Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 20, 2010 / Notices 20663 

U.S. Department of State, SA–5, 2200 C 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522– 

0503; tel 202–632–6407; fax 202–632– 

9355; e-mail CrossA@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C– 

CU–10–50 and the specific program 

being requested. 

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 14, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9076 Filed 4–19–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 6958] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: TechWomen 

Announcement Type: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C–10–55. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415 

DATES: Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: June 2, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs 

announces an open competition for 

‘‘TechWomen’’. Public and private nonprofit organizations meeting the 

provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 

conduct a professional mentorship 

exchange program. This initiative 

champions two distinct but key themes 

of President Obama’s June 2009 speech 

in Cairo by supporting development in 

the field of technology and enabling 

women to reach their full potential in 

the technology industry. Applicants 

should plan to recruit and select a total 

of approximately 20–40 women from 

Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, 

Morocco, the West Bank and Gaza to 

participate in a four- to six-week peer 

mentoring program in the United States. 

The mentoring experience will focus on 

bolstering the status of professional 

women in the field of technology, will 

provide networking opportunities for 

the participants, and will support 

activities in the participants’ home 

countries that encourage the interest of 

girls in technology-based careers. 

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 project ‘‘TechWomen’’ will link 

approximately 20–40 emerging female 

leaders from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, 

Lebanon, Morocco, the West Bank and 

Gaza, who have at least two years of 

professional experience in the field of 

technology, with female peer mentors in 

the United States for a four- to six-week 

mentorship program. A smaller number 

of select American experts will then 

travel to the foreign participants’ home 

region to offer skills development 

sessions and workshops for a broader 

range of local participants. The program 

is designed to reach beyond the 

exchange by serving as the basis for an 

international professional support 

network for women working in the field 

of technology both within and outside 

of each participant’s home country. 

Participants will also have access to the 

community of alumni from previous 

State Department sponsored exchange 

programs. 

Applicants must identify the U.S. and 

foreign organizations and individuals 

with whom they are proposing to 

collaborate both to secure mentorships 

in the United States, to recruit and 

select participants overseas, and to 

implement follow-on workshops 

conducted by American experts in 

certain of the participants’ home 

countries. Proposals should contain 

letters of commitment or support from 

partner organizations for the proposed 

mentorships, and for the follow-on 

workshops overseas. A description of 

any previous cooperative activities with 

these partner organizations must be 

included in the proposal, along with 

information about their mission, 

activities, and accomplishments. 

Applicants should clearly outline and 

describe the roles and responsibilities of 

all partner organizations in terms of 

project logistics, management and 

oversight. 

Competitive proposals will include 

the following: 

• A proposed timeline detailing 

potential activities and project goals; 

• A description of the recruitment 

and selection processes of participants 

from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, 

Morocco, the West Bank and Gaza; 

• A description of U.S.-based 

activities, including the securing of 

mentorships and mentors in American 

companies; monitoring and support of 

participants during the mentorship; a 

group orientation; and a debriefing/ 

evaluation session at the conclusion of 

the program; 

• A description of the workshops, 

seminars and/or other activities 

conducted by the American experts 

overseas; 

• Letters of commitment from U.S. 

partners to serve as possible host 

mentoring sites; 

• A description of the applicant 

organization’s relevant expertise in the 

project area and working with 

participants or organizations from 

eligible countries; 

• A description of relevant 

experience managing previous exchange 

and/or mentoring programs; 

• Resumes of experienced staff who 

have demonstrated a commitment to 

implement and monitor projects and 

ensure outcomes; 

• A comprehensive plan to evaluate 

whether program outcomes will achieve 

the specific objectives described in the 

narrative; 


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• A post-grant plan that demonstrates 

how the participants can maintain 

contacts initiated during the program. 

Applicants should discuss ways that 

U.S. and foreign participants will 

collaborate and communicate after the 

ECA-funded grant has concluded. 

U.S. Embassy Involvement: Award 

recipients must acknowledge U.S. 

