Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 71461

9 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

10 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

11 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

facilities or system which it operates or 

controls.

The Commission notes that this 

proposal, which permits the retroactive 

application of the pricing and rebate 

schedule for non-NASD members that 

covers activity both on the NMC and 

Brut and is effective as of November 1, 

2004, would permit the schedule for 

non-NASD members to mirror the 

schedule applicable to NASD members 

that was effective as of November 1, 

2004 pursuant to SR–NASD–2004–167. 

The Commission believes that the fees 

are scaled according to objective criteria 

applied across-the-board to all 

categories of users, i.e., the pricing and 

rebate schedule will now apply equally 

to non-members as well as members, 

and is based on the volume of business 

they conduct on the NMS and Brut. 

The Commission finds good cause for 

approving the proposed rule change 

prior to the 30th day of the date of 

publication of notice of filing thereof in 

the Federal Register. The Commission 

notes that the proposed pricing and 

rebate schedule for non-NASD members 

are identical to those in SR–NASD–

2004–167, which implemented a new 

pricing and rebate schedule for NASD 

members and which was immediately 

effective upon filing. The Commission 

notes that this change will promote 

consistency in Nasdaq’s fee schedule by 

applying the same pricing and rebate 

schedule for both NASD members and 

non-NASD members. Therefore, the 

Commission finds that there is good 

cause, consistent with Section 19(b)(2) 

of the Act,9 to approve the proposed 

rule change on an accelerated basis.

V. Conclusion 

It is therefore ordered, pursuant to 

Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,10 that the 

proposed rule change (File No. SR–

NASD–2004–170) be approved on an 

accelerated basis.

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated 

authority.11

Jill M. Peterson, 

Assistant Secretary.

[FR Doc. E4–3577 Filed 12–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8010–01–P

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

[Declaration of Disaster #P077] 

State of Alaska (Amendment #1) 

In accordance with a notice received 

from the Department of Homeland 

Security—Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, effective 

November 30, 2004, the above 

numbered Public Assistance declaration 

is hereby amended to include the 

Kashunamiut (Chevak) Regional 

Educational Attendance Area (REAA), 

the Lower Kuskokwim REAA, the Lower 

Yukon REAA, and the Pribilof Island 

REAA in the State of Alaska as disaster 

areas due to damages caused by a severe 

winter storm, tidal surges and flooding 

occurring on October 18 through 20, 

2004. All other information remains the 

same, i.e., the deadline for filing 

applications for physical damage is 

January 14, 2005.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 59008).

Dated: December 2, 2004. 

Herbert L. Mitchell, 

Associate Administrator for Disaster 

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 04–27086 Filed 12–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4921] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/

A/E–06–01. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.401. 

Key Dates: Application Deadline:

February 25, 2005. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Academic Programs, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), 

U.S. Department of State announces an 

open competition for a cooperative 

agreement to assist in the administration 

of the worldwide Fulbright Senior 

Scholar Program. The Fulbright Senior 

Scholar Program is a major component 

of the overall Fulbright Program, which 

also includes the Fulbright Student 

Program. 

For more than 55 years, the Fulbright 

Senior Scholar Program has offered 

grants for college and university faculty, 

as well as for non-academic 

professionals (such as lawyers and 

journalists) and independent scholars, 

to lecture and conduct research abroad. 

Tens of thousands of U.S. and non-U.S. 

scholars and professionals have 

participated in these exchanges since 

the Fulbright Program’s inception in 

1946. 

The Fulbright Senior Scholar Program 

will send approximately 1,300 qualified 

U.S. scholars and professionals abroad 

to lecture, conduct research, and 

provide academic consulting at overseas 

institutions in FY 2006. Conversely, the 

program will bring approximately 920 

visiting (non-U.S.) grantees from over 

140 countries to the United States for 

similar activities. 

Responsibility for the management of 

the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program is 

shared among the U.S. Department of 

State in Washington DC, 51 bilateral 

Fulbright commissions and 99 U.S. 

embassies overseas, and a private sector, 

cooperating agency in the United States. 

Overall policy guidelines for the 

Fulbright Senior Scholar Program are 

determined by the Presidentiallyappointed J. William Fulbright Foreign 

Scholarship Board (FSB).

The organization that is awarded the 

cooperative agreement under this 

competition will be responsible for 

recruitment, selection, placement, 

enhancement activities for grantees, 

program promotion, and record keeping 

for both the U.S. and Visiting Fulbright 

Senior Scholar Programs. This work will 

be supervised by the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs of the 

Department of State. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority 

Overall grant making authority for 

this program is contained in the Mutual 

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as 

amended, also known as the FulbrightHays Act. The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to 

enable the Government of the United 

States to increase mutual understanding 

between the people of the United States 

and the people of other countries* * *; 

to strengthen the ties which unite us 

with other nations by demonstrating the 

educational and cultural interests, 

developments, and achievements of the 

people of the United States and other 

nations* * *and thus to assist in the 

development of friendly, sympathetic 

and peaceful relations between the 

United States and the other countries of 

the world.’’ The funding authority for 

the program above is provided through 

legislation. The Fulbright Program also 

receives significant annual funding and 

other support from partner governments 

and private donors worldwide. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, as sponsor and 

manager of the Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program, plays a significant role in the 

planning and implementation of all 

program initiatives, publicity, 

promotion and enhancement activities, 

71462 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 

and liaison with overseas field partners. 

The Bureau should also be consulted on 

participant selection procedures, 

development of selection panels, and 

stipend and benefit issues. Regular, 

ongoing contacts with Bureau managers 

will be required throughout the program 

year. Through this Request For Grant 

Proposal (RFGP), the Department seeks 

new ideas to develop effective responses 

to changing recruitment conditions, to 

improve the outreach of the program in 

the U.S. and overseas and to take 

advantage of opportunities to expand 

the program, as they appear. 

Purpose 

The Department of State will provide 

funding to the successful applicant 

organization to assist in the 

administration of both the U.S. and 

Visiting Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program. 

The Fulbright Program was created by 

the U.S. Congress at the end of World 

War II to provide the opportunity for 

future leaders to observe and better 

comprehend the political, economic, 

and cultural institutions and societies of 

other countries and people. In the 

intervening years, the Fulbright Program 

has evolved into the premier 

educational exchange program 

sponsored by the people of the United 

States through their federal government, 

and thus an important element in the 

conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. The 

Fulbright Program, which now extends 

to more than 150 foreign countries and 

involves approximately 5,000 

participants per year, has helped to form 

and inform tens of thousands of the 

world’s leaders in every academic and 

professional field.

The Senior Scholar portion of the 

Fulbright Program will engage 

approximately 2,220 scholars and 

professionals in FY 2006. 

The hallmark of the Fulbright 

Program is binationalism. The United 

States Government and foreign 

governments, educational institutions 

and other public and private entities are 

all partners in this enterprise. In many 

countries of the world, financial 

contributions from governments or 

public/private sources match or exceed 

those of the United States. Because of its 

binational nature, the profile of the 

Fulbright Program worldwide reflects a 

range of objectives and interests. 

Under the auspices of the J. William 

Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, 

approximately 850 U.S. citizens are 

awarded traditional, one or two 

semester Fulbright Senior Scholar grants 

each year through a merit-based, 

competitive process, to teach 

undergraduate or graduate courses, 

collaborate with foreign colleagues on 

projects, pursue individual research, 

conduct seminars, consult with 

government ministries and educational 

institutions, advise on curriculum 

development, and guest lecture at 

universities other than host institutions. 

The majority of grants under the 

Fulbright Senior Scholar Program are for 

individual awards for lecturing and/or 

research for an academic semester or 

academic year abroad. All grant 

opportunities are determined overseas 

by binational Fulbright commissions 

and U.S. embassies in coordination with 

the Department of State’s Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs in 

Washington, DC. The cooperative 

organization administering the Fulbright 

Senior Scholar Program is responsible 

for advertising and recruiting applicants 

in the U.S. and for managing an 

academic peer review process to 

nominate candidates for participation in 

the program. 

Similarly, foreign scholars and 

professionals receive grants each year 

for research, teaching, guest lecturing 

and academic consulting in the United 

States. These grantees are chosen 

through open, merit-based competitions 

in each country, which are conducted 

by a bilateral Fulbright commission or, 

in the absence of a commission, by a 

U.S. embassy.

In recent years, the Fulbright Senior 

Scholar Program has embarked on a 

range of new activities in response to 

changing conditions and requirements 

within the U.S. academic community 

and varying circumstances and 

emerging needs in overseas academic 

environments. While maintaining its 

traditional core long-term activities, the 

program now includes shorter-term 

grant opportunities for both American 

and foreign scholars, new opportunities 

for collaborative research and support 

for follow-on activities to build lasting 

links between U.S. and foreign 

academic institutions. These recent 

initiatives have made the Senior Scholar 

Program more responsive to academic 

environments and more relevant in 

supporting U.S. national interests. The 

Department continues to seek new 

program models that respond to 

changing recruitment and placement 

circumstances in the U.S. and overseas. 

The following are the major, recent 

initiatives under the Fulbright Senior 

Scholar Program. 

In FY 2006, the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs will continue to 

seek to strengthen exchanges with the 

Islamic World. It therefore seeks 

innovative recruitment approaches and 

creative strategies for the U.S. Senior 

Fulbright Scholar Program in countries 

where a significant portion of the 

population practices Islam. The Bureau 

is also looking to expand opportunities 

for visiting scholars from the Islamic 

World to engage U.S. audiences. 

The Fulbright Senior Specialists 

Program provides short-term (two to six 

weeks) opportunities for approximately 

450 American academic specialists 

annually to work with overseas, postsecondary institutions on projects 

ranging from lecturing and participation 

in teaching seminars to collaboration on 

curriculum and course design. 

The Bureau also brings visiting 

scholars and professionals from abroad 

to the U.S. for two to six weeks to 

lecture at U.S. universities. This pilot 

initiative is currently limited to scholars 

from Muslim countries who address 

U.S. audiences about issues related to 

Islamic society and culture.

Through the Scholar-in-Residence 

component of the program, the Bureau 

brings scholars and professionals for an 

academic semester or academic year to 

U.S. campuses that do not often host 

foreign scholars. These campuses are 

selected through a competition managed 

by the cooperating agency. 

The Bureau sponsors an annual 

collaborative research program, the 

Fulbright New Century Scholars 

Program, on a topic of worldwide 

significance involving 30 U.S. and 

foreign scholars. This program requires 

close collaboration between the Bureau, 

the cooperating agency in the United 

States, and Fulbright commissions and 

U.S. embassies overseas. The grantee 

organization is responsible for seeking 

private sector to supplement 

government funds based upon the 

program’s direct relevance to current 

world issues. 

The cooperating agency will also be 

responsible for the development and 

management of the Fulbright Alumni 

Initiative Awards Program that will 

provide small grants to alumni of the 

Fulbright Scholar and Senior Specialists 

Programs to expand upon their 

experience by building institutional ties 

between their home and host 

institutions. 

The cooperating agency will also be 

responsible for other specials projects as 

directed by the Office of Academic 

Exchange Programs, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs of the 

Department of State. 

The Bureau welcomes proposals from 

applicant organizations for other 

scholarly activities consistent with 

Fulbright principles that are relevant to 

changing circumstances in the global 

academic community.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 71463

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. The Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) level of 

involvement in this program is listed 

under number 1 above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2006. 

Approximate Total Funding:

$6,560,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards:

One. 

Approximate Average Award:

$6,560,000. 

Floor of Award Range: $6,560,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $6,560,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, October 1, 2005. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date:

September 28, 2008. 

Additional Information: Pending 

successful implementation of this 

program and the availability of funds in 

subsequent fiscal years, it is the 

Bureau’s intent to renew this grant for 

at least four 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 required minimum or 

maximum percentage for this 

competition. However, the Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide the 

maximum level 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, the 

cooperating agency must maintain 

written records to support all costs that 

are claimed as your contribution, as 

well as costs to be paid by the 

Department of State. Such records are 

subject to audit. The basis for 

determining the value of cash and inkind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event that the 

cooperating agency does not provide the 

minimum amount of cost sharing as 

stipulated in the approved budget, 

ECA’s contribution will be reduced in 

like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements 

(a) Grants awarded to eligible 

organizations with less than four years 

of experience in conducting 

international exchange programs will be 

limited to $60,000. ECA anticipates 

awarding one grant, in an amount up to 

$6,560,000 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.

(b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals 

must comply with the technical 

eligibility requirements specified in the 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

and the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI). Failure to do so 

will result in proposals being declared 

technically ineligible and given no 

further consideration in the review 

process. 

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 Academic 

Exchange Programs (ECA/A/E), Room 

234, U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547, telephone (202) 619–4360, fax 

(202) 401–5914, e-mail 

academic@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/A/

E–06–01) 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 Ms. Susan Borja and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number (ECA/A/E–06–01) located at the 

top of this announcement on all other 

inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package via the Internet 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

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

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 10 copies of the 

application should be sent per the 

instructions under IV.3e. ‘‘Submission 

Dates and Times section’’ below. 

IV.3a. Applicants are required to have 

a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http://

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–

866–705–5711. Please ensure that 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

71464 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 

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 

for all non-U.S. participants in the 

Fulbright Senior Scholar 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, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘’Support for Diversity’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the 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.3d.4. Describe your plans for: i.e.,

sustainability, overall program 

management, staffing, coordination with 

ECA, Fulbright commissions, and U.S. 

embassies’ Public Affairs Sections 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. Depending on the availability 

of funds, up to $6,560,000 in U.S. 

Government funding will be available to 

support the administration of the 

Fulbright Senior Scholar Program 

worldwide in FY 2006. In addition, a 

program budget totaling approximately 

$45,000,000 for the global Fulbright 

Senior Scholar Program will be 

transferred to the grantee organization at 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 71465

regular intervals to cover the cost of 

individual participant grants. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: Staff 

salaries and benefits, rent, furniture and 

equipment, travel, communications, 

printing/publishing, and other fees 

associated with the normal 

administration of exchange programs.

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times 

Application Deadline Date: February 

25, 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 10 hard 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 06–01, 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 (ECA/A/E 06–01) 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 

Affairs Section at U.S. embassies 

overseas, where appropriate. Eligible 

proposals will be subject to compliance 

with Federal and Bureau regulations 

and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau 

grant panels for advisory review. 

Proposals may also be reviewed by the 

Office of the Legal Adviser or by other 

Department elements. Final funding 

decisions are at the discretion of the 

Department of State’s Assistant 

Secretary for Educational and Cultural 

Affairs. Final technical authority for 

assistance awards (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. Program Planning: Proposals 

should respond to the planning 

requirements outlined in the RFGP. 

Planning should demonstrate 

substantive and rigorous preparation. A 

detailed agenda and work plan, 

including a timeline, should 

demonstrate feasibility and the 

applicant’s logistical capacity to 

implement the program. 

2. Ability to Achieve Program 

Objectives: Proposals should clearly 

demonstrate how the applicant will 

fulfill the program’s objectives and 

implement plans, while demonstrating 

innovation and a commitment to 

academic excellence. Proposals should 

demonstrate a capacity for flexibility in 

the management of the program. 

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.

4. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity 

(included in Solicitation Packet). 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venues and program evaluation) and 

program content (orientations, program 

meetings, resource materials and followup activities). Individual grant awards 

as well as institutional participation 

should reflect the Fulbright Program’s 

historic commitment to diversity. 

5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program goals in all respects. 

Applicants should demonstrate wellestablished links to the scholarly and 

professional community in the U.S. and 

knowledge of other educational 

environments, particularly an awareness 

of conditions in societies and 

educational institutions outside of the 

United States as they apply to academic 

and professional exchange programs. 

Applicants should demonstrate their 

capacity to provide information 

management compatible with ECA’s 

systems as described in section VI.4. 

‘‘Additional Program Data 

Requirements’’ in the RFGP. 

6. 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. 

7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals 

should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activity (without Bureau 

support) ensuring that Bureau 

supported programs are not isolated 

events. 

8. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

success of the Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program in all its components, both as 

program activities unfold and at the end 

of the individual grant cycles. 

Applicants should anticipate working 

closely with ECA on these evaluation 

activities. 

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. 

71466 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Notices 

10. Cost Sharing: The proposal should 

maximize cost sharing through U.S. 

private sector support as well as 

institutional direct funding 

contributions. Preference will be given 

to proposal that demonstrate innovative 

approaches to the leveraging of funds, 

fundraising, and other sharing of costs. 

Note: The Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program has historically enjoyed 

significant financial and other support 

from the U.S. and foreign academic 

communities and it is important that 

such support continues and be 

expanded wherever possible. 

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 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 two copies of the 

following reports:

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the first year of the 

cooperative agreement; 

(2) Quarterly program and financial 

reports. 

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. Additional Program Data 

Requirements 

The grantee awarded this cooperative 

agreement 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 on demand. As 

a minimum, the data must include the 

following: Full name of applicant, home 

country address and contact 

information, host country affiliation, 

academic or professional discipline and 

biographical information (for example, 

but not limited to, date of birth, gender, 

country of birth, country of citizenship) 

for all participants awarded funding 

under the auspices of the Fulbright 

Senior Scholar Program. This includes 

the traditional Fulbright Senior Scholar 

Program and the recently developed 

New Century Scholars Program, 

Fulbright Senior Specialists Program, 

and the Direct Access to the Muslim 

World Visiting Specialist Program for 

scholars from the Islamic World. 

Applicant must consult with ECA/A/E 

to determine the requirements of the 

Bureau’s Academic Exchanges 

Information System (AEIS) database. 

VII. Department Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Ms. Susan 

Borja, Office of Academic Exchange 

Programs (ECA/A/E), Room 234, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

Telephone (202) 619–4360, Fax (202) 

401–5914, e-mail academic@state.gov.

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number: ECA/A/E–

06–01. 

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: December 2, 2004. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 04–27036 Filed 12–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

Trade Policy Staff Committee: Public 

Comments Regarding the WTO Doha 

Development Agenda (DDA) and the 

WTO Dispute Settlement 

Understanding (DSU) Negotiations

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff 

Committee (TPSC) is requesting written 

public comments on general U.S. 

negotiating objectives as well as 

country-, product-, and service-specific 

priorities for the multilateral 

negotiations and work program in the 

Doha Development Agenda (DDA) 

negotiations conducted under the 

auspices of the World Trade