• Circular A–110 (Revised), Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and other 

Nonprofit Organizations. 

• Circular No. A–102, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments. 

• Circular A–133, Audits of States, 

Local Government, and Non-profit 

Organizations. 

Please reference http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ 

grants_circulars/for additional 

information: 

VI.4. Reporting Requirements. You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original plus one electronic copy of the 

following reports: 

VI.4a. Final Reports. A final program 

and financial report no more than 90 

days after the expiration of the award; 

VI.4b. One-Page Report. 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. 

VI.4c. SF–PPR. A SF–PPR, 

‘‘Performance Progress Report’’ Cover 

Sheet should be submitted with all 

program reports. 

VI.4d. Quarterly reports. Quarterly 

program and financial reports should be 

submitted for the duration of the 

program. For program reports, award 

recipients will be required to provide 

reports analyzing their evaluation 

findings to the Bureau. (Please refer to 

section IV.3.d.3, ‘‘Program Monitoring 

and Evaluation’’) 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.5. Additional Program Data 

Requirements 

VI.5a. Data on Program participants 

and activities. 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. At a minimum, the data must 

include the following: Name, address, 

contact information and biographic 

sketch of all persons who travel 

internationally on funds provided by 

the agreement or who benefit from the 

award funding but do not travel. 

VI.5b. Travel. 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 


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the ECA Program Officer at least three 

work days prior to the official opening 

of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Carol Herrera, 

Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, 

U.S. Department of State, SA–5, 3rd 

Floor, 2200 C St., NW., Washington, DC 

20522–0503, phone: (202) 632–6054, email: herreraca1@state.gov. All 

correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C– 

11–01. 

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.4 

above. 

Dated: March 9, 2011. 

Ann Stock, 

Assistant Secretary for Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6276 Filed 3–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7367] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: One Beat 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/CU–11–45. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Key Dates: September 1, 2011 to 

September 30, 2013. 

Application Deadline: May 16, 2011. 

Executive Summary: The Cultural 

Programs Division of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

announces an open competition for a 

series of 2–4 week group programs for 

approximately 55–65 young (average age 

19–35) foreign musicians and music 

professionals from selected countries 

that will highlight artistic collaboration, 

improvisation, mentoring, and 

professional training opportunities. One 

Beat is a programmatic refinement of the 

existing Fiscal Year 2010 Cultural 

Visitors program. The original Cultural 

Visitors Program was initiated in Fiscal 

Year 2005 and targeted key countries in 

the Muslim world and on priority youth 

audiences in those countries. Vital to 

the innovative use of the arts in foreign 

policy are the elements of artistic 

collaboration, audience engagement, 

professional enrichment, and artistic 

production. By concentrating on music, 

One Beat seeks to combine these 

elements into cohesive group programs 

which enhance cross-cultural 

understanding and demonstrate 

democratic values such as collaboration, 

cohesion, and innovation to strengthen 

the leadership and professional 

potential of the participants as well as 

enrich their American counterparts. The 

program should seek innovative ways to 

incorporate new media to enhance the 

program offerings and extend the impact 

of the program. 

The goals of the program are to: 

• Energize the work of international 

musicians in their own countries; 

• Provide unique opportunities for 

musical collaboration, engagement, and 

performance among the international 

participants and with their American 

peers and American music 

professionals; 

• Provide participants with 

instructive and informative experiences 

in their art form; 

• Provide exposure to the creation 

and performance of world-class 

American music; 

• Create opportunities for sustaining 

relationships with U.S. arts 

professionals; and 

• Provide opportunities for 

educational outreach to American 

audiences and students. 

Pending the availability of funds, ECA 

will provide approximately $1,000,000 

to the award recipient to implement this 

program through a cooperative 

agreement. The agreement will cover 

project activities from September 1, 

2011 to September 30, 2013. 

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 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. 

Purpose 

Cultural diplomacy, an essential facet 

of America’s foreign policy, strives to 

enhance cross-cultural understanding 

and open new avenues of dialogue 

between individuals and nations. It 

builds on Secretary Clinton’s concept of 

‘‘smart power,’’ which utilizes a variety 

of means to achieve our 21st Century 

foreign policy goals. This program 

ventures to create a dialogue through 

musical collaboration and professional 

development that will enrich both the 

international participants and the 

Americans with whom they meet. 

Program Description 

ECA welcomes innovative and 

creative approaches to programming, 

which: 

• Offers coherent approaches to 

developing the artistic talents and skills 

of the participants (activities include, 

but are not limited to master classes, 

professional conferences, festivals, 

workshops, lectures, demonstrations, 

group work, impromptu play, jam 

sessions, and attendance at 

performances); 

• Uses new media to enhance and 

extend the impact and richness of the 

program through online collaborations 

and educational programming among 

other activities; 

• Provides mentoring by and 

exposure to well-respected American 

artists, diverse cultural organizations 

and productions; 

• Fosters creative musical 

collaborations, cohesion and open 

dialogue between the participants and 

their professional American peers; 

• Engages with the diversity of the 

American public through non fee-based 

public performance and/or presentation. 

(Please note that the production and 

presentation costs of performances in 

the United States cannot be funded by 

ECA, but can be included in the 

organization’s cost share.); 

• Visits multiple U.S. arts 

organizations and cities to present a 

diverse view of American music, 

musicians, music professionals, and; 


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