21126 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 

Dated: April 15, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9328 Filed 4–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6965] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Study of the U.S. Institute 

for Pakistani Student Leaders on 

Comparative Public Policy 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/E/USS–10–28. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.009. 

Key Dates: July–August, 2011. 

Application Deadline: Friday, May 21, 

2010. 

Executive Summary: The Branch for 

the Study of the United States, Office of 

Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

invites proposal submissions for the 

design and implementation of a sixweek academic institute for up to 25 

Pakistani student leaders focused on 

comparative public policy. 

The Study of the U.S. Institute for 

Pakistani Student Leaders should 

include: A summer academic course at 

a U.S. university or college campus that 

includes up to 20 American 

undergraduate students at no cost to 

ECA; volunteer community service 

activities with peer mentors or other 

Americans; leadership development; 

and a one to two-week educational 

study tour to another part of the United 

States. In addition, Pakistani 

participants should have opportunities 

to make presentations about their 

country or university studies on campus 

or locally. 

Pending availability of funds, support 

for this program is being provided from 

special FY–2009/FY–2010 supplemental 

funds that have been appropriated to the 

Department. 

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 Study of the U.S. Institute for 

Pakistani Student Leaders on 

Comparative Public Policy is a new 

program, created in response to the 

interest of the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan 

to provide opportunities for Pakistani 

undergraduates to study at a U.S. 

campus and to exchange ideas with 

their American peers. The Study of the 

U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders are 

intensive academic programs whose 

purpose is to provide groups of foreign 

undergraduate students with an 

introduction to a specific field of study, 

while also heightening the participants’ 

general knowledge of U.S. society, 

culture, and values. 

In addition to promoting a better 

understanding of the United States, an 

important objective of the Student 

Leader Institutes is to develop the 

participants’ leadership skills. In this 

context, the leadership component 

should be experiential in nature and 

include group discussions, training, and 

exercises that focus on leadership 

theories, teambuilding, collective 

problem-solving skills, effective 

communication, and management skills 

for diverse organizational settings. 

Additionally, community service 

activities should allow participants to 

experience firsthand how not-for-profit 

organizations and volunteerism play a 

role in U.S. civil society. 

The program should also include 

cultural activities, local site visits, and 

an educational travel component within 

the United States to illustrate the 

various topics explored in class and to 

gain an understanding of the regional 

differences within the country. Finally, 

the program should include 

opportunities for participants to meet 

U.S. citizens from a variety of 

backgrounds and to speak to appropriate 

student and civic groups about life in 

their home countries. 

Solicitations should allow for predeparture briefing and post-program 

debriefing sessions at the U.S. Embassy 

in Islamabad. 

Overview 

The Study of the U.S. Institute for 

Pakistani Student Leaders on 

Comparative Public Policy should 

provide Pakistani participants with an 

overview of U.S. history and 

government; the core of the course 

should engage American and Pakistani 

students in a comparative analysis of 

governments and policies in the two 

countries. Public policy discussions 

could include topics such as foreign 

policy, healthcare, agriculture, or 

education and how these policies are 

formulated and implemented, 

examining the role of citizens, media, 

lobbying groups, think-tanks, local, 

state, and federal governments. In 

addition, the institute should allow 

participants to gain practical skills used 

in the analysis of public policy. The 

class should be crafted to maximize 

interaction and cross-cultural study 

between Pakistani and American 

students in order to allow them to share 

experiences and viewpoints. 

Recipient 

ECA is seeking detailed proposals 

from U.S. colleges, universities, and 

other not-for-profit organizations that 

have an established reputation in one or 

more of the following fields: Political 

science, international relations, law, 

history, sociology, American studies, 

and/or other disciplines or subdisciplines related to the study of the 

United States. 

Program Design 

The Study of the U.S. Institute for 

Pakistani Student Leaders on 

Comparative Public Policy should 

provide a group of up to 25 Pakistani 

students with a uniquely designed 

program that provides a comparative 

analysis of public policy. The academic 

component of the institute should 

include up to 20 U.S. students enrolled 

in the class work. The institute must not 

replicate existing or previous lectures, 

workshops, or group activities designed 

for American students but should be 

tailored for the particular group of 

students. The recipient should take into 

account that the Pakistani participants 

may have little or no prior knowledge of 

the United States and varying degrees of 

experience in expressing their opinions 

in a classroom setting and should tailor 

the curriculum and classroom activities 

accordingly. Every effort should be 

made to encourage active student 

participation in all aspects of the 

institute. The program should provide 

ample time and opportunity for 

discussion and interaction among 

students, lecturers, and guest speakers. 


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The program should incorporate a 

variety of classroom approaches such as 

panel presentations, seminar 

discussions, debates, individual and 

group activities, lectures, and reading 

assignments for the academic sessions. 

The program should be six weeks in 

length; participants will spend four 

weeks at the host institution for the 

academic program, and approximately 

two weeks on a related educational 

study tour, including three or four days 

in Washington, DC at the conclusion of 

the Institute. 

Program Administration 

The recipient should designate an 

academic director, who will be present 

throughout the program to ensure the 

continuity, coherence, and integration 

of all aspects of the academic program, 

including the related educational study 

tour. In addition to the academic 

director, an administrative director 

should be assigned to oversee all 

student support services, including 

supervision of the program participants 

and budgetary, logistical, and other 

administrative arrangements. It is 

important that the recipient also retain 

approximately 5 peer mentors to work 

with institute directors to organize 

leadership, community, and cultural 

activities for participants. Peer mentors 

should be culturally sensitive, 

personally committed to the goals of the 

exchange, and participate in all aspects 

of the program. 

Participants 

Up to 25 participants will be selected 

from Pakistan. The students will be 

identified and nominated by the U.S. 

Embassy in Pakistan, with final 

selection made by ECA. 

Participants in the Study of the U.S. 

Institutes for Pakistani Student Leaders 

on Comparative Public Policy will be 

highly motivated undergraduate 

students from colleges, universities, and 

other institutions of higher education in 

Pakistan who have demonstrated 

leadership through academic work, 

community involvement, and 

extracurricular activities. Their major 

fields of study will be varied, and will 

include the sciences, social sciences, 

humanities, education, and business. 

Every effort will be made to select a 

balanced mix of male and female 

participants and to recruit participants 

from a variety of backgrounds who have 

had little or no prior experience in the 

United States or elsewhere outside of 

their home country. 

Program Dates 

The Institute should be six weeks in 

length beginning in July, 2011. 

Program Guidelines 

It is essential that the proposal 

provide a detailed and comprehensive 

narrative describing how the host 

institution will achieve the objectives of 

the institute; the title, scope and content 

of each session; planned site visits, the 

educational travel component; and how 

each session relates to the overall 

institute theme. 

Overall, the proposal will be reviewed 

on the basis of its responsiveness to 

RFGP criteria, coherence, clarity, and 

attention to detail. 

Please note: In a cooperative 

agreement, ECA is substantially 

involved in program activities above 

and beyond routine grant monitoring. 

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. 

Embassy in Pakistan may also be 

involved in planning program activities. 

ECA will assume the following 

responsibilities for the institute: 

participate in the selection of 

participants; review and confirm syllabi 

and proposed speakers for the institute; 

monitor the institute through one or 

more site visits; meet with participants 

in Washington, DC at the conclusion of 

the institute; work with the recipient to 

publicize the program through various 

media outlets; and engage in follow-on 

communication with the participants 

after they return to their home 

countries. 

ECA may request that the recipient 

make modifications to the academic 

residency and/or educational travel 

components of the program. The 

recipient will be required to obtain 

approval from ECA of any significant 

program changes in advance of their 

implementation. 

Note: All materials, publicity, and 

correspondence related to the program must 

acknowledge this as a program of the Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 

Department of State. ECA will retain 

copyright use of and distribute materials 

related to this program as it sees fit. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement ECA’s level of involvement 

in this program is listed under number 

I above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2009/2010. 

Approximate Total Funding: $475,000 

(pending availability of funds). 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, September, 2010. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

February, 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 one award, in an 

amount up to $475,000 to support 

program and administrative costs 

required to implement this exchange 

program. Therefore, organizations with 

less than four years experience in 

conducting international exchanges are 

ineligible to apply under this 

competition. The Bureau encourages 

applicants to provide maximum levels 

of cost sharing and funding in support 

of its programs. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries or 

submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not 

discuss this competition with applicants 

until the proposal review process has been 

completed. 


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IV.1 Contact Information To Request 

an Application Package 

Please contact the Study of the U.S. 

Branch, ECA/A/E/USS, SA–5, 4th Floor, 

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

NW, Washington, DC 20522–0504, 

Telephone: (202) 632–3342, Fax (202) 

632–9411, E-mail: 

BjornlundBS@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/ 

E/USS–10–28 located at the top of this 

announcement when making your 

request. Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f 

for further information. 

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. 

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 Britta S. Bjornlund and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/E/USS–10–28 located at 

the top of this announcement on all 

other inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

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

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission 

Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative, 

and budget. 

Please Refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document and the Project Objectives, 

Goals, and Implementation (POGI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, 

all applicants for ECA federal assistance 

awards must include in their 

application the names of directors and/ 

or senior executives (current officers, 

trustees, and key employees, regardless 

of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants 

must submit information in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt From Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 

In addition to final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

and key employees), as well as the onepage description of grant activities, will 

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its USASpending.gov 

Web site as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

Iv.3d.1 Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the security and 

proper administration of the Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by award recipients and sponsors to all 

regulations governing the J visa. 

Therefore, proposals should 

demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to 

meet all requirements governing the 

administration of the Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, 

including the oversight of Responsible 

Officers and Alternate Responsible 

Officers, screening and selection of 

program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, record-keeping, reporting and 

other requirements. 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, Office of Designation, 

ECA/EC/D, SA–5, Floor C2, Department 

of State, Washington, DC 20522–0582. 

Please refer to Solicitation Package for 

further information. 

IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom, and 

Democracy Guidelines 

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing 

legislation, programs must maintain a 

non-political character and should be 

balanced and representative of the 

diversity of American political, social, 

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be 

interpreted in the broadest sense and 

encompass differences including, but 

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘Support for Diversity’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106—113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 


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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 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 short-term outcome, 

whereas behavior and institutional 

changes are normally considered longerterm outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your 

monitoring and evaluation plan will be 

judged on how well it (1) Specifies 

intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 

descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when 

particular outcomes will be measured; 

and (4) provides a clear description of 

the data collection strategies for each 

outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or 

focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the 

first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will 

be deemed less competitive under the 

present evaluation criteria.) 

Recipients 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 $475,000. There must be a 

summary budget as well as breakdowns 

reflecting both administrative and 

program budgets. Applicants may 

provide separate sub-budgets for each 

program component, phase, location, or 

activity to provide clarification. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: Friday, 

May 21, 2010. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS– 

10–28. 

Methods of Submission: Applications 

may be submitted in one of two ways: 

(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

(i.e., 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 six (6) copies of the 

application should be sent to: Program 

Management Division, ECA–IIP/EX/PM, 

Ref.: ECA/A/E/USS–10–28, SA–5, Floor 

4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20522–0504. 

(Include following language re: CD– 

ROM submission only if proposals will 

be forwarded to embassies. If post input 

is not necessary, delete language.) 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 


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‘‘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 at the U.S. 

embassy for its 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 e-mail from 

grants.gov upon the successful 

submission of an application. Again, 

validation of an electronic submission 

via Grants.gov can take up to two 

business days. Therefore, we strongly 

recommend that you not wait until the 

application deadline to begin the 

submission process through Grants.gov. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all 

applicants submitting proposals via the 

Grants.gov web portal to ensure that 

proposals have been received by 

Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Optional—IV.3f.3 You may also 

state here any limitations on the number 

of applications that an applicant may 

submit and make it clear whether the 

limitation is on the submitting 

organization, individual program 

director or both. 

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications: Executive Order 12372 

does not apply to this program. 

V. Application Review Information 

V.1. Review Process 

The Bureau will review all proposals 

for technical eligibility. Proposals will 

be deemed ineligible if they do not fully 

adhere to the guidelines stated herein 

and in the Solicitation Package. All 

eligible proposals will be reviewed by 

the program office, as well as the Public 

Diplomacy section overseas, where 

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be 

subject to compliance with Federal and 

Bureau regulations and guidelines and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for cooperative 

agreements resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of Program Plan and Ability 

To Achieve Program Objectives: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the ECA’s mission. A detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity. Objectives 

should be reasonable, feasible, and 

flexible. Proposals should demonstrate 

clearly how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

2. Support for 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 venue and program 

evaluation) and program content 

(orientation and wrap-up sessions, 

program meetings, presenters, and 

resource materials). 

3. Evaluation: Proposals should 

include a plan to evaluate the activity’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. The 

Bureau recommends that the proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other technique plus a description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives. 

4. 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. 

5. Institutional Track Record/Ability: 

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements for past ECA grants as 

determined by ECA Grants Staff. The 

ECA will consider the past performance 

of prior recipients and the demonstrated 

potential of new applicants. Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be fully qualified to achieve the 

project’s goals. 

6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals also 

should discuss provisions made for 

follow-up with returned participants as 

a means of establishing longer-term 

individual and institutional linkages 

and should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activity (without Bureau 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 77 / Thursday, April 22, 2010 / Notices 21131 

support) ensuring that Bureau 

supported programs are not isolated 

events. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices 

Final awards cannot be made until 

funds have been appropriated by 

Congress, allocated and committed 

through internal Bureau procedures. 

Successful applicants will receive a 

Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from 

the Bureau’s Grants Office. The FAA 

and the original proposal with 

subsequent modifications (if applicable) 

shall be the only binding authorizing 

document between the recipient and the 

U.S. Government. The FAA will be 

signed by an authorized Grants Officer, 

and mailed to the recipient’s 

responsible officer identified in the 

application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification of the results of the 

application review from the ECA 

program office coordinating this 

competition. 

VI.2 Administrative and National 

Policy Requirements 

Terms and Conditions for the 

Administration of ECA agreements 

include the following: 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Nonprofit Organizations’’ 

Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

Educational Institutions’’ 

OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles for 

State, Local and Indian Governments’’ 

OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised), 

Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Grants and 

Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and 

other Nonprofit Organizations 

OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments 

OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of 

States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations 

Please reference the following Web 

sites for additional information: 

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

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

VI.3. Reporting Requirements 

You must provide ECA with a hard 

copy original plus 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. 

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. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Britta S. 

Bjornlund, U.S. Department of State, 

Study of the U.S. Branch, ECA/A/E/ 

USS, SA–5, 4th Floor, ECA/A/E/USS– 

10–28, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20522–0504, Telephone: (202) 632– 

3339, Fax: (202) 632–9411, E-mail: 

BjornlundBS@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/E/ 

USS–10–28. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the needs of the program and the 

availability of funds. Awards made will 

be subject to periodic reporting and 

evaluation requirements per section VI.3 

above. 

Dated: April 15, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–9326 Filed 4–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6967] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA); Request for Grant 

Proposals: Kennedy-Lugar Youth 

Exchange and Study Program (YES): 

‘‘US YES Inbound Placement and YES 

Abroad Recruitment Components’’ 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–10–07. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Key Dates: September 1, 2010– 

September 30, 2013. 

Application Deadline: June 3, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

announces an open competition for 

grants to support exchanges and 

relationship building between high 

school students from countries with 

significant Muslim populations and the 

people of the United States. Public and 

private non-profit organizations meeting 

the provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) and public institutions may 

submit a proposal for the YES Inbound 

U.S. Placement and YES Abroad 

Recruitment Components. 

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange 

and Study (YES) Program provides 

scholarships for reciprocal high school 

academic exchanges of approximately 

1077 students from approximately 35 

countries coming to the U.S. and 

approximately 50 American students 

traveling to approximately 10 of these 

countries. 

To implement the entirety of the YES 

program, two Requests for Grant 

Proposals are being announced: One 

(this announcement) covers KennedyLugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) 

Program Inbound U.S. Placement and 

YES Abroad Recruitment Components. 

A second, separate announcement will 

solicit proposals for the Kennedy-Lugar 

Youth Exchange and Study Program 

(YES) Overseas Recruitment and YES 

Abroad Placement and Alumni 

Components to: Develop marketing 

materials and a handbook for U.S. and 

non-U.S. students, host families and 

host schools, recruit and select 

approximately 1077 YES Inbound 

participants, make a final selection of 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES