Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 92 / Thursday, May 13, 2010 / Notices 27041 

Note:* The same 85,000 respondents are 

completing both activities, so the actual total 

number of respondents is only 85,000. 

6. Treating Physician Consultative 

Examination Interest Form—20 CFR 

404.1519g–i—0960–0751. When an 

applicant for Social Security disability 

benefits has not consulted a physician 

for a specified period preceding the 

application, SSA will ask the applicant 

to complete a consultative examination 

(CE). If the applicant has a treating 

physician (TP), SSA sends a medical 

evidence of record request letter and 

Form SSA–84 to the applicant’s TP; the 

TP completes the SSA–84 and returns it 

to SSA to indicate interest in 

conducting the CE. If the TP does not 

return the SSA–84, SSA assumes the TP 

is not interested in performing the CE. 

Respondents are disability benefit 

applicants’ treating physicians. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 168. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 5 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 14 hours. 

7. Claimant Travel Reimbursement 

Request—20 CFR 404.999a–d—0960– 

0752. SSA sends Form SSA–104 to 

Social Security benefits recipients with 

a CE appointment notice. To receive 

reimbursement for their travel expenses 

to the CE, recipients must: (1) Submit an 

itemized list of expenditures for their 

trip; and (2) complete, sign, and return 

the SSA–104 to SSA. SSA collects this 

information to determine eligibility for 

and the amount of reimbursement. 

Respondents are applicants for 

disability claims applying for 

reimbursement of travel expenses to a 

CE. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 11,092. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 10 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,849 

hours. 

Dated: May 7, 2010. 

Faye I. Lipsky, 

Acting Center Director, Center for Reports 

Clearance, Social Security Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2010–11190 Filed 5–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7001] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Edmund S. Muskie 

Graduate Fellowship Program 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/E/EUR 11–01. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Number: 19.011 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: June 23, 2010. 

Executive Summary: 

The Muskie Program selects 

outstanding citizens from Armenia, 

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, 

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, 

Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan 

and Turkmenistan (herein referred to as 

Eurasia) to receive fellowships for 

Master’s level study in the United States 

in the fields of business administration, 

economics, law, public administration, 

and public policy. Candidates from 

countries other than Russia and Ukraine 

will be also considered in additional 

fields of education, environmental 

management, international affairs, 

library and information science, 

journalism/mass communications, and 

public health per guidelines outlined in 

the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI) document. 

Muskie Program fellows will be enrolled 

in graduate degree, certificate, and nondegree programs lasting one to two 

academic years. Funding should 

support a minimum of 140 fellows for 

Master’s level fellowships under the FY 

2011 program. Every effort should be 

made to maximize the number of 

awards granted. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority 

Overall grant making authority for 

this program is contained in the Mutual 

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as 

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

enable the Government of the United 

States to increase mutual understanding 

between the people of the United States 

and the people of other countries * * *; 

to strengthen the ties which unite us 

with other nations by demonstrating the 

educational and cultural interests, 

developments, and achievements of the 

people of the United States and other 

nations * * * and thus to assist in the 

development of friendly, sympathetic 

and peaceful relations between the 

United States and the other countries of 

the world.’’ The funding authority for 

the program above is provided through 

legislation. 

Purpose 

The Muskie Program is designed to 

promote mutual understanding, build 

democracy and foster the transition to 

market economies in Eurasia through 

intensive academic study and 

professional training. The academic 

component of the program will begin in 

the fall semester of academic year 2011– 

2012. Fellows may participate in a nine, 

twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four month 

academic program leading to a Master’s 

degree. Fellows also take part in an 

eight to twelve week internship during 

the summer following the first academic 

year, with an option for a second 

internship following the second year of 

study. At the end of their designated 

academic and/or internship programs, 

fellows are required to return 

immediately to their home countries. 

Applicant organizations must 

demonstrate the ability to administer all 

aspects of the Muskie Program— 

recruitment, selection, university 

placements, orientation, monitoring and 

support of FY 2011 fellows including all 

logistics, financial management, 

evaluation, follow-on, and alumni. 

Applicant organizations must 

demonstrate the ability to recruit and 

select a diverse pool of candidates from 

various geographic regions in Eurasia. 