Embassy involvement in the final 

selection of all participants. Before 

submitting a proposal, all applicants are 

strongly encouraged to consult with the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs Washington, DC-based State 

Department contact, Sheila Casey; (202) 

632–6070 (tel); (202) 632–9355 (fax); 

e-mail: caseysd@state.gov. 

Project Details 

Audience 

Participants will be women (aged 

25–42) from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, 

Lebanon, Morocco, the West Bank and 

Gaza who are engaged or rising in 

professional careers that require 

significant expertise/knowledge of 

technology and/or innovative 

application of these skills, and who 

already are, or show promise of being, 

role models for others in their countries, 

particularly for women. ‘‘Technology’’ 

should be interpreted broadly to 

include—but not be limited to—the 

fields of science, education, and 

business. Participants must have at least 

two years of previous work experience 

in a field that explicitly and directly 

involves and applies technology in 

meeting professional goals. All 

participants must be proficient in 

English. 

Each participant should be matched 

with one female U.S. mentor who is a 

mid-level professional. Also, each 

participant should have a personal 

mentor as well to help ease her 

adjustment to American culture and life. 

A successful program will: 

• Provide foreign participants from 

eligible countries the opportunity for 

professional development through 

project-based mentorships with 

American peers for up to 6 weeks, and 

through activities conducted in select 

countries overseas after the conclusion 

of the U.S.-based program. 

• Promote mutual understanding and 

partnerships between key professional 

groups in the United States and 

counterpart groups in eligible countries. 

• Create sustainable professional 

mentoring relationships between U.S. 

and foreign participants. 

• Expand the network of technology 

professionals in eligible countries. 

Ideal Program Model 

• A four- to six-week U.S.-based 

program that includes a group 

orientation at the beginning of the 

program; a mentorship with a peer 

mentor; a debrief/evaluation session at 

the conclusion of the U.S.-based 

mentorship; and additional educational 

and cultural programming, as 

appropriate. Participants should be 

placed in small groups in one or 

multiple tech hub areas to provide them 

with a social and support network. 

Placing participants in the Silicon 

Valley region of California and/or other 

centers of technology in the United 

States is strongly encouraged. Based on 

the participant’s interests and goals, the 

award recipient will design each 

mentorship around a specific project or 

effort within a company that is clearly 

relevant to the participant’s professional 

goals. 

• Robust engagement with the private 

sector to expand networking 

opportunities and secure mentorship 

hosts in small-, medium- and large-size 

companies. 

• A four- to seven-day project in onetwo of the participants’ home countries 

for select U.S. experts in technology 

(either the participants’ mentors 

themselves, or other women that have 

been in close contact with the mentees 

in the United States) to conduct/ 

participate in seminars, workshops, onsite consultancies, and other types of 

activities with the goal of reinforcing the 

mentorship experience and creating a 

wider network of women who are 

established in these professions, or who 

aspire to do so. During this overseas 

project, the award recipient should also 

arrange one–two workshops for at least 

25 girls (within the age range of 11–15) 

each to expose them to role models and 

insight into what it means to be a female 

leader in a technological field. At the 

end of the overseas project, there should 

be a one-day debriefing and evaluation 

session with the participants. 

• A follow-on plan to establish 

regular communication between the 

participants themselves, as well as with 

those who were engaged during the 

programming during the overseas 

project. 

Successful applicants must 

demonstrate a capacity to achieve the 

following: 

• Recruit and select 20–40 qualified 

individuals from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, 

Lebanon, Morocco, the West Bank and 

Gaza. The program should be designed 

for participants to travel to the United 

States at the same time, in order to 

participate in a group orientation upon 

arrival, even if they will subsequently 

be engaged in smaller, more customized 

programs. The award recipient will be 

responsible for making all international 

and domestic travel arrangements. 

• Identify U.S.-based organizations 

and individuals with whom 

collaboration on mentorships and 

networking opportunities is possible, 

and describe previous cooperative 

activities, if any. 

• Identify qualified and established 

partner organizations/offices overseas 

where participants are being recruited 

in consultation with ECA and the 

relevant U.S. Embassies and Consulates. 

• Implement meaningful and effective 

four- to six-week professional mentoring 

experiences in the United States. The 

final selection of foreign participants 

should take into account the types of 

mentorship placements that may be 

available in the United States. 

• Three-six months after the 

conclusion of the mentorships in the 

United States, design and make all 

logistical arrangements to implement a 

four- to seven-day seminar, workshop, 

on-site consultancy or other activity 

conducted by U.S. experts in one-two of 

the participants’ home countries that 

includes one-two age-appropriate 

workshops for girls (within the age 

range of 11–15), and a one-day 

debriefing and evaluation session with 

the participants at the conclusion of the 

overseas activities. The award recipient 

will be responsible for making all 

international and domestic travel 

arrangements. 

• Propose specific ideas and 

approaches to maintaining contact and 

networking opportunities between the 

participants themselves, and between 

them and their U.S. mentors and host 

institutions/organizations. 

• In collaboration with ECA and the 

respective U.S. Embassies, design and 

arrange for the publication (both in print 

and online) of program materials for 

TechWomen. Relevant materials include 

those to advertise and promote the 

program (both in the United States and 

overseas), orientation materials, 

mentoring guidelines, and materials for 

activities conducted in the participants’ 

home countries. Materials and Web site 

designs must be approved by ECA prior 

to publication and/or distribution; 

please allow a minimum of three weeks 

for this review process. Printed 

materials and Web sites must 

prominently display the TechWomen 

program logo (designed by the award 

recipient in consultation with and 

subject to the approval of ECA) and U.S. 

Department of State seal. All official 

documents and materials developed for 

promotional purposes must use the 

TechWomen logo and acknowledge the 


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U.S. Department of State’s role as 

program sponsor. Please note: All 

materials and Web site resources paid 

for by grant funds will become the 

property of the Department of State. 

ECA envisions the approximate dates 

of TechWomen to be as follows: 

• September 2010–January 2011: 

Recruitment and selection of foreign 

participants. Recruitment campaign for 

U.S. hosting institutions. 

• February 2011–April 2011: Securing 

U.S.-based mentors and host sites. 

• May 2011–August 2011: Travel to 

the United States by foreign participants 

to the United States for orientation and 

placement at mentorship sites for a fourto six-week program. 

• November 2011–February 2012: 

U.S. experts travel to select countries 

overseas to conduct seminars, 

workshops and/or other activities. 

Additional Information 

All projects proposed for the 

mentorship should encourage both the 

American mentors and the foreign 

participants to come together, learn 

from each other and to build 

relationships. 

The Department has initiated 

outreach to women in technology in the 

Middle East through previous contract 

and conferences; once a cooperative 

agreement has been awarded under this 

competition, the organizers of previous 

projects may be consulted for additional 

contacts and information. 

Based on existing relations, the 

Department will work with the award 

recipient to finalize potential companies 

where the participants are placed; 

however, only applicants who can 

demonstrate a strong private sector 

network through their own resources 

will be deemed competitive. 

In a cooperative agreement, ECA is 

substantially involved in program 

activities above and beyond routine 

monitoring. ECA’s activities and 

responsibilities for this program are as 

follows: 

• Collaborating with the award 

recipient on the outreach and selection 

of mentors and host sites. 

• Approval of host institutions and 

organizations; 

• Review and approval of all program 

publicity and other materials; 

• Final selection of participants; 

• Assistance with SEVIS-related 

issues; 

• Assistance with participant 

emergencies; 

• Liaison with relevant U.S. 

Embassies and country desk officers at 

the Department of State, particularly in 

terms of recruitment and selection 

efforts. 

• Issuance of DS–2019 forms to 

participants. 

• Enrolling participants in the 

Accident and Sickness Program for 

Exchanges (ASPE) for the duration of 

the program, issue health benefits 

identification cards, and provide 

instructions on host claim forms; 

• Working with the award recipient 

to publicize the program through 

various media outlets; and 

• Monitoring and evaluating the 

program as necessary, through site visits 

or debriefing sessions. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$1,000,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1–2. 

Floor of Award Range: $500,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $1,000,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2010. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

June 30, 2012. 

III. Eligibility Information 

III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications 

may be submitted by public and private 

non-profit organizations meeting the 

provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3). 

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: 

There is no minimum or maximum 

percentage required for this 

competition. However, the Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide 

maximum levels of cost sharing and 

funding in support of its programs. 

When cost sharing is offered, it is 

understood and agreed that the 

applicant must provide the amount of 

cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal 

and later included in an approved 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

a. Bureau grant guidelines require that 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges be limited to $60,000 in 

Bureau funding. ECA anticipates 

making up to two awards for 

approximately $1,000,000 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 as the primary award 

recipient. Organizations and institutions 

that are interested in being part of the 

administration of TechWomen, but that 

have less than the required four years 

experience, are encouraged to explore 

the possibility of being a sub-grantee in 

a consortium lead by another entity that 

is the primary award recipient. 

Applicants may choose to apply for a 

minimum award of $500,000, or up to 

a maximum award of $1,000,000. The 

Bureau encourages applicants to 

provide maximum levels of cost sharing 

and funding in support of its programs. 

b. Technical Eligibility: Eligible 

applicants may not submit more than 

one proposal in this competition. If 

more than one proposal is received from 

the same applicant, all submissions will 

be declared technically ineligible and 

will receive no further consideration in 

the review process. Please note: 

Applicant organizations are defined by 

their legal name, and EIN number as 

stated on their completed SF–424 and 

additional supporting documentation 

outlined in the Proposal Submission 

Instructions (PSI) document. 

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 

Veronica Rector in the Office of Citizen 

Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, SA–5, 3rd Floor, 

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

NW., Washington, DC 20522–0504, 

(202) 632–6081 (tel); (202) 632–9355 

(fax); rectorva@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/ 

C–10–55 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 


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application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. 

Please specify Sheila Casey and refer 

to the Funding Opportunity Number 

ECA/PE/C–10–55 located at the top of 

this announcement on all other 

inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

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

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun 

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 

1–866–705–5711. Please ensure that 

your DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please Refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document 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 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: Office of Designation, ECA/EC/ 

D, SA–5, Floor C2, Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20522–0582. 

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. 


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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. 

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 $1,000,000. 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 include the following: 

• International and domestic air fares; 

visas; transit costs; ground 

transportation costs and airline baggage 

and seat fees. 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. 

• Per Diem. For U.S.-based 

programming, organizations should 

refer to the published Federal per diem 

rates for individual U.S. cities. Domestic 

per diem rates may be accessed at: 

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/ 

contentView.do?

contentType=GSA_BASIC&

contentId=17943. 

ECA requests applicants to budget 

realistic costs that reflect the local 

economy and do not exceed Federal per 

diem rates. Foreign per diem rates for 

overseas activities can be accessed at: 

http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?

content_id=184&menu_id=78. 

• Return Travel Allowance. A return 

travel allowance of $70 for each foreign 

participant may be included in the 

budget. The allowance may be used for 

incidental expenses incurred during 

international travel. 

• Health Insurance. Foreign 

participants will be covered under the 

terms of a U.S. Department of Statesponsored health insurance policy. The 

premium is paid by the U.S. Department 

of State directly to the insurance 

company. Applicants are permitted to 

include costs for travel insurance for 

U.S. participants in the budget. 

• Consultants. Consultants may be 

used to provide specialized expertise or 

to make presentations. Daily honoraria 

may not exceed $250 per day. 

Subcontracting organizations may also 

be used, in which case the written 

agreement between the prospective 

grantee and subcontractor should be 

included in the proposal. Subcontracts 

should be itemized in the budget. 

• Room Rental. Room rental may not 

exceed $250 per day. 

• Materials Development. Your 

proposal may contain costs to purchase, 

develop and translate materials for 

participants. 

• Wire transfer fees. When necessary, 

applicants may include costs to transfer 

funds to partner organizations overseas. 

Award recipients are urged to research 

applicable taxes that may be imposed on 

these transfers by host governments. 

• 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. 

• Administrative Costs. Costs 

necessary for the effective 

administration of the program may 

include salaries for recipient 

organization employees, benefits, and 


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20668 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 20, 2010 / Notices 

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 also include in the administrative 

portion of your budget plans to travel to 

Washington, DC, to meet with your 

program officer within the first 45 days 

after the grant has been awarded. 

Please refer to the PSI for complete 

budget guidelines and formatting 

instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: June 2, 

2010. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C–10–55. 

Methods of Submission: 

Applications may be submitted in one 

of two ways: 

(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 

Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2) electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the 

SF–424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed 

Applications 

Applications must be shipped no later 

than the above deadline. Delivery 

services used by applicants must have 

in-place, centralized shipping 

identification and tracking systems that 

may be accessed via the Internet and 

delivery people who are identifiable by 

commonly recognized uniforms and 

delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on 

or before the above deadline but 

received at ECA more than seven days 

after the deadline will be ineligible for 

further consideration under this 

competition. Proposals shipped after the 

established deadlines are ineligible for 

consideration under this competition. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

application. It is each applicant’s 

responsibility to ensure that each 

package is marked with a legible 

tracking number and to monitor/confirm 

delivery to ECA via the Internet. 

Delivery of proposal packages may not 

be made via local courier service or in 

person for this competition. Faxed 

documents will not be accepted at any 

time. Only proposals submitted as 

stated above will be considered. 

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include one 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/ 

EX/PM’’. 

The original and seven (7) copies of 

the application should be sent to: 

Program Management Division, ECA– 

IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C–10–55, SA– 

5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522– 

0504. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

CD–ROM. As appropriate, the Bureau 

will provide these files electronically to 

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

embassy(ies) for its (their) review. 

IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please note: ECA bears no responsibility 

for applicant timeliness of submission or data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes for proposals submitted 

via Grants.gov. 

Please follow the instructions 

available in the ‘‘Get Started’’ portion of 

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

GetStarted). 

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov 

registration process could take several 

weeks. Therefore, applicants should 

check with appropriate staff within their 

organizations immediately after 

reviewing this RFGP to confirm or 

determine their registration status with 

Grants.gov. 

Once registered, the amount of time it 

can take to upload an application will 

vary depending on a variety of factors 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your internet connection. 

In addition, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend 

that you not wait until the application 

deadline to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

The Grants.gov Web site includes 

extensive information on all phases/ 

aspects of the Grants.gov process, 

including an extensive section on 

frequently asked questions, located 

under the ‘‘For Applicants’’ section of 

the Web site. ECA strongly recommends 

that all potential applicants review 

thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, 

well in advance of submitting a 

proposal through the Grants.gov system. 

ECA bears no responsibility for data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Direct all questions regarding 

Grants.gov registration and submission 

to: Grants.gov Customer Support, 

Contact Center Phone: 800–518–4726, 

Business Hours: Monday—Friday, 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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 20, 2010 / Notices 20669 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for assistance 

awards (cooperative agreement) resides 

with the Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the Program Idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. 

2. Program Planning and Ability to 

Achieve Objectives: Detailed agenda and 

relevant work plan should demonstrate 

substantive undertakings and logistical 

capacity. The agenda and plan should 

adhere to the program overview and 

guidelines described above. Objectives 

should be reasonable, feasible, and 

flexible. Proposals should clearly 

demonstrate how the institution will 

meet the program’s objectives and plan. 

3. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venue and program evaluation) and 

program content (orientation and 

debriefing sessions, and follow-on 

activities). 

4. Institutional Capacity/Track 

Record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program’s goals, particularly in securing 

meaningful and effective mentorships 

for participants in TechWomen. 

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements for past Bureau awards 

(grants or cooperative agreements) as 

determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

5. Program 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 a description of a 

methodology to link outcomes to the 

original program objectives are 

recommended. 

6. Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing: 

The overhead and administrative 

components of the proposal, including 

salaries and honoraria, should be kept 

as low as possible. All other items 

should be necessary and appropriate. 

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 

through other private sector support as 

well as institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices 

Final awards cannot be made until 

funds have been appropriated by 

Congress, allocated and committed 

through internal Bureau procedures. 

Successful applicants will receive an 

Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from 

the Bureau’s Grants Office. The FAA 

and the original proposal with 

subsequent modifications (if applicable) 

shall be the only binding authorizing 

document between the recipient and the 

U.S. Government. The FAA will be 

signed by an authorized Grants Officer, 

and mailed to the recipient’s 

responsible officer identified in the 

application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification of the results of the 

application review from the ECA 

program office coordinating this 

competition. 

VI.1b The following additional 

requirements apply to this project: 

All awards made under this 

competition must be executed according 

to all relevant U.S. laws and policies 

regarding assistance to the Palestinian 

Authority, and to the West Bank and 

Gaza. Organizations must consult with 

relevant Public Affairs Offices before 

entering into any formal arrangements 

or agreements with Palestinian 

organizations or institutions. 

Note: To assure that planning for the 

inclusion of the Palestinian Authority 

complies with requirements, please contact 

(insert program office contact name, 

telephone and e-mail) for additional 

information. 

VI.2 Administrative and National 

Policy Requirements: 

Terms and Conditions for the 

Administration of ECA agreements 

include the following: 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Nonprofit Organizations.’’ 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Educational Institutions.’’ 

OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

State, Local and Indian Governments’’. 

OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised), 

Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Grants and 

Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and 

other Nonprofit Organizations. 

OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments. 

OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of 

States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations. 

Please reference the following Web 

sites for additional information: 

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

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

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original plus one copy of the following 

reports: 

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will be transmitted to OMB, and 

be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(3) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

(4) Quarterly program and financial 

reports which should include relevant 

details on participant recruitment 

efforts, mentorship hosts, and the status 

of overseas workshops, seminars, and/or 

other activities. 

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 


erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
20670 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 20, 2010 / Notices 

1See Notice of Final Determination of Sales at 

Less Than Fair Value: Stainless Steel Plate in Coils 

(‘‘SSPC’’) from the Republic of Korea, 64 FR 15444 

(Mar. 31, 1999), as amended by Notice of 

Amendment of Final Determinations of Sales at 

Less Than Fair Value: Stainless Steel Plate in Coils 

From the Republic of Korea; and Stainless Steel 

Sheet and Strip in Coils From the Republic of 

Korea, 66 FR 45279 (Aug. 28, 2001); Certain 

Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Canada, Italy, 

Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan, 64 FR 25515 

(May 12, 1999); Antidumping Duty Orders; Certain 

Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From Belgium, 

Canada, Italy, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, 

and Taiwan, 64 FR 27756 (May 21, 1999), as 

amended by Notice of Amended Antidumping Duty 

Orders: Certain Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From 

Belgium, Canada, Italy, the Republic of Korea, 

South Africa, and Taiwan, 68 FR 11520 (Mar. 11, 

2003), as amended by Notice of Amended 

Antidumping Duty Orders: Certain Stainless Steel 

Plate in Coils From Belgium, Canada, Italy, the 

Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan, 68 FR 

16117 (Apr. 2, 2003), and as amended by Notice of 

Correction to the Amended Antidumping Duty 

Orders: Certain Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From 

Belgium, Canada, Italy, the Republic of Korea, 

South Africa, and Taiwan, 68 FR 20114 (Apr. 24, 

2003). 

