Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of State

          - [Public Notice 5713]

      ( print page 9990)    
*Announcement Type:*                     New Grant.                

*Funding Opportunity Number:*                     ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.                

*Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:*                     00.000.                

*Application Deadline:*                     May 8, 2007.                

*Executive Summary:*                     The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition for multiple grants to support international exchange projects under the rubric “Faith and Community: A Dialogue.” This is a continuation of the Office of Citizen Exchanges' “Religion and Society: A Dialogue” initiative, conducted over the past several fiscal years. Public and private non-profit organizations or consortia of such organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to develop and implement multi-phased exchanges involving the travel of clerics, scholars of religion, educators, and community leaders/activists from countries with significant Muslim populations to the United States and of reciprocal visits by American clerics, scholars of religion, and community leaders/activists. (Note that additional participant categories may be included in projects for Southeast Europe. See below.)                

*Authority:*                     Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is “to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.” The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.                

## I. Overview

The Office of Citizen Exchanges consults with and supports American public and private nonprofit organizations in developing and implementing multi-phased, often multi-year, exchanges of professionals, community leaders, scholars and academics, public policy advocates, non-governmental organization activists, and others. These exchanges address issues of crucial importance to the United States and to other countries; they promote focused, substantive, and cooperative interaction among counterparts; and they entail both theoretical and experiential learning for all participants. A primary goal is the development of sustained, international, institutional and individual linkages. In addition to providing a context for professional development and collaborative problem-solving, these projects are intended to introduce foreign participants and their American counterparts to one another's political, social, and economic structures, facilitating improved communication and enhancing mutual understanding. The exchange proposal should include focused interaction with local citizens in all countries and activities to orient participants to one another's society and culture.

The initiative “Faith and Community: A Dialogue” will support international exchanges of clerics, scholars of religion, educators, and community leaders/activists—influential and recognized for their ability to communicate, through sermons, in scholarly writing, or through community leadership and educational activities—between the United States and countries with significant Muslim populations. The objectives of the exchange are (1) to enhance the non-American participants' understanding of the place of religion, particularly of Islam, in the life of American communities; (2) to develop a common language for American and non-American participants to examine issues of relevance to their respective societies and to develop effective approaches to dealing with them; (3) to offer an understanding of Islamic practice within a multi-cultural, multi-faith, democratic context; and (4) to broaden the understanding of American scholars, clerics, and laypersons of Islam and of its place in diverse non-American societies.

We solicit projects that focus on a particular theme of relevance to faith and community groups in the proposed participating countries. Possible themes might be civil discourse in a multi-faith context; the role of law in resolving conflicts and preserving freedom of expression within and among minority/faith communities; the role of faith communities in providing community services; educating for respect and co-existence; or the role of law in protecting religious expression in diverse societies. We welcome proposals for projects on other themes of relevance to participating countries for which the proposing institution has, or can mobilize, American participants with intellectual expertise and an interest in international dialogue on the selected theme. Proposals should explicitly identify how the American organization will identify counterpart experts in participating countries and state the specific outcome to be achieved by each phase or component of the proposed project.

                    The project, to be conducted over a period of 18 to 24 months, will involve several exchange visits. Initially, one or two American scholars/project organizers may travel to designated partner countries to deepen their familiarity with the particular issues faced by counterpart institutions and communities in those countries and to identify individuals who might serve as advisers or be selected as participants in the project and to gain their interest in the exchange. Subsequently, approximately 12 non-American scholars and clerics will travel to the United States for a period of three to four weeks. The non-American participants will visit Islamic centers, consult with American Muslim scholars and clerics, visit and become familiar with libraries and archives of Islamic documents, make presentations and participate in discussions at non-Muslim religious institutions and at secular institutions that represent America's guarantee of human dignity and freedom of worship, engage in inter-religious dialogue, and participate in workshops and seminars, both public and at institutions dedicated to scholarship and research. Finally, a group of American scholars and clerics will travel to the home countries of the non-American participants, meet with counterparts, visit institutions, and, ideally, cooperate with participants in the original U.S. visit in presenting a seminar, a series of workshops, etc., in order to expand the network of individuals directly affected by the exchange. This series of visits would then be repeated in the following year. Participants in the second year of exchanges might be the same if the goal is to deepen the dialogue, or, if the goal is to accomplish broader participation, participants should be selected to reflect that objective. During each phase of the exchange, traveling participants should be encouraged to have in-depth                           ( print page 9991)                        interaction with local citizens and to participate in appropriate press, media, and other outreach activities.                

### Geographic Focus

This initiative is worldwide in scope, with primary focus on countries with significant Muslim populations. For the FY07 competition, in order to assure balance with already existing exchange programs under this rubric, we shall be particularly interested in exchanges focused on the following geographic areas: (1) Francophone West Africa (Senegal; Mauritania; Niger; Mali; Guinea; Burkina Faso; Chad), (2) North Africa (Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia), (3) Southeastern Europe (Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Macedonia; Montenegro; Serbia), (4) Southeast Asia (Malaysia; the Philippines; Thailand), and (5) The countries of the Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Qatar; Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates; Oman; Yemen). Exchange proposals that focus on two or more countries in a region or those that focus on single-country exchanges are equally welcome. For projects in Southeast Europe, participants may be educators and others who influence youth, journalists specializing in social/inter-communal issues, as well as clerics, scholars, and community activists/leaders. Projects for this region may also focus more intensely on inter-faith dialogue and include activities encouraging tolerance, respect among communities, and joint-faith community outreach activities.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages applicants to be creative in planning project implementation. Activities for all regions may include both theoretical orientation/philosophical background sessions and experiential, community-based initiatives designed to achieve objectives or produce a specific product (magazine, study guide, educational outreach material, etc.) to be used in local communities. Applicants should, in their proposals, identify any partner organizations and/or individuals overseas or in the U.S. with which/whom they are proposing to collaborate and justify the collaboration on the basis of the proposed partner's experience, accomplishments, etc.

### Selection of Participants

Applications should include a description of a merit-based, focused participant selection process. Applicants should anticipate consulting with the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies in selecting participants, with the Embassy retaining the right to nominate participants, to advise the grantee regarding participants recommended by other entities, and to determine the appropriateness of granting visas.

### Public Affairs Section Involvement

The Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of the U.S. Embassies often play an important role in project implementation. The PAS will initially evaluate project proposals, and, once a grant is awarded, the PAS may, in consultation with the grantee organization, coordinate planning with the grantee organization and in-country partners, facilitate in-country activities, nominate participants and vet grantee nominations, observe in-country activities, and debrief participants. The PAS will also evaluate project impact. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is responsible for producing and signing DS-2019 Forms. These forms will be provided the foreign participants by the U.S. Mission as part of the process of obtaining the necessary J-1 visas for entry to the United States on a government-funded project. Grantee organizations must submit data on proposed participants electronically.

Though project administration and implementation are the responsibility of the grantee institution, the grantee is expected to inform the PAS in participating countries of its operations and procedures and to coordinate with PAS officers in the development of project activities. The PAS should be consulted regarding country priorities, political and cultural sensitivities, security issues, and logistic and programmatic issues.

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Grant Agreement.                

*Fiscal Year Funds:*                     2007.                

*Approximate Total Funding:*                     $1,500,000.                

*Approximate Number of Awards:*                     three or more, with awards ranging from $250,000 to $500,000.                

*Anticipated Award Date:*                     Pending availability of funds, August 2007.                

*Anticipated Project Completion Date:*                     September 1, 2009.                

## 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 the highest possible level of in-cash or in-kind cost sharing and funding in support of its programs, and those that provide cost sharing that represents 20% or more of the total cost of the exchange will receive priority consideration. 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 grant agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs that are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of 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 awarding, in the course of this competition, grants ranging from $350,000 to $500,000 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to receive an award under this competition.  

b. Technical Eligibility: Proposals must comply with the requirements included in this Request for Grant Proposals in order to be considered technically eligible for consideration in the review process.

## IV. Application and Submission Information

# Note:

                        Please read the complete announcement, either at                         *http://www.exchanges.state.gov/​education/​rfgps*                         or in the                         **Federal Register**                         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.                     *Obtaining an Application Package:*                     The Application Package comprises this Request for Grant Proposals and a Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document, consisting of required application forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.                          ( print page 9992)    

                    The Solicitation Package may be downloaded from:                     *http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​rfgps/​menu.htm.*                     Please read all information before downloading. Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.                

                    IV.2. To receive a hard copy of the Application Package via U.S. Postal Service, contact Thomas Johnston, Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF, Room 216, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone (202) 453-8162; Fax (202) 453-8168; e-mail                     *JohnstonTJ@state.gov.*                     Please refer to Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20 on all inquiries and correspondence.                

                    IV.3.                     *Content and Form of Submission:*                     Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and ten copies of the application should be submitted per the instructions under IV.3f. “Application Deadline and Methods of Submission” section.                

                    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, a proposal narrative, and a budget. Please refer to the Application Package, containing 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. 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 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, organizations receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties “cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.” The actions of grantee program organizations shall be “imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with” 22 CFR 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant 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 great emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program 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 62. If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.                

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.

                    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at                     *http://exchanges.state.gov*                     or from:                

United States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.  Telephone: (202) 203-5029. FAX: (202) 453-8640.

                    IV.3d.2.                     *Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines.*                     Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. “Diversity” should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 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 grantee 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,                           ( print page 9993)                        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*                     represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and are usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.                

We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in increasing order of importance):

                    1.                     *Participant satisfaction*                     with the program and exchange experience.                

                    2.                     *Participant learning,*                     such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.                

                    3.                     *Participant behavior,*                     concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.                

                    4.                     *Institutional changes,*                     such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.                

# Please note:

Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered 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.)

Grantees 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 a comprehensive budget for the entire project. 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. Budgets that limit administrative costs to approximately 25% of the funding sought from ECA will be given priority consideration.

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:

(1) Direct program expenses

(2) Administrative costs

(3) Allowable indirect costs

Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

                    IV.3f.                     *Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:*

Application Deadline Date: May 8, 2007.

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.

Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:

1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or

                    2. Electronically through                     *http://www.grants.gov.*

Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.

                    IV.3f.1.                     *Submitting Printed Applications.*                     Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this competition. ECA will                     *not*                     notify you upon receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal packages                     *may not*                     be made via local courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.                 

# Important note:

When preparing your submission please make sure to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an envelope addressed to “ECA/EX/PM”.

The original and ten (10) copies of the application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the “Executive Summary” and “Proposal Narrative” sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. embassy(ies) for 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 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. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin                           ( print page 9994)                        the submission process through Grants.gov.                

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.

                    Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. ECA will                     *not*                     notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.                

It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

                    IV.3g.                     *Intergovernmental Review of Applications:*Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.                

## V. Application Review Information

### V.1. Review Process

The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for grant awards resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

#### Review Criteria

Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below.

*Quality of the program idea:*                     Proposals should be substantive, well thought out, focused on issues of demonstrable relevance to all proposed participants, and responsive to the exchange suggestions and guidelines provided above.                

*Implementation Plan and Ability To Achieve Objectives:*                     A detailed project implementation plan should establish a clear and logical connection between the interest, the expertise, and the logistic capacity of the applicant and the objectives to be achieved. The plan should discuss in concrete terms how the institution proposes to achieve the objectives. Institutional resources—including personnel—assigned to the project should be adequate and appropriate to achieve project objectives. The substance of workshops and site visits should be included as an attachment, and the responsibilities of U.S. participants and in-country partners should be clearly delineated.                

*Institutional Capacity:*                     Proposals should include an institutional record of successful exchange programs, with reference to responsible fiscal management and full compliance with reporting requirements. The Bureau will consider the demonstrated potential of new applicants and will evaluate the performance record of prior recipients of Bureau grants as reported by the Bureau grant staff.                

*Post-Grant Activities:*                     Applicants should provide a plan for sustained follow-on activity (building on the linkages developed under the grant and the activities initially funded by the grant) after grant funds have been expended. This will ensure that Bureau-supported projects are sustainable and are not isolated events. Funds for all post-grant activities must be in the form of contributions from the applicant or sources outside the Bureau. Costs for these activities should not appear in the proposal budget but should be outlined in the narrative.                

*Project Evaluation/Monitoring:*                     Proposals should include a detailed plan to monitor and evaluate the project. Competitive evaluation plans will describe how the applicant organization will measure results, defined in both qualitative and quantitative terms and will include draft data collection instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc.) in Tab E. Successful applicants will be expected to submit a report after each project component is concluded or semi-annually, whichever is less frequent.                

*Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing:*                     Administrative costs should be kept low. Proposal budgets should provide evidence of any cost sharing offered, comprised of cash or in-kind contributions. Cost sharing may be derived from diverse sources, including private sector contributions and/or direct institutional support.                

*Support of Diversity:*                     Proposals should demonstrate support for the Bureau's policy on diversity. Features relevant to this policy should be cited in program implementation (selection of participants, program venue, and program evaluation), program content, and program administration.                

## 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 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 ECA program office coordinating this competition.

                    VI.2.                     *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:*

Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the following:

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, “Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations.”

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions.”

OMB Circular A-87, “Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Governments”.

OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.

OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.

OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-profit Organizations.

Please reference the following Web sites for additional information:

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

*http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​grantsdiv/​terms.htm#articleI.*

                    VI.3.                     *Reporting Requirements:*                     You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one copy of the following reports:                          ( print page 9995)    

1. Semi-annual program and financial reports, which include a description of program activities implemented in the course of the six-month period and an accounting of expenditures.

2. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration date of the award.

3. Grantees 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.

Organizations awarded grants will be required to maintain specific data on program participants and activities in an electronically accessible database format that can be shared with the Bureau as required. As a minimum, the data must include the following:

(1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant.

(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: Thomas Johnston, Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF, Room 216, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 453-8162; Fax: (202) 453-8168; e-mail:                     *JohnstonTJ@state.gov.*                     Correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference the title and number ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF-07-20.                

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: February 27, 2007.

Dina Habib Powell,

Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.

[FR Doc. E7-3869 Filed 3-5-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710-05-P