6190 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 23 / Thursday, February 5, 2009 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6510] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: International Sports 

Programming Initiative 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/SU–09–28. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: March 23, 

2009. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs 

announces an open competition for the 

International Sports Programming 

Initiative. 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 for projects designed to reach 

out to youth and promote mutual 

understanding by increasing the 

professional capacity of those who 

design and manage youth sports 

programs in select countries in Africa, 

East Asia, the Near East and North 

Africa, South Central Asia, Europe, and 

the Western Hemisphere. The focus of 

all programs must be on reaching out to 

both male and female youth ages 8–18 

and/or their coaches. Programs designed 

to train elite athletes or coaches will not 

be considered. For the purposes of this 

competition, eligible regions are Africa, 

Europe, East Asia, the Near East and 

North Africa, South and Central Asia 

and the Western Hemisphere. Eligible 

countries in each region are: Africa: 

Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, 

Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, and Mali; East 

Asia: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, 

Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and 

Vietnam; Near East and North Africa: 

Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Kuwait, 

Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and 

Oman; South and Central Asia: 

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, 

Kyrgyzstan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, 

Maldives, and Bangladesh; Europe: 

Turkey and Armenia; and the Western 

Hemisphere: El Salvador, Panama, 

Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican 

Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and 

Brazil. 

Proposals may address multiple 

countries but they must be from the 

same region. Proposals for countries that 

are not designated in the RFGP or that 

address more than one region will be 

deemed technically ineligible and will 

receive no further consideration in the 

review process. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making 

authority for this program is contained 

in the Mutual Educational and Cultural 

Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87– 

256, as amended, also known as the 

Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 

Act is ‘‘to enable the Government of the 

United States to increase mutual 

understanding between the people of 

the United States and the people of 

other countries * * *; to strengthen the 

ties which unite us with other nations 

by demonstrating the educational and 

cultural interests, developments, and 

achievements of the people of the 

United States and other nations * * * 

and thus to assist in the development of 

friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 

relations between the United States and 

the other countries of the world.’’ The 

funding authority for the program above 

is provided through legislation. 

Purpose: Overview: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals 

for two-way exchanges (one component 

in the United States and the other in the 

chosen country) that directly respond to 

the following thematic areas. Given 

budgetary limitations, projects for 

themes not listed below will not be 

eligible for consideration under the FY– 

2009 International Sports Program 

Initiative Competition, and if received 

will be deemed technically ineligible 

and will receive no further 

consideration in the review process. 

Themes: 

(1) Training Sports Coaches 

The World Summit on Physical 

Education (Berlin, 1999) stated that a 

‘‘quality physical education helps 

children to develop the patterns of 

interest in physical activity, which are 

essential for healthy development and 

which lay the foundation for healthy, 

adult lifestyles.’’ Coaches are critical to 

the accomplishment of this goal. A 

coach not only needs to be qualified to 

provide the technical assistance 

required by young athletes to improve, 

but must also understand how to help 

a young person to discover how success 

in athletics can be translated into 

achievement in the development of life 

skills and in the classroom. 

Through seminars and outreach, 

projects submitted in response to this 

theme will aim at aiding youth and 

secondary school coaches in the target 

countries in the development and 

implementation of appropriate training 

methodologies. The goal is to ensure the 

optimal technical proficiency among the 

coaches participating in the program 

while also emphasizing the role sports 

can play in the long-term economic 

well-being of youth. 

(2) Youth Sports Management Exchange 

Exchanges funded under this theme 

will enable American and foreign youth 

sport coaches, adult sponsors, and sport 

association officials to share their 

experience in managing and organizing 

youth sports activities, particularly in 

financially challenging circumstances, 

and will advance cross-cultural 

understanding of the role of sports as a 

significant factor in educational success. 

The pursuit of academic degrees from 

U.S. institutions is not an acceptable 

focus of this program, and applications 

that propose this will not be considered. 

