15810 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

3. Certification of Low Birth Weight— 

20 CFR 416.931, 416.926a(m), and 

416.924—0960–0720 

Hospitals and claimants use Form 

SSA–3380 to provide medical 

information to local field offices (FO) 

and the Disability Determination 

Services (DDS) on behalf of infants with 

low birth weight. FOs use the form as 

a protective filing statement and the 

medical information to make 

presumptive disability findings, which 

allow expedited payment to eligible 

claimants. DDSs use the medical 

information to determine disability and 

continuing disability. The respondents 

are hospitals that have information 

identifying low birth weight babies and 

their medical conditions. 

Note: This is a correction notice. SSA 

published this information collection as an 

extension on January 15, 2009 at 74 FR 2643. 

Since we are revising the Privacy Act 

Statement, this is now a revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 24,000. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 15 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 6,000 

hours. 

4. Letter to Employer Requesting 

Information about Wages Earned by 

Beneficiary—20 CFR 416.703 & 

404.801—0960–0034 

When SSA has incomplete or 

questionable wage data, SSA uses Form 

SSA–L725 to verify a beneficiary’s 

wages. SSA uses the information on the 

SSA–L725 to calculate the correct 

benefits payable and to maintain an 

accurate record of earnings for the 

beneficiary. Respondents are small 

business employers. 

Type of Request: Extension of an 

OMB-approved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 150,000. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 40 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 100,000 

hours. 

5. Statement of Care and Responsibility 

for Beneficiary—20 CFR 404.2020, 

404.2025, 408.620, 408.625, 416.620, 

416.625—0960–0109 

SSA uses information from Form 

SSA–788 to verify statements of concern 

made by payee applicants and to 

identify other potential payees. SSA is 

concerned with selecting the most 

qualified representative payee who will 

use Social Security benefits in the 

beneficiary’s best interest. SSA 

considers factors such as the payee 

applicant’s capacity to perform payee 

duties, awareness of the beneficiary’s 

situation and needs, demonstration of 

past and current concern for the 

beneficiary’s well-being. If the payee 

applicant does not have custody of the 

beneficiary, SSA will obtain information 

from the custodian to evaluate against 

information provided by the applicant. 

Respondents are individuals who have 

custody of the beneficiary in cases 

where someone else has filed to be the 

beneficiary’s representative payee. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 130,000. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 10 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 21,667 

hours. 

6. Third Party Liability Information 

Statement—42 CFR 433.136–433.139— 

0960–0323 

Medicaid state agencies must identify 

third party insurers liable for medical 

care or services for Medicaid 

beneficiaries; this reduces Medicaid 

costs. Regulations at 42 CFR 433.136– 

433.139 require Medicaid state agencies 

to obtain this information on Medicaid 

applications and redeterminations as a 

condition of Medicaid eligibility. States 

may enter into agreements with the 

Commissioner of Social Security to 

make Medicaid eligibility 

determinations for aged, blind, and 

disabled beneficiaries in those states. 

Applications for and redeterminations 

of SSI eligibility in jurisdictions with 

such agreements are applications and 

redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility. 

Under these agreements, SSA obtains 

third party liability information using 

Form SSA–8019 and provides that 

information to the Medicaid state 

agencies. The Medicaid state agencies 

use the information to bill third parties 

liable for medical care, support, or 

services for a beneficiary to guarantee 

that Medicaid remains the payer of last 

resort. The respondents are SSI 

claimants and recipients. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 62,834. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 5 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 5,236 

hours. 

7. Application for Special Age 72-orOver Monthly Payments—20 CFR 

404.380–404.384—0960–0096 

Form SSA–19–F6 collects the 

information needed to determine 

whether a claimant can qualify for 

Special Age 72 payments. SSA will 

evaluate eligibility requirements using 

the data collected on this form. The 

respondents are individuals who 

reached age 72 before 1972. 

Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 10. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 10 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 2 hours. 

Dated: March 30, 2009. 

John Biles, 

Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports 

Clearance, Social Security Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–7453 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6568] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Youth Leadership 

Programs: Sub-Saharan Africa 

Announcement Type: New grant. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/PY–09–42. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Application Deadline: May 21, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 

Division, of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs announces an open 

competition for two Youth Leadership 

Program grants for countries of SubSaharan Africa, one for 40 participants 

from four Anglophone countries 

(Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and South 

Africa), and one for 60 participants from 

six Francophone countries (Burkina 

Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, 

Mauritania, and Niger). [Note: Target 

countries may be subject to change.] 

Public and private non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit 

proposals to conduct a minimum of two 

U.S.-based three-week exchange projects 

for combinations of two Anglophone 

countries, or a minimum of three U.S.- 

based three-week exchange projects for 

combinations of two Francophone 

countries. The project activities will 

focus on civic education, leadership, 

diversity, and community activism, 

which will prepare participants to 

conduct follow up activities at home 

that serve a community need. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 15811 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making authority 

for this program is contained in the Mutual 

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 

1961, Public Law 87–256, as amended, also 

known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The 

purpose of the Act is ‘‘to enable the 

Government of the United States to increase 

mutual understanding between the people of 

the United States and the people of other 

countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which 

unite us with other nations by demonstrating 

the educational and cultural interests, 

developments, and achievements of the 

people of the United States and other nations 

* * * and thus to assist in the development 

of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 

relations between the United States and the 

other countries of the world.’’ The funding 

authority for the program above is provided 

through legislation. 

Purpose: The Youth Leadership 

Program for Sub-Saharan Africa will 

support two grants for five projects that 

will bring teenagers, ages 15–17, and 

educators from selected countries to the 

United States for three-week exchanges 

focused on developing leadership skills 

and civic responsibility. The 

participants will be recruited from 

underserved populations in these 

countries where youth are susceptible to 

adverse influences. U.S. Embassies in 

the participating countries will recruit, 

screen, and select the participants; 

provide pre-departure briefings; 

facilitate visas; arrange international 

travel to the United States; and provide 

support to alumni for follow-on 

projects. The grant recipients will 

design and implement the U.S.-based 

exchange activities. 

The applicant organizations must 

propose projects that offer a practical 

examination of the principles of 

democracy and civil society as practiced 

in the United States, and provide skills 

training in leadership, conflict 

management/resolution, and critical 

thinking that will help students develop 

a better sense of civic responsibility and 

foster respect for diversity and crosscultural relationships based on mutual 

understanding and respect. 

Proposals must present a program 

plan that allows the participants to 

thoroughly explore civic education in 

the United States in a creative, 

memorable, and practical way. 

Activities should be designed to be 

replicable and provide practical 

knowledge and skills that the 

participants can apply to school and 

civic activities at home. The project 

must include multiple opportunities for 

participants to interact with American 

youth and educators, and include 

homestays with American families. 

The goals of the program are: 

(1) To promote mutual understanding 

between the people of the United States 

and the people of the partner countries; 

(2) To develop a sense of civic 

responsibility and commitment to 

community development among youth; 

(3) To develop leadership skills 

among secondary school students 

appropriate to their needs; and 

(4) To foster relationships among 

youth from different ethnic, religious, 

and national groups. 

In addition to the themes of civic 

education and leadership, applicants are 

invited to include sub-themes on 

relevant issues specific to the project 

countries (as listed above), particularly 

as a mechanism for seeing what their 

peers in the United States are doing in 

these areas, and as a tool for exploring 

the primary themes of the program. 

A successful project will be one that 

nurtures a cadre of students and 

teachers to be actively engaged in 

addressing issues of concern in their 

schools and communities upon their 

return home, and that equips them with 

the knowledge, skills, and confidence to 

become citizen activists. 

The Bureau anticipates awarding two 

grants. One grant will support two 

Youth Leadership projects for four 

Anglophone countries, and one grant 

will support three Youth Leadership 

projects for six Francophone countries. 

Organizations may submit one proposal 

for a minimum of two projects for 

combinations of two Anglophone 

countries, or, submit one proposal for a 

minimum of three projects for 

combinations of two Francophone 

countries. Organizations may apply for 

the Anglophone Countries program or 

for the Francophone Countries program; 

they may not apply for both. The 

projects will be judged independently 

and proposals will be compared only to 

proposals for the same area 

(Anglophone or Francophone) of 

interest. Note that the U.S. Embassies 

will be responsible for international 

travel; therefore, the grant funds 

available through this solicitation are 

not to cover the international airfare for 

the exchange participants. 

Project A: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth 

Leadership Program—Anglophone 

Countries 

One Grant: Funding for this grant is 

approximately $210,000. 

The program will be offered for a total 

of forty (40) participants: eight (8) 

students and two (2) educators from 

each of the four participating countries: 

Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and 

Tanzania. [Note: Target countries may 

be subject to change, or, if less than four 

countries participate the target number 

of 40 participants will be spread among 

participating countries.] 

