Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 21113 

at least three work days prior to the 

official opening of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Kevin Baker, 

Program Officer, ECA/PE/C/PY, 3E14 

Ref. Nr. ECA/PE/C/PY–10–06, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–5, 2200 C St., 

NW., Washington, DC 20522, tel. 202– 

632–6073 or e-mail: 

BakerKM1@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/ 

PY–10–06. Please read the complete 

Federal Register announcement before 

sending inquiries or submitting 

proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 

passed, Bureau staff may not discuss 

this competition with applicants until 

the proposal review process has been 

completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

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: April 15, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9334 Filed 4–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6968] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Community College Faculty 

and Administrator Program With 

Indonesia 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: 

ECA/A/S/U–10–03. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.408. 

Application Deadline: June 1, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Global Educational Programs of the U.S. 

Department of State’s Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

announces an open competition to 

administer the Community College 

Faculty and Administrator Program 

with Indonesia. Community college 

consortia and other associations of 

accredited U.S. community colleges 

meeting the provisions described in 

Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)3 

may submit proposals to cooperate with 

the Bureau to administer and implement 

a four-month exchange program for 

participants from post-secondary 

vocational and technical institutions in 

Indonesia. Key components of the 

Program will include professional 

development, leadership training, and 

the experience of U.S. society and 

culture. 

The four-month academic exchange 

program will take place from January 

2011 onward. In addition, if needed, 

English instruction will be offered in the 

U.S. to selected participants during the 

fall prior to the start of the academic 

program. The total award for all 

program and administrative expenses 

covered under the agreement will be up 

to approximately $500,000. In order to 

maximize the number of participants 

under this program, it is the Bureau’s 

expectation that significant institutional 

and private sector funding and costsharing will be made available by 

cooperating organizations. We 

anticipate that approximately 18 to 20 

faculty and administrators will 

participate in the program with one 

faculty and one administrator 

participating from each one of nine or 

ten vocational or technical institutions 

in Indonesia. 

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 Community College Faculty and 

Administrator Program with Indonesia 

will provide professional development 

opportunities for educators from postsecondary vocational and technical 

institutions in Indonesia that serve 

economically disadvantaged and 

historically underserved populations, 

including women and ethnic minorities. 

Participants will share information 

about their own institutions with their 

host colleges; further develop 

administrative or pedagogical skills; and 

learn first-hand about U.S. society and 

culture. A key objective of the Program 

is to introduce participants to the U.S. 

higher education system and provide 

them with a better understanding of 

U.S. community colleges, their mission, 

their administration, and their role in 

the U.S. economy, especially in linking 

education to employment. The Program 

will include vocational skills 

acquisition, leadership skills 

development, and English language 

training. The Program will prepare 

participants to make enhanced 

contributions to Indonesia’s 

development by encouraging a more 

dynamic relationship between their 

institutions and key sectors in 

Indonesia’s economy and by improving 

administrative and instructional 

practices in vocational and technical 

education. 

The Program also will provide 

participants and their U.S. colleagues 

with the opportunity to develop lasting 

ties as a basis for on-going cooperation. 

Participants will discuss and 

experience, in consultation with U.S. 

counterparts, strategies for increasing 

access to higher education among 

underserved sectors; for teaching in 

mixed-age, mixed-ability classrooms; for 

developing partnerships with business 

and industry; and other educational 

approaches with which U.S. community 

colleges have relevant expertise. 

Guidelines 

Applicants are requested to submit a 

narrative of no more than 20 doublespaced, single-sided pages outlining a 

comprehensive strategy for the 

administration and implementation of 

the Community College Faculty and 

Administrator Program with Indonesia. 

Participants 

The Fulbright Commission in Jakarta, 

Indonesia will recruit participants. 

Faculty participants are expected to 

have a minimum of five years of 

teaching experience as well as hands-on 

work experience in their fields of 

teaching expertise; show a strong 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
21114 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 

commitment to teaching; and 

demonstrate an interest in innovative 

approaches to education. They will 

propose specific projects related to 

curriculum development or professional 

development. It is anticipated that 

faculty will be selected in the fields of 

business management and tourism and 

hospitality management. Faculty 

participants will be required to have 

English proficiency equivalent to that 

represented by a TOEFL score of 500. 

Administrator participants are 

expected to have a minimum of three 

years of administrative experience, a 

record of leadership, and a commitment 

to educational reform. They will explore 

specific topics related to administrative 

practices, community relations, 

professional development or curriculum 

development. Preference will be given 

to administrators with previous teaching 

experience and/or some ongoing 

teaching responsibility. Because some 

administrator participants also have 

some teaching responsibilities at their 

institutions in Indonesia, administrator 

participants may have projects related to 

curriculum development as well as 

issues in educational reform. 

International administrator participants 

will be required to have English 

proficiency equivalent to that 

represented by a TOEFL score of 450. 

Program Design 

U.S. Host Colleges 

Proposals should designate two 

primary U.S. host colleges—one for 

administrators and the other for faculty 

participants. Each primary host college 

should cooperate with additional 

colleges within a community college 

district, State system, consortium, to 

provide participants with a broad 

exposure to institutional missions and 

practices in the community college 

sector. 

Host College Coordinators 

Each primary host college should 

designate a coordinator with 

responsibility for providing guidance to 

participants on their projects and for 

working with each participant to 

develop a program of consultation, 

networking, and study that is relevant to 

the participant’s interests. The 

coordinator should have knowledge of 

cross-cultural communication, group 

dynamics and organizational 

development and be able to assist the 

group in developing decision-making 

and problem-solving skills. 

The coordinator at the primary host 

college for faculty participants should 

make arrangements for them to attend 

relevant courses in their fields of 

specialization to enable them both to 

acquire new vocational skills and to 

observe classroom practices. U.S. 

faculty should meet with program 

participants to share information about 

teaching approaches and may invite 

program participants to co-teach or 

assist in classes as appropriate. 

The coordinator at the primary host 

college for administrator participants 

should arrange for each participant to 

have a U.S. mentor counterpart with 

responsibilities relevant to the interests 

of the administrator participant. The 

U.S. mentor administrators should 

provide participants with opportunities 

to ‘‘job shadow’’ or other appropriate 

opportunities to experience and 

understand relevant administrative 

practices firsthand. Administrator 

participants with curriculum 

development projects should also be 

assigned a faculty mentor. All 

administrator participants should be 

able to attend courses to enable them 

both to acquire new technical skills and 

to observe classroom practices. 

The coordinator at each primary host 

college should also organize a program 

of seminars and workshops to enable 

participants to exchange ideas, 

experiences, and teaching and 

administrative best practices with U.S. 

community college faculty and 

administrators on a regular basis. The 

program of seminars and workshops 

should also introduce participants to the 

U.S. higher education system and 

provide them with a better 

understanding of U.S. community 

colleges, their mission, their 

administration, and their economic role. 

In addition, the seminars and 

workshops should provide 

opportunities for participants to discuss 

their observations, share their 

experiences, and identify possible 

lessons for adaptation in Indonesia. 

Sessions should encourage participants 

to reflect on their projects and to 

provide one another with feedback. 

Program-Wide Mid-Semester Seminar 

Proposals should also describe a 

three- to four-day, mid-semester seminar 

at a common location, bringing together 

administrator and faculty participants to 

consult with one another and develop 

plans for adaptation and 

implementation in Indonesia. The 

program-wide mid-semester seminar 

should emphasize leadership skills and 

feature key speakers with insights into 

the role and achievements of 

community colleges and best practices 

in teaching and administration. 

English Language Study 

Proposals should describe both a fall 

program of intensive English language 

study and the availability of on-going 

English language study during the 

semester-long academic program. 

To enable the Program to 

accommodate qualified mid-career 

instructors from non-traditional and less 

privileged populations, proposals 

should designate a host college to offer 

four weeks of intensive English 

instruction in the U.S. to approximately 

half the participants during the fall prior 

to the academic program. The host 

college offering the intensive English 

program may be one of the primary host 

colleges or it may be another college. 

Proposals should also describe ongoing English as a Second Language 

programs and services at the primary 

host colleges, and include a plan to 

make additional, on-going language 

study available to all participants who 

need it at their host colleges as part of 

their academic program. 

Involvement in Community Life 

Proposals should describe activities 

that would enable participants to 

become involved in the social and 

cultural life of their local U.S. 

communities: For example, making 

presentations to local schools, 

businesses and civic groups or other 

community organizations; involvement 

with families; and attendance at 

educational and cultural events that 

demonstrate key features of U.S. society 

and culture. 

Program Administration 

Proposals also explain how predeparture orientation materials will be 

developed and disseminated, 

participants registered in SEVIS under a 

program number to be provided by the 

Bureau, and post-arrival orientation 

programming sessions organized. 

Proposals should outline procedures 

for supporting participants; for 

monitoring and evaluating their 

programs; and for follow-up with 

program alumni. 

The budget should request funding for 

round-trip international travel from 

Indonesia to U.S. host institutions for all 

participants; round-trip domestic travel 

for the mid-program seminar if 

necessary; pre-academic intensive 

English language training; tuition if 

necessary; books; maintenance 

allowance; housing and costs for 

program administration. Applicant 

organizations should explain processes 

for providing maintenance, book, and 

other allowances to program 

participants and for paying tuition fees 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 21115 

directly to host colleges if necessary. If 

possible, to streamline administrative 

procedures and to maintain the 

flexibility to respond to program 

developments as they occur, 

organizations should propose processes 

to provide payments to participants and 

colleges directly without requiring 

formal sub-agreements with each 

participating college. 

Cost-sharing is expected from 

organizations applying to cooperate 

with the Bureau on this program. 

Applicant organizations are encouraged 

to include third-party contributions in 

their proposals. 

Proposals should demonstrate depth 

of experience in conducting and 

administering complex and multifaceted international education and 

cultural exchange programs. Proposals 

should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activity (without Bureau 

support), such as tracking and 

maintaining updated lists of all alumni 

and facilitating follow-up activities with 

alumni, including ongoing 

communication between alumni and 

U.S. community college faculty. 

