Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 15033 

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 23, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–7208 Filed 4–1–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6564] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Youth Leadership Program 

With Central America 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–09–40. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Application Deadline: May 28, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 

Division, of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces 

an open competition for the Youth 

Leadership Program with Central 

America. 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 to recruit and select youth 

and adult participants in the seven 

countries of Central America and to 

provide the participants with threeweek, U.S.-based exchanges focused on 

entrepreneurship and business skills, 

community engagement, and leadership. 

The program will conclude with followon activities in the participants’ home 

communities in which they apply the 

knowledge and skills acquired during 

the exchange experience. ECA plans to 

award a single grant for the management 

of the program and encourages 

organizations to work together as 

partners for effective administration in 

all seven countries and in the United 

States. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority 

Overall grant making authority for 

this program is contained in the Mutual 

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 

of 1961, as amended, Public Law 87– 

256, 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. 

Overview: This Youth Leadership 

Program will bring secondary schoolaged youth (ages 16–18) and adult 

educators from seven countries in 

Central America to the United States for 

three-week exchanges focused on 

entrepreneurship and business skills, 

community engagement, and leadership. 

The youth participants will be recruited 

from underserved or disadvantaged 

populations in these countries. 

The participating countries are Belize, 

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 

Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. 

The goals of the programs are to (1) 

promote mutual understanding between 

the United States and the people of 

Central America; (2) provide young 

adults with transferable skills 

appropriate to their needs; (3) develop 

a sense of civic responsibility to 

community and business development 

among youth; and (4) foster 

relationships among youth from 

different ethnic, religious, and national 

groups. 

Applicant organizations should 

identify their own specific objectives 

and measurable outcomes based on 

these program goals and the project 

specifications provided in this 

solicitation. 

ECA plans to award a single grant for 

the management of the program in all 

seven countries. The Bureau encourages 

organizations with expertise in a few of 

the participating countries to partner 

with other organizations with 

experience in the remaining countries in 

order to submit a single comprehensive 

proposal. Consortia must designate a 

lead institution for the grant award. 

Through this program, five exchange 

projects in the United States will be 

offered for a total of approximately 110– 

120 youth and educators. 

One project for Belize will be 

conducted in English, and will be 

designed for approximately 14 

participants. 

Four other projects will be conducted 

in Spanish, with interpreters 

accompanying the students. As 

proposed by applicant organizations, 

the Spanish-language projects will be 

single-country or regional projects, i.e., 

a group of students may be drawn from 

multiple participating countries in order 

to promote regional cooperation. Each of 

these exchange projects should be 

designed for 20 to 30 participants. 

Examples of possible Spanishlanguage projects include: 

• One delegation of 24 participants 

from Guatemala travels to the United 

States in April. 

• Two delegations of 27 participants 

each, with 9 participants each from El 

Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, 

travel to the United States in April and 

September. 

• One delegation of 24 participants 

from Panama and Costa Rica, with 12 

participants from each country, travels 

to the United States in May. 

The preceding are only examples of 

possible projects, and should not be 

construed as Bureau preferences. 

Organizations are encouraged to be 

creative and flexible in their 

arrangements and to be responsive to 

Embassy preferences. 

Planning will start in 2009, and after 

a careful recruitment and selection 

process, the exchanges will take place at 

various points throughout 2010, 

including during the U.S. school year. 

The organization that receives the 

grant will recruit and select the 

exchange participants, provide a U.S.- 

based exchange experience, and lead the 

alumni in implementing projects in 

their home communities, enabling them 

to apply their newfound skills. A 

portion of the funding will be used to 

support in-country activities with all 

alumni and their peers in order to 

promote integration among youth in 

each country. 

The exchange activities will focus on 

school-to-work transition, allowing the 

participants to develop practical 

business and job skills, such as 

communication, technology, marketing, 

and financial management skills. They 

will also explore the effective and 

sustainable use of resources, learn about 

civic engagement, life skills, and ethics, 

and identify the appropriate conditions 

for entrepreneurial projects. Activities 

will include workshops, school visits, 

community service/volunteer work, and 

site visits with community 

organizations and local businesses. 

Participants will live with American 

host families for a portion of the 

exchange period and have opportunities 

to interact with their American peers, 

including students of Spanish. 

The applicant should present a 

program plan that allows the 

participants to thoroughly explore the 

themes in a creative, memorable, and 

practical way. Activities should be 

designed to provide practical knowledge 

and skills that the participants can 

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15034 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 

apply to school, work, and civic 

activities at home in a positive and 

productive way. 

U.S. Embassy Involvement: Before 

submitting a proposal, applicants 

should consult with the Public Affairs 

Officers at U.S. Embassies in the 

participating countries as they develop 

proposals responding to this RFGP, 

particularly to review recruitment and 

the audience for the exchange and the 

timing of the exchange. Please e-mail 

ECA Program Officer Carolyn Lantz 

(LantzCS@state.gov) for contact 

information. Also, it is important that 

the proposal narrative clearly state the 

applicant’s commitment to consult 

closely with the Public Affairs Section 

of the U.S. Embassy in the relevant 

countries to develop plans for project 

implementation and to select project 

participants. 

Organizational Capacity: Applicant 

organizations 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 on 

programs with Latin America. 

Applicants must have the organizational 

capacity in the participating countries 

necessary to implement the in-country 

activities, or they must partner with an 

organization or institution with the 

requisite capacity to recruit and select 

participants for the program and to 

provide follow-on activities. The 

importance of a viable, experienced incountry partner cannot be overemphasized. 

Organizations must convincingly 

demonstrate their capacity to manage a 

complex, multi-phase program with 

several separate exchange projects. 

Guidelines: The grant will begin on or 

about September 1, 2009. The grant 

period will be approximately 18 months 

in duration, as appropriate for the 

applicant’s program design. Applicants 

should propose the period of the 

exchange(s) in their proposals, but the 

exact timing of the project may be 

altered through the mutual agreement of 

the Department of State and the grant 

recipient. 

The grant recipient will be 

responsible for the following: 

• Recruitment and selection of youth 

and adult educators from diverse 

geographic regions in the partner 

countries. The Public Affairs Section of 

the U.S. Embassy in the partner country 

will have a key role in developing a 

recruitment strategy and deciding how 

finalists are chosen. 

• Provision of orientations for 

exchange participants and for those 

participating from the host 

communities. 

• Designing and planning of activities 

that provide a substantive project on the 

specified themes. Some activities 

should be school and/or communitybased, as feasible, and the projects will 

involve as much sustained interaction 

with American peers as possible. 

• Homestay arrangements with 

properly screened and briefed American 

families for the majority of the exchange 

period. 

• Provision of effective interpretation 

and translation for the Spanish-language 

projects. 

• Logistical arrangements, including 

visa applications, international and 

domestic travel, accommodations, and 

disbursement of stipends. 

• Follow-on activities in the partner 

country that reinforce the ideas, values 

and skills imparted during the U.S. 

program through community projects. 

Recruitment and Selection: The grant 

recipient will manage the recruitment 

and merit-based selection of 

participants in cooperation with the 

Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. 

Embassies in the seven participating 

countries. The grant recipient must 

consult with the Public Affairs Section 

at the U.S. Embassy to review a 

recruitment and participant selection 

plan and to determine the degree of 

Embassy involvement in the process. 

Organizers must strive for regional, 

socio-economic, and ethnic diversity, as 

well as gender balance. The Department 

of State and/or its overseas 

representatives will have final approval 

of all selected delegations. 

Participants: The youth participants 

will be teenagers, 16 to 18 years old, 

recruited from underserved or 

disadvantaged populations of youth in 

these countries, including public school 

students, high school dropouts, and 

those at risk for involvement with drugs 

and/or gang activities. The exchange 

participants will also include adults 

who are teachers, school administrators, 

and/or community leaders who work 

with youth; they will have the dual role 

of both exchange participant and 

chaperone. The ratio of teenagers to 

adults will be approximately 6:1. 

Participants from Hispanophone 

countries will not need to speak 

English; the grantee organization will 

provide interpretation for the program 

and will place them with suitable host 

families. 

U.S. Program: High school students 

and educators will spend approximately 

21 days in the United States—in 

Washington, DC, and in one or two 

other communities—on an intensive 

program that is designed to develop the 

participants’ knowledge and skill base 

in entrepreneurship and business skills, 

community engagement, and leadership. 

The U.S. program should focus 

primarily on interactive activities, 

practical experiences, and other handson opportunities related to the program 

themes. All programming should 

include American teenagers wherever 

possible. The program will also provide 

opportunities for the adult educators to 

work with their American peers. 

Cultural, social, and recreational 

activities will balance the schedule. 

Participants will live with American 

families in homestays for at least half of 

the exchange period. 

Follow-on Activities and In-Country 

Programming: In-country activities that 

help to support alumni in their postexchange activities are required, and 

should enable the alumni to share their 

experiences and apply their skills. 

Applicant organizations 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. U.S. 

project staff or trainers should travel to 

the partner countries several months 

after the exchange to conduct trainings 

that reinforce the themes of the 

exchange. 

All participants and alumni should 

identify themselves with the Youth 

Leadership Program with Central 

America. Materials produced for grant 

activities need to acknowledge the U.S. 

Department of State as the sponsor and 

reflect the State Department’s goals for 

the program. 

The Bureau reserves the right to 

reduce, revise, or increase proposal 

budgets and participant numbers in 

accordance with the needs of the 

program and the availability of funds. 

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 for the 

International Visitor category. 

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: FY–2008 

Economic Support Funds transferred to 

ECA in FY–2009 for obligation. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 15035 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$994,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

One. 

Floor of Award Range: $994,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $994,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

Approximately 18 months after start 

date, to be specified by the applicant 

based on project plan. 

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 grant 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs that are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

III.3.a. Bureau grant guidelines require 

that applicant organizations with less 

than four years experience in 

conducting international exchanges be 

limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. 

ECA anticipates making an award in an 

amount exceeding $60,000 to support 

program and administrative costs 

required to implement this exchange 

program. Therefore, organizations with 

less than four years experience in 

conducting international exchanges at 

the time of application are not eligible 

to apply under this competition. 

III.3.b. Proposed sub-award recipients 

are also limited to grant funding of 

$60,000 or less if they do not have four 

years of experience in conducting 

international exchanges. 

III.3.c. 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, Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 

568, U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. Telephone (202) 453–8171, Fax 

(202) 453–8169; E-mail: 

PiersonCompeauHM@state.gov to 

request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/PE/C/PY–09–40 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 Program Officer 

Carolyn Lantz and refer to the Funding 

Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY–09– 

40 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, the award recipient will 

also be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from program 

reports, listing and describing grant 

activities. For the award recipient, 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. 

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15036 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1 Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs is the official program sponsor of 

the exchange program covered by this 

RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau 

will be the ‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the 

program under the terms of 22 CFR part 

62, which covers the administration of 

the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 

part 62, organizations receiving awards 

(either a grant or cooperative agreement) 

under this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR part 62. 

Therefore, the Bureau expects that any 

organization receiving an award under 

this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient organizations and program 

participants to all regulations governing 

the J visa program status. Therefore, 

proposals should explicitly state in 

writing that the applicant is prepared to 

assist the Bureau in meeting all 

requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. 

If your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq., including the oversight 

of their Responsible Officers and 

Alternate Responsible Officers, 

screening and selection of program 

participants, provision of pre-arrival 

information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, recordkeeping, reporting and 

other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS– 

2019 forms to participants in this 

program. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov 

or from: United States Department of 

State, Office of Exchange Coordination 

and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44, 

Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 

(202) 203–5029, FAX: (202) 453–8640. 

IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines 

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing 

legislation, programs must maintain a 

non-political character and should be 

balanced and representative of the 

diversity of American political, social, 

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be 

interpreted in the broadest sense and 

encompass differences including, but 

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3 Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the project’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. The 

Bureau recommends that your proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other technique plus a description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives. The Bureau 

expects that the recipient organization 

will track participants or partners and 

be able to respond to key evaluation 

questions, including satisfaction with 

the program, learning as a result of the 

program, changes in behavior as a result 

of the program, and effects of the 

program on institutions (institutions in 

which participants work or partner 

institutions). The evaluation plan 

should include indicators that measure 

gains in mutual understanding as well 

as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs 

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements. 

Please note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

satisfaction is usually captured as a shortterm outcome, whereas behavior and 

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and 

evaluation plan will be judged on how well 

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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.) 

The Recipient organization will be 

required to provide reports analyzing 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

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: 

Applicants must submit a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. There must be a summary 

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting 

both administrative and program 

budgets. Applicants may provide 

separate sub-budgets for each program 

component, phase, location, or activity 

to provide clarification. 

Please refer to the POGI and PSI for 

complete budget guidelines and 

formatting instructions. 

IV.3.f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: Thursday, 

May 28, 2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY– 

09–40. 

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. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

applications as outlined in section IV.3f.1., 

below rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov webportal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via 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, one fully-tabbed copy, 

and five (5) copies with Tabs A–E and 

appendices (no Tab F) should be sent to: 

U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY–09–40, 

Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, 

Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547. 

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 and/or Excel to the program 

officer at LantzCS@state.gov. The 

Bureau will provide these files 

electronically to the Public Affairs 

Section at the U.S. Embassies for their 

review. 

IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

PLEASE NOTE: ECA strongly 

encourages organizations interested in 

applying for this competition to submit 

printed, hard copy applications as 

outlined in section IV.3f.1. above, rather 

than submitting electronically through 

Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated 

high volume of grant proposals that will 

be submitted via the Grants.gov Web 

portal as part of the Recovery Act 

stimulus package. As stated in these 

RFGPs, ECA bears no responsibility for 

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. 

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15038 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 

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: 

Objectives should be reasonable, 

feasible, and flexible. The proposal 

should clearly demonstrate how the 

institution will meet the program’s 

objectives and plan. The proposed 

program should be well developed, 

respond to the design outlined in the 

solicitation, and demonstrate 

originality. It should be clearly and 

accurately written, substantive, and 

with sufficient detail. Proposals should 

also include a plan to support 

participants’ community activities upon 

their return home. 

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. 

3. Support of diversity: The proposal 

should demonstrate the recipient’s 

commitment to promoting the 

awareness and understanding of 

diversity in participant recruitment and 

selection and in program content. 

Applicants should demonstrate 

readiness to accommodate participants 

with physical disabilities. 

4. Institutional capacity and track 

record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources in both the 

United States and the partner 

country(ies) 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 any past Bureau grants 

as determined by the Bureau’s Office of 

Contracts. The Bureau will consider the 

past performance. 

5. Program evaluation: The proposal 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

program’s success in meeting its goals, 

both as the activities unfold and after 

they have been completed. The proposal 

should include a draft survey 

questionnaire or other technique, plus a 

description of a methodology to link 

outcomes to original project objectives. 

The grant recipient will be expected to 

submit intermediate reports after each 

project component is concluded. 

6. 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 reports, as required in the 

Bureau 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. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 15039 

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: Carolyn Lantz, 

Program Officer, Youth Programs 

Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. 

Telephone (202) 203–7505. Fax (202) 

203–7529. E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and the reference number 

ECA/PE/C/PY–09–40. 

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. 

March 24, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–7215 Filed 4–1–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6565] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Young Turkey/Young 

America: A New Relationship for a New 

Age 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/EUR–SCA–09–45. Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance Number 

00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: June 4, 2009. 

Executive Summary 

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham 

Clinton announced a new exchange 

program for Turkish and American 

young people while in Ankara on March 

7, 2009. This two part program, called 

‘‘Young Turkey/Young America: A New 

Relationship for a New Age,’’ will bring 

20 to 30 emerging leaders (ages 20–35) 

from the two countries together to 

develop grassroots initiatives that will 

positively impact people’s lives and will 

result in stronger ties between the two 

nations. 

ECA is seeking proposals from 

qualified applicants for two separate 

programs. The Bureau expects total 

funding in the amount of $500,000 to be 

available. ECA expects to award a total 

of two grants in this competition of up 

to $250,000, one for each topic. 

The first project, ‘‘Political Challenges 

for Future Leaders’’ will enable 10–15 

young professionals from Turkey and 

the United States to participate in a 

structured bi-national dialogue on 

foreign policy issues of importance to 

both countries, both face-to-face and via 

the full range of communication media. 

The second project, ‘‘Social and 

Economic Challenges for Future 

Leaders’’ will work to expand the 

capacity of grassroots organizations to 

empower women, to improve job skills 

for young people in economically 

disadvantaged communities and to raise 

environmental awareness and activism. 

Note: Applicants may not submit more 

than one proposal in this competition. 

Applicants that do so will be declared 

technically ineligible and will receive no 

further consideration in the review process. 

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 initiative ‘‘Young Turkey/Young 

America: A New Relationship for a New 

Age’’ is built around two new exchange 

programs that will bring emerging 

young leaders (ages 20–35) in Turkey 

and the United States together to 

develop grassroots initiatives that will 

positively impact people’s lives and 

deepen ties between the future leaders 

of both countries. It will also reach 

beyond the two new exchanges to 

network with alumni of previous 

leadership exchange programs in both 

countries to build a solid foundation of 

mutual understanding. 

Applicants must identify the U.S. and 

Turkish organizations and individuals 

with whom they are proposing to 

collaborate and describe previous 

cooperative activities, if any. 

Information about the mission, 

activities, and accomplishments of 

partner organizations should be 

included in the submission. Proposals 

should contain letters of commitment or 

support from partner organizations for 

the proposed project. Applicants should 

clearly outline and describe the role and 

responsibilities of all partner 

organizations in terms of project 

logistics, management and oversight. 

Competitive proposals will include 

the following: 

• A brief description of the theme to 

be addressed and how it relates to 

Turkey and the United States. 

(Proposals that request resources for an 

initial needs assessment will be deemed 

less competitive under the review 

criterion Program Planning and Ability 

to Achieve Objectives, per item V.1 

below.); 

• A clear, succinct statement of 

program objectives and expected 

outcomes that responds to Bureau goals 

as listed in this RFGP. Desired outcomes 

should be described in qualitative and 

quantitative terms. (See the Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation section per 

item V.1 below, for more information on 

project objectives and outcomes.); 

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