The cooperating organization will serve 

as the principal liaison with Muskie 

Program host institutions for the 

Bureau. Further details on specific 

program responsibilities can be found in 

the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI), which is part of 

the formal solicitation package. 

Interested organizations should read the 

entire Federal Register announcement 

for all information prior to preparing 

proposals. 

The Bureau will award one 

cooperative agreement for this program. 

Should an applicant organization wish 

to work with other organizations in the 

implementation of this program, the 

Bureau requests that a sub-award 

agreement be developed. The same 

requirements apply to the sub-recipient 

as to the recipient organization. 

In a cooperative agreement, the Office 

of Academic Exchange Programs, 

European and Eurasian Branch (ECA/E/ 

E/EUR) is substantially involved in 

program activities above and beyond 

routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/E/EUR 

activities and responsibilities for this 

program are as follows: 

1. Participating in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

2. Approval of key personnel; 


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3. Approval and input for all program 

agendas and timelines; 

4. Providing guidance in execution of 

all project components; 

5. Monitoring the target goal for 

number of Participants and expenditure 

of funds toward meeting that goal; 

6. Providing guidance on content and 

speakers for workshops; 

7. Assisting with SEVIS-related 

issues; 

8. Assisting with participant 

emergencies; 

9. Providing background information 

related to participants’ home countries 

and cultures; 

10. Providing liaison with Public 

Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies 

and country desk officers at the State 

Department; 

11. Providing ECA evaluation 

mechanisms. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

ECA’s level of involvement in this 

program is listed under number I above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2011. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$8,500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$8,500,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, October 1, 2010. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

December 30, 2014. 

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 or 

cooperative agreement 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 

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 

(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 making one award, in an 

amount up to $8,500,000 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 

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 ECA/A/E/EUR, SA–5, 4th Floor, 

U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20522–0504, tel. 

(202) 632–3256; fax (202) 632–9462; email iovinems@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/ 

E/EUR 11–01 located at the top of this 

announcement when making your 

request. 

Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

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

for further information. 

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 Micaela S. Iovine and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/E/EUR 11–01 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/grants/ 

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading: 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ 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. 

Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, 

all applicants for ECA federal assistance 

awards must include in their 

application the names of directors and/ 

or senior executives (current officers, 

trustees, and key employees, regardless 

of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants 

must submit information in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt From Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 


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As part of the final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

and key employees), as well as the onepage description of grant activities, will 

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its USASpending.gov 

Web site as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. 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 places critically 

important emphases on the security and 

proper administration of the Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by award recipients 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, record-keeping, reporting and 

other requirements. The award recipient 

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, Office of Designation, 

ECA/EC/D, SA–5, Floor C2, Department 

of State, Washington, DC 20522–0582. 

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 recipient organization 

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 


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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.) 

Recipient organizations 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: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF– 

424A—‘‘Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs’’ along with a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. Budget requests may not 

exceed $8,500,000. 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. A 

comprehensive narrative must 

accompany the budget, clearly 

explaining all proposed costs (staff 

salaries and time on task must be 

supported by appropriate 

documentation and certified as true and 

accurate representations of actual costs 

and percentage of task). 

The Bureau encourages applicant 

organizations to provide maximum 

levels of cost sharing and funding from 

private sources in support of its 

programs. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: 

(1) Recruitment and selection. 

(2) Participant costs, e.g. international 

travel, orientations, pre-academic 

English, tuition, maintenance. 

(3) Domestic and overseas 

administration. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions: 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: 6/21/ 

2010. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/E/EUR 11– 

01. 

Methods of Submission: 

Applications may be submitted in one 

of two ways: 

(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

(i.e., Federal Express, UPS, Airborne 

Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 

Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2) Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF– 

424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications 

Applications must be shipped no later 

than the above deadline. Delivery 

services used by applicants must have 

in-place, centralized shipping 

identification and tracking systems that 

may be accessed via the Internet and 

delivery people who are identifiable by 

commonly recognized uniforms and 

delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on 

or before the above deadline but 

received at ECA more than seven days 

after the deadline will be ineligible for 

further consideration under this 

competition. Proposals shipped after the 

established deadlines are ineligible for 

consideration under this competition. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

application. It is each applicant’s 

responsibility to ensure that each 

package is marked with a legible 

tracking number and to monitor/confirm 

delivery to ECA via the Internet. 

Delivery of proposal packages may not 

be made via local courier service or in 

person for this competition. Faxed 

documents will not be accepted at any 

time. Only proposals submitted as 

stated above will be considered. 

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include one 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/ 

EX/PM’’. 

The original and seven copies of the 

application should be sent to: Program 

Management Division, ECA–IIP/EX/PM, 

Ref.: ECA/A/E/EUR 11–01, SA–5, Floor 

4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20522–0504. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

CD–ROM. As appropriate, the Bureau 

will provide these files electronically to 

Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. 

embassy(ies) for its(their) review. 

IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please Note: ECA bears no responsibility 

for applicant timeliness of submission or data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes for proposals submitted 

via Grants.gov. 

Please follow the instructions 

available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of 

the site (http://www.grants.gov/ 

GetStarted). 

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov 

registration process could take several 

weeks. Therefore, applicants should 

check with appropriate staff within their 

organizations immediately after 

reviewing this RFGP to confirm or 

determine their registration status with 

Grants.gov. 

Once registered, the amount of time it 

can take to upload an application will 

vary depending on a variety of factors 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your internet connection. 

In addition, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend 

that you not wait until the application 

deadline to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

The Grants.gov Web site includes 

extensive information on all phases/ 

aspects of the Grants.gov process, 

including an extensive section on 

frequently asked questions, located 

under the ‘‘For Applicants’’ section of 

the Web site. ECA strongly recommends 

that all potential applicants review 

thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, 

well in advance of submitting a 

proposal through the Grants.gov system. 

ECA bears no responsibility for data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Direct all questions regarding 

Grants.gov registration and submission 

to: Grants.gov Customer Support, 

Contact Center Phone: 800–518–4726. 

Business Hours: Monday–Friday, 7AM– 

9PM Eastern Time. E-mail: 

support@grants.gov. 

Applicants have until midnight (12 

a.m.), Washington, DC time of the 

closing date to ensure that their entire 

application has been uploaded to the 

Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions 

to the above deadline. Applications 

uploaded to the site after midnight of 

the application deadline date will be 

automatically rejected by the grants.gov 

system, and will be technically 

ineligible. 

Please refer to the Grants.gov Web 

site, for definitions of various 

‘‘application statuses’’ and the difference 

between a submission receipt and a 

submission validation. 


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Applicants will receive a validation email from grants.gov upon the 

successful submission of an application. 

Again, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. Therefore, we 

strongly recommend that you not wait 

until the application deadline to begin 

the submission process through 

Grants.gov. ECA will not notify you 

upon receipt of electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all applicants 

submitting proposals via the Grants.gov 

web portal to ensure that proposals have 

been received by Grants.gov in their 

entirety, and ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting 

from transmission or conversion 

processes. 

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 

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 agreement 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: 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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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). 

4. 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 awards 

(grants or cooperative agreements) as 

determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

5. 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. 

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. A 

draft survey questionnaire or other 

technique plus description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives is 

recommended. 

7. 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. 

8. 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 

Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from 

the Bureau’s Grants Office. The FAA 

and the original proposal with 

subsequent modifications (if applicable) 

shall be the only binding authorizing 

document between the recipient and the 

U.S. Government. The FAA will be 

signed by an authorized Grants Officer, 

and mailed to the recipient’s 

responsible officer identified in the 

application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification of the results of the 

application review from the ECA 

program office coordinating this 

competition. 

VI.2 Administrative and National 

Policy Requirements 

Terms and Conditions for the 

Administration of ECA agreements 

include the following: 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Nonprofit Organizations.’’ 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Educational Institutions.’’ 

OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles 

for State, Local and Indian 

Governments’’. 

OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised), 

Uniform Administrative Requirements 

for Grants and Agreements with 

Institutions of Higher Education, 

Hospitals, and other Nonprofit 

Organizations. 

OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments. 

OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of 

States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations. 

Please reference the following Web 

sites for additional information: 

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

http://fa.statebuy.state.gov. 

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with 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) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will be transmitted to OMB, and 

be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(3) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

(4) Quarterly program and financial 

reports which should include (1) 

significant activities conducted during 

the period, as well as activities planned 

for the near future; and (2) all current 

and cumulative expenditures. 

(5) An SF–PPR–F, Program/Project 

Management form with all program 

reports. 

Award recipients will be required to 

provide reports analyzing their 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

their regular program reports. (Please 

refer to IV. Application and Submission 


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27046 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 92 / Thursday, May 13, 2010 / Notices 

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. Optional Program Data 

Requirements 

Award recipients will be required to 

maintain specific data on program 

participants and activities in an 

electronically accessible database format 

that can be shared with the Bureau as 

required. 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 agreement or who 

benefit from the award 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: Micaela S. 

Iovine, Office of Academic Exchange 

Programs, U.S. Department of State, 

ECA/A/E/EUR, SA–5, Fourth Floor, 

ECA/A/E/EUR 11–01, 2200 C Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20522–0503, tel. 

(202) 632–3256; fax (202) 632–9462; 

iovinems@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/E/ 

EUR–11–01. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the needs of the program and the 

availability of funds. Awards made will 

be subject to periodic reporting and 

evaluation requirements per section VI.3 

above. 

Dated: May 3, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–11447 Filed 5–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7000] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Offices of the Fulbright 

Representative, Moscow and Kyiv 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/E/EUR–11–02. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.400. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: June 21, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The Office of the 

Fulbright Representative in Moscow and 

the Office of the Fulbright 

Representative in Kyiv are responsible 

for the overseas management of ECA’s 

Fulbright Program in Russia and 

Ukraine respectively, including 

recruitment of visiting students and 

scholars, placement and support for 

U.S. Fulbright scholars and students 

located in Russia and Ukraine, and 

administration of alumni and other 

activities. Please refer to http:// 

fulbright.state.gov for information about 

the Fulbright student and scholar 

programs in Russia and Ukraine. The 

recipient will be responsible for 

disbursing U.S. Government funds in 

support of the operations of the 

Fulbright Program Offices, ensuring that 

the Offices remain in compliance with 

all regulations affecting Office 

operations in the complex regulatory 

environments of Russia and Ukraine; 

and implementing Fulbright program 

activities. It is the intent of ECA to make 

two awards under this competition. 

Applicants may submit proposals for 

either one or both Fulbright Program 

Offices. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

To administer the Fulbright Programs 

in Russia and Ukraine and to provide 

administrative and fiscal support for the 

Offices of the Fulbright Representatives 

in Moscow and in Kyiv. 

Authority 

Overall grant making authority for 

this program is contained in the Mutual 

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as 

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

enable the Government of the United 

States to increase mutual understanding 

between the people of the United States 

and the people of other countries * * *; 

to strengthen the ties which unite us 

with other nations by demonstrating the 

educational and cultural interests, 

developments, and achievements of the 

people of the United States and other 

nations* * * and thus to assist in the 

development of friendly, sympathetic 

and peaceful relations between the 

United States and the other countries of 

the world.’’ The funding authority for 

the program above is provided through 

legislation. 

Purpose 

The Office of the Fulbright 

Representative, Moscow and the Office 

of the Fulbright Representative, Kyiv 

(Fulbright Program Offices) are 

responsible for the administration of 

ECA’s Fulbright Program in Russia and 

Ukraine. The recipient organization(s) 

will be responsible for providing 

support for the Fulbright Program 

Offices as needed for: 

1. Recruitment and selection of 

Russian and Ukrainian participants; 

2. Placement and monitoring of U.S. 

participants at host institutions; 

3. Medical clearance for Russian and 

Ukrainian participant finalists; 

4. Pre-departure orientation for 

Russian and Ukrainian participants; 

5. Implementation of in-country 

orientation and a midyear enrichment 

seminar for U.S. recipients; 

6. Organization of an annual seminar 

for U.S. community college presidents 

and vice presidents (Russia only); 

7. Program monitoring; 

8. Program evaluation; 

9. Alumni tracking and programming. 

Additionally, the recipient 

organization(s) will be responsible for 

serving as the fiscal disbursing agent, 

ensuring that adequate funds are made 

available to support all program 

operations and providing administrative 

services for management of the 

Fulbright Program Offices, including 

maintaining the legal status of both 

Offices and Office staffs. While the 

staffing structures of the Fulbright 

Program Offices are the responsibility of 

the recipient organizations, the Office 

staffs are hired by, and report to the 


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