Programs and projects must conform 

with the requirements and guidelines 

outlined in the Solicitation Package, 

which includes the Request for Grant 

Proposals (RFGP), the Project 

Objectives, Goals and Implementation 

(POGI) and the Proposal Submission 

Instructions (PSI). 

In a Cooperative Agreement, the 

Bureau is substantially involved in 

program activities above and beyond 

routine grant monitoring. Bureau 

activities and responsibilities for this 

program include: 

(1) Participation in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

(2) Approval of key personnel; 

(3) Approval and input on program 

timelines and agendas; 

(4) Guidance in execution of all 

program components; 

(5) Review and approval of all 

program publicity and other materials; 

(6) Approval of host colleges; 

(7) Final selection of participants; 

(8) Approval of changes to a 

participant’s proposed host college; 

(9) Approval of decisions related to 

special circumstances or problems 

throughout duration of program; 

(10) Assistance with SEVIS-related 

issues; 

(11) Assistance with participant 

emergencies; 

(12) Liaison with the U.S. Embassy 

and Fulbright Commission in Jakarta 

and country desk officers at the State 

Department. 

This Cooperative Agreement should 

begin on or about September 15, 2010 

and will run through December 31, 

2011. Cooperative Agreements will 

include both the administrative and 

program portions of the program. 

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: FY2010. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

One. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$500,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

15, 2010. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

December 31, 2011. 

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 Cooperative 

Agreement for two additional fiscal 

years, before openly competing it again. 

In subsequent years, other fields may be 

added such as: Agriculture; Allied 

Health Fields, including Nursing; 

Applied Engineering; Information 

Technology; and Media. In addition, 

participating countries may be adjusted. 

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) that are 

consortia of accredited U.S. community 

colleges or other combinations of 

community colleges. Applications must 

designate a lead institution to receive 

and administer the award. 

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 that are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost-Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of costsharing 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 $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 Program Officer, 

Mary Lou Johnson-Pizarro, in the Office 

of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/ 

S/U, SA–05, Floor 4, Department of 

State, Washington, DC 20522–0504, 

(202) 632–9483, JohnsonPizarroML@state.gov, to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/ 

S/U–10–03 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. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
21116 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 

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. 

In addition to 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 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 21117 

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 short-term outcome, 

whereas behavior and institutional 

changes are normally considered longerterm 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. 

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 $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. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program and additional budget guidance 

are outlined in detail in the POGI 

document. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: June 1, 

2010. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/S/U–10– 

03. 

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. 

Please note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for 

this competition to submit printed, hard 

copy applications as outlined in section 

IV.3f.1., below rather than submitting 

electronically through Grants.gov. This 

recommendation is being made as a 

result of the anticipated high volume of 

grant proposals that will be submitted 

via the Grants.gov Web portal as part of 

the Recovery Act stimulus package. As 

stated in this RFGP, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting 

from transmission or conversion 

processes for proposals submitted via 

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 7 copies of the 

application should be sent to: Program 

Management Division, ECA–IIP/EX/PM, 

Ref.: ECA/A/S/U–10–03, 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 

a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will 

provide these files electronically to the 

appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at 

the U.S. embassies for their review. 

IV.3f.2—Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
21118 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for 

this competition to submit printed, hard 

copy applications as outlined in section 

IV.3f.1. above, rather than submitting 

electronically through Grants.gov. This 

recommendation is being made as a 

result of the anticipated high volume of 

grant proposals that will be submitted 

via the Grants.gov Web portal as part of 

the Recovery Act stimulus package. As 

stated in this RFGP, ECA bears no 

responsibility for 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, 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 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 cooperative 

agreements resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the program idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. 

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan 

should adhere to the program overview 

and guidelines described above. 

3. Ability to achieve program 

objectives: Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed 

programs should strengthen long-term 

mutual understanding, including 

maximum sharing of information and 

establishment of long-term institutional 

and individual linkages. 

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venue and program evaluation) and 

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

materials and follow-up activities). 

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program or project’s goals. 

7. Institution’s Record/Ability: 

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements for past Bureau 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. 

8. 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. 

9. 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. 

10. 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. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 21119 

11. 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 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 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. 

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. 

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: Mary Lou 

Johnson-Pizarro, in the Office of Global 

Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/U, SA– 

05, Floor 4, Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20522–0504, (202) 632– 

9483 Johnson-PizarroML@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/S/U– 

10–03. 

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: April 15, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9323 Filed 4–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6963] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Cultural Visitors Program 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/CU–10–54. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: May 20, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The U.S. 

Department of State’s Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

seeks an organization with a strong 

Washington presence to assist the Office 

of Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs 

Division, in the implementation of 

short-term, high-visibility cultural 

exchanges taking place during calendar 

years 2010, 2011 and 2012. 

Approximately 60 visitors from 

countries around the world will 

participate in initiatives/projects in the 

United States designed to promote 

interaction between foreign participants 

and their American peers. Cultural 

Visitors will include artists and arts 

professionals as well as youth with a 

special interest in the arts. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES