Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 72 / Thursday, April 16, 2009 / Notices 17749 

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

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. 

Telephone (202) 203–7505. Fax (202) 

203–7529. E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and the reference number 

ECA/PE/C/PY–09–51. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the needs of the program and the 

availability of funds. Awards made will 

be subject to periodic reporting and 

evaluation requirements per section VI.3 

above. 

Dated: April 9, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Secretary for Educational and Cultural 

Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–8745 Filed 4–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6579] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) 

Request for Grant Proposals: Visual 

Arts Initiative Program. 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreements. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C/CU–09–50. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: May 19, 

2009. 

Executive Summary: The Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

of the U.S. Department of State seeks an 

organization to assist the Cultural 

Programs Division of the Office of 

Citizen Exchanges in all logistical and 

administrative aspects related to its 

support of U.S. Embassy sponsored 

visual arts programs. The visual arts 

programs to be supported are intended 

to foster good will, engage foreign 

audiences, and provide insight into 

American culture and values. The 

Visual Arts Initiative (VAI) program will 

provide funding on a competitive basis 

for posts to showcase American talent 

overseas. Over a period of two years, 

grantee will be responsible for one-way 

exchanges in the visual arts, providing 

support to ECA to include cyclical 

solicitation and review of proposals 

received from U.S. Missions abroad 

using ECA-established criteria; 

packaging and submitting proposals to 

ECA for final decision; extending 

financial support to selected U.S. 

partners, and; to reporting on program 

results. The Bureau anticipates that 

approximately $500,000 will be 

available to support this program. 

The Bureau is interested in receiving 

proposals from organizations with a 

strong background/thematic expertise in 

the visual arts, institutional 

commitment to cultural diplomacy and 

the role of the United States in the arts, 

and a successful track-record in 

conducting international programs in 

the arts. Organizations that have the 

expertise, interest, and institutional 

commitment but lack the required 

experience of conducting exchanges 

may wish to consider developing 

proposals based on consortia type 

relationships with more experienced, 

eligible organizations. Please note that 

for these proposals, the role of each 

organization must be clearly defined 

and any sub-granting agreements must 

be included in the proposal submission. 

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 

Goals and Objectives 

This competition is based on the 

premise that the arts provide an ideal 

vehicle for communication between 

people in the United States and other 

countries and is well-suited to highlight 

American innovation, creativity, and 

democratic values. Cultural exchanges 

strengthen discourse, nurture the social 

growth of societies, help counter 

negative stereotypes and demonstrate 

U.S. commitment to the arts and to 

artistic and educational projects of high 

quality. Under this premise, the Bureau 

and Public Affairs Sections of U.S. 

Missions abroad look for opportunities 

to support selected exhibitions or other 

projects that showcase the work of U.S. 

artists abroad and that can be the basis 

for outreach beyond exhibition halls 

and into the community. The Bureau 

therefore offers this new funding 

opportunity for an organization that will 

help facilitate this type of cultural 

diplomacy abroad. 

Desired Grantee Qualifications 

Applicants should have extensive 

expertise in the visual arts and in the 

organization of international programs. 

Proposals must therefore describe this 

expertise and reflect a practical 

understanding of global issues, and 

demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, 

political, economic, and social 

differences. Special attention should be 

given to describing the applicant 

organization’s experience with planning 

and implementing international cultural 

exchange projects. Applicants should 

outline their project team’s capacity for 

successfully implementing projects of 

this nature, provide a detailed sample 

program and timeline to illustrate 

planning capacity and ability to achieve 

overall objectives. Applicants must 

identify all U.S. and foreign partner 

organizations and/or venues with whom 

they are proposing to collaborate, and 

describe previous cooperative projects 

in the section on ‘‘Institutional 

Capacity.’’ For this competition, 

applicants must include in their 

proposal supporting materials or 

documentation that demonstrates a 

minimum of five years experience in 

conducting international arts programs 

and four years experience in conducting 

exchange programs with the U.S. 

