60576 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 189 / Thursday, September 29, 2011 / Notices 

19 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). 

20 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b– 

4(f)(6)(iii) requires the Exchange to give the 

Commission written notice of the Exchange’s intent 

to file the proposed rule change, along with a brief 

description and text of the proposed rule change, 

at least five business days prior to the date of filing 

of the proposed rule change, or such shorter time 

as designated by the Commission. The Exchange 

has satisfied the five-day prefiling requirement. 

21See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65383 

(September 22, 2011) (SR–CBOE–2011–040) (order 

approving proposed rule changes to simplify the $1 

Strike Price Interval Program). 

22For purposes only of waiving the 30-day 

operative delay, the Commission has considered the 

proposed rule’s impact on efficiency, competition, 

and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). 23 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 19 and Rule 19b– 

4(f)(6) thereunder.20

The Exchange has requested that the 

Commission waive the 30-day operative 

delay. The Commission believes that 

waiver of the operative delay is 

consistent with the protection of 

investors and the public interest 

because the proposal is substantially 

similar to that of another exchange that 

has been approved by the 

Commission.21 Therefore, the 

Commission designates the proposal 

operative upon filing.22

At any time within 60 days of the 

filing of the proposed rule change, the 

Commission summarily may 

temporarily suspend such rule change if 

it appears to the Commission that such 

action is necessary or appropriate in the 

public interest, for the protection of 

investors, or otherwise in furtherance of 

the purposes of the Act. If the 

Commission takes such action, the 

Commission shall institute proceedings 

to determine whether the proposed rule 

should be approved or disapproved. 

IV. Solicitation of Comments 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit written data, views, and 

arguments concerning the foregoing, 

including whether the proposed rule 

change is consistent with the Act. 

Comments may be submitted by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Comments 

• Use the Commission’s Internet 

comment form (http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml); or 

• Send an e-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File 

Number SR–ISE–2011–59 on the subject 

line. 

Paper Comments 

• Send paper comments in triplicate 

to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 

20549–1090. 

All submissions should refer to File 

Number SR–ISE–2011–59. This file 

number should be included on the 

subject line if e-mail is used. To help the 

Commission process and review your 

comments more efficiently, please use 

only one method. The Commission will 

post all comments on the Commission’s 

Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the 

submission, all subsequent 

amendments, all written statements 

with respect to the proposed rule 

change that are filed with the 

Commission, and all written 

communications relating to the 

proposed rule change between the 

Commission and any person, other than 

those that may be withheld from the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be 

available for Web site viewing and 

printing in the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20549, on official 

business days between the hours of 10 

a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing 

also will be available for inspection and 

copying at the principal office of the 

Exchange. All comments received will 

be posted without change; the 

Commission does not edit personal 

identifying information from 

submissions. You should submit only 

information that you wish to make 

publicly available. All submissions 

should refer to File Number SR–ISE– 

2011–59 and should be submitted on or 

before October 20, 2011. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.23

Elizabeth M. Murphy, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–25075 Filed 9–28–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7514] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs Request for Grant Proposals: 

Global Undergraduate Exchange 

Program in Serbia and Montenegro 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/E/EUR–12–04. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.009. 

Key Dates: Application Deadline: 

November 24, 2011. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Academic Exchange Programs of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs announces an open competition 

for the administration of the FY 2012 

Global Undergraduate Exchange 

Program in Serbia and Montenegro 

(UGRAD). The total amount of funding 

for this award will be up to $1,537,575, 

pending the transfer of Assistance for 

Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia 

(AEECA) funds for obligation in FY 

2012. Public and private non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 

1.501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 

administer the placement, monitoring, 

evaluation, follow-on, and alumni 

activities for the UGRAD program. 

Recruitment and selection of 

participants will be administered by a 

separate organization in conjunction 

with the U.S. Embassies in Serbia and 

Montenegro. Organizations with less 

than four years experience in 

conducting international exchange 

programs are not eligible for this 

competition. 

The UGRAD Program provides 

outstanding students from Serbia and 

Montenegro with scholarships for one 

year of non-degree study at U.S. 

institutions of higher education. 

Scholarships are available in all fields of 

study. Funding should support a 

minimum of 50 participants, with 

approximately 35 students from Serbia 

and 15 students from Montenegro. Every 

effort should be made to maximize the 

number of scholarships awarded. 

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 UGRAD Program is designed to 

promote mutual understanding among 

the people of Serbia and Montenegro 


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and the United States by awarding 

Serbian and Montenegrin undergraduate 

students full scholarships for one year 

of non-degree undergraduate study at 

accredited two- and four-year 

institutions of higher education in the 

United States. Students will enhance 

their academic education with 

community service participation and an 

internship. The academic component of 

the program begins in the fall semester 

of the year following the Agreement 

start date (academic year 2012–2013). At 

the end of their academic programs, 

students are required to immediately 

return to their home countries. 

Applicant organizations must 

demonstrate the ability to administer 

the following aspects of the UGRAD 

Program—university placements, 

orientation, monitoring and support of 

FY 2012 participants including all 

logistics, financial management, 

evaluation, follow-on, and alumni. 

Recruitment and selection of 

participants is not a component of this 

RFGP. The cooperating organization 

will serve as the principal liaison with 

UGRAD Program host institutions and 

the Bureau. Further details on specific 

program responsibilities can be found in 

the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI) Statement, 

which is part of the formal solicitation 

package available from the Bureau. 

Interested organizations should read the 

entire Federal Register announcement 

for all information prior to preparing 

proposals. 

The Bureau will award one 

Cooperative Agreement for this 

program. Should an applicant 

organization wish to work with other 

organizations in the implementation of 

this program, the Bureau requests that a 

sub-grant agreement be developed. The 

same requirements apply to the subgrantee as to the recipient organization. 

In a Cooperative Agreement, the 

Office of Academic Exchange Programs, 

European and Eurasian Branch (ECA/A/ 

E/EUR) is substantially involved in 

program activities above and beyond 

routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/E/EUR 

activities and responsibilities for this 

program are as follows: 

1. Participating in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

2. Approval of key personnel; 

3. Approval and input for all program 

agendas and timelines; 

4. Providing guidance in execution of 

all project components; 

5. Monitoring the target goal for 

number of participants and expenditure 

of funds toward meeting that goal; 

6. Providing guidance on content and 

speakers for workshops; 

7. Assisting with SEVIS-related 

issues; 

8. Assisting with participant 

emergencies; 

9. Providing background information 

related to participants’ home countries 

and cultures; 

10. Providing liaison with Public 

Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies 

and country desk officers at the State 

Department; 

11. Providing Bureau evaluation 

mechanisms and instruments. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

The Bureau’s level of involvement in 

this program is listed under number I 

above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2012. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$1,537,575. Funding will be provided 

from FY 2011/FY 2012 Assistance for 

Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia 

(AEECA) funds transferred to ECA for 

obligation in FY 2012. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $1,537,575. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending the 

transfer of funds, December 30, 2011. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

December 30, 2014. 

Additional Information: Pending 

successful implementation of this 

program and the availability of funds in 

subsequent fiscal years, it is the 

Bureau’s intent to renew this grant for 

two additional fiscal years, before 

openly competing it again. Subsequent 

awards may include the requirement to 

conduct a merit-based recruitment and 

selection component. 

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 USC 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 

cooperating organization must provide 

the amount of cost sharing as stipulated 

in its proposal and later included in an 

approved grant agreement. Cost sharing 

may be in the form of allowable direct 

or indirect costs. For accountability, 

written records must be maintained to 

support all costs which are claimed as 

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 that the 

minimum amount of cost sharing as 

stipulated in the approved budget is not 

provided, the Bureau’s contribution will 

be reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements 

Bureau grant guidelines require that 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges be limited to $60,000 in 

Bureau funding. The Bureau anticipates 

awarding one grant, in an amount up to 

$1,537,575 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 Program Officer Karene 

Grad Steiner in the Office of Academic 

Exchange Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–5, U.S. 

Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20037, tel. (202) 632– 

3237, e-mail: GradKE@state.gov to 

request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/E/EUR–12–04 when 

making your request. Alternatively, an 

electronic application package may be 

obtained from grants.gov. Please see 

section IV.3f for further information. 

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. It 

also contains the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document, which provides specific 

information, award criteria and budget 

instructions tailored to this competition. 

Please specify Bureau Program Officer 

Karene Grad Steiner and refer to the 


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Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/ 

E/EUR–12–04 on all other inquiries and 

correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

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

education/rfgps/menu.htm, or from the 

Grants.gov Web site at http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission 

Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF—424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please Refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document and the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. All federal award recipients 

and sub-recipients must maintain 

current registrations in the Central 

Contractor Registration (CCR) database 

and have a Dun and Bradstreet Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number. Recipients and sub-recipients 

must maintain accurate and up-to-date 

information in the CCR until all 

program and financial activity and 

reporting have been completed. All 

entities must review and update the 

information at least annually after the 

initial registration and more frequently 

if required information changes or 

another award is granted. 

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 is placing renewed 

emphasis on the secure and proper 

administration of Exchange Visitor (J 

visa) Programs and adherence by 

grantees and sponsors to all regulations 

governing the J visa. Therefore, 

proposals should demonstrate the 

applicant’s capacity to meet all 

requirements governing the 

administration of the Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 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 Grantee 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, Private Sector 

Programs Division, U.S. Department of 

State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA–5, 5th Floor, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20037, Fax: (202) 453–8640. 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 


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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. 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: 

(1) Program Expenses. 

(2) Domestic Administration. 

(3) Overseas Administration. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: 11/24/ 

2011. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/E/EUR– 

12–04. 

Methods of Submission: Electronic 

and Hard Copy. 

Applications may be submitted in one 

of two ways: 

(1.) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service 

Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2.) electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF– 

424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications 

Applications must be shipped no later 

than the above deadline. Delivery 

services used by applicants must have 

in-place, centralized shipping 

identification and tracking systems that 

may be accessed via the Internet and 

delivery people who are identifiable by 

commonly recognized uniforms and 

delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on 

or before the above deadline but 

received at the Bureau 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. 

The Bureau 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 the Bureau via the Internet. 

Delivery of proposal packages may not 

be made via local courier service or in 

person for this competition. Faxed 

documents will not be accepted at any 

time. Only proposals submitted as 

stated above will be considered. 

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include 

one extra copy of the completed SF–424 

form and place it in an envelope 

addressed to ‘‘ECA/EX/PM’’. 

The original and eight copies of the 

application should be sent to: 

Program Management Division, ECA– 

IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/A/E/EUR–12–04, 

SA–5, Floor 4, Department of State, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20037. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) format on a CD–ROM. 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 


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packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please Note: The Bureau 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. The Bureau 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. The Bureau bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting 

from transmission or conversion 

processes. 

Direct all questions regarding 

Grants.gov registration and submission 

to: 

Grants.gov Customer Support. Contact 

Center Phone: 800–518–4726. Business 

Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m. 

Eastern Time. E-mail: 

support@grants.gov. 

Applicants have until midnight (12 

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

closing date to ensure that their entire 

application has been uploaded to the 

Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions 

to the above deadline. Applications 

uploaded to the site after midnight of 

the application deadline date will be 

automatically rejected by the grants.gov 

system, and will be technically 

ineligible. 

Please refer to the Grants.gov Web 

site, for definitions of various 

‘‘application statuses’’ and the 

difference between a submission receipt 

and a submission validation. Applicants 

will receive a validation e-mail from 

grants.gov upon the successful 

submission of an application. Again, 

validation of an electronic submission 

via Grants.gov can take up to two 

business days. Therefore, we strongly 

recommend that you not wait until the 

application deadline to begin the 

submission process through Grants.gov. 

The Bureau 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 the 

Bureau 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 

agreement awards 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 and 

program planning: Proposals should 

exhibit originality, substance, precision, 

and relevance to the Bureau’s mission. 

Detailed agenda and relevant work plan 

should demonstrate substantive 

undertakings and logistical capacity. 

Agenda and plan should adhere to the 

program overview and guidelines 

described above. 

2. Ability to achieve program 

objectives: Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed 

programs should strengthen long-term 

mutual understanding, including 

maximum sharing of information and 

establishment of long-term institutional 

and individual linkages. 

4. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(program venues and program 

evaluation) and program content 

(orientation and wrap-up sessions, 

program meetings, resource materials 

and follow-up activities). 

5. Institutional Record and Capacity: 

Proposed personnel and institutional 

resources should be adequate and 

appropriate to achieve the program or 

project’s goals. 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. 

6. Follow-on Activities and 

Evaluation: Proposals should provide a 

plan for continued follow-on activity 

(without Bureau support) ensuring that 

Bureau supported programs are not 

isolated events. Proposals also should 

include a plan to evaluate the activity’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. A draft 

survey questionnaire or other technique 

plus description of a methodology to 

use to link outcomes to original project 

objectives is recommended. 

7. Cost-sharing and 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. 

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 Assistance Award Document 

(AAD) from the Bureau’s Grants Office. 

The AAD and the original grant 


tkelley on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 189 / Thursday, September 29, 2011 / Notices 60581 

proposal with subsequent modifications 

(if applicable) shall be the only binding 

authorizing document between the 

recipient and the U.S. Government. The 

AAD will be signed by an authorized 

Grants Officer, and mailed to the 

recipient’s responsible officer identified 

in the application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification of the results of the 

application review from the Bureau 

program office coordinating this 

competition. 

VI.2 Administrative and National 

Policy Requirements: Terms and 

Conditions for the Administration of 

Bureau 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 the Bureau 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 the Bureau’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 

summaries of program activity and 

lessons learned. 

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 Bureau 

Grants Officer and the Bureau 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, biographic sketch, and U.S. 

host institution of higher education 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 Bureau Program 

Officer at least two week days prior to 

the official opening of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Program Officer 

Karene Grad Steiner, Office of Academic 

Exchange Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, 

Reference Number: ECA/A/E/EUR–12– 

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

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037, 

(202) 632–3237, e-mail: 

GradKE@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the title and number ECA/A/E/EUR–12– 

04. 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: September 20, 2011. 

J. Adam Ereli, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2011–24988 Filed 9–28–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 7603] 

Notice of Public Meeting 

Summary: The U.S. Department of 

State, Bureau of Oceans and 

International Environmental and 

Scientific Affairs (OES), Office of 

Marine Conservation announces that the 

Advisory Panel to the U.S. Section of 

the North Pacific Anadromous Fish 

Commission will meet on October 6, 

2011. 

Dates: The meeting will take place via 

teleconference on October 6th, 2011, 

from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. 

Meeting Details: The teleconference 

call-in number is toll-free 1–888–989– 

7597, passcode 21898, and will have a 

limited number of lines for members of 

the public to access from anywhere in 

the United States. Callers will hear 

instructions for using the passcode and 

joining the call after dialing the toll-free 

number noted. Members of the public 

wishing to participate in the 

teleconference must contact the OES 

officer in charge as noted in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 

below no later than close of business on 

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011. 

For Further Information Contact: John 

Field, Office of Marine Conservation, 

OES, Room 2758, U.S. Department of 

State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20520. Telephone (202) 647–3263, 

fax (202) 736–7350, e-mail fieldjd@state.

gov. 

Supplementary Information: In 

accordance with the requirements of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice 

is given that the Advisory Panel to the 

U.S. Section of the North Pacific 

Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) 

will meet on the date and time noted 

above. 


tkelley on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES