Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 15027 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6563] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Global Connections and 

Exchange Program 

Announcement Type: New Grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA– 

PE–C–PY–09–03. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: June 1, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Youth 

Programs Division, Office of Citizen 

Exchanges, of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition for the Global Connections 

and Exchange (GCE) program. Public 

and private non-profit organizations 

meeting the provisions described in 

Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 

501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 

administer the following GCE programs: 

Program One: GCE Kyrgyzstan; and/or 

Program Two: GCE in countries in the 

Middle East/North Africa (see http:// 

www.state.gov/p/nea/), South and 

Central Asia (see http://www.state.gov/ 

p/sca/), and Sub-Saharan Africa (see 

http://www.state.gov/p/af). Countries of 

interest include: Kazakhstan, Maldives, 

South Africa, Tanzania, Algeria and 

Yemen. GCE programs are currently 

being funded in Afghanistan, 

Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, and the 

West Bank; therefore, they are 

disqualified from this competition. 

While all other countries in the regions 

mentioned above qualify, proposals 

focusing on countries of interest will be 

deemed more competitive under the 

Quality of Program Idea review element 

(see V.1. REVIEW PROCESS). The 

Bureau will award one grant for the 

Kyrgyzstan program and one grant for 

the multi-country program. The grantee 

organizations and/or their partners will 

select overseas schools and develop 

collaborative school partnerships with 

U.S. schools. Thematic online projects 

will enhance learning, research and 

cross-border communication among 

participating schools. If feasible, a small 

number of U.S. and/or foreign 

participants may travel to partner 

schools for a minimum of three weeks 

in order to enhance mutual 

understanding and strengthen online 

relationships. All Global Connections 

and Exchange activities will be 

undertaken in regular and consistent 

consultation with the Youth Programs 

Division and the Public Affairs Section 

(PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in each 

participating country. 

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 Global Connections and 

Exchange program is designed to 

introduce youth to a broad range of 

ideas and resources while enhancing the 

use of information technology in 

schools. Through this program, overseas 

secondary schools will expand 

computer literacy skills, improve 

general education, and gain a deeper 

understanding of U.S. society, culture, 

and values. They will also increase their 

capacity to generate change through 

programs that foster tolerance and 

mutual respect while promoting 

grassroots activism among youth. 

American students will, in turn, gain a 

greater understanding of foreign 

cultures and an interest in learning 

foreign languages while increasing their 

knowledge of international affairs. The 

goals of the program are: 

• Generate personal and institutional 

ties between youth and educators in the 

United States and their overseas 

counterparts; 

• Improve educational tools, 

resources, and learning through the 

application of information technology, 

online resource development, school 

partnerships, and student collaboration. 

• Empower youth through online 

projects, Internet resources and 

leadership skills development to act as 

catalysts of change in their 

communities. 

Information about similar programs 

can be found at: http:// 

exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/ 

connections.html. Applicants should 

identify specific objectives and 

measurable outcomes based on program 

goals and project specifications 

provided in the solicitation. Should 

organizations wish to apply for more 

than one program, they must submit a 

separate proposal for each. Each of the 

two programs will be reviewed 

independently. Organizations applying 

for the programs MUST refer to 

individual Project Objectives, Goals and 

Implementation (POGI) guidelines for 

each of the two programs. 

Guidelines 

Program 1—Kyrgyzstan: Total 

funding: $300,000. ECA will award one 

grant. The grant period will be 12 

months in duration. The grant is 

intended to include a network of 

schools that have already been equipped 

with computers and Internet access. 

Grant funds may be used to provide 

equipment and connectivity to a small 

number of schools in rural areas. 

Program 2—Multiple countries: Total 

funding: $250,000. ECA will award one 

grant for the whole amount. To enhance 

diversity and expand opportunities, 

ECA strongly encourages the grant 

recipient to offer sub-awards to 

individual U.S. schools and school 

districts, education technology 

professionals and other qualified 

organizations that have substantive 

experience supporting online 

interaction between schools in the U.S. 

and schools overseas. Applicants 

offering sub-awards to partner 

organizations will be deemed more 

competitive under the Quality of 

Program Idea review element (see V.1. 

REVIEW PROCESS). The grant period 

will be 12 months in duration. 

Applicants should select the countries 

with which they plan to work and 

present a strong justification for their 

choices in their proposals. 

For both programs, applicants must 

demonstrate their capacity for 

conducting programs of this nature. 

This includes administrative 

infrastructure in the geographic areas 

from which schools will be selected and 

resources to link the foreign schools 

with schools in the United States to 

facilitate substantive online programs. 

Grants to be awarded under this 

competition will be based upon the 

quality and responsiveness of proposals 

to the review criteria presented later in 

this RFGP. The grants should begin on 

or about August 1, 2009. 

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. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2009. 

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Approximate Total Funding: 

$550,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

Kyrgyzstan—One award. 

Multiple countries—One award. 

Approximate Average Award: 

Kyrgyzstan—$300,000. 

Multiple countries—$250,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

September 2010. 

Additional Information 

Pending successful implementation of 

these programs and the availability of 

funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 

ECA’s intent to renew these awards for 

two additional fiscal years, before 

openly competing it 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 awards for each of the two 

programs in amounts exceeding $60,000 

to support program and administrative 

costs required to facilitate activities. 

Therefore, organizations with less than 

four years experience in conducting 

international exchanges are ineligible to 

apply for either of the two grants. 

However, organizations are strongly 

encouraged to offer sub-awards in order 

to enhance diversity and expand 

opportunities to organizations otherwise 

ineligible to apply. 

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 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: 202–203–7506, fax number: 

202–203–7529, e-mail: 

MussmanAP@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number (ECA– 

PE–C–PY–09–03) located at the top of 

this announcement when making your 

request. Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

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

for further information. 

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. 

It also contains the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document for each of the two programs, 

which provides specific information, 

award criteria and budget instructions 

tailored to this competition. 

Please specify Anna Mussman and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number (ECA–PE–C–PY–09–03) located 

at the top of this announcement on all 

other inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package via Internet 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

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

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission 

Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document 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: 

(2) Include a copy of relevant portions 

of this form. 

(3) 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 

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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: United States Department of 

State, Office of Exchange Coordination 

and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44, 

Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 

(202) 203–5029, FAX: (202) 453–8640. 

IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the 

Bureau’s authorizing legislation, 

programs must maintain a non-political 

character and should be balanced and 

representative of the diversity of 

American political, social, and cultural 

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted 

in the broadest sense and encompass 

differences including, but not limited to 

ethnicity, race, gender, religion, 

geographic location, socio-economic 

status, and disabilities. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to adhere to the 

advancement of this principle both in 

program administration and in program 

content. Please refer to the review 

criteria under the ‘Support for Diversity’ 

section for specific suggestions on 

incorporating diversity into your 

proposal. Public Law 104–319 provides 

that ‘‘in carrying out programs of 

educational and cultural exchange in 

countries whose people do not fully 

enjoy freedom and democracy,’’ the 

Bureau ‘‘shall take appropriate steps to 

provide opportunities for participation 

in such programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation: Proposals must include a 

plan to monitor and evaluate the 

project’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

The Bureau recommends that your 

proposal include a draft survey 

questionnaire or other technique plus a 

description of a methodology to use to 

link outcomes to original project 

objectives. The Bureau expects that the 

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 timeframe), 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 ata collection for 

each level of outcome. For example, 

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

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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.3d.4. Describe your plans for: 

Sustainability, overall program 

management, staffing, coordination with 

ECA and PAS and the development and 

implementation of online projects that 

promote mutual understanding and 

youth activism. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF– 

424A—‘‘Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs’’ along with a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. There must be a summary 

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting 

both administrative and program 

budgets. Applicants may provide 

separate sub-budgets for each program 

component, phase, location, or activity 

to provide clarification. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: 

(1) Support for U.S. and overseas 

schools; 

(2) Small grants to encourage active 

participation; 

(3) Exchanges for a small group of 

teachers and/or students to/from the 

United States. 

Organizations are required to use free 

and existing Web sites for purposes of 

social networking and project 

implementation. Please refer to the 

Solicitation Package for complete 

budget guidelines and formatting 

instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: June 1, 

2009. 

Reference Number: ECA–PE–C–PY– 

09–03. 

Methods of Submission: 

Applications may be submitted in one 

of two ways: 

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

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service 

Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2.) Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

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 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. 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF– 

424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1—Submitting Printed 

Applications: Applications must be 

shipped no later than the above 

deadline. Delivery services used by 

applicants must have in-place, 

centralized shipping identification and 

tracking systems that may be accessed 

via the Internet and delivery people 

who are identifiable by commonly 

recognized uniforms and delivery 

vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before 

the above deadline but received at ECA 

more than seven days after the deadline 

will be ineligible for further 

consideration under this competition. 

Proposals shipped after the established 

deadlines are ineligible for 

consideration under this competition. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

application. It is each applicant’s 

responsibility to ensure that each 

package is marked with a legible 

tracking number and to monitor/confirm 

delivery to ECA via the Internet. 

Delivery of proposal packages may not 

be made via local courier service or in 

person for this competition. Faxed 

documents will not be accepted at any 

time. Only proposals submitted as 

stated above will be considered. 

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include one 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/ 

EX/PM’’. 

The original and eight (8) copies of 

the application should be sent to: U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: 

ECA/PE/C/PY–09–03, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will 

provide these files electronically to the 

appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at 

the U.S. embassy(ies) for its (their) 

review. 

IV.3f.2—Submitting Electronic 

Applications: Applicants have the 

option of submitting proposals 

electronically through Grants.gov 

(http://www.grants.gov). Complete 

solicitation packages are available at 

Grants.gov in the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the 

system. 

Please 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, 

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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 grants resides 

with the Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria: Technically eligible 

applications will be competitively 

reviewed according to the criteria stated 

below. These criteria are not rank 

ordered and all carry equal weight in 

the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the Program Idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission. The substance of 

online activities, including overall 

themes and strategies to build 

partnerships between American and 

overseas schools, should be described in 

detail. Reviewers will evaluate the 

applicant’s understanding of the goals of 

the program, specifically as they relate 

to enhancing mutual understanding 

among participating countries and the 

United States. Please note: Proposals 

that involve schools in countries of 

interest (Kazakhstan, Maldives, South 

Africa, Tanzania, Algeria and Yemen) 

and offer sub-awards to qualified 

individuals and/or organizations will be 

deemed more competitive under this 

review element. 