Government. Proposals must include 

references with name and contact 

information for other assistance awards 

the applicant has received in the event 

the Bureau chooses to be in touch 

directly. 

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Successful applicants must fully 

demonstrate a capacity to achieve the 

following: 

(1) Work jointly with foreign and U.S. 

partners, including Public Affairs 

Sections of U.S. Missions, and/or 

contacts to design, develop, and execute 

a program that achieves the goals 

described in this solicitation. 

(2) Design, build, and implement a 

program across a three year continuum. 

(3) Provide a sound infrastructure for 

coordination and implementation of the 

entire program. This refers to both 

substantive and administrative 

components of the program, including 

but not limited to: Receipt, review and 

recommendations of VAI proposals for 

possible ECA support; arrangement of 

international and domestic travel for 

U.S. artists/approved participants; 

briefing and orientation of artists prior 

to departure; visa and passport 

applications; vaccines and other predeparture procedures; transfer of funds 

for honoraria; shipping and insuring of 

art and other costs allowed by ECA 

under the approved proposal. 

(4) Successful applicants will also 

have U.S. partners able and willing to 

provide cost-sharing (including in-kind) 

in order to help cover program costs. 

Desired Program Design 

Each year of the grant, ECA will 

solicit proposals for visual arts projects 

from Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of 

U.S. Missions in countries across the 

globe. The solicitation will be for 

proposals in a determined/set number of 

cycles with specific deadlines. The 

grantee, in turn, will receive these 

proposals from PAS and review them 

for accuracy and completion. It will 

communicate with PAS when 

additional information or clarification is 

necessary to obtain a complete and 

comprehensive proposal. The grantee 

will review and assess proposals 

following other criteria to be determined 

by ECA. Shortly following the cycle 

deadline, the grantee will present the 

full package of completed proposals in 

priority order with recommendations 

and comments that correspond to 

criteria set by ECA. The Bureau will 

make final decisions regarding approval 

of projects and communicate these to 

the grantee and to the Public Affairs 

Section (PAS) located at U.S. Missions 

abroad. PAS and/or ECA will 

communicate final decisions to selected 

U.S. artists. The grantee will 

subsequently proceed to disburse 

approved funds to the U.S. artist or his/ 

her designated representative. As 

applicable, the grantee will make all 

travel arrangements for the U.S. artist, 

curator or other approved participant 

selected by the Bureau to participate in 

the overseas program. Funds are 

expected to cover such costs as 

international travel, honoraria and/or 

expenses for shipment of art, including 

insurance. Final determination of 

funding amounts will be made by ECA 

as part of its approval of projects. 

Occasionally, proposals will be received 

from PAS outside of the cycle deadlines 

and the grantee may be asked to make 

a review and recommendation in these 

instances. The grantee will be expected 

to put together a final report within a 

month of the project completion that 

will include but not be limited to media 

coverage, reports from PAS, photos or 

other visuals, reports from the selected 

artist or other approved participant, and 

final costs. 

Responsibilities 

In the cooperative agreement, ECA is 

substantially involved in program 

activities above and beyond routine 

monitoring. ECA responsibilities for this 

program are as follows: 

› Each year of the grant ECA will 

make a worldwide solicitation of 

nominations for visual arts projects from 

U.S. Missions abroad (Public Affairs 

Sections). 

› PAS will be one channel for 

nominations of proposals. Grantee may 

also propose visual arts projects for 

consideration by PAS. However, all 

nominations for consideration under 

this program must be submitted by PAS 

to the grantee with a copy to ECA. 

› ECA will review all the 

nominations as presented by the grantee 

and make the final selection of projects 

for award. ECA will also make the final 

determination regarding funding 

amount for each proposal approved. 

› ECA will notify PAS and, as 

appropriate, the U.S. artist/approved 

participant. 

Grantee responsibilities for this 

program are as follows: 

• Design nomination form and draft 

solicitation message for final approval 

by ECA. 

• Develop a budget that will 

incrementally allocate the total funding 

over the life-cycle of the entire project. 

• Accept, review and analyze 

incoming proposals using criteria set by 

ECA at the initiation of the program. 

Criteria may include, but is not limited 

to elements such as artistic quality/ 

excellence of U.S. artist and art; 

appropriateness of venue, and; 

opportunities for local outreach. Grantee 

will need to rely on its expertise in the 

visual arts in order to provide the 

necessary analysis addressing matters 

related to quality of art to be displayed, 

suitability of U.S. artist selected to 

represent the U.S., suitability of foreign 

venue. 

• Cyclically present to ECA a package 

of all received proposals in priority 

order with recommendations based on 

expert analysis of all criteria set by ECA. 

• For each cycle, the grantee will also 

provide recommendations for funding of 

each proposal, and produce a report of 

past expenditures to include an 

itemized listing of actual costs 

compared to budgeted amounts and a 

detailed plan for the use of any funds 

not expended and carried over. Grantee 

will need to rely on its expertise in arts 

exchanges in order to provide ECA with 

an appropriate recommendation of 

suitability of costs for project. 

• Once final decisions on proposals 

have been communicated to PAS by 

ECA and artists or curators informed by 

ECA or PAS, begin to process 

administrative aspects of program, 

including but not limited to 

disbursement of moneys to U.S. artists 

or other envoys, travel arrangements, 

visa and passport, immunizations, 

payments and other applicable logistical 

elements determined by ECA to be 

necessary in order to support PAS’ 

project. 

• Arrange and provide orientation 

sessions and pre-travel briefings and 

produce press materials for U.S. artists/ 

envoys. Orientation sessions should 

address issues of cultural sensitivity for 

country/ies to be visited by U.S. artist/ 

approved participant/curator. 

• Liaise with post and U.S. artist/ 

approved participant/curator as 

necessary in order to support logistical 

aspects of the VAI project. 

• Within one month from project 

completion, report on VAI project 

activities compiling PAS and U.S. artist/ 

envoy reports, media coverage and an 

evaluation of the project. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. ECA’s level of involvement 

in this program is listed under number 

I above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY–2009. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$500,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Dates: 

December 30, 2011. 

Additional Information: 

III. Eligibility Information 

III.1. Eligible Applicants 

Applications may be submitted by 

public and private non-profit 

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organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3). 

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds 

There is no minimum or maximum 

percentage required for this 

competition. However, the Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide 

maximum levels of cost sharing and 

funding in support of its programs. 

When cost sharing is offered, it is 

understood and agreed that the 

applicant must provide the amount of 

cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal 

and later included in an approved 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing, 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements 

(a.) Bureau grant guidelines require 

that organizations with less than four 

years experience in conducting 

international exchanges be limited to 

$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 

anticipates making one award of 

approximately $500,000 to support 

program and administrative costs 

required to implement this exchange 

program. Therefore, organizations with 

less than four years experience in 

conducting international exchanges are 

ineligible to apply under this 

competition. The Bureau encourages 

applicants to provide maximum levels 

of cost sharing and funding in support 

of its programs. 

(b.) Proposals must demonstrate that 

an applicant has an established resource 

base of programming contacts and the 

ability to keep this resource base 

continuously updated. This resource 

base should include but is not limited 

to thematically related institutions (e.g., 

visual arts organizations), speakers, 

thematic specialists, and practitioners in 

a wide range of professional fields in 

both private and public sectors. 

(c.) Technical Eligibility: All 

proposals must comply with the list of 

requirements below or they will result 

in your proposal being declared 

technically ineligible and given no 

further consideration in the review 

process: 

—For this competition, all eligible 

organizations must demonstrate a 

minimum of five years’ experience 

successfully conducting international 

arts exchange programs that involved 

the exchange of participants, as well 

as at least four years’ experience 

successfully conducting international 

programs with the U.S. Government. 