2See Notice of Final Determination of Sales at 

Less Than Fair Value: Stainless Steel Sheet and 

Strip in Coils From the Republic of Korea, 64 FR 

30664 (June 8, 1999); Notice of Amendment of Final 

Determinations of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: 

Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From the Republic of 

Korea; and Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils 

From the Republic of Korea, 66 FR 45279 (Aug. 28, 

2001); Certain Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From 

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of 

Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, 

64 FR 40896 (July 28, 1999); Notice of Antidumping 

Duty Order: Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils 

from United Kingdom, Taiwan and South Korea, 64 

FR 40555 (July 27, 1999). 

3See Notice of Final Determination of Sales at 

Less Than Fair Value and Final Determination of 

Critical Circumstances: Diamond Sawblades and 

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: Sheila Casey, 

U.S. Department of State, Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, SA–5, 

3rd Floor, 2200 C Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20522–0503, (202) 632– 

6070 (tel); (202) 632–9355 (fax); 

caseysd@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

ECA/PE/C–10–55. 

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 14, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9079 Filed 4–19–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

[Docket No. WTO/DS402] 

WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding 

Regarding United States—Use of 

Zeroing in Anti-Dumping Measures 

Involving Products From Korea 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Office of the United 

States Trade Representative (‘‘USTR’’) is 

providing notice that on April 8, 2010, 

received a request from the Republic of 

Korea (‘‘Korea’’) for the establishment of 

a dispute settlement panel under the 

Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the 

World Trade Organization (‘‘WTO 

Agreement’’) concerning certain issues 

relating to the imposition of 

antidumping measures on stainless steel 

plate in coils, stainless steel sheet and 

strip in coils, and diamond sawblades 

and parts thereof from Korea. That 

request may be found at http:// 

www.wto.org in a document designated 

as WT/DS402/3. USTR invites written 

comments from the public concerning 

the issues raised in this dispute. 

DATES: Although USTR will accept any 

comments received during the course of 

the dispute settlement proceedings, 

comments should be submitted on or 

before May 18, 2010, to be assured of 

timely consideration by USTR. 

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be 

submitted electronically to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, docket number 

USTR–2009–0040. If you are unable to 

provide submissions by http:// 

www.regulations.gov, please contact 

Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395–9483 to 

arrange for an alternative method of 

transmission. If (as explained below) the 

comment contains confidential 

information, then the comment should 

be submitted by fax only to Sandy 

McKinzy at (202) 395–3640. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Leigh Bacon, Associate General 

Counsel, Office of the United States 

Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20508, (202) 395– 

5859. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

127(b) of the Uruguay Round 

Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 

2527(b)(1)) requires that notice and 

opportunity for comment be provided 

after the United States submits or 

receives a request for the establishment 

of a WTO dispute settlement panel. 

Consistent with this obligation, USTR is 

providing notice that Korea has 

requested the establishment of a dispute 

settlement panel pursuant to the WTO 

Understanding on Rules and Procedures 

Governing the Settlement of Disputes 

(‘‘DSU’’). If such a panel is established 

pursuant to the DSU, such panel, which 

would hold its meetings in Geneva, 

Switzerland, would be expected to issue 

a report on its findings and 

recommendations within nine months 

after it is established. 

Major Issues Raised by Korea 

In its request for establishment of a 

panel, Korea challenges the use by the 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

(‘‘Commerce’’) of what Korea describes 

as ‘‘the practice of ‘zeroing’ negative 

dumping margins in calculating overall 

weighted average margins of dumping’’ 

in the final and amended final 

determinations in the investigation with 

respect to stainless steel plate in coils 

from Korea,1 in the final and amended 

final determinations in the investigation 

with respect to stainless steel sheet and 

strip in coils from Korea,2 and in the 

final and amended final determinations 

in the investigation with respect to 

diamond sawblades and parts thereof 

from Korea.3 Korea states that it 


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