2. Program Planning/Ability To 

Achieve Program Objectives: A detailed 

agenda and relevant work plan should 

explain how objectives will be achieved 

and should include a timetable for 

completion of major tasks. Objectives 

should be reasonable, feasible and 

flexible. Proposals should clearly 

demonstrate how the program design 

will fulfill stated objectives. 

3. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Geographic, gender and socio-economic 

diversity should be reflected in the 

selection of schools and participants. 

The curriculum content should 

reinforce cultural diversity in the 

broadest sense of the term. Reviewers 

will examine the extent in which 

diversity issues are incorporated into 

the curricula. Applicants are 

encouraged to facilitate activities 

specific to women, young girls and 

students with disabilities. 

4. Institutional Capacity/Record/ 

Ability: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program or project’s goals. Proposals 

should exhibit significant experience in 

developing school-based Internet 

programs. Reviewers will assess the 

organization’s institutional record of 

successful programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements as determined by the 

Bureau’s Grants Division. The Bureau 

will consider the past performance of 

prior recipients and the demonstrated 

potential of new applicants. 

5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals 

should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activity (without Bureau 

support) ensuring that Bureau 

supported programs are not isolated 

events. Reviewers will examine ways in 

which Web sites are managed and their 

applicability for use when funds are no 

longer available. 

6. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. A 

draft survey questionnaire or other 

technique plus description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives is 

recommended. 

7. Cost-effectiveness/Cost sharing: 

The overhead and administrative 

components of the proposal, including 

salaries and honoraria, should be kept 

as low as possible. All other items 

should be necessary and appropriate. 

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 

through other private sector support as 

well as institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

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.1b The Following Additional 

Requirements Apply to This Project: 

For assistance awards involving Iran: 

A critical component of current U.S. 

government Iran policy is the support 

for indigenous Iranian voices. The State 

Department has made the awarding of 

grants for this purpose a key component 

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15032 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 62 / Thursday, April 2, 2009 / Notices 

of its Iran policy. As a condition of 

licensing these activities, the Office of 

Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has 

requested the Department of State to 

follow certain procedures to effectuate 

the goals of Sections 481(b), 531(a), 571, 

582, and 635(b) of the Foreign 

Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended); 18 

U.S.C. 2339A and 2339B; Executive 

Order 13224; and Homeland Security 

Presidential Directive 6. These licensing 

conditions mandate that the Department 

conduct a vetting of potential Iran 

grantees and sub-grantees for counterterrorism purposes. To conduct this 

vetting the Department will collect 

information from grantees and subgrantees regarding the identity and 

background of their key employees and 

Boards of Directors. 

Note: To assure that planning for the 

inclusion of Iran complies with 

requirements, please contact David Benze— 

Country Affairs Officer at 202–776–8985; email—BenzeDK@state.gov for additional 

information. 

For assistance awards involving 

performance in a designated combat 

area: 

Special Provision for Performance in a 

Designated Combat Area (Currently Iraq 

and Afghanistan) (December 2008) 

All Recipient personnel deploying to 

areas of combat operations, as 

designated by the Secretary of Defense 

(currently Iraq and Afghanistan), under 

assistance awards over $100,000 or 

performance over 14 days must register 

in the Department of Defense 

maintained Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker 

(SPOT) system. Recipients of federal 

assistance awards shall register in SPOT 

before deployment, or if already in the 

designated operational area, register 

upon becoming an employee under the 

assistance award, and maintain current 

data in SPOT. Information on how to 

register in SPOT will be available from 

your Grants Officer or Grants Officer 

Representative during the final 

negotiation and approval stages in the 

federal assistance awards process. 

Recipients of federal assistance awards 

are advised that adherence to this policy 

and procedure will be a requirement of 

all final federal assistance awards issued 

by ECA. 

Recipient performance may require 

the use of armed private security 

personnel. To the extent that such 

private security contractors (PSCs) are 

required, grantees are required to ensure 

they adhere to Chief of Mission (COM) 

policies and procedures regarding the 

operation, oversight, and accountability 

of PSCs. 

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 of the following reports 

plus two copies of the following reports: 

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will will be transmitted to OMB, 

and be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(3) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

(4) One interim report, midway into 

the program, describing activities and 

progress. 

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. Final schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three work days prior to the 

official opening of the activity. 

(3) Information about schools 

including, but not limited to, location, 

demography, participating teachers and 

classes. 

Note: All travelers must have participated 

in online projects with a partner school. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Anna 

Mussman, Office of Citizen Exchanges, 

ECA–PE–C–PY, Room 568, ECA–PE–C– 

PY–09–03, U.S. Department of State, 

SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202– 

203–7506, fax number: 202–203–7529, 

E-mail: MussmanAP@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA–PE–C– 

PY–09–03. 

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 

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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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