69010 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

Dated: November 22, 2004. 

Patricia Harrison, 

Assistant Secretary for Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 04–26292 Filed 11–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–08–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4904] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Partnership for Learning 

(P4L) Undergraduate Program 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/

A/E/EUR–05–06. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates:

Application Deadline: January 21, 

2005. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Academic Exchange Programs (ECA/A/

E) of the Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition for the Partnership for 

Learning (P4L) Undergraduate Program 

for participants from Bosnia and 

Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Serbia. 

Public and private non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

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

proposals to administer the placement, 

monitoring, and evaluation for the FY 

2005 P4L Undergraduate Program. One 

cooperative agreement will be awarded 

to administer the program. 

Organizations with less than four years 

of experience in conducting 

international exchange programs are not 

eligible for this competition. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making 

authority for this program is contained 

in the Mutual Educational and Cultural 

Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87–

256, as amended, also known as the 

Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 

Act is ‘‘to enable the Government of the 

United States to increase mutual 

understanding between the people of 

the United States and the people of 

other countries * * *; to strengthen the 

ties which unite us with other nations 

by demonstrating the educational and 

cultural interests, developments, and 

achievements of the people of the 

United States and other nations * * * 

and thus to assist in the development of 

friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 

relations between the United States and 

the other countries of the world.’’ The 

funding authority for the program above 

is provided through legislation. 

Purpose: The Partnership for Learning 

(P4L) Undergraduate Program provides 

scholarships for one-year, non-degree 

study at U.S. institutes of higher 

education to outstanding students from 

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, 

and Serbia. Scholarships are available in 

humanities and social sciences. 

Scholarships are granted to students 

who have completed at least two years 

of study at an accredited university in 

their home countries. Students must be 

citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

Macedonia or Serbia. Participants will 

be enrolled in one-year, non-degree 

programs at four-year colleges and 

universities. Students will enhance their 

academic education with participation 

in community service and an 

internship. Interested organizations 

should read the entire Federal Register

announcement for all information prior 

to preparing a proposal. Programs must 

comply with J–1 Visa regulations. Please 

refer to the Solicitation Package for 

further information. Pending the 

availability of funds, it is anticipated 

that this cooperative agreement award 

will begin in March, 2005. 

In a cooperative agreement, ECA/A/E 

is substantially involved in program 

activities above and beyond routine 

grant monitoring. ECA/A/E activities 

and responsibilities for this program are 

as follows: 

(1) Participating in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

(2) Approval of key personnel; 

(3) Approval and input for all 

program agendas and timelines; 

(4) Guidance in execution of all 

project components; 

(5) Arrangement for State Department 

speakers during workshops; 

(6) Assistance with SEVIS-related 

issues; 

(7) Assistance with participant 

emergencies; 

(8) Providing background information 

related to participants’ home countries 

and cultures; 

(9) Liaison with Public Affairs 

Sections of the U.S. Embassies and 

country desk officers at the State 

Department; 

(10) Participating in selection of 

evaluation mechanisms. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. The Bureau’s level of 

involvement in this program is listed 

under number I above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2005. 

Approximate Total Funding: 400,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, March 2005. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date:

December 2006. 

Additional Information: Pending 

successful implementation of this 

program and the availability of funds in 

subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA’s 

intent to renew this grant for two 

additional fiscal years, before openly 

competing it again. 

III. Eligibility Information 

III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications 

may be submitted by public and private 

non-profit organizations meeting the 

provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3). 

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds:

There is no minimum or maximum 

percentage required for this 

competition. However, the Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide 

maximum levels of cost sharing and 

funding in support of its programs.

When cost sharing is offered, it is 

understood and agreed that the 

applicant must provide the amount of 

cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal 

and later included in an approved grant 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:

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 

awarding one grant, in an amount up to 

$400,000 to support program and 

administrative costs required to 

implement this exchange program. 

Therefore, organizations with less than 

four years experience in conducting 

international exchanges are ineligible to 

apply under this competition. The 

Bureau encourages applicants to 

provide maximum levels of cost sharing 

and funding in support of its programs. 

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 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 69011

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 Academic Exchange 

Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, Room 246, 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

Phone: (202) 619–4060; Fax: (202) 260–

7985, boreckaom@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/

E/EUR–05–06 located at the top of this 

announcement when making your 

request.

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. It 

also contains the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document, which provides specific 

information, award criteria and budget 

instructions tailored to this competition. 

Please specify Bureau Program Officer 

Olivia Borecka and refer to the Funding 

Opportunity Number ECA/A/E/EUR–

05–06 located at the top of this 

announcement on all other inquiries 

and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

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

rfgps/menu.htm. Please read all 

information before downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The original and eight (8) copies of the 

application should be sent per the 

instructions under IV.3e. ‘‘Submission 

Dates and Times section’’ below. 

IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun 

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http://

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document and the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1 Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa. The Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs is 

placing renewed emphasis on the secure 

and proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by grantees and sponsors to all 

regulations governing the J visa. 

