16544 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 

6 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). 

7 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2). 8 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

any burden on competition that is not 

necessary or appropriate in furtherance 

of the purposes of the Act. 

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Comments on the 

Proposed Rule Change Received From 

Members, Participants, or Others 

No written comments were either 

solicited or received with respect to the 

proposed rule change. 

III. Date of Effectiveness of the 

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 

Commission Action 

The foregoing rule change is effective 

upon filing pursuant to Section 

19(b)(3)(A) 6 of the Act and 

subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b–4 7

thereunder, because it establishes a due, 

fee, or other charge imposed by the 

NYSE Amex. 

At any time within 60 days of the 

filing of the proposed rule change, the 

Commission may summarily abrogate 

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. 

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–NYSEAmex–2010–07 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–NYSEAmex–2010–07. 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 

available publicly. All submissions 

should refer to File Number SR– 

NYSEAmex–2010–07 and should be 

submitted on or before April 22, 2010. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.8

Florence E. Harmon, 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2010–7362 Filed 3–31–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6939] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Youth Leadership Program 

With Central Europe 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–10–42. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 19.415. 

Application Deadline: May 19, 2010. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 

Division, of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition for the Youth Leadership 

Program with Central Europe. Public 

and private non-profit organizations 

meeting the provisions described in 

Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) may submit proposals for a 

reciprocal exchange program between 

four European countries—Hungary, 

Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia—and the 

United States. Applicants should plan 

to recruit and select between 50 and 75 

youth and adult participants in Europe 

and in the United States to participate 

in short-term exchanges in the partner 

countries. The exchange activities will 

focus broadly on the themes of civic 

rights and responsibilities, leadership, 

and community activism, and 

specifically on the theme of common 

global issues in the American-European 

relationship. Activities will be geared 

toward preparing participants to 

conduct projects at home that serve 

community needs. 

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 

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. 

Purpose: The Youth Leadership 

Program with Central Europe enables 

teenagers (ages 16–18) and adult 

educators to participate in intensive, 

thematic exchanges in the United States 

and in Europe that will help nurture the 

transatlantic relationship among the 

participating countries, as well as 

European integration, through the 

themes of civic rights and 

responsibilities, leadership, community 

activism. Exploring common global and 

social issues, such as climate change or 

the challenges and rewards of 

increasingly multicultural societies, will 

be a central focus for the activities. A 

key component of the program will be 

a regional gathering of the European 

alumni with the American participants 

in Europe during which the participants 

will deepen their understanding of the 

benefits of community service. 

Goals: The goals of the program are: 

(1) To foster mutual understanding and 

respect among high school students and 

educators from Serbia, Slovenia, 

Slovakia, Hungary, and the United 

States; (2) To introduce young 

Europeans and Americans to each 

other’s countries, focusing on how 

citizens help strengthen democratic 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 16545 

institutions and civil society; and (3) To 

develop a cadre of community activists 

who will share their knowledge and 

skills with their peers through positive 

action. 

Applicants should identify their own 

specific objectives and measurable 

outcomes based on these program goals 

and the project specifications provided 

in this solicitation. 

European participants from Hungary, 

Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia—10 to 15 

from each country—will travel together 

to the United States for a three-week 

exchange that will increase their 

understanding of American society and 

democracy and provide the students 

and educators with skills that they can 

put to use in becoming active and 

engaged citizens in their home 

countries. Participants will travel to one 

or more U.S. locations and engage in 

seminars, workshops, site visits, school 

visits, community service, and 

leadership and diversity training. The 

program will introduce them to 

activities that encourage young people 

to be involved in their schools and 

communities. 

Students will participate in 

homestays to give them the opportunity 

to experience American family life. The 

program will include elements to 

prepare participants to become active 

alumni in their home countries, such as 

project planning workshops, media 

relations, and team building activities. 

The program will also enable 10–15 

American students and educators to 

travel to Central Europe for two to three 

weeks to meet with participants of the 

Europe-to-U.S. exchange and engage in 

community service projects. Activities 

will include visits with youth centers 

and schools, and the planning and 

implementation of a service project. 

This component of the program could 

take place in one or more of the 

European countries listed above. ECA 

urges applicants to include Serbia as 

one of the destination countries, if 

feasible, but recognizes that the strength 

of in-country partners may vary and 

prefers that the exchange take place 

where there are particularly strong local 

partner organizations that can organize 

educational activities. 

The program should allow for 

interaction between the European and 

American participants for at least one 

week. This includes time spent together 

in both the United States and the 

European destination(s). The European 

exchange to the United States will take 

place first. 

A strong, on-going, alumni 

component is essential to the success of 

the program and any proposal must 

include a detailed plan for alumni 

activity and involvement in the years 

following the exchanges. Alumni 

involvement should include a Webbased component with social 

networking. It must also include a 

physical reunion of the European 

participants after their U.S.-based 

exchange, to take place while the 

Americans are in Europe. This reunion 

could occur in any of the European 

countries while the American 

participants are there. The European 

alumni should have the chance to 

further their relationships, increase 

understanding of each other’s countries, 

and engage in community service and 

workshops during a three- to five-day 

period. The program should include a 

substantive community service project 

in which the participants can engage 

together along with additional skills 

training specifically related to alumni 

activities. 

Applicants must demonstrate their 

capacity for doing projects of this 

nature, focusing on three areas of 

competency: (1) Provision of programs 

that address the goals and themes 

outlined in this document; (2) ageappropriate programming for youth; and 

(3) previous experience working with 

the countries of Central Europe. In 

addition to their U.S. presence, 

applicants, or their partner 

organizations, need to have the 

necessary capacity in each of the four 

European countries to recruit and select 

participants for the program and to 

provide follow-on activities for them, 

and to provide a content-rich exchange 

program for the American participants 

in the selected country or countries. The 

European partners need to have an 

active role in the preparation of the 

proposal submitted in response to this 

RFGP. 

Guidelines: The grant will begin on or 

about September 1, 2010. The grant 

period will be approximately 16 to 20 

months in duration, according to the 

applicant’s program plan. Applicants 

should propose the timing of the 

exchanges, which will take place in 

2011. Dates may be shifted by the 

mutual agreement of the Department 

and the grant recipient. 

In pursuit of the goals outlined above, 

the program will include the following: 

• Recruitment and merit-based 

selection of a diverse group of youth 

and adult educators in Hungary, Serbia, 

Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United 

States; 

• Pre-departure and arrival 

orientations; 

• Design and planning of exchange 

activities in the United States and in 

Europe that provide a creative and 

substantive program on the specified 

themes and offer a thorough 

introduction to the host countries; 

• Logistical arrangements, including 

homestay arrangements and other 

accommodations, disbursement of 

stipends, local travel, and travel 

between sites; 

• Monitoring of the participants’ 

safety and well-being while on the 

exchange; 

• Follow-on activities in the 

participants’ home countries designed 

to reinforce the ideas and skills 

imparted during the exchange program. 

Recruitment and Selection: Once a 

grant is awarded, the grant recipient 

and/or its partners must consult with 

the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. 

Embassies in Belgrade, Bratislava, 

Budapest, and Ljubljana and with the 

ECA program officer to review a 

recruitment and participant selection 

plan. Organizers must strive for a 

diverse applicant pool within all 

countries. Small groups of participants 

should be from the same town or region 

so that they can support one another in 

their projects upon their return home. 

The Department of State and/or its 

overseas representatives reserve final 

approval of all selected delegations. 

Participants: Applicants should 

present the number of participants it 

expects to be able to accommodate 

based on its program design and budget. 

The total number must not be less than 

50 (10 from each country) and may be 

up to 75 (15 from each country). 

Additional participants may be 

included if supported by other sources 

of funding, and must complete the same 

screening process for suitability as an 

exchange participant that the grantfunded participants do. Each country 

delegation will include one or two adult 

participants. 

Participants will have strong English 

language skills and will demonstrate an 

intellectual curiosity and an interest in 

community engagement. The youth 

participants will be secondary school 

students, aged 16 to 18 at the time of the 

exchange and with at least an academic 

semester remaining in secondary school 

before graduation. They should 

represent the diversity of their country 

and demonstrate an interest in 

international affairs, community service, 

and the other project themes. The 

exchange participants will also include 

adult teachers, school administrators, 

and/or community leaders who work 

with at least some of the selected youth; 

they will have the dual role of both 

exchange participant and chaperone. 

Exchange Activities: The U.S.-based 

component of the program should offer 

the participants exposure to the variety 

of lifestyles in the United States. The 

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16546 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 

exchange should focus primarily on 

interactive activities, practical 

experiences, and other hands-on 

opportunities to learn about the 

fundamentals of a civil society, 

community service, tolerance and 

respect for diversity, and building 

leadership skills. Suggestions for 

activities include simulations, volunteer 

service projects, and leadership training 

exercises. Homestays with local families 

must be arranged for a majority of the 

exchange period. Cultural and 

recreational activities will balance the 

schedule. 

Since the group will be large, 

applicants must present a plan for 

breaking up the delegation into smaller 

groups for more manageable logistics 

and for more individualized attention 

for the participants. Applicants are 

granted flexibility in how they choose to 

address this, which may include 

splitting the group among different 

communities or within a community. It 

is also acceptable to conduct two 

separate exchanges, each for 20–30 

participants, but each must be a mixed 

group from all four European countries. 

The European-based exchange 

component should take place in one or 

more of the European partner countries, 

with a preference for Serbia as one of 

the destinations if local capacity 

permits. The program should focus on 

interactive activities, practical 

experiences, and other hands-on 

opportunities to learn about Central 

Europe, community service, and 

leadership skills. This exchange will 

also feature homestays and cultural 

activities. 

Applicants are urged to present 

creative plans for activities that will 

foster interaction between the American 

and European delegations, as well as 

other peers in the host country. 

Given the youth of the participants, 

the grant recipient will be required to 

provide proper staff supervision and 

facilitation to ensure that the European 

and American teenagers have safe and 

pedagogically robust programs while 

visiting the other countries. Staff, along 

with the adult participants, will need to 

assist the students with cultural 

adjustments, to provide societal context 

to enhance learning, and to counsel 

students as needed. Applicants should 

describe their plans to meet these 

requirements in their proposals. 

Follow-on Activities: In addition to 

the reunion described above, the grant 

recipient is required to offer follow-on 

activities for the exchange alumni, 

particularly in facilitating continued 

engagement among the participants, 

advising and supporting them in the 

implementation of their community 

service projects, and offering 

opportunities to reinforce the lessons 

and themes of the exchange. Applicants 

should present creative and effective 

ways to address the project themes, for 

both program participants and their 

peers, as a means to amplify the 

program impact. Follow-up visits with 

alumni by project staff or trainers are 

recommended. 

In the long-term, a strong multi-year 

alumni component is a key element of 

this program. Applicants should present 

plans to encourage on-going contact and 

activity among participants even beyond 

the life of the grant. 

Proposals must demonstrate how the 

stated objectives will be met. The 

proposal narrative should provide 

detailed information on the major 

program activities, and applicants 

should explain and justify their 

programmatic choices. Programs must 

comply with J–1 visa regulations. Please 

be sure to refer to the complete 

Solicitation Package—this RFGP, the 

Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI), and the 

Proposal Submission Instructions 

(PSI)—for further information. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2010. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

One. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2010. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

16–20 months after start date, to be 

specified by applicant based on project 

plan. 

Additional Information: Pending 

successful implementation of the project 

and the availability of funds in 

subsequent fiscal years, ECA reserves 

the right to renew grants for up to two 

additional fiscal years before openly 

competing grants under this program 

again. 

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 

Bureau grant guidelines require that 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges be limited to $60,000 in 

Bureau funding. ECA anticipates 

making one award, in an amount up to 

$500,000 to support the program and 

administrative costs required to 

implement this exchange program. 

Therefore, organizations with less than 

four years experience in conducting 

international exchanges are ineligible to 

apply under this competition. The 

Bureau encourages applicants to 

provide maximum levels of cost sharing 

and funding in support of its programs. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries or 

submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not 

discuss this competition with applicants 

until the proposal review process has been 

completed. 

IV.1. Contact Information to Request an 

Application Package 

Please contact the Youth Programs 

Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, SA–5, 3rd 

Floor, U.S. Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20522–0503, Tel (202) 

632–6072, E-mail 

BookbinderJB@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/ 

C/PY–10–42 when making your request. 

Alternatively, an electronic application 

package may be obtained from 

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

further information. 

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 16547 

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 

Carolyn Lantz and refer to the Funding 

Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY–10– 

42 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 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 awards (either a 

grant or cooperative agreement) under 

this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR 62. Therefore, 

the Bureau expects that any 

organization receiving an award under 

this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 

et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient organizations and program 

participants to all regulations governing 

the J visa program status. Therefore, 

proposals should explicitly state in 

writing that the applicant is prepared to 

assist the Bureau in meeting all 

requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 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: Office of Designation, ECA/EC/ 

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

Washington, DC 20522–0582. 

IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines 

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing 

legislation, programs must maintain a 

non-political character and should be 

balanced and representative of the 

diversity of American political, social, 

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be 

interpreted in the broadest sense and 

encompass differences including, but 

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘Support for Diversity’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

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16548 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the project’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. The 

Bureau recommends that your proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other technique plus a description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives. The Bureau 

expects that the recipient organization 

will track participants or partners and 

be able to respond to key evaluation 

questions, including satisfaction with 

the program, learning as a result of the 

program, changes in behavior as a result 

of the program, and effects of the 

program on institutions (institutions in 

which participants work or partner 

institutions). The evaluation plan 

should include indicators that measure 

gains in mutual understanding as well 

as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

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, including 

concrete actions taken 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—Non-Construction 

Programs’’ along with a comprehensive 

budget for the entire program. Budget 

requests may not exceed $275,000. 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: 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY– 

10–42. 

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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 16549 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/ 

EX/PM’’. 

The original and six copies of the 

application should be sent to: 

Program Management Division, ECA– 

IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY–10–42, 

SA–5, Floor 4, Department of State, 

2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20522–0504. 

With the submission of the proposal 

package, please also e-mail the 

Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, 

and Budget sections of the proposal, as 

well as any attachments essential to 

understanding the program, in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, and/or PDF, to the 

program officer at LantzCS@state.gov. 

The Bureau will provide these files 

electronically to the Public Affairs 

Sections at the relevant 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 

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. 

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 assistance 

awards (grants) resides with the 

Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. 

1. Quality of the program idea: The 

proposed program should be well 

developed, respond to design outlined 

in the solicitation, and demonstrate 

originality. It should be clearly and 

accurately written, substantive, and 

with sufficient detail. Proposals should 

exhibit originality, substance, precision, 

and relevance to the Bureau’s mission. 

2. Program planning: A detailed 

agenda and work plan should clearly 

demonstrate how project objectives 

would be achieved. The agenda and 

plan should adhere to the program 

overview and guidelines described 

above. The substance of workshops, 

seminars, presentations, school-based 

activities, and/or site visits should be 

described in detail. Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. The 

proposal should clearly demonstrate 

how the organization will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

3. Support of diversity: The proposal 

should demonstrate the recipient’s 

commitment to promoting the 

awareness and understanding of 

diversity in program content. 

Applicants should demonstrate 

readiness to accommodate participants 

with physical disabilities. 

4. Institutional capacity and track 

record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program goals. The proposal should 

demonstrate an institutional record, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for past 

Bureau grants as determined by the 

Bureau’s Office of Contracts. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance. 

5. Follow-on activities: Proposals 

should provide a plan for Bureausupported follow-on activities to help 

the participants stay connected and to 

apply and share what they have learned. 

In addition, applicants should also 

provide on-going support, both with and 

without Bureau funding, that ensures 

that these exchanges are not isolated 

events. 

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16550 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 2010 / Notices 

6. Program evaluation: The proposal 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

The proposal should include a draft 

survey questionnaire or other technique 

plus description of a methodology to 

use to link outcomes to original project 

objectives. The grant recipient will be 

expected to submit intermediate reports 

after each project component is 

concluded. 

7. Cost-effectiveness and cost sharing: 

The applicant should demonstrate 

efficient use of Bureau funds. 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. 

The proposal should maximize costsharing through other private sector 

support as well as institutional direct 

funding contributions, which 

demonstrates institutional and 

community commitment. 

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) Interim program and financial 

reports, as required in the grant 

agreement; 

(2) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(3) 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. 

(4) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

Award recipients will be required to 

provide reports analyzing their 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

their regular program reports. (Please 

refer to IV. Application and Submission 

Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation information. 

All data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

All reports must be sent to the ECA 

Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer 

listed in the final assistance award 

document. 

VI.4. Program Data Requirements 

Award recipients will be required to 

maintain specific data on program 

participants and activities in an 

electronically accessible database format 

that can be shared with the Bureau as 

required. As a minimum, the data must 

include the following: 

(1) Name, address, contact 

information and biographic sketch of all 

persons who travel internationally on 

funds provided by the agreement or who 

benefit from the award funding but do 

not travel. 

(2) Itineraries of international and 

domestic travel, providing dates of 

travel and cities in which any exchange 

experiences take place. Draft schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three weeks prior to the 

beginning of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Carolyn Lantz, 

Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/ 

PY, U.S. Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20522–0503, Tel (202) 

632–6421, Fax (202) 632–9355, 

LantzCS@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/ 

PY–10–42. 

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: March 24, 2010. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–7357 Filed 3–31–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Docket No. AB–6 (Sub–No. 471X)] 

BNSF Railway Company— 

Discontinuance of Trackage Rights 

Exemption—in Alameda County, CA 

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has 

filed a verified notice of exemption 

under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exempt 

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