[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58579-58588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22000]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4846]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Open Competition Seeking Professional Exchanges 
Programs in Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, the Near East/North 
Africa, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C-05-01.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Key Dates: none.
    Application Deadline: November 19, 2004.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for 
grants that support exchanges and build relationships between U.S. non-
profit organizations and civil society groups in Africa, East Asia, 
Eurasia, Europe, the Near East/North Africa, South Asia and the Western 
Hemisphere. 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 The 
Professional Exchanges Program: to promote mutual understanding and 
partnerships between key professional groups in the United States and 
counterpart groups in other countries through multi-phased exchange 
projects taking place over one-three years. To the fullest extent 
possible, programs should be two-way exchanges supporting roughly equal 
numbers of participants from the U.S. and foreign countries.
    Proposed projects should be designed to foster dialogue and joint 
activities around one of four themes: (1) Religion, Community, 
Education and Political Process; (2) Governance, Accountability, and 
Transparency in Civil Society; (3) Conflict Prevention and Management; 
and (4) Respect for Cultural Identity and Creative Products. Through 
these people-to-people exchanges, the Bureau seeks to break down 
stereotypes that divide peoples, promote good governance, contribute to 
conflict prevention and management, and build respect for cultural 
expression and identity in a world that is experiencing rapid 
globalization. Projects should be structured to allow American 
professionals and their international counterparts in target countries 
to develop a common dialogue for dealing with shared challenges and 
concerns. Projects should include current or potential leaders who will 
effect positive change in their communities. Exchange participants 
might include community leaders, elected and professional government 
officials, religious leaders, educators, and proponents of democratic 
ideals and institutions, including for example, the media and 
judiciary, or others who influence the way in which different 
communities approach these issues. The Bureau is especially interested 
in engaging socially and economically diverse groups that may not have 
had extensive contact with counterpart institutions in the United 
States. Priority will be given to proposals that engage these audiences 
in countries with significant Muslim populations, or that engage 
educators or groups that influence youth in innovative ways.
    Proposals that target countries/regions or themes not listed below 
will be deemed technically ineligible. Applicants should not submit 
proposals that address more than one region designated in the RFGP, 
except as specifically indicated. Applicants may submit no more than 
two (2) proposals per program theme and four (4) proposals total for 
this competition. Organizations that submit proposals that exceed these 
limits will result in having all of their proposals declared 
technically ineligible, and none of the submissions will be reviewed by 
a State Department panel.
    For the purposes of this competition, eligible regions are Africa, 
East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, the Near East/North Africa, South Asia, and 
the Western Hemisphere. No guarantee is made or implied that grants 
will be awarded in all themes and for all countries listed.
    Please note that this competition includes two target regions 
(Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia) that were addressed in 
separate announcements in previous years. There will be no additional 
announcement for Central and Eastern Europe or Eurasia for FY-2005.
    Requests for grant proposals on the creation, performance, or 
presentation of artistic work will be announced in a separate 
competition. Proposals involving the production or interpretation of 
artistic work WILL NOT be accepted under this competition, and if 
received, will be declared technically ineligible.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through legislation.

Purpose

    The Bureau seeks proposals that will address the following priority 
themes: (1) Religion, Community, Education and Political Process; (2) 
Governance, Accountability and Transparency in Civil Society; (3) 
Conflict Prevention and Management; and (4) Respect for Cultural 
Identity and Creative Products. The competition is based on the premise 
that people-to-people exchanges encourage and strengthen understanding 
of democratic values and nurture the social, political, and economic 
development of societies. Exchanges supported by institutional grants 
from the Bureau should operate at two levels: they should enhance 
partnerships between U.S. and foreign institutions, and they should 
establish a common dialogue to develop practical solutions for shared 
problems and concerns. The Bureau is particularly interested in 
projects that will create mutually beneficial and self-sustaining 
linkages between professional communities in the U.S. and their 
counterpart communities in other countries.
    Applicants should identify the U.S. and foreign organizations and 
individuals with whom they are proposing to collaborate and describe 
previous cooperative activities, if any. Information about the mission,

[[Page 58580]]

activities, and accomplishments of partner organizations should be 
included in the submission. Proposals should contain letters of 
commitment or support from partner organizations for the proposed 
project. Applicants should clearly outline and describe the role and 
responsibilities of all partner organizations in terms of project 
logistics, management and oversight. Proposals that show strong 
prospects for enhancing existing long-term collaboration or 
establishing new collaborative efforts among participating 
organizations will be deemed more competitive.
    Competitive proposals will include the following:
    <bullet> A brief description of the problem as it relates to the 
target country or region. (Proposals that request resources for an 
initial needs assessment will be deemed less competitive.);
    <bullet> A clear statement of program objectives and projected 
outcomes that respond to Bureau goals for each theme in this 
competition. Desired outcomes should be described in qualitative and 
quantitative terms. (See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section, 
below, for more information on project objectives and outcomes.);
    <bullet> A proposed timeline, listing the optimal schedule for each 
program activity;
    <bullet> A description of participant selection processes;
    <bullet> Letters of support from foreign and U.S. partners. 
(Proposals that illustrate an ability to arrange U.S. and overseas 
activities with letters of support from prospective partner 
institutions will be considered more credible.);
    <bullet> An outline of the applicant organization's relevant 
expertise in the project theme and country(ies);
    <bullet> An outline of relevant experience managing previous 
exchange programs;
    <bullet> Resumes of experienced staff who have demonstrated a 
commitment to monitor projects and ensure implementation;
    <bullet> A comprehensive plan to evaluate whether program outcomes 
achieved met the specific objectives described in the narrative. (See 
the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section, below, for further 
guidance on evaluation.); and
    <bullet> A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans 
to maintain contacts initiated through the program. Applicants should 
discuss ways that U.S. and foreign participants or host institutions 
could collaborate and communicate after the ECA-funded grant has 
concluded. (See Review Criterion <greek-i>5 below for more information 
on post-grant activities.)
    The proposal narrative should clearly state the applicant's 
commitment to consult closely with the Public Affairs Section of the 
U.S. embassy in the relevant country(ies) to develop plans for project 
implementation and to select project participants. Applicants should 
state their willingness to invite representatives of the embassy(ies) 
and/or consulate(s) to participate in program sessions or site visits. 
Applicants are also encouraged to consult with Public Affairs Officers 
at U.S. embassies in relevant countries as they develop proposals 
responding to this RFGP. Narratives should state that all material 
developed for the project will prominently acknowledge Department of 
State ECA Bureau funding for the program. Proposals should also 
acknowledge U.S. embassy involvement in final selection of all 
participants.

Themes

(1) Religion, Community, Education, and Political Process
    ECA welcomes projects that will promote understanding of the role 
of religion and education in shaping community and political life in 
the United States and participating countries. Proposals should build 
on program objectives that clearly address the following goals:
    (1) To promote greater communication among religious groups, 
educators, community leaders, and persons involved in political 
discourse;
    (2) To increase understanding of how religious, community, 
educational, and political leaders interact in U.S. society;
    (3) To develop professional and personal linkages between U.S. and 
foreign individuals, institutions, and communities that will lead to 
sustained interaction in the future.
    Programs should explore how religion and education can encourage 
openness, tolerance, respect, constructive dialogue, public service, 
and other ways to respect diversity while encouraging different 
communities to work together. To the fullest extent possible, programs 
should be two-way exchanges supporting roughly equal numbers of 
participants from the U.S. and foreign countries. Projects might 
include (but are not limited to) the following groups of participants: 
scholars (including legal scholars) and clerics, educators, community 
leaders, journalists, women leaders, or persons who work with youth.
Africa (single-country and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, 
Niger, Nigeria, Senegal.
    Contacts: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 619-5972, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92dae7f4f4d1d7d2c1e6f3e6f7bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="df97aab9b99c9a9f8cabbeabbaf1b8b0a9">[email protected]</span></a>; Carol Herrera, tel: (202) 619-5405, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#70381502021502113331413003041104155e171f06"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cd85a8bfbfa8bfac8e8cfc8dbeb9acb9a8e3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a>.
East Asia (single-country and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand.
    Contact: Douglas McNeal, tel: (202) 260-5485, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b1638153e3a371f191b282f3a2f3e753c342d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5f8d6fbd0d4d9f1f7f5c6c1d4c1d09bd2dac3">[email protected]</span></a>.
Eurasia (single-country projects only)
    Eligible countries: Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan.
    Contact: Brent Beemer, tel: (202) 401-6887, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dc9eb9b9b1b9ae9e889cafa8bda8b9f2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aeeccbcbc3cbdcecfaeedddacfdacb80c9c1d8">[email protected]</span></a>.
Near East/North Africa (Projects involving multiple countries 
encouraged, but both single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, 
Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, United Arab 
Emirates, Yemen.
    Contacts: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#42082d2a2c31362d2c16080231362336276c252d34"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6d270205031e19020339272d1e190c1908430a021b">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d1b2c2329283b2c3928060d3e392c3928632a223b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="acfacdc2c8c9dacdd8c9e7ecdfd8cdd8c982cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a>.
South Asia (Projects involving multiple countries encouraged, but both 
single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri 
Lanka.
    Contacts: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9e3c6c1c7daddc6c7fde3e9daddc8ddcc87cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91dbfef9ffe2e5feffc5dbd1e2e5f0e5f4bff6fee7">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c593a4aba1a0b3a4b1a08e85b6b1a4b1a0eba2aab3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="86d0e7e8e2e3f0e7f2e3cdc6f5f2e7f2e3a8e1e9f0">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in Civil Society
    ECA welcomes proposals that will develop common approaches to 
strengthening transparency, citizen involvement, and effective fiscal 
management in government and demonstrate how this can benefit 
government leaders, non-governmental entities, and individual citizens 
and promote economic well being. Proposals in this theme should include 
program objectives that clearly respond to the following goals:
    (1) To promote governance that is more transparent and responsive 
to citizens' concerns;
    (2) To increase understanding of techniques to improve governance, 
anti-corruption, and accountability practices;
    (3) To develop professional and personal linkages between U.S. and 
overseas individuals, institutions, and communities that will lead to 
sustained interaction in the future.
    Projects should develop strategies that promote fair and 
transparent governance in the targeted countries. Projects must