—Key U.S. partner institutions and their 

roles in the project must be identified 

and letters of support provided in the 

proposal. 

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 Cultural Programs 

Division of the Office of Citizens’ 

Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, ECA/PE/P/CU, 

Room 569, U.S. Department of State, 

SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, 202–453–8175, 

202–203–7525, BrooksMM@state.gov, to 

request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/PE/C/CU–09–50 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. 

Please specify Alan Cross and refer to 

the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/ 

PE/C/CU–09–50 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. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, 

all applicants for ECA federal assistance 

awards must include in their 

application the names of directors and/ 

or senior executives (current officers, 

trustees, and key employees, regardless 

of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants 

must submit information in one of the 

following ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt From Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 

In addition to final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

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

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its USASpending.gov 

Web site as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

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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 part 

62, which covers the administration of 

the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 

part 62, organizations receiving awards 

(either a grant or cooperative agreement) 

under this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of recipient 

organizations shall be ‘‘imputed to the 

sponsor in evaluating the sponsor’s 

compliance with’’ 22 CFR 62. Therefore, 

the Bureau expects that any 

organization receiving an award under 

this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

by recipient organizations and program 

participants to all regulations governing 

the J visa program status. Therefore, 

proposals should explicitly state in 

writing that the applicant is prepared to 

assist the Bureau in meeting all 

requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. 

If your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq., including the oversight 

of their Responsible Officers and 

Alternate Responsible Officers, 

screening and selection of program 

participants, provision of pre-arrival 

information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, 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, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘Support for Diversity’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the project’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. The 

Bureau recommends that your proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other technique plus a description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives. The Bureau 

expects that the recipient organization 

will track participants or partners and 

be able to respond to key evaluation 

questions, including satisfaction with 

the program, learning as a result of the 

program, changes in behavior as a result 

of the program, and effects of the 

program on institutions (institutions in 

which participants work or partner 

institutions). The evaluation plan 

should include indicators that measure 

gains in mutual understanding as well 

as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs 

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements. 

Please note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

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

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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. 

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) Design and implementation of VAI 

program (including, as appropriate, 

staff, administrative expenses, supplies, 

equipment, production costs for 

filmmaking project, orientation and debriefing costs, etc.); 

(2) International and domestic travel 

for U.S. artists/envoys and other costs 

associated (visas, passports, 

immunization); 

(3) As allowed, costs associated with 

transportation of art to foreign venue, 

including insurance; 

(4) Costs related to collecting and 

compiling material for final reports to 

ECA. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods Of Submission 

Application Deadline Date: May 19, 

2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU– 

09–50. 

Methods of Submission: Applications 

may be submitted in one of two ways: 

1. In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 

Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

2. Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

below rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov webportal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in this 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 nine (9) 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/CU–09–50, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. 

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 webportal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov. 

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 

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17754 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 72 / Thursday, April 16, 2009 / Notices 

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 email from Grants.gov upon the 

successful submission of an application. 

Again, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. Therefore, we 

strongly recommend that you not wait 

until the application deadline to begin 

the submission process through 

Grants.gov. ECA will not notify you 

upon receipt of electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all 

applicants submitting proposals via the 

Grants.gov web portal to ensure that 

proposals have been received by 

Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Optional—IV.3f.3. You may also state 

here any limitations on the number of 

applications that an applicant may 

submit and make it clear whether the 

limitation is on the submitting 

organization, individual program 

director or both. 

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications: Executive Order 12372 

does not apply to this program. 

V. Application Review Information 

V.1. Review Process 

The Bureau will review all proposals 

for technical eligibility. Proposals will 

be deemed ineligible if they do not fully 

adhere to the guidelines stated herein 

and in the Solicitation Package. All 

eligible proposals will be reviewed by 

the program office, as well as the Public 

Diplomacy section overseas, where 

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be 

subject to compliance with Federal and 

Bureau regulations and guidelines and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for cooperative 

agreements resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

1. Program Planning: Detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan 

should adhere to the program overview 

and guidelines described above. 

2. Ability To Achieve Program 

Objectives: Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

3. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venue and program evaluation) and 

program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource 

materials and follow-up activities). 

4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program or project’s goals. 

5. Institution’s Record/Ability: 

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of successful 

exchange programs, including 

responsible fiscal management and full 

compliance with all reporting 

requirements for past Bureau awards 

(grants or cooperative agreements) as 

determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

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: 

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 

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 (Cultural 

Programs Division—Jill Staggs at 

StaggsJ@state.gov) for additional information. 

All awards made under this 

competition must be executed according 

to all relevant U.S. laws and policies 

regarding assistance to the Palestinian 

Authority, and to the West Bank and 

Gaza. Organizations must consult with 

relevant Public Affairs Offices before 

entering into any formal arrangements 

or agreements with Palestinian 

organizations or institutions. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 72 / Thursday, April 16, 2009 / Notices 17755 

Note: To assure that planning for the 

inclusion of the Palestinian Authority 

complies with requirements, please contact 

Cultural Programs Division, Jill Staggs, 

StaggsJ@state.gov for additional information. 

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 nine (9) 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. 

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: Alan Cross, 

Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/ 

CU, Room 568, ECA/PE/C/CU–09–50, 

U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301 

4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

202–203–7497, 202–205–7525, 

CrossA@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C/ 

CU–09–50. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice 

The terms and conditions published 

in this RFGP are binding and may not 

be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the needs of the program and the 

availability of funds. Awards made will 

be subject to periodic reporting and 

evaluation requirements per section VI.3 

above. 

Dated: April 8, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–8677 Filed 4–15–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6582] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: U.S.-French Teachers-inTraining Program 

Announcement Type: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/X– 

09–02. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Number: 00.000. 

Application Deadline: June 4, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Fulbright 

Teacher Exchange Branch in the Office 

of Global Educational Programs of the 

U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA/ 

A/S/X) announces an open competition 

for the U.S.-French Teachers-inTraining Program. Accredited, U.S. 

post-secondary educational institutions 

meeting the provisions described in 

Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) may submit proposals to 

administer a three-month teacher 

exchange program for U.S. and French 

beginning teachers. The program will 

provide approximately 25 French preservice teachers with a three-week 

orientation to American history, culture 

and society, provided through seminars 

in an academic setting, and a nine-week 

practical component, provided through 

practice teaching experience under the 

guidance of experienced mentor 

teachers at a U.S. secondary school. The 

program will also integrate a 

professional development seminar with 

other program activities throughout the 

practical teaching period. Proposals 

should document strong contacts with 

local school districts in the United 

States to demonstrate the ability to 

provide the practical student-teaching 

component for French pre-service 

teachers. Proposals should also 

demonstrate the ability to conduct a 

substantive professional development 

seminar in an academic setting. 

The program will also provide for 

exchange visits to France for U.S. 

beginning teachers and students 

preparing for teaching careers. In 

cooperation with the French Ministry of 

Education and the Conference of 

Directors of the University Institutes for 

Teacher Training (Confe ́rence des 

directeurs d’IUFM), and with support 

from the Franco-American Commission 

for Educational Exchange (Fulbright 

Commission), the cooperating 

institution will recruit and select 

approximately 15 U.S. pre-service or inservice teachers, and provide a predeparture orientation in the U.S. The 

French partners will arrange an incountry orientation, French language 

training, and a three-month student 

teaching internship for U.S. teachers 

with funds that will be provided 

separately. The program for French 

teachers will run from January to March 

2010. The U.S. program should be 

planned for fall 2010. The total award 

for all program and administrative 

expenses covered under the agreement 

will be approximately $375,000. 

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