Applicants must propose a minimum 

of two, three-week U.S.-based exchange 

projects to take place between the 

months of November 2009 through 

December 2010. One project must take 

place either in late fall 2009 or early 

spring 2010. Each project must include 

two countries for a minimum of 20 

participants, eight (8) students and two 

(2) teachers from each country. 

Note: If less than four countries participate, 

the Bureau will re-negotiate for one exchange 

project to include three countries for thirty 

four (34) students and six (6) educators, or 

two countries for thirty two (32) students and 

eight (8) educators. 

Project B: Sub-Sahara Africa Youth 

Leadership Program—Francophone 

Countries 

One Grant: Funding for this grant is 

approximately $375,000. 

The program will be offered for sixty 

(60) participants, eight (8) students and 

two (2) educators from each of six 

participating countries: Burkina Faso, 

Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, 

Niger. [Note: Target countries may be 

subject to change; or, if less than six 

countries participate the target number 

of 60 participants will be spread among 

participating countries.] 

Applicants must propose a minimum 

of three, three-week U.S.-based 

exchange projects to take place between 

the months of November 2009 through 

March 2011. One project must take 

place either in late fall 2009 or early 

spring 2010. Each project must include 

two countries for a minimum of 20 

participants, eight (8) students and two 

(2) educators from each country. Each 

project will be conducted in French and 

must include language interpreters 

arranged by the grantee organization. 

Note: If less than six countries participate, 

the Bureau will re-negotiate for two exchange 

projects. For example, one project with 40 

participants will include thirty-two (32) 

students and eight (8) educators; one project 

with two countries will include twenty (20) 

students and four (4) educators for a total of 

24 participants; or one project with three 

countries will include thirty (30) students 

and six (6) educators for at total of 36 

participants. 

For Both Programs 

Applicant organizations should 

outline their capacity for doing projects 

of this nature, focusing on three areas of 

competency of the staff directly 

associated with the program: (1) 

Provision of leadership and civic 

education programming, (2) ageappropriate programming for youth, and 

(3) demonstrated understanding of and 

15812 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

experience in programs with the 

specified geographic region. Applicants 

need not have a partner in the 

participating countries, as the staff of 

the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the 

U.S. Embassies will recruit and select 

the participants and provide a predeparture orientation. 

Guidelines 

The grants will begin on or about 

September 15, 2009. The grant period 

will be 12 to 18 months in duration, as 

appropriate for the applicant’s program 

design. Applicants should propose the 

period of the exchange(s) based on the 

timeframes noted above, but the exact 

timing of the project may be altered 

through the mutual agreement of the 

Department of State and the grant 

recipients. The exchange should be no 

less than 25 days in duration, including 

international travel time. 

The participants will be students 

between the ages of 15 and 17 who have 

demonstrated leadership potential in 

their schools and/or communities. The 

educators will be high school teachers, 

or possibly community leaders who 

work with youth, who have 

demonstrated an interest in promoting 

youth leadership. For the Anglophone 

countries, participants will be proficient 

in the English language. Language 

interpreters must be provided for the 

participants from the Francophone 

countries. Where possible, U.S. Embassy 

staff will seek educators with some 

English ability. 

In pursuit of the goals outlined above, 

the grant recipients will provide the 

following: 

• Information about the U.S. program 

and pre-departure materials to help the 

U.S. Embassies, participants, and their 

families in preparation for the exchange. 

• French language interpreters 

(including fees, domestic travel to 

program sites, and per diem). 

• A welcome orientation. 

• Approximately two weeks of 

activities in one or two communities in 

the United States that provide a 

substantive program on civic education, 

community activism, and leadership 

through both academic and 

extracurricular components. A portion 

of the program, from two to six days, 

should be in Washington, DC. Activities 

should take place in schools and in 

community settings. Community service 

must be included. It is crucial that 

programming involve American 

students whenever possible. 

• Opportunities for the educators to 

work with their American peers to help 

them foster youth leadership, civic 

education, and community service 

programs at home. 

• Homestay arrangements with 

properly screened and briefed American 

families for the majority of the exchange 

period. 

• Logistical arrangements, 

disbursement of stipends, local travel, 

travel between U.S. sites, lodging and 

meals when not in the homestay. 

• A closing session to summarize the 

project activities and prepare 

participants for their return home. 

• Guidance on follow-on activities, in 

coordination with the U.S. Embassies, 

in order to advise the participants who 

have returned home on how to apply 

what they have learned during the 

exchange to address a community need. 