(3) Youth With Disabilities 

Exchanges supported by this theme 

are designed to promote and sponsor 

sports, recreation, fitness, and leisure 

events for children and adults with 

physical disabilities. Project goals 

include improving the quality of life for 

people with disabilities by providing 

affordable, inclusive sports and 

recreational experiences that build selfesteem and confidence, enhancing 

active participation in community life 

and making a significant contribution to 

the physical and psychological health of 

people with disabilities. Proposals 

under this theme aim to demonstrate 

that physically disabled individuals can 

be included in sports and recreation 

opportunities in their communities, and 

will develop opportunities for them to 

do so. 

(4) Sports and Health 

Projects funded under this category 

will focus on effective and practical 

ways to use sports personalities and 

sports health professionals to increase 

awareness among young people of the 

importance of following a healthy 

lifestyle to reduce illness, prevent 

injuries and speed rehabilitation and 

recovery. Emphasis will be on the 

responsibility of the broader community 

to support healthy behavior. The project 

goals are to promote and integrate 

scientific research, education, and 

practical applications of sports 

medicine and exercise science to 

maintain and enhance physical 

performance, fitness, health, and quality 

of life. (Actual medical training and 

dispensing of medications are outside 

the purview of this theme.) 

No guarantee is made or implied that 

grants will be awarded in all themes or 

for all countries listed. 

Audience: The intended audience is 

non-elite youth, coaches, community 

leaders and representatives from 


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government and non-governmental 

organizations. 

Ideal Program Model: The following 

are suggested program structures: 

• A U.S. grantee identifies U.S. 

citizens to conduct a multi-location, incountry program overseas that includes 

clinics and training sessions for: Male 

and female athletes; government 

officials (Ministry of Sports and 

Ministry of Education); coaches (adult 

and youth); NGO representatives 

(including representatives from relevant 

sports federations); community officials 

(including local authorities associated 

with recreational facilities); youth 

audiences (equal numbers of boys and 

girls); elected local government officials; 

and sports management professionals to 

support one of the themes listed. 

• An in-country partner overseas (a 

local university, government agency or 

other appropriate organization, such as 

a relevant sports federation) co-hosts an 

activity with the U.S. grantee 

institution, and participates in the 

selection of participants for a U.S. 

program. 

• A U.S. program that includes site 

visits designed to provide participants 

with exposure to American youth and 

coaches, sports education in the United 

States, background information on U.S. 

approaches to the themes listed in the 

announcement, relevant cultural 

activities, and a debriefing and 

evaluation. 

• U.S. experts who worked with 

participants from overseas implement 

an in-country program. 

• Participants in the U.S. program 

design in-country projects and serve as 

co-presenters. 

• Materials are translated into the 

relevant language for use in future 

projects. 

• Small grants are dispersed for 

projects designed to expand the 

exchange experience. 

• All participants are encouraged to 

enroll in the Bureau of Education and 

Cultural Affairs’ alumni Web site. 

U.S. Embassy Involvement: Before 

submitting a proposal, all applicants are 

strongly encouraged to consult with the 

Washington, DC-based State Department 

contact for the themes/regions listed in 

this solicitation. Applicants are also 

strongly encouraged to consult with 

Public Affairs Officers at U.S. Embassies 

in relevant countries as they develop 

proposals responding to this RFGP. It is 

important that the proposal narrative 

clearly state the applicant’s commitment 

to consult closely with the Public 

Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in 

the relevant country/countries to 

develop plans for project 

implementation, to select project 

participants, and to publicize the 

program through the media. Proposals 

should acknowledge U.S. Embassy 

involvement in the final selection of all 

participants. 

Media: Proposals should include 

specific strategies for publicizing the 

project, both in the United States and 

overseas, as applicable. Sample 

materials can be included in the 

appendix. 

Participant Selection: Proposals 

should clearly describe the types of 

persons that will participate in the 

program, as well as the participant 

recruitment and selection processes. It 

is a priority of the office to include 

female participants in all of its 

programs. In the selection of foreign 

participants, the Bureau and U.S. 

embassies retain the right to review all 

participant nominations and to accept 

or refuse participants recommended by 

grantee institutions. When U.S. 

participants are selected, grantee 

institutions must provide their names 

and brief biographical data to the Office 

of Citizen Exchanges. Priority in twoway exchange proposals will be given to 

foreign participants who have not 

previously traveled to the United States. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2009. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$1,500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 6–8. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$225,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $225,000. 