[[Page 58581]]

be culturally sensitive, sustainable, and address specific needs of the 
country or a region in that country. Individual projects might: (1) 
Consider ways that a country or region can improve its legislative 
process by encouraging and supporting citizen involvement; (2) develop 
programs, regulations, and services that increase citizen trust and 
expand the democratic process at the local and provincial levels; and 
(3) provide opportunities to elected officials and their key staff to 
find ways to promote transparency in government. Additionally, projects 
might address the important role of legislative transparency and 
effective fiscal management in short- and long-term economic 
development.
Africa (single- or multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda.
    Contacts: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 619-5972, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#135b66757550565340677267763d747c65"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b8f0cddedefbfdf8ebccd9ccdd96dfd7ce">[email protected]</span></a>; Carol Herrera, tel: (202) 619-5405, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eea68b9c9c8b9c8fadafdfae9d9a8f9a8bc0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="70381502021502113331413003041104155e171f06">[email protected]</span></a>.
East Asia (single-country projects only)
    Eligible countries: China, Indonesia.
    Contact: Douglas McNeal, tel: (202) 260-5485, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5e133d103b3f321a1c1e2d2a3f2a3b70393128"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="78351b361d19143c3a380b0c190c1d561f170e">[email protected]</span></a>.
Europe and Eurasia (single-country projects only)
    Eligible countries: Albania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro.
    Contact: Henry Scott, tel: (202) 619-5327, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#184b7b776c6c505b586b6c796c7d367f776e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7625151902023e3536050217021358111900">[email protected]</span></a>.
    For Serbia and Montenegro (SaM): Since the overthrow of the 
Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000, reform in Serbia and Montenegro has 
been uneven. Currently SaM faces the burdens of: (1) The legacy of more 
than a decade of wars and sanctions; (2) the still unfulfilled 
obligations to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former 
Yugoslavia; (3) unresolved relationships with Montenegro and the UN 
Administered province of Kosovo; and (4) the development of a large 
ultra-nationalist, anti-reform party. Projects that would be most 
useful would address the following issues: (1) Devolution of power from 
the Republic government to local bodies, including police, justice, and 
education; (2) enhancing the rule of the law (training prosecutors and 
judges and increasing anti-corruption resources); and (3) designing 
civic education to address the legacies of the past and prepare 
citizens and leaders for the future in a Western-style democracy. 
Applicants should be very familiar with current initiatives designed to 
promote effective governance in SaM and should be willing to cooperate 
with other USG-funded institutions working in SaM to prevent 
duplication of efforts.
Near East/North Africa (Projects involving multiple countries 
encouraged, but both single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, 
Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia.
    Contact: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#317b5e595f42455e5f657b7142455045541f565e47"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e7ad888f8994938889b3ada79493869382c9808891">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c791a6a9a3a2b1a6b3a28c87b4b3a6b3a2e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f8ae99969c9d8e998c9db3b88b8c998c9dd69f978e">[email protected]</span></a>.
South Asia (Projects involving multiple countries encouraged, but both 
single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal Pakistan, 
Sri Lanka.
    Contact: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#501a3f383e23243f3e041a1023243124357e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32785d5a5c41465d5c66787241465346571c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c6a5d5258594a5d4859777c4f485d4859125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b6e0d7d8d2d3c0d7c2d3fdf6c5c2d7c2d398d1d9c0">[email protected]</span></a>.
