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 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 69015

received grants to conduct Civic 

Education Week and the Technology 

Ambassadors Program. A grant has also 

been awarded to another organization to 

conduct a post-arrival orientation and 

reentry training and to provide ongoing 

support for physically challenged 

students in order to help them cope 

with challenges specific to their 

circumstances. Placement organizations 

will be responsible for providing 

appropriate tutoring for students who 

have been identified as needing English 

language enhancement. Organizations 

may also be responsible for providing 

supplementary independence skills 

training for students with disabilities. 

Guidelines 

Organizations chosen under this 

competition will be responsible for the 

following: 

(1) Recruitment, screening, selection, 

and Eurasia/FLEX-specific orientation 

of host families; 

(2) Providing language enhancement 

activities for a small number of 

identified students who will arrive early 

for this purpose; 

(3) Enrollment in an accredited 

school; 

(4) Local orientation for participants; 

(5) Placement of a small number of 

students with disabilities; 

(6) Specialized training of local staff 

and volunteers to work with FLEX 

students from Eurasia; 

(7) Preparation and dissemination of 

materials to students pertaining to the 

respective placement organization; 

(8) Specialized English language 

tutoring for pre-selected students who 

require focused preparation for their 

academic year; 

(9) Dispersal of program-specific 

information, such as alumni activity 

reports and Host Family and School 

Administrator handbooks, to respective 

persons involved with the program (e.g., 

host families, school administrators, 

local coordinators); 

(10) Program-related enhancement 

and leadership training activities; 

(11) Troubleshooting; 

(12) Communication with the 

organizations conducting other program 

components, when appropriate; 

(13) Evaluation of the students’

performance; 

(14) Quarterly evaluation of the 

organization’s success in achieving 

program goals; 

(15) Post-arrival and mid-year 

orientations; 

(16) Eurasia-specific re-entry training 

to prepare students for readjustment to 

their home environments. 

Applicants must request a grant for 

the placement of at least 40 students. 

There is no ceiling on the number of 

students who may be placed by one 

organization. It is anticipated that 

approximately 10–15 grants will be 

awarded for this component of the FLEX 

program. Placements may be in any 

region in the U.S. Strong preference will 

be given to organizations that choose to 

place participants in clusters of at least 

three students. Applicants must 

demonstrate that training of local staff 

ensures their competence in providing 

Eurasia-specific orientation programs, 

appropriate enhancement activities, and 

quality supervision and counseling of 

students from Eurasian countries. Please 

refer to the Solicitation Package, 

available on request from the address 

listed below, for details on essential 

program elements, permissible costs, 

and criteria used to select students. 

We anticipate grants beginning no 

later than April, 2005, subject to the 

availability of funds. 

Most participants arrive in their host 

communities during the month of 

August and remain for 10 or 11 months 

until their departure during the period 

mid-May to late June 2006. Students 

with disabilities and students requiring 

additional language instruction may 

arrive at the end of July. 

Administration of the program must 

be in compliance with reporting and 

withholding regulations for federal, 

state, and local taxes as applicable. 

Recipient organizations should 

demonstrate tax regulation adherence in 

the proposal narrative and budget. 

Applicants should submit the health 

and accident insurance plans they 

intend to use for students on this 

program. If use of a private plan is 

proposed, the State Department will 

compare that plan with the Bureau plan 

and make a determination of which will 

be applicable. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2005. 

Approximate Total Funding:

$6,600,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards:

Approximately 10–15 grants will be 

awarded. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, April 2005. 

Additional Information 

Budget Guidelines: Applicants must 

submit a comprehensive budget for the 

entire program. Per capita costs are not 

to exceed $5,500 per participant. The 

budget must reflect costs for a minimum 

of 40 participants. 

There must be a summary budget as 

well as breakdowns reflecting both 

administrative and program budgets. 

Applicants may provide separate subbudgets for each program component, 

phase, location, or activity to provide 

clarification. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: 

(1) A monthly stipend and a one-time 

incidentals allowance for participants, 

as established by the Department of 

State; 

(2) Costs associated with programrelated student enhancement activities 

and orientations; 

(3) Health and accident insurance. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

III. Eligibility Information 

III. 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 that 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 

(a) Bureau grant guidelines require 

that organizations with less than four 

years experience in conducting 

international exchanges be limited to 

$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 

anticipates awarding multiple grants all 

in excess of $60,000 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 

69016 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

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 

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 Youth 

Programs, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, 

U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301 

4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

telephone (202) 203–7527, and fax (202) 

203–7529, e-mail Linda Beach at 

beachlf@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/

C/PY–05–12 located at the top of this 

announcement when making your 

request. The Solicitation Package 

contains detailed award criteria, 

required application forms, specific 

budget instructions, and standard 

guidelines for proposal presentation. 

Please specify Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs Program Officer 

Anna Mussman on all other inquiries 

and correspondence. 

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. 

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 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) 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 Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs is the 

official program sponsor of the exchange 

program covered by this RFGP, and an 

employee of the Bureau will be the 

‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the program 

under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which 

covers the administration of the 

Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, 

organizations receiving 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 

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 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 adherence by grantee program 

organizations and program participants 

to all regulations governing the J visa 

program status. Therefore, proposals 

should explicitly state in writing that the 

applicant is prepared to assist the 

Bureau in meeting all requirements 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth 

in 22 CFR 62. If your organization has 

experience as a designated Exchange 

Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant 

should discuss their record of 

compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq.,

including the oversight of their 

Responsible Officers and Alternate 

Responsible Officers, screening and 

selection of program participants, 

provision of pre-arrival information and 

orientation to participants, monitoring 

of participants, proper maintenance and 

security of forms, record-keeping, 

reporting and other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS–

2019 forms to participants in this 

program. 

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.3.d.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 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 69017

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. The Bureau recommends 

that your proposal include a draft 

survey questionnaire or other technique 

plus a description of a methodology to 

use to link outcomes to original project 

objectives. The Bureau expects that the 

grantee will track participants or 

partners and be able to respond to key 

evaluation questions, including 

satisfaction with the program, learning 

as a result of the program, changes in 

behavior as a result of the program, and 

effects of the program on institutions 

(institutions in which participants work 

or partner institutions). The evaluation 

plan should include indicators that 

measure gains in mutual understanding 

as well as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements.

Please Note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

satisfaction is usually captured as a 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. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget: Applicants must 

submit a comprehensive budget for the 

entire program. There must be a 

summary budget as well as breakdowns 

reflecting both administrative and 

program budgets. Applicants may 

provide separate sub-budgets for each 

program component, phase, location, or 

activity to provide clarification. 

IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:

Application Deadline Date: January 

28, 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/PE/C/PY–05–12, 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. 

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 

69018 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

Bureau regulations and guidelines and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for assistance 

awards grants resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Process 

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt 

of all proposals and will review them 

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 State 

Department’s Bureau of European and 

Eurasian Affairs Office of Press and 

Public Diplomacy (EUR/PPD) and 

Public Diplomacy section at the U.S. 

embassy overseas, where appropriate. 

Eligible proposals will be forwarded to 

panels of Bureau officers for advisory 

review. Proposals may also be reviewed 

by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 

other Department elements. Final 

funding decisions are at the discretion 

of the Department of State’s Assistant 

Secretary for Educational and Cultural 

Affairs. Final technical authority for 

assistance awards (grants or cooperative 

agreements) resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer.

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the Program Idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. Proposals should 

demonstrate how students will be 

monitored, trained and prepared for 

their role as FLEX alumni. The level of 

creativity, resources, and effectiveness 

will be primary factors for review. 

Proposals should be clearly and 

accurately written, with sufficient, 

relevant detail. The Narrative should 

address all of the items in the Statement 

of Work and Guidelines described 

above. 

2. Program Planning/Ability to 

Achieve Program Objectives: 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. The 

pre-program language enhancement 

activities should be clearly described. 

Reviewers will assess how proposals 

involve participants in community 

activities, including leadership training, 

increasing awareness of tolerance and 

social justice, and other relevant 

endeavors. Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the organization will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. With 

respect to anticipated program 

outcomes, reviewers will assess the 

degree to which the proposed outcomes 

of the project are realistic and 

measurable. Strategies should creatively 

utilize and reinforce activities to ensure 

an efficient use of program resources. 

3. 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. Proposals 

should include innovative ways to 

involve students in their U.S. 

communities and substantive plans to 

prepare them for their role as active, 

effective FLEX alumni. 

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, host families, 

schools, program venue and program 

evaluation) and program content 

(orientations, program meetings, 

resource materials and follow-up 

activities). 