Therefore, proposals should 

demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to 

meet all requirements governing the 

administration of the Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, 

including the oversight of Responsible 

Officers and Alternate Responsible 

Officers, screening and selection of 

program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, recordkeeping, reporting and 

other requirements. The Grantee will be 

responsible for issuing DS–2019 forms 

to participants in this program. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov

or from: United States Department of 

State, Office of Exchange Coordination 

and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44, 

Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 

(202) 401–9810, FAX: (202) 401–9809. 

Please refer to Solicitation Package for 

further information. 

IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to the 

Bureau’s authorizing legislation, 

programs must maintain a non-political 

character and should be balanced and 

representative of the diversity of 

American political, social, and cultural 

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted 

in the broadest sense and encompass 

differences including, but not limited to 

ethnicity, race, gender, religion, 

geographic location, socio-economic 

status, and disabilities. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to adhere to the 

advancement of this principle both in 

program administration and in program 

content. Please refer to the review 

criteria under the ‘Support for Diversity’

section for specific suggestions on 

incorporating diversity into your 

proposal. Public Law 104–319 provides 

that ‘‘in carrying out programs of 

educational and cultural exchange in 

countries whose people do not fully 

enjoy freedom and democracy,’’ the 

Bureau ‘‘shall take appropriate steps to 

provide opportunities for participation 

in such programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation. Proposals must include a 

plan to monitor and evaluate the 

project’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

The Bureau recommends that your 

proposal include a draft survey 

questionnaire or other technique plus a 

description of a methodology to use to 

link outcomes to original project 

objectives. The Bureau expects that the 

grantee will track participants or 

partners and be able to respond to key 

evaluation questions, including 

satisfaction with the program, learning 

as a result of the program, changes in 

behavior as a result of the program, and 

effects of the program on institutions 

(institutions in which participants work 

or partner institutions). The evaluation 

plan should include indicators that 

measure gains in mutual understanding 

as well as substantive knowledge.

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

69012 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. 

Findings on outputs and outcomes 

should both be reported, but the focus 

should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements.

Please note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

satisfaction is usually captured as a shortterm outcome, whereas behavior and 

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes.

Overall, the quality of your 

monitoring and evaluation plan will be 

judged on how well it (1) specifies 

intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 

descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when 

particular outcomes will be measured; 

and (4) provides a clear description of 

the data collection strategies for each 

outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or 

focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the 

first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will 

be deemed less competitive under the 

present evaluation criteria.)

Grantees will be required to provide 

reports analyzing their evaluation 

findings to the Bureau in their regular 

program reports. All data collected, 

including survey responses and contact 

information, must be maintained for a 

minimum of three years and provided to 

the Bureau upon request. 

Describe your plans for: i.e.,

sustainability, overall program 

management, staffing, coordination with 

ECA and PAS or any other 

requirements, etc. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget:

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. The level of funding for FY 

2005 is uncertain, but is anticipated to 

be approximately $400,000. Based on 

this figure, applicant organizations 

should submit a budget which will fund 

12–15 participants. ECA anticipates 

awarding one grant under this 

competition. Applicant organizations 

are encouraged, through cost sharing 

and other methods, to provide for as 

many scholarships as possible based on 

estimated funding. There must be a 

summary budget as well as breakdowns 

reflecting both administrative and 

program budgets. Applicants may 

provide separate sub-budgets for each 

program component, phase, location, or 

activity to provide clarification. Please 

refer to the Solicitation Package for 

complete budget guidelines and 

formatting instructions. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following:

(1) Participant expenses. 

(2) Administrative costs. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times: 

Application Deadline Date: January 21, 

2005. 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.

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include one 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/

EX/PM’’.

The original and eight (8) copies of 

the application should be sent to: U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: 

ECA/A/E/EUR–05–06, 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. 

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. Embassies 

for their review. 

V. Application Review Information 

V.1. Review Process 

The Bureau will review all proposals 

for technical eligibility. Proposals will 

be deemed ineligible if they do not fully 

adhere to the guidelines stated herein 

and in the Solicitation Package. All 

eligible proposals will be reviewed by 

the program office, as well as the Public 

Diplomacy section overseas, where 

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be 

subject to compliance with Federal and 

Bureau regulations and guidelines and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for cooperative 

agreements resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 69013

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the program idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. 

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan 

should adhere to the program overview 

and guidelines described above.

3. Ability to achieve program 

objectives: Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed 

programs should strengthen long-term 

mutual understanding, including 

maximum sharing of information and 

establishment of long-term institutional 

and individual linkages. 

5. 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 wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource 

materials and follow-up activities). 

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program or project’s goals. 

7. Institution’s Record/Ability:

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements for past Bureau grants as 

determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

8. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. A 

draft survey questionnaire or other 

technique plus description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives is 

recommended. 

9. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead 

and administrative components of the 

proposal, including salaries and 

honoraria, should be kept as low as 

possible. All other items should be 

necessary and appropriate. 

10. Cost-sharing: Proposals should 

maximize cost-sharing through other 

private sector support as well as 

institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards 

cannot be made until funds have been 

appropriated by Congress, allocated and 

committed through internal Bureau 

procedures. Successful applicants will 

receive 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 Nonprofit Organizations 

Please reference the following 

websites for additional information: 

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

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/

grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original plus one copy of the following 

reports: 

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2) Quarterly program and financial 

reports which should include record of 

program activities from that period. 

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 and ECA Program Officer 

listed in the final assistance award 

document. 

VI.4. Program Data Requirements:

Organizations awarded grants will be 

required to maintain specific data on 

program participants and activities in an 

electronically accessible database format 

that can be shared with the Bureau as 

required. As a minimum, the data must 

include the following: 

(1) Name, address, contact 

information and biographic sketch of all 

persons who travel internationally on 

funds provided by the grant or who 

benefit from 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. activities must 

be received by 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: Olivia Borecka, 

Office of Academic Exchange Programs, 

ECA/A/E/EUR, Room 246, ECA/A/E/

EUR–05–06, U.S. Department of State, 

SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Phone: 202–

619–4060; Fax: 202–260–7985, 

boreckaom@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/E/

EUR–05–06. 

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 

69014 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

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. 

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: November 16, 2004. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 04–26175 Filed 11–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4905] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: The Future Leaders 

Exchange Program: Host Family and 

School Placement 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/

PE/C/PY–05–12. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates:

Application Deadline: January 28, 

2005. 

Executive:

Summary: The Youth Programs 

Division of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition for the placement 

component of the Future Leaders 

Exchange (FLEX) program. Public and 

private non-profit organizations meeting 

the provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 

recruit and select host families and 

schools for high school students 

between the ages of 15 and 17 from 

countries of the former Soviet Union, 

thereafter referred to as Eurasia. In 

addition to identifying schools and 

screening, selecting, and orienting 

families, organizations will be 

responsible for: providing English 

language enhancement activities for a 

small percentage of students who are 

specially identified; orienting all 

students at the local level; providing 

support services for students; arranging 

enhancement activities and leadership 

opportunities that reinforce program 

goals; monitoring students during their 

stay in the U.S.; providing mid-year 

programming and re-entry training; and 

assessing student performance and 

progress. Preference will be given to 

those organizations that offer 

participants opportunities to develop 

leadership skills and raise their 

awareness of tolerance and social justice 

through community activities and 

networks. The award of grants and the 

number of students who will participate 

is subject to the availability of funding 

in fiscal year 2005. 

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. 

Overview 

Background: Academic year 2005/

2006 will be the thirteenth year of the 

FLEX program, which now includes 

over 13,000 alumni. The goals of the 

program are to promote mutual 

understanding and foster a relationship 

between the people of Eurasia and the 

U.S.; to assist the successor generation 

of Eurasian countries in developing the 

qualities it will need to lead in their 

aspirations for transformation in the 

21st century; and to promote democratic 

values and civic responsibility by giving 

Eurasian youth the opportunity to live 

in American society and participate in 

focused activities for an academic year. 

Objectives:

• To place approximately 1,200 preselected high school students from 

Eurasian countries in qualified, wellmotivated host families. 

• To place students in schools that 

have been accredited by the respective 

state departments of education. 

• To expose program participants to 

American culture and democracy 

through homestay experiences and 

enhancement activities that will enable 

them to attain a broad view of the 

society and culture of the U.S. 

• To encourage FLEX program 

participants to share their culture, 

lifestyle and traditions with U.S. 

citizens. 

• To provide Eurasian students with 

leadership opportunities that will foster 

skills they can take back with them and 

use in their home countries. 

• To provide activities that will 

increase and enhance students’

understanding of the importance of 

tolerance and respect for the views and 

beliefs of others in a civil society. 

Through participation in the FLEX 

program, students should: 

1. Acquire an understanding of 

important elements of a civil society. 

This includes concepts such as 

volunteerism, the idea that American 

citizens can and do act at the grassroots 

level to deal with societal problems, and 

an awareness of and respect for the rule 

of law. 

2. Acquire an understanding of a free 

market economy and private enterprise. 

This includes awareness of privatization 

and an appreciation of the role of the 

entrepreneur in economic growth. 

3. Develop an appreciation for 

American culture, an understanding of 

the diversity of American society and 

increased tolerance and respect for 

others with differing views and beliefs. 

4. Interact with Americans and 

generate enduring ties. 

5. Teach Americans about the cultures 

of their home countries. 

6. Gain leadership capacity that will 

enable them to initiate and support 

activities in their home countries that 

focus on development and community 

service in their role as FLEX alumni.

Other Components: One organization 

has been awarded a grant to perform the 

following functions: recruitment and 

selection of students; targeting 

recruitment for students with 

disabilities; assistance in documentation 

and preparation of DS–2019 visa forms; 

preparation of cross-cultural materials; 

pre-departure orientation; international 

travel from home to host community 

and return; facilitation of ongoing 

communication between the natural 

parents and placement organization, as 

needed; maintenance of a student 

database and provision of data to the 

U.S. Department of State; and ongoing 

follow-up with alumni after their return 

to Eurasia. Other organizations have