Western Hemisphere (single- or multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Central America and the Andean Region.
    Contact: Laverne Johnson, tel: (202) 619-5337, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#03496c6b6d706c6d4f554370776277662d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="69230601071a0607253f291a1d081d0c470e061f">[email protected]</span></a>.
(3) Conflict Prevention and Management
    Projects for this theme should bring together professionals and 
community members to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict. Program 
objectives should respond to the following goals for this theme:
    (1) To develop effective approaches for preventing and mitigating 
conflict between and within communities;
    (2) To increase understanding of the values underlying different 
conflict prevention and management techniques;
    (3) To develop professional and personal linkages between U.S. and 
overseas individuals, institutions, and communities that will lead to 
sustained interaction in the future.
    Proposals must demonstrate strong expertise in the target country 
and local community(ies) to address effectively the sensitive and 
competing interests of target populations. ECA strongly encourages 
proposals that include two-way exchanges of participants, as well as 
the development and use of sustainable training models and training 
materials. Applicants should demonstrate their knowledge of the 
community or groups experiencing conflict (ethnic, religious, labor, 
border issues, environmental vs. business disputes, etc.) or that have 
the potential for conflict, and proposal narratives should outline 
specifically how the project will introduce dialogue and approaches to 
effect positive outcomes. Participants may include NGO leaders, local 
government officials, journalists, representatives of the legal/law 
enforcement community, educators, and youth. Participants should have 
the potential to implement conflict prevention and management 
techniques addressed during the program.
Africa (single- or multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Angola, Burundi, DRC, Cote d'Ivoire, Eritrea, 
Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan.
    Contacts: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 619-5972, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f6be839090b5b3b6a582978293d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e4ac918282a7a1a4b790859081ca838b92">[email protected]</span></a>; Carol Herrera, tel: (202) 619-5405, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6f270a1d1d0a1d0e2c2e5e2f1c1b0e1b0a41080019"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2c64495e5e495e4d6f6d1d6c5f584d5849024b435a">[email protected]</span></a>.
East Asia (single-country projects only)
    Eligible countries: China, The Republic of Korea, Taiwan.
    Contact: Douglas McNeal, tel: (202) 260-5485, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#efa28ca18a8e83abadaf9c9b8e9b8ac1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2a6749644f4b466e686a595e4b5e4f044d455c">[email protected]</span></a>.
Europe (Cyprus or Kosovo only)
    Eligible countries/regions: Cyprus (see further guidance, below), 
Kosovo (see further guidance, below).
    For Cyprus: Applicants should consult with the Public Affairs 
Section of the U.S. embassy in Nicosia to engage members of the youth 
arms of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties. Programs 
might focus on mediation skills, cultural tolerance, mobilization of 
grassroots campaigns, and leadership skills.
    For Kosovo: Projects should address ethnic conflict and the 
creation of tolerance, particularly among youth, in Kosovo. ECA will 
give priority to projects that are multi-ethnic in nature, both in 
terms of participants and curriculum, and that include Kosovo Serbs and 
Kosovo Albanians. Participants may include educators or persons who 
work with young people on a regular basis. Strong proposals will 
demonstrate an awareness of linguistic differences and will include 
plans to incorporate different languages within the project. The Bureau 
encourages applicants to involve local governments or Kosovar 
institutions in some aspect of the project.
Near East/North Africa (Projects involving multiple countries 
encouraged, but both single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, 
Palestinian Authority, Syria.

[[Page 58582]]

    Contact: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#32785d5a5c41465d5c66787241465346571c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="347e5b5c5a47405b5a607e7447405540511a535b42">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a6f0c7c8c2c3d0c7d2c3ede6d5d2c7d2c388c1c9d0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1f7c0cfc5c4d7c0d5c4eae1d2d5c0d5c48fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a>.
South Asia (Projects involving multiple countries encouraged, but both 
single- and multiple-country projects accepted)
    Eligible countries: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
    Contact: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 619-5325, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8dc7e2e5e3fef9e2e3d9c7cdfef9ecf9e8a3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95dffafdfbe6e1fafbc1dfd5e6e1f4e1f0bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>; Katherine Van de Vate, tel: (202) 619-5320, e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#683e09060c0d1e091c0d23281b1c091c0d460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e083f303a3b283f2a3b151e2d2a3f2a3b70393128">[email protected]</span></a>.
(4) Respect for Cultural Identity and Creative Products
    Background: Many societies perceive international economic 
integration and U.S. economic power as threats to their core values and 
cultural identities. ECA seeks proposals that will demonstrate to 
foreign audiences how the U.S. works with communities around the world 
to sustain cultural diversity and cultural integrity. Programs should 
engage U.S. cultural professionals, institutions, and community members 
in dialogues with international cultural stakeholders in projects 
designed to sustain creative spirit; demonstrate respect for cultural 
heritage, diversity and identity; and value and protect creative output 
(intellectual property rights/copyright issues). Proposals should state 
objectives that clearly address the following goals:
    (1) To promote community awareness and participation in grass-roots 
mechanisms to address issues of local cultural significance and 
maintain cultural awareness in a diverse society;
    (2) To promote common values between the U.S. and foreign countries 
of respect for cultural products and heritage, and to produce 
collaborative mechanisms that promote these values;
    (3) To develop professional and personal linkages between U.S. and 
overseas individuals, institutions, and communities that will lead to 
sustained interaction in the future.
    Program activities should not focus on the creation of art or 
cultural objects, but on the capacity of communities to address issues 
of local cultural significance. Proposals should include U.S.-based and 
in-country activities. Projects should bring experts and practitioners 
in the U.S. and overseas together in hands-on sessions to explore and 
develop innovative approaches to cultural issues. Proposals should 
demonstrate that applicant organizations possess a thorough 
understanding of the current state and needs of the target countries/
regions in one of the four sub-themes below. Proposals that propose 
support for academic research or faculty/student fellowships, 
production or presentation of artistic works, or commercial business 
enterprises will be considered technically ineligible.
    For questions about all sub-topics in this theme, please contact 
Christina Miner, tel: (202) 401-7342, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5d103433382f1e051d2e293c2938733a322b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aee3c7c0cbdcedf6eedddacfdacb80c9c1d8">[email protected]</span></a>.

Specific Themes

4.a. Cultural Heritage (Artifacts/Objects)
    Proposals in this topic should focus on cooperative approaches 
between organizations or institutions in the U.S. and overseas to deter 
the illicit trade in cultural artifacts or antiquities. Projects should 
focus on innovative approaches to protect the contexts within which 
objects are found, to verify and validate ownership of objects 
pertaining to local cultural heritage, to communicate effectively about 
cultural artifacts and heritage issues, and to adopt positive means of 
deterring illicit trade in cultural properties. Project activities 
could encompass exchanges, training workshops and other activities 
relating to the protection of archaeological sites as the sources of 
pillaged objects; improving security in museums, historic building and 
other cultural institutions so that objects are less vulnerable to 
theft; and designing and implementing efforts to inventory and document 
valued objects and collections in formal museums, as well as in 
religious and educational establishments, and other locations 
accessible by the public.
    Eligible Countries: Applicants should propose a coherent group of 
countries with a statement of their rationale for this choice of target 
countries. Projects may include countries from multiple regions.
4.b. Cultural Identity in a Diverse Society
    Proposals in this topic should address ways that local indigenous 
communities might sustain their cultural identity in a diverse and 
dynamic society. Projects should exchange expertise and best practices 
between U.S. and overseas community leaders and members of indigenous 
groups. Participants should address ways that these populations can 
manage identity-defining customs, rituals, art forms, or relationships 
within a broader cultural context (national cultural identity) in a 
manner that benefits the entire community without compromising the 
integrity of these practices.
Western Hemisphere
    Eligible countries/Regions: Central America and the Andean region.
4.c. Cultural Institutions in a Democratic Society
    Projects should focus on ways that local institutions can maintain 
cultural heritage in a manner responsive to the local community, while 
respecting cultural diversity and democracy in the broader environment. 
Projects in this theme should expose managers and staff of locally-
based community organizations and other community members, as 
appropriate, to effective means of managing cultural institutions for 
the benefit of local communities, including youth outreach and 
educational activities, without disparaging other cultures or 
compromising national identity. Projects might focus on institutions 
such as local historical societies, museums, arts societies, or other 
organizations involved in cultural heritage. Projects should move 
beyond technical or day-to-day operational tasks to focus on 
organizational management, transparency, public outreach, and good 
governance of cultural institutions. Proposals must demonstrate a 
practical and sophisticated knowledge of the local non-governmental 
organization environment.
Africa
    Eligible countries: Region-wide.
East Asia
    Eligible countries: The Republic of Korea, China.
Europe
    Eligible countries: Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, 
Slovakia (Proposals should include at a minimum three of these 
countries).
Near East
    Eligible countries: Region-wide.
South Asia
    Eligible countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan.
4.d. Creative and Cultural Property (ECA encourages multi-country / 
multi-regional project proposals under this theme)
    All societies will gain if the global community recognizes creators 
of cultural property as having a legitimate claim to compensation for 
the use of their work. ECA seeks innovative proposals to address the 
protection of intellectual creativity (IPR/copyright) worldwide through 
a high-level professional exchange. Applicants should engage 
legislators, enforcement professionals, legal experts, and the 
judiciary to evaluate techniques designed to deter copyright

[[Page 58583]]

infringement, and to limit production and exportation of pirated 
products. Program content should focus on increasing expertise in 
intellectual property law and improving prosecution rates for 
intellectual property offenses, particularly as they relate to 
copyright infringement.
    Eligible countries: Projects on copyright/intellectual property may 
include some or all of the following countries: Brazil, China, India, 
Israel, Malaysia, and Russia.
    Suggested Program Designs: Bureau-supported exchanges may include 
internships; study tours; short-term, non-technical experiential 
learning; extended and intensive workshops; and seminars taking place 
in the United States or overseas as long as these seminars promote 
intensive exchange of ideas among participants in the project. Examples 
of program activities include:
    1. A U.S.-based program that includes an orientation to program 
purposes and to U.S. society; study tour/site visits; professional 
internships/placements; interaction and dialogue; hands-on training; 
professional development; and action plan development.
    2. Capacity-building/training-of-trainer (TOT) workshops to help 
participants to identify priorities, create work plans, strengthen 
professional and volunteer skills, share their experience with 
committed people within each country, and become active in a practical 
and valuable way.
    3. Site visits by U.S. facilitators/experts to monitor projects in 
the region and to encourage further development, as appropriate.
    Activities Ineligible for Support: The Office does not support 
proposals limited to conferences or seminars (i.e., one-to fourteen-day 
programs with plenary sessions, main speakers, panels, and a passive 
audience). It will support conferences only when they are a small part 
of a larger project in duration that is receiving Bureau funding from 
this competition. 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. The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges does not support academic research or 
faculty or student fellowships.
    Participant Selection: Proposals should clearly describe the types 
of persons that will participate in the program as well as the 
participant selection process. For programs that include U.S. 
internships, applicants should submit letters of support from host 
institutions. In the selection of foreign participants, the Bureau and 
U.S. embassies retain the right to review all participant nominations 
and to accept or refuse participants recommended by grantee 
institutions. When U.S. participants are selected, grantee institutions 
must provide their names and brief biographical data to the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges. Priority in two-way exchange proposals will be given 
to foreign participants who have not previously traveled to the United 
States.
    Security Considerations: With regard to projects focusing on 
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, applicants should be aware of security 
issues that will affect the ability of the grantee organization to 
arrange for the travel of U.S. citizens to these countries or to 
conduct site visits, participant interviews, seminars, workshops, or 
training sessions there. All travel to, and activities conducted in 
these countries will be subject to consultation with and approval of 
official U.S. security personnel in country. The applicant organization 
should be prepared to modify timing or to reconfigure project 
implementation plans as required by security considerations.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2005.
    Approximate Total Funding: Pending availability of funding, $8 
million.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 35-40.
    Approximate Average Award: $60,000-$250,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $30,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: Approximately $250,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, July 31, 
2005.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: July 31, 2006-May 31, 2009. 
Projects under this competition may range in length from 1-3 years 
depending on the number of project components, the country/region 
targeted and the extent of the evaluation plan proposed by the 
applicant. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages 
applicant organizations to plan enough time after project activities to 
measure project outcomes. Please refer to the Program Monitoring and 
Evaluation section, below, for further guidance on evaluation.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by U.S. public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code 
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of proposed 
programs. Cost sharing is an important element of the ECA-grantee 
institution relationship, and it demonstrates the implementing 
organization's commitment to the program. Cost sharing is included as 
one criterion for grant proposal evaluation. When cost sharing is 
offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide 
the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later 
included in an approved grant agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 
form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, 
successful applicants must maintain written records to support all 
costs that are claimed as applicant contributions 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 that successful 
applicants do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as 
stipulated in the approved budget, the Bureau's contribution will be 
reduced in like proportion.

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement 
before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition 
with applicants until the proposal review process has been 
completed.

IV.1. Contact Information To Request an Application Package

    Please contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, tel.: (202) 260-6230 or (202) 401-6885; fax: (202) 619-4350; e-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ca8dbfb9beabacb9a5a48e9a8ab9beabbeafe4ada5bc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5f2c0c6c1d4d3c6dadbf1e5f5c6c1d4c1d09bd2dac3">[email protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a6f4c3c5d2c9d4f0e7e6d5d2c7d2c388c1c9d0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dd8fb8bea9b2af8b9c9daea9bca9b8f3bab2ab">[email protected]</span></a> to request a 
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number 
ECA/PE/C-05-01 when making your request.

[[Page 58584]]

    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document that consists of required application forms, 
and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify the Bureau Program Officer listed for each region 
and theme above and refer to Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C-05-01 
for all specific inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm. Please 
read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and ten copies (11 proposals total) of the 
application should be sent per the instructions under IV.3f. 
``Submission Dates and Times section'' below.
    IV.3a. Applicant institutions are required to have a Dun and 
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a 
grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is 
a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business 
entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To 
obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-
866-705-5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF-424 which is part of the formal application 
package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. Applicant institutions must have nonprofit status with the 
U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the time of application. If your 
organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or 
cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three years, or if your 
organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past 
four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify 
nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will 
cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to all Regulations Governing the J Visa
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange 
program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the 
``Responsible Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 
62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J 
visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations 
receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating 
with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's 
program.'' The actions of grantee program organizations shall be 
``imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 
22 CFR part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization 
receiving a grant under this competition will render all assistance 
necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et 
seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and requires all grantee program organizations and 
program participants to adhere 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, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from:
    United States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination 
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 401-9810, fax: (202) 401-9809.
IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must 
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and 
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and 
cultural life. Diversity should be interpreted in the broadest sense 
and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, 
race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and 
disabilities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the 
advancement of this principle both in program administration and in 
program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the `Support 
for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating 
diversity into your proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in 
carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries 
whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau 
``shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for 
participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of 
such countries.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of 
the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in 
the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these 
goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation
    The Bureau places significant emphasis on monitoring and evaluation 
of its initiatives. Proposals must include a plan to monitor and 
evaluate the project's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program. Applicants should include a monitoring and 
evaluation plan that clearly distinguishes between program outputs and 
outcomes. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as 
the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted. 
Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended 
to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on 
outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be 
on outcomes. The more that outcomes are ``smart'' (specific, 
measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable 
time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation.
    The Bureau encourages applicants to assess the following four 
levels of

[[Page 58585]]

outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP 
(listed here in order of importance):
    1. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.
    2. Participant behavior, concrete actions on the part of program 
participants 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.
    3. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    4. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    Overall, the quality of monitoring and evaluation plans will be 
judged on how well they: (1) Specify intended outcomes; (2) give clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identify when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provide a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups).
    Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data 
collection for each level of outcome. For example, participant 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term 
outcomes.
    The Bureau recommends that proposals include a draft survey 
questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to 
use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects 
that the grantee will track participants or partners and be able to 
respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the 
program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a 
result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions 
(institutions in which participants work or partner institutions).
    Applicants may include costs in their program budgets to hire an 
outside evaluator to assess project impact. In the case that an 
external evaluator is hired, the proposal should include information on 
the evaluator's experience as well as all of the information requested 
above.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports (See VI.3, ``Reporting 
Requirements'' below) analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau 
in their regular program reports. Information and feedback provided 
through program monitoring will form the basis for interim reports, and 
grantee organizations should share any lessons learned and/or 
organizational challenges with Bureau program officers in these 
reports. Final evaluations will form the basis of the final program 
report. Grantee organizations will be required to provide summary data 
in tabular and graphic form to demonstrate the conclusions of the 
evaluation and examples of all data collection instruments used in the 
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.
    IV.3e. Applicants should take the following information into 
consideration when preparing project budgets:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. For this competition, requests should not exceed 
approximately $250,000. 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. Proposal budgets must 
include a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both 
administrative and program costs. Applicants may provide separate sub-
budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to 
provide clarification.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    1. Travel. International and domestic airfare (per the ``Fly 
America Act''), ground transportation, and J-1 visas for U.S.-bound 
participants. (J-1 visas for ECA-supported participants are issued at 
no charge.)
    2. 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://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. 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://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/html.
    3. Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, ECA strongly encourages 
applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters. However, 
applicants 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.
    4. 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 when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program 
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these 
benefits.
    5. 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 subcontractor should be included in the proposal. Such 
subcontracts should detail the division of responsibilities and 
proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.
    6. Room rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 
per day. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.
    7. 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 
program materials to ECA, and ECA support should be acknowledged on all 
materials developed with its funding.
    8. Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to purchase 
equipment, such as computers and printers. Costs for furniture are not 
allowed.
    9. Working meal. Only one working meal may be provided during the 
program. Per capita costs may not exceed $8 for a lunch and $20 for a 
dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may not 
exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. When setting 
up a budget, interpreters should be considered ``participants.''
    10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign

[[Page 58586]]

participant may be included in the budget. This allowance would cover 
incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during 
their participation in the program by the ECA-sponsored Accident and 
Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for which the grantee must 
enroll them. Details of that policy can be provided by the contact 
officers identified in this solicitation. The premium is paid by ECA 
and should not be included in the grant proposal budget. However, 
applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. 
participants in the budget.
    12. 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.
    13. In-country travel costs for visa processing purposes. Given the 
requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported 
participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated 
with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.
    14. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. While there is no 
rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which the 
administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested ECA grant 
funds will be more competitive on cost effectiveness. Proposals should 
show strong administrative cost sharing contributions from the 
applicant, the in-country partner and other sources.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times
    Application Deadline Date: Friday, November 19, 2004.
    Explanation of Deadlines: In light of recent events and heightened 
security measures, proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally 
recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, 
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) 
and be shipped no later than the above deadline. The 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. 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. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. Delivery 
of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in 
person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at 
any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered. 
Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. Expensive paper and bindings or elaborate visual or other 
presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired.

    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 ten (total of 11) copies of the application (bound 
with large binder clips) should be sent to:
    U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C-05-01, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.
    IV.3h.1. Funding Restrictions: Funding restrictions, which must be 
taken into account while writing your budget are as follows:
    Applicants may not submit more than two (2) proposals per program 
theme and may not submit more than four (4) proposals total for this 
competition. Organizations that submit proposals that exceed these 
limits will result in having all of their proposals declared 
technically ineligible, and none of the submissions will be reviewed by 
a State Department panel.
    IV.3h.2. Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. 
embassy(ies) and, where required, U.S. consulate(s) for review.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. The program 
office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas, where 
appropriate, will review all eligible proposals. Eligible proposals 
will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for grants 
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and should reflect the applicant's 
expertise in the subject area and region. Objectives should respond to 
the priority topics in this announcement and should relate to the 
current conditions in the target country/countries. A detailed agenda 
and relevant work plan should explain how objectives will be achieved 
and should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The 
substance of workshops, internships, seminars and/or consulting should 
be described in detail. Sample training schedules should be outlined. 
Responsibilities of proposed in-country partners should be clearly 
described.
    2. 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

[[Page 58587]]

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.
    3. 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. Priority will 
be given to proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-
five (25) per cent of the total funds requested from the Bureau. 
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 in this category.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities). Applicants should refer to the Bureau's 
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) and the Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines 
section above for additional guidance.
    5. Post-Grant Activities: Applicants should provide a plan to 
conduct activities after the Bureau-funded 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 should not appear in the proposal budget, 
but should be outlined in the narrative.
    6. Evaluation: Proposals should include a detailed plan to monitor 
and evaluate the program. Program 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, etc.) in Tab E. See the ``Evaluation'' 
section (above) for more information on the components of a competitive 
evaluation plan. Successful applicants (grantee institutions) will be 
expected to submit a report after each program component concludes or 
on a quarterly basis, whichever is less frequent. The Bureau also 
requires that grantee institutions submit a final narrative and 
financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration of a grant. 
Please refer to the ``Evaluation'' section above for more guidance.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. Award Notices

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. 
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant 
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the 
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. 
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and 
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the 
application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles 
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles 
for Educational Institutions.''
    OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments'''.
    OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
    OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
    OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and 
Non-profit Organizations
    Please reference the following Web-sites for additional 
information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants gov/omb/grants.
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

    Winning applicants must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus 
two copies of the following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) Any interim report(s) required in the Bureau grant agreement 
document.
    Grantees 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 (two copies) and 
ECA Program Officer (one copy) listed in the final assistance award 
document.

VI.4. Optional Program Data Requirements

    Successful applicants will be required to maintain specific data on 
program participants and activities in an electronically accessible 
database format that can be shared with the Bureau as required. As a 
minimum, the data must include the following:
    (1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all 
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant or 
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S.-based activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three workdays prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: The Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, ECA/PE/C-05-01, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 
4th

[[Page 58588]]

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, tel.: (202) 260-6230 or (202) 401-
6885; fax: (202) 619-4350; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5e192b2d2a3f382d31301a0e1e2d2a3f2a3b70393128"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca8dbfb9beabacb9a5a48e9a8ab9beabbeafe4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#56043335223924001716252237223378313920"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90c2f5f3e4ffe2c6d1d0e3e4f1e4f5bef7ffe6">[email protected]</span></a>.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C-05-01.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

VIII. Other Information

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment 
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 
above.

    Dated: September 23, 2004.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-22000 Filed 9-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P


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