The proposal narrative must provide 

detailed information on the program 

activities outlined above, and applicants 

should explain and justify their 

programmatic choices. Proposals must 

demonstrate how the stated objectives 

will be met. Programs must comply with 

J–1 visa regulations for the International 

Visitor and Government Visitor 

categories. 

It is essential that all applicants refer 

to the three documents in the complete 

Solicitation Package—this Request for 

Grant Proposals (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: 2009. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

Two. 

Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership 

Program—Anglophone Countries: 

$210,000. 

Sub-Saharan Africa Youth Leadership 

Program—Francophone Countries: 

$375,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, September 15, 

2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

12 to 18 months after the onset of the 

award, to be determined by the 

applicant according to its program 

design. 

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 USC 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. 

Please note that cost sharing is one of 

the criteria by which proposals will be 

judged. 

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 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 

III.3.a. Bureau grant guidelines require 

that applicant organizations and subaward organizations with less than four 

years experience in conducting 

international exchanges be limited to 

$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 

anticipates awarding two grants, each 

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. [Note: 

Organizations may apply for the 

Anglophone Countries program or for 

the Francophone Countries program; 

they may not apply for both.] 

III.3.b. The Bureau encourages 

applicants to provide maximum levels 

of cost sharing and funding in support 

of its programs. Payments for homestays 

are not allowed as either a grant-funded 

or cost-share line item. The grant 

recipient will enroll exchange 

participants in ECA’s Accident and 

Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE). 

Applicants need not include these 

health benefits costs in their budgets. 

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 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 15813 

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–09–42 when 

making your request. 

Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

from http://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 Shalita 

Jones and refer to the Funding 

Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/PY–09– 

42 on all other inquiries and 

correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package via Internet 

The entire Solicitation Package may 

be downloaded from the Bureau’s Web 

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

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission 

Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please Refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document and the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

Please Note: Effective January 7, 2009, 

all applicants for ECA Federal 

assistance awards must include in their 

application the names of directors and/ 

or senior executives (current officers, 

trustees, and key employees, regardless 

of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants 

must submit information in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt From Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 

In addition to final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

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

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its http:// 

USASpending.gov Web site as part of 

ECA’s FFATA reporting requirements. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs is the official program sponsor of 

the exchange program covered by this 

RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau 

will be the ‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the 

program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, 

which covers the administration of the 

Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, 

organizations receiving awards (either a 

grant or cooperative agreement) under 

this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR 62. Therefore, 

the Bureau expects that any 

organization receiving an award under 

this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 

et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient organizations and program 

participants to all regulations governing 

the J visa program status. Therefore, 

proposals should explicitly state in 

writing that the applicant is prepared to 

assist the Bureau in meeting all 

requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If 

your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

62 et seq., including the oversight of 

their Responsible Officers and Alternate 

Responsible Officers, screening and 

selection of program participants, 

provision of pre-arrival information and 

orientation to participants, monitoring 

of participants, proper maintenance and 

security of forms, record-keeping, 

reporting and other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS– 

2019 forms to participants in this 

program. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov 

or from: 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. 

15814 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

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 short-term outcome, 

whereas behavior and institutional 

changes are normally considered longerterm outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your 

monitoring and evaluation plan will be 

judged on how well it (1) specifies 

intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 

descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when 

particular outcomes will be measured; 

and (4) provides a clear description of 

the data collection strategies for each 

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

focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the 

first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will 

be deemed less competitive under the 

present evaluation criteria.) 

Recipient organizations will be 

required to provide reports analyzing 

their evaluation findings to the Bureau 

in their regular program reports. All 

data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

IV.3e. Please Take the Following 

Information into Consideration When 

Preparing Your Budget 

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: May 21, 

2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY– 

09–42. 

Methods of Submission: 

Applications may be submitted in one 

of two ways: 

(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 

Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2) Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

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 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 15815 

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–09–42, 

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 jonessa1@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 this RFGP, 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. 

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 

15816 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

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 program content. 

4. Institutional Capacity and Track 

Record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program goals. The proposal should 

demonstrate an institutional record, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for 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. 

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. 

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. 

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: Shalita Jones, 

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) 203–7507. Fax (202) 

203–7529. E-mail: jonessa1@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and the reference number 

ECA/PE/C/PY–09–42. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the needs of the program and the 

availability of funds. Awards made will 

be subject to periodic reporting and 

evaluation requirements per section VI.3 

above. 

Dated: March 31, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–7851 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P