5. Organization’s Record/ 

Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program or project’s goals. 

In assessing institutional capacity, 

reviewers will assess the applicant and 

its partners to determine if they offer 

adequate resources, expertise, and 

experience to fulfill program objectives. 

Partner activities should be clearly 

defined. Proposals should demonstrate 

an institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting and J–1 

Visa requirements for past Bureau grants 

as determined by Bureau Grant Staff. 

The Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

6. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

Reviewers will assess a sample FLEXspecific draft survey questionnaire, or 

other technique, attached to each 

proposal, plus a description of a 

methodology used to link outcomes to 

original project objectives. The final 

project evaluation should provide 

qualitative and quantitative data about 

the project’s influence on the 

participants as well as their surrounding 

communities. Successful applicants will 

be expected to submit quarterly reports, 

which should be included as an 

inherent component of the work plan. 

7. Cost-effectiveness/Cost Sharing:

Reviewers will analyze the budget for 

clarity and cost-effectiveness. They will 

also assess the rationale of the proposed 

budget and whether the allocation of 

funds is appropriate to complete tasks 

outlined in the project narrative. The 

overhead and administrative 

components of the proposal, including 

salaries and honoraria, should be kept 

as low as possible. All other items 

should be necessary and appropriate. 

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 

through other private sector support as 

well as institutional direct funding 

contributions. Preference will be given 

to organizations whose proposals 

demonstrate a quality, cost-effective 

program. 

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.’’

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 69019

OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised), 

Uniform Administrative Requirements 

for Grants and Agreements with 

Institutions of Higher Education, 

Hospitals, and other Nonprofit 

Organizations. 

OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments. 

OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of 

States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations. 

Please reference the following Web 

sites for additional information: 

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

grants.

http://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 both 

quantitative and qualitative data you 

have available. 

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. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Anna 

Mussman, Office of Citizen Exchanges, 

ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. 

Telephone: (202) 203–7506, Fax 

number: (202) 203–7529, Internet 

address: mussmanap@state.gov. All 

correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/

PY–05–12. 

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. 

Notification: Final awards cannot be 

made until funds have been 

appropriated by Congress, allocated and 

committed through internal Bureau 

procedures.

Dated: November 18, 2004. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affair, 

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 04–26172 Filed 11–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4906] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals for the Middle East 

Partnership Initiative Study of the 

United States (U.S.) Institutes for 

Student Leaders From the Middle East/

North Africa 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/

A/E/USS–05–07. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 0000. 

Key Dates:

Application Deadline: February 4, 

2005. 

Executive Summary: The Study of the 

U.S. Branch, Office of Academic 

Exchange Programs, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

announces an open competition for 

public and private non-profit 

organizations to develop and implement 

two Middle East Partnership Initiative 

(MEPI) Study of the United States 

Institutes for Undergraduate Student 

Leaders, and one Middle East 

Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Study of 

the United States Institute for Recent 

High School Graduates. Funding for 

these institutes is being provided by the 

Department of State’s Middle East 

Partnership Initiative, the U.S. 

Government’s primary policy and 

programmatic mechanism to address 

reform in the Middle East. 

The Bureau anticipates awarding two 

separate assistance awards to support 

the institutes targeting undergraduate 

student leaders, and one assistance 

award to support a single institute for 

recent high school graduates (three 

assistance awards total). Prospective 

applicants are limited to submitting one 

proposal only to conduct one of these 

three programs. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making 

authority for these programs is 

contained inthe 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.’’

Funding for these institutes is being 

provided from a transfer of FY–2005 

Economic Support Funds for the Middle 

East Partnership Initiative. 

Purpose: The Bureau is seeking 

detailed proposals for each ‘‘Middle 

East Partnership Initiative Study of the 

United States Institute for 

Undergraduate Student Leaders’’ and 

the ‘‘Middle East Partnership Initiative 

Study of the United States Institute for 

Recent High School Graduates’’ from 

accredited U.S. colleges, universities, 

consortia of colleges and universities, 

and other not-for-profit academic 

organizations, that have an established 

reputation in one or more of the 

following fields: political science, 

international relations, law, history, 

sociology, U.S. studies, and/or other 

disciplines or sub-disciplines related to 

the study of the United States.

The academic program for the 

institutes should include attention to 

the role and influence of principles and 

values such as democracy, the rule of