Floor of Award Range: $60,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, August 31, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

September 30 2010–June 30 2011. 

Projects under this competition may 

range in length from one to three years 

depending on the number of project 

components, the country/region targeted 

and the extent of the evaluation plan 

proposed by the applicant. The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages 

applicant organizations to plan enough 

time after project activities to measure 

project outcomes. Please refer to the 

Program Monitoring and Evaluation 

section, item IV.3d.3 below, for further 

guidance on evaluation. 

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) Grants awarded to eligible 

organizations with less than four years 

of experience in conducting 

international exchange programs will be 

limited to $60,000. Organizations that 

only qualify for the $60,000 level may 

choose to conduct a one-way exchange, 

but must explain how the objectives of 

Americans interacting with foreign 

participants will still be achieved. 

(b) Technical Eligibility: 

• It is imperative that all proposals 

follow the requirements outlined in the 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

technical format and instructions 

document. Additionally, all proposals 

must comply with the following or they 

will result in your proposal being 

declared technically ineligible and 

given no further consideration in the 

review process. 

• The Office does not support 

proposals limited to conferences or 

seminars (i.e., one- to fourteen-day 

programs with plenary sessions, main 

speakers, panels, and a passive 

audience). It will support conferences 

only when they are a small part of a 

larger project in duration that is 

receiving Bureau funding from this 

competition. No funding is available 

exclusively to send U.S. citizens to 

conferences or conference-type seminars 

overseas; nor is funding available for 

bringing foreign nationals to 

conferences or to routine professional 

association meetings in the United 

States. 


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• The Office of Citizen Exchanges 

does not support academic research or 

faculty or student fellowships. 

• Applicants may not submit more 

than one (1) proposal for this 

competition. Organizations that submit 

proposals that exceed these limits will 

result in having all of their proposals 

declared technically ineligible, and 

none of the submissions will be 

reviewed by a State Department panel. 

• Proposals that target countries/ 

regions or themes not listed in the RFGP 

will be deemed technically ineligible. 

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 Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/ 

PE/C, Room 220, U.S. Department of 

State, SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, tel.: 202–453– 

8167; fax: 202–453–8168; or e-mail 

Elizabeth Fine at fineeh@state.gov to 

request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/PE/C/SU–09–28 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. 

Please specify Elizabeth Fine and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/PE/C/SU–09–28 located at 

the top of this announcement on all 

other inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

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

rfgps/menu.htm, 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 for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

Please note: Effective March 14, 2008, 

all applicants for ECA federal assistance 

awards must include with their 

application, a copy of page 5, Part V-A, 

‘‘Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, 

and Key Employees’’ of their most 

recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

Form 990, ‘‘Return of Organization 

Exempt From Income Tax.’’ If an 

applicant does not file an IRS Form 990, 

but instead files Schedule A (Form 990 

or 990–EZ)—‘‘Organization Exempt 

Under Section 501(c)(3),’’ applicants 

must include with their application a 

copy of Page 1, Part 1, ‘‘Compensation 

of the Five Highest Paid Employees 

Other Than Officers, Directors and 

Trustees,’’ of their most recent Internal 

Revenue Service (IRS) Form—Schedule 

A (Form 990 or 990–EZ). 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs is the 

official program sponsor of the exchange 

program covered by this RFGP, and an 

employee of the Bureau will be the 

‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the program 

under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, 

which covers the administration of the 

Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 

part 62, organizations receiving awards 

(either a grant or cooperative agreement) 

under this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR part 62. 

Therefore, the Bureau expects that any 

organization receiving an award under 

this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient 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 part 62. 

If your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq., including the oversight 

of their Responsible Officers and 

Alternate Responsible Officers, 

screening and selection of program 

participants, provision of pre-arrival 

information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, record-keeping, reporting and 

other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS– 

2019 forms to participants in this 

program. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov 

or from: United States Department of 

State, Office of Exchange Coordination 

and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44, 

Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 

(202) 203–5029, FAX: (202) 453–8640. 

IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the 

Bureau’s authorizing legislation, 

programs must maintain a non-political 

character and should be balanced and 

representative of the diversity of 

American political, social, and cultural 

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted 

in the broadest sense and encompass 

differences including, but not limited to 

ethnicity, race, gender, religion, 

geographic location, socio-economic 


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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 

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. 

Department of State Acknowledgement 

All recipients of ECA grants or 

cooperative agreements should be 

prepared to state in any announcement 

or publicity where it is not 

inappropriate that activities are assisted 

financially by the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs of the United States 

Department of State under the authority 

of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as 

amended. Award recipients are strongly 

encouraged to use the Department seal 

on all promotional and related materials 

for ECA funded programs which 

support the commemoration of special 

occasions or events, but only after first 

obtaining written permission from the 

ECA program office(r) assigned to the 

project. In any contact with the media 

(print, television, blogging, etc.) 

applicants must acknowledge 

Department of State ECA Bureau 

funding for the program. 

Alumni Outreach /Follow-on 

Programming and Engagement 

Please refer to the Proposal 

Submissions Instruction (PSI) document 

for additional guidance. 

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. For this competition, requests 

should not exceed approximately 

$225,000. 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. Please note that 

the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs does not fund programs that 

involve building of structures of any 

kind, including playing fields, 

recreation centers, or stadiums. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: 

1. Travel. International and domestic 

airfare; visas; transit costs; ground 

transportation costs. Please note that all 

air travel must be in compliance with 

the Fly America Act. There is no charge 

for J–1 visas for participants in Bureau 

sponsored programs. 

2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based 

programming, organizations should use 

the published Federal per diem rates for 

individual U.S. cities. Domestic per 

diem rates may be accessed at: http:// 

policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/ 

homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. 


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ECA requests applicants to budget 

realistic costs that reflect the local 

economy and do not exceed Federal per 

diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can 

be accessed at: http://www.state.gov/m/ 

a/als/prdm/html. 

3. Interpreters. For U.S.-based 

activities, ECA strongly encourages 

applicants to hire their own locally 

based interpreters. However, applicants 

may ask ECA to assign State Department 

interpreters. One interpreter is typically 

needed for every four participants who 

require interpretation. When an 

applicant proposes to use State 

Department interpreters, the following 

expenses should be included in the 

budget: Published Federal per diem 

rates (both ‘‘lodging’’ and ‘‘M&IE’’) and 

‘‘home-program-home’’ transportation 

in the amount of $400 per interpreter. 

Salary expenses for State Department 

interpreters will be covered by the 

Bureau and should not be part of an 

applicant’s proposed budget. Bureau 

funds cannot support interpreters who 

accompany delegations from their home 

country or travel internationally. 

4. Book and Cultural Allowances. 

Foreign participants are entitled to a 

one-time cultural allowance of $150 per 

person, plus a book allowance of $50. 

Interpreters should be reimbursed up to 

$150 for expenses when they escort 

participants to cultural events. U.S. 

program staff, trainers or participants 

are not eligible to receive these benefits. 

5. Consultants. Consultants may be 

used to provide specialized expertise or 

to make presentations. Honoraria rates 

should not exceed $250 per day. 

Organizations are encouraged to costshare rates that would exceed that 

figure. Subcontracting organizations 

may also be employed, in which case 

the written agreement between the 

prospective grantee and sub-grantee 

should be included in the proposal. 

Such sub-grants should detail the 

division of responsibilities and 

proposed costs, and subcontracts should 

be itemized in the budget. 

6. Room Rental. The rental of meeting 

space should not exceed $250 per day. 

Any rates that exceed this amount 

should be cost shared. 

7. Materials. Proposals may contain 

costs to purchase, develop and translate 

materials for participants. Costs for high 

quality translation of materials should 

be anticipated and included in the 

budget. Grantee organizations should 

expect to submit a copy of all program 

materials to ECA, and ECA support 

should be acknowledged on all 

materials developed with its funding. 

8. Equipment. Applicants may 

propose to use grant funds to purchase 

equipment, such as computers and 

printers; these costs should be justified 

in the budget narrative. Costs for 

furniture are not allowed. 

9. Working Meal. Normally, no more 

than one working meal may be provided 

during the program. Per capita costs 

may not exceed $15–$25 for lunch and 

$20–$35 for dinner, excluding room 

rental. The number of invited guests 

may not exceed participants by more 

than a factor of two-to-one. When 

setting up a budget, interpreters should 

be considered ‘‘participants.’’ 

10. Return Travel Allowance. A return 

travel allowance of $70 for each foreign 

participant may be included in the 

budget. This allowance would cover 

incidental expenses incurred during 

international travel. 

11. Health Insurance. Foreign 

participants will be covered during their 

participation in the U.S. program by the 

ECA-sponsored Accident and Sickness 

Program for Exchanges (ASPE). The 

grantee must notify the program office 

to enroll them. Details of that policy can 

be provided by the contact officers 

identified in this solicitation. The 

premium is paid by ECA and should not 

be included in the grant proposal 

budget. However, applicants are 

permitted to include costs for travel 

insurance for U.S. participants in the 

budget. 

12. Wire Transfer Fees. When 

necessary, applicants may include costs 

to transfer funds to partner 

organizations overseas. Grantees are 

urged to research applicable taxes that 

may be imposed on these transfers by 

host governments. 

13. In-country Travel Costs for visa 

processing purposes. Given the 

requirements associated with obtaining 

J–1 visas for ECA-supported 

participants, applicants should include 

costs for any travel associated with visa 

interviews or DS–2019 pick-up. 

14. Administrative Costs. Costs 

necessary for the effective 

administration of the program may 

include salaries for grantee organization 

employees, benefits, and other direct 

and indirect costs per detailed 

instructions in the Application Package. 

While there is no rigid ratio of 

administrative to program costs, 

proposals in which the administrative 

costs do not exceed 25% of the total 

requested ECA grant funds will be more 

competitive under the cost effectiveness 

and cost sharing criterion, per item V.1 

below. Proposals should show strong 

administrative cost sharing 

contributions from the applicant, the incountry partner and other sources. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: Monday, 

March 23, 2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/SU– 

09–28. 

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., DHL, 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 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/SU–09–28, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 


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text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will 

provide these files electronically to the 

appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at 

the U.S. embassy/ies for 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 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, 7 

a.m.–9 p.m. 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. Applicants 

will receive a validation e-mail 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 grants resides 

with the Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Program Planning and Ability To 

Achieve Objectives: Program objectives 

should be stated clearly and should 

reflect the applicant’s expertise in the 

subject area and region. Objectives 

should respond to the topics in this 

announcement and should relate to the 

current conditions in the target country/ 

countries. A detailed agenda and 

relevant work plan should explain how 

objectives will be achieved and should 

include a timetable for completion of 

major tasks. The substance of 

workshops, internships, seminars and/ 

or consulting should be described in 

detail. Sample training schedules 

should be outlined. Responsibilities of 

proposed in-country partners should be 

clearly described. A discussion of how 

the applicant intends to address 

language issues should be included, if 

needed. 

2. Institutional Capacity: Proposals 

should include (1) The institution’s 

mission and date of establishment; (2) 

detailed information about proposed incountry partner(s) and the history of the 

partnership; (3) an outline of prior 

awards—U.S. government and/or 

private support received for the target 

theme/country/region; and (4) 

descriptions of experienced staff 

members who will implement the 

program. The proposal should reflect 

the institution’s expertise in the subject 

area and knowledge of the conditions in 

the target country/countries. Proposals 

should demonstrate an institutional 

record of successful exchange programs, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for past 

Bureau grants as determined by Bureau 

Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider 

the past performance of prior recipients 

and the demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program’s goals. The Bureau strongly 

encourages applicants to submit letters 

of support from proposed in-country 

partners. 

3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost 

Sharing: Overhead and administrative 

costs in the proposal budget, including 

salaries, honoraria and subcontracts for 

services, should be kept to a minimum. 

Proposals whose administrative costs 

are less than twenty-five (25) per cent of 

the total funds requested from the 

Bureau will be deemed more 

competitive under this criterion. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

cost share a portion of overhead and 

administrative expenses. Cost-sharing, 

including contributions from the 

applicant, proposed in-country 

partner(s), and other sources should be 

included in the budget request. Proposal 

budgets that do not reflect cost sharing 

will be deemed not competitive in this 

category. 

4. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venue and program evaluation) and 


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program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource 

materials and follow-up activities). 

Applicants should refer to the Bureau’s 

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy 

Guidelines in the PSI and the Diversity, 

Freedom and Democracy Guidelines 

section, Item IV.3d.2, above for 

additional guidance. 

5. Post-Grant Activities: Applicants 

should provide a plan to conduct 

activities after the Bureau-funded 

project has concluded in order to ensure 

that Bureau-supported programs are not 

isolated events. Funds for all post-grant 

activities must be in the form of 

contributions from the applicant or 

sources outside of the Bureau. Costs for 

these activities must not appear in the 

proposal budget, but should be outlined 

in the narrative. 

6. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation: Proposals should include a 

detailed plan to monitor and evaluate 

the program. Program objectives should 

target clearly defined results in 

quantitative terms. Competitive 

evaluation plans will describe how 

applicant organizations would measure 

these results, and proposals should 

include draft data collection 

instruments (surveys, questionnaires, 

etc) in Tab E. See the ‘‘Program 

Monitoring/Evaluation’’ section, item 

IV.3d.3 above for more information on 

the components of a competitive 

evaluation plan. Successful applicants 

(grantee institutions) will be expected to 

submit a report after each program 

component concludes or on a quarterly 

basis, whichever is less frequent. The 

Bureau also requires that grantee 

institutions submit a final narrative and 

financial report no more than 90 days 

after the expiration of a grant. Please 

refer to the ‘‘Program Management/ 

Evaluation’’ section, item IV.3d.3 above 

for more guidance. 

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 a 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 two copies of the following 

reports: 

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2) 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 the 

activities completed during that quarter, 

information about any participants of 

the activities, and any adjustments in 

the program timeline. 

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 

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. 

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: Elizabeth Fine, 

SportsUnited Division, ECA/PE/C/SU, 

Room 220, ECA/PE/C/SU–09–28, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, tel: 

(202) 453–8167, fax: (202) 453–8169, 

fineeh@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/ 

SU–09–01. 

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. 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 23 / Thursday, February 5, 2009 / Notices 6197 

Dated: January 29, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–2472 Filed 2–4–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6511] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Youth Leadership Program 

With Iraq 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–09–27. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Application Deadline: April 2, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 

Division, of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition to design and implement a 

Youth Leadership Program with Iraq. 

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 for a grant that will support 

English-speaking high school students 

and adult participants from Iraq in a 

four-week U.S.-based exchange that 

explores civic education, leadership 

development, respect for diversity, and 

community involvement. The program 

will conclude with follow-on activities 

in the participants’ home communities 

in which they apply the knowledge and 

skills acquired during the exchange 

experience. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making 

authority for this program is contained 

in the Mutual Educational and Cultural 

Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87– 

256, as amended, also known as the 

Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 

Act is ‘‘to enable the Government of the 

United States to increase mutual 

understanding between the people of 

the United States and the people of 

other countries * * *; to strengthen the 

ties which unite us with other nations 

by demonstrating the educational and 

cultural interests, developments, and 

achievements of the people of the 

United States and other nations * * * 

and thus to assist in the development of 

friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 

relations between the United States and 

the other countries of the world.’’ The 

funding authority for the program above 

is provided through legislation. 

Purpose: The Youth Leadership 

Program with Iraq offers secondary 

school students and educators from Iraq 

an opportunity to learn about the United 

States and to develop their leadership 

skills. Through this program, the Office 

of Citizen Exchanges’ Youth Programs 

Division will sponsor a total of 

approximately 35 participants from Iraq 

who will join 15 to 20 American high 

school students in a four-week exchange 

program in the United States during the 

summer of 2010. 

The goals of the program are: (1) To 

enable the participants to understand 

civic participation and the rights and 

responsibilities of citizens in a 

democracy; (2) to develop leadership 

skills among secondary school students 

and teachers appropriate to their needs; 

(3) to foster understanding and build 

relationships across ethnic, religious, 

and national groups; and (4) to promote 

mutual understanding between the 

people of Iraq and the United States. 

Applicant organizations should 

identify their own specific objectives 

and measurable outcomes based on 

these program goals and the 

specifications provided in this 

solicitation. 

The program promotes high-quality 

leadership, civic responsibility, and 

civic activism among both countries’ 

future leaders by offering a practical 

examination of the principles of 

democracy and civil society as practiced 

in the United States, and by providing 

participants with training that allows 

them to develop their leadership skills. 

The exchange format will be intensive 

and interactive. Participants will be 

engaged in a variety of activities such as 

workshops, community and/or schoolbased programs, seminars, and other 

activities that are designed to achieve 

the project’s stated goals and objectives. 

Participants will live with American 

families for most of the exchange 

period. 

The total number of Iraqi participants 

will be between 30 and 40 Iraqis—25– 

30 teenagers (aged 15–17) and 5–10 

adult educators (teachers or staff of 

NGOs that work with youth). Applicant 

organizations may propose to bring 

them to the United States as one large 

group or in two smaller groups, as 

appropriate to their program designs, in 

the summer of 2010 between mid-June 

and mid-September. They will be joined 

in their U.S.-based activities by 15 to 20 

competitively selected American 

teenagers of the same age as the Iraqi 

students. ECA encourages the inclusion 

of as many participants as possible. 

Applicant organizations must present 

a plan to select a delegation of 

participants from Iraq who will 

proportionally represent the ethnic, 

religious, and geographic diversity of 

the Iraqi population. The selected 

participants will have sufficient English 

language skills to be able to 

communicate without interpretation. 

The Department of State and/or its 

overseas representatives must approve 

all selected delegations. 

Applicants must demonstrate their 

capacity for doing programs of this 

nature, focusing on three areas of 

competency: (1) Provision of leadership 

and civic education programming; (2) 

age-appropriate programming for youth; 

and (3) prior work with individuals 

from the Middle East. 

Applicant organizations need to have 

the necessary capacity in Iraq through a 

branch office, a partner organization, or 

other affiliates that have the 

demonstrated ability to conduct the 

specified activities. 

In pursuit of the goals outlined above, 

the grant recipient will be responsible 

for implementing the following: 

• Recruitment, screening, and 

selection of the Iraqi and American 

youth participants and Iraqi adult 

educators. 

• Pre-departure and welcome 

orientations. 

• Design and planning of substantive 

and well-organized activities in the 

United States on leadership 

development, civic education, and 

community service. 

• Activities should be school and/or 

community-based, and the program will 

involve extensive interaction between 

Iraqis and Americans. The exchange 

will conclude with a civic education 

program in Washington, DC. 

• Logistical arrangements, 

preparation of travel documents, 

homestay arrangements and other 

accommodation, provisions for religious 

observance, disbursement of stipends/ 

per diem, and international and local 

travel. 

• Follow-on activities designed to 

reinforce the ideas, values, and skills 

imparted during the U.S. program. 

Grant recipients will use the name 

‘‘Youth Leadership Program with Iraq’’ 

to identify the program. All participants 

and alumni should identify themselves 

with the Youth Leadership Program 

(YLP). 

Proposals must demonstrate how the 

stated objectives will be met. The 

proposal narrative should provide 

detailed information on the major 

program activities, and applicants 

should explain and justify their 

programmatic choices. Programs must 

comply with J–1 visa regulations. Please 

refer to the complete Solicitation 

Package—this RFGP, the Project 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES