18786 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 

0960–0619. SSA regulations at 20 CFR 

403.100–155 establish policies and 

procedures for an individual, 

organization, or governmental entity to 

request official agency information, 

records, or testimony of an agency 

employee in a legal proceeding when 

the agency is not a party. The request, 

which must be in writing to the 

Commissioner, must fully set out the 

nature and relevance of the sought 

testimony. Respondents are individuals 

or entities who request testimony from 

SSA employees in a legal proceeding. 

Type of Request: Extension of an 

OMB-approved information collection. 

Number of Respondents: 100. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 60 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 100 hours. 

8. Authorization for the Social 

Security Administration To Obtain 

Account Records from a Financial 

Institution and Request for Records 

(Medicare Low-Income Subsidy)—0960– 

0729. Under the aegis of the Medicare 

Modernization Act of 2003, Medicare 

beneficiaries can apply for a subsidy for 

the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 

(Part D) program. In some cases, SSA 

will verify the details of applicants’ 

accounts at financial institutions to 

determine if they are eligible for the 

subsidy. Form SSA–4640 gives SSA the 

authority to contact financial 

institutions about applicants’ accounts. 

Financial institutions will also use the 

form to verify the information SSA 

requested. The respondents are 

applicants for the Medicare Part D 

program subsidy and financial 

institutions where applicants have 

accounts. 

Type of Request: Extension of an 

OMB-approved information collection. 

Medicare part D subsidy 

applicants Financial institutions Totals 

Number of Respondents .......................................................... 10,000 .................................... 10,000 .................................... 20,000. 

Frequency of Response .......................................................... 1 ............................................. 1 ............................................. 1. 

Average Burden per Response (minutes) ............................... 1 minute ................................. 4 minutes ............................... 5 minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden (hours) ........................................... 167 hours ............................... 667 hours ............................... 834 hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 834 

hours. 

9. Request To Pay Civil Monetary 

Penalty by Installment Agreement—20 

CFR 498–0960–NEW. SSA uses Form 

SSA–640 to obtain the information 

necessary to determine a repayment rate 

for individuals who have a civil 

monetary penalty imposed on them for 

fraudulent conduct related to SSAadministered programs. SSA needs this 

financial information to ensure the 

repayment rate is in the best interest of 

both the individual and the agency. The 

respondents are recipients of Social 

Security benefits and non-entitled 

individuals who must pay a civil 

monetary penalty. 

Type of Request: New information 

collection. 

Number of Respondents: 400. 

Frequency of Response: 1. 

Average Burden per Response: 120 

minutes. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 800 hours. 

Dated: April 17, 2009. 

John Biles, 

Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports 

Clearance, Social Security Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–9318 Filed 4–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6592] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: E-Teacher Scholarship 

Program and Professional 

Development Workshop 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/L–09–04. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: (Pending award of funds). 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2009. 

Anticipated Program Start Date: 

September 14, 2009. 

Anticipated Program End Date: 

December 31, 2010. 

Application Deadline: June 8, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Office of 

English Language Programs of the 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA/A/L) announces an open 

competition for the E-Teacher 

Scholarship Program and Professional 

Development Workshop. Accredited 

U.S. post-secondary educational 

institutions or consortia of such 

institutions meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

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

proposals to implement the following 

two components: (1) Seven different 

ten- to twelve-week Online, university 

level English as a Foreign Language 

(EFL) professional development courses 

for a total of approximately five 

hundred EFL teachers from throughout 

the world, and (2) a three-week 

professional development workshop for 

approximately twenty-six EFL 

professionals from diverse geographic 

regions of the world. For the Online 

courses, participants will receive 

university level instruction in the most 

recent English language teaching 

methods and techniques as well as an 

introduction to U.S. educational values 

and will interact with U.S. experts via 

innovative distance learning. The 

professional development workshop 

will provide the participants a basis for 

their continuing contact with U.S. 

counterparts in order to promote mutual 

understanding between the people of 

the U.S. and other countries. 

Post-secondary educational 

institutions are encouraged to apply in 

a consortium with other post-secondary 

institutions, although they may apply 

independently. The E-Teacher 

Scholarship Program and Professional 

Development Workshop advance the 

U.S. Department of State’s goals by 

improving the quality of English 

language teaching throughout the world. 

ECA will award one Cooperative 

Agreement for the administration of 

these two program components to be 

implemented during the academic year 

2009–2010. The total funding available 

for program and administrative 

purposes is anticipated to be 

approximately $750,000. 

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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 18787 

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 E-Teacher Scholarship 

Program and Professional Development 

Workshop offer professional 

development for English language 

teaching professionals through Online 

courses provided by one or more U.S. 

universities. The courses introduce the 

most recent English language teaching 

methods and techniques, including 

English for Specific Purposes, offer the 

opportunity to engage in a distancelearning program that employs the latest 

in modern technology, and provide 

direct access to U.S. experts with whom 

participants might not normally have 

the opportunity to interact. By creating 

a forum for international 

communication and by encouraging 

critical thinking and the active 

application of new information skills 

and other aspects of successful learning, 

the E-Teacher Scholarship Program and 

Professional Development Workshop 

foster the Bureau’s goal of mutual 

understanding. 

Background: In FY–2004, the U.S. 

Department of State launched the ETeacher Scholarship Program as a pilot 

program. ECA contracted with six U.S. 

post-secondary institutions to deliver 

five courses: Assessment for EFL, 

Teaching Critical Thinking, English for 

Business, English for Law, and Teaching 

English to Young Learners (primary 

school level). The Program is currently 

operating or has operated in the 

following 79 countries: Afghanistan, 

Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, 

Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, 

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina 

Faso, Burma, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, 

China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, 

Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, 

Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Guinea, Haiti, 

India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, 

Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, 

Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, 

Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, 

Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, 

Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, 

Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, 

Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi 

Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri 

Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, 

Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and 

Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, 

United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, 

Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, West 

Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. All participants 

are nominated through U.S. Embassies 

and selected by the Office of English 

Language Programs (ECA/A/L). In the 

past, the program was funded by ECA 

through purchase agreements. The FY– 

09 program will be funded for the first 

time through a Cooperative Agreement 

and will incorporate for the first time 

the professional development workshop 

component. 

Guidelines: In addition to providing 

practical and applicable information 

about using innovative English language 

teaching methods, the seven courses 

and the workshop are required to have 

adequate and appropriate content to 

give the participants insights into U.S. 

culture. Another important goal of the 

E-Teacher Scholarship Program and 

Professional Development Workshop is 

for participants to share the knowledge 

gained during the program with 

colleagues through workshops or 

professional presentations in their home 

countries. To best meet this latter goal, 

proposals should include some type of 

follow-on component, such as a final 

project or a module for the effective 

dissemination or application of the 

information provided in the program. 

Cooperative Agreement: In a 

Cooperative Agreement, ECA/A/L is 

substantially involved in the program 

activities, above and beyond routine 

grant monitoring, including the 

selection of the scholarship participants 

based on input from the U.S. Embassies. 

For the Online course component, ECA/ 

A/L will also oversee the curriculum, 

make recommendations for program 

start dates, propose revisions in program 

format when necessary, and maintain 

close communication with the course 

provider(s) for proper program 

management. For the workshop 

component, ECA/A/L will consult with 

the provider on the content, design, and 

length of the program and recommend 

revisions when necessary. 

Cooperative Agreement Recipient 

Responsibilities: The recipient 

consortium or organization awarded the 

E-Teacher Scholarship Program and 

Professional Development Workshop 

Cooperative Agreement from ECA will 

be responsible for the following 

activities: 

1. Provide seven different ten- to 

twelve-week Online, university level 

English Language Teaching (ELT) 

professional development courses 

during the U.S. academic year 2009– 

2010. With a maximum of thirty 

students per class, the number of classes 

for each subject will depend on the 

demand for the courses and the capacity 

of the course provider(s). Each course 

could be offered in both the fall and 

spring semesters of the academic year. 

The courses will familiarize participants 

with U.S. student-centered teaching 

methods and the latest methods and 

techniques in teaching English as a 

Foreign Language. To build on and 

incorporate components of ECA/A/L’s 

existing materials in ‘‘Shaping the Way 

We Teach English’’ (see http:// 

OELP.uoregon.edu/Shaping.html to 

view the materials), three of the courses 

should be Assessment, Teaching Critical 

Thinking, and Teaching English to 

Young Learners. Each course should 

include some of the materials in 

‘‘Shaping the Way We Teach English,’’ 

specifically the video segments. The 

course provider should expand and 

update these materials, as appropriate, 

to create the full course. The remaining 

courses should be relevant to the 

professional development of English 

language teachers worldwide and may 

include, for example, Teaching 

Grammar Communicatively, General 

Methodology, or other essential aspects 

of English language teaching, as well as 

courses in English for Specific Purposes 

(ESP), such as English for Business or 

English for Law. These additional 

courses should incorporate a video 

component, similar to the format of the 

‘‘Shaping’’ modules, which may be used 

by ECA/A/L in its teacher training 

programs with English language 

teachers abroad. The proposal should 

include for each course projected dates 

and a syllabus of content. The award 

recipient must subsequently submit for 

each course an annotated bibliography 

of recommended titles related to each 

course (approximately fifteen to twenty 

titles per course). ECA/A/L retains the 

right to print, publish, repurpose, and 

distribute abroad the bibliography in all 

media, including electronic media, and 

in all languages and editions. 

2. Design and administer in 

collaboration with ECA/A/L one threeweek professional development 

workshop for twenty-six foreign English 

language teaching professionals 

nominated by the U.S. Embassies’ 

Public Affairs Section with input from 

the Regional English Language Officer 

(RELO) and approved by ECA/A/L. The 

workshop, which will be implemented 

in the summer of 2010, will focus on 

methodology, linguistic enhancement, 

educational leadership, cultural 

interchange, and ‘‘best practices’’ in the 

classroom. The participants will be 

encouraged to develop a teachertraining project to implement in their 

home countries following the exchange 

program. 

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18788 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 

The workshop should encompass the 

following elements: 

(a) Orientation upon arrival in the 

U.S.; 

(b) Intensive education in relevant 

topics and language teaching 

methodologies; 

(c) Cultural and community service 

activities to encourage interaction and 

mutual understanding. 

Applicant organizations should 

submit a narrative outlining a 

comprehensive strategy for the 

administration and implementation of 

the program. The narrative should 

include a design for the program, a 

syllabus of course content, and a plan 

for monitoring and evaluating the 

foreign English teachers’ academic 

performance in the program. 

3. Submit intermediate and end-ofproject reports of database information 

in Microsoft Word and Excel formats, as 

appropriate, to ECA/A/L. 

It is anticipated that the Cooperative 

Agreement will begin on or about 

September 1, 2009, and the recipient 

should complete all program activities 

by December 31, 2010. The program 

workshop will take place in the summer 

of 2010. Please refer to additional 

program specific guidelines in the 

Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI) document. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

ECA’s level of involvement in this 

program is listed under number 1 above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2009. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$750,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$750,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

December 31, 2010. 

Additional Information: Pending 

successful implementation of this 

program and the availability of funds in 

subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA’s 

intent to renew this Cooperative 

Agreement for two additional fiscal 

years, before openly competing it again. 

Subsequent agreements may include 

activities to extend the Program to other 

countries throughout the world and may 

not include start up costs for certain 

activities described in this RFGP and 

the Project Objectives, Goals, and 

Implementation (POGI) as being 

completed in FY–2009. 

III. Eligibility Information 

III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications 

may be submitted by public or 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, ECA encourages 

applicants to provide the highest 

possible 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, the recipient 

organization must maintain written 

records to support all costs which are 

claimed as its 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 the recipient does 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: 

Cooperative Agreements awarded to 

eligible organizations with less than 

four years of experience in conducting 

international exchange programs will be 

limited to $60,000. ECA anticipates 

awarding one Cooperative Agreement in 

an amount up to $750,000 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 for this Cooperative 

Agreement. ECA encourages applicants 

to provide maximum levels of cost 

sharing and funding in support of its 

programs. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete Federal 

Register announcement before sending 

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the 

RFGP deadline has passed, ECA 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 Michael Rudder, 

Program Officer in the Office of English 

Language Programs, ECA/A/L, Room 

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

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547, telephone (202) 453–8846, or fax 

(202) 453–8858 to request a Solicitation 

Package. When making your request, 

please refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/L–09–04 located at the 

top of this announcement. 

Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

from the grants.gov Web site at 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 Michael Rudder and 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/L–09–04 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 the IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

IV.3a. Applicants 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. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 18789 

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 the 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 the organization is a private nonprofit organization which has not 

received a grant or Cooperative 

Agreement from ECA in the past three 

years, or if the organization received 

non-profit status from the IRS within 

the past four years, the necessary 

documentation to verify non-profit 

status as directed in the PSI document 

must be submitted in the application. 

Without this documentation, the 

proposal will 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 Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs (ECA) places critically 

important emphasis on the security and 

proper administration of the Exchange 

Visitor (J–Visa) Programs and adherence 

by grantees and sponsors to all 

regulations governing the J–Visa. 

Therefore, proposals should 

demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to 

meet all requirements governing the 

administration of the Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, 

including the oversight of Responsible 

Officers and Alternate Responsible 

Officers, 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 award recipient 

organization 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–Visa) 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. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for further information. 

IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines: 

Pursuant to ECA’s authorizing 

legislation, programs must maintain a 

non-political character and should be 

balanced and representative of the 

diversity of U.S. 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 the proposal. Public Law 

104–319 stipulates 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 each proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other evaluation/assessment technique 

plus a description of the methodology to 

be used to link outcomes to original 

project objectives. The Bureau expects 

that the recipient organization will track 

participants 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 the institutions 

in which the 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. 

The evaluation plan should include a 

description of the project’s objectives, 

anticipated project outcomes, and how 

and when the applicant will measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that these 

outcomes are ‘‘smart’’ (specific, 

measurable, attainable, results-oriented, 

and placed in a reasonable time frame), 

the easier it will be to conduct the 

evaluation. Applicants should also 

show how the project objectives link to 

the goals of the program described in 

this RFGP. 

The 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 the 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and are usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on both 

outputs and outcomes should be 

reported, but the focus should be on 

outcomes. 

Applicants should 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 

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18790 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 78 / Friday, April 24, 2009 / Notices 

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 behavioral and 

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of the 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 ECA upon 

request. 

IV.3e. Applicants should take the 

following information into 

consideration when preparing their 

budgets: 

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. ECA 

specifically recommends that applicants 

submit a plan and budget not to exceed 

$200,000 for the three-week workshop 

for twenty-six participants to be 

conducted under the terms of this 

Cooperative Agreement. ECA/A/L will 

closely supervise the Cooperative 

Agreement recipient’s activities in the 

development of these plans and will 

have final approval authority of same. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program, as outlined in detail in the 

POGI, include the following: 

(1) ECA’s goal is to maximize the 

number of English language teaching 

participants and expects that 

approximately eighty-five percent or 

more of the funds provided through this 

Cooperative Agreement will be used for 

implementation of mandatory program 

elements described under Section 1 of 

this RFGP. Also, applicants should 

explain how they will ensure costeffective arrangements based on noncredit enrollment and/or other methods 

according to formulas that can be 

protected from increases in tuition rates. 

(2) Administrative costs may include 

staff salaries, including staff to plan and 

conduct the workshop aspects/elements 

of the Program and the Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

requirements specified in IV.3d.3. of the 

RFGP. 

(3) The budget for designing and 

administering the workshop should 

include, but not be limited to, the 

following: The participants’ 

international and domestic 

transportation, U.S. per diem, space 

rental, workshop materials, etc. For 

travel budgeting purposes, participants 

will come from around the world. 

Please refer to the Solicitation Package 

for complete budget guidelines and 

formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: June 8, 

2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/L–09–04. 

Methods of Submission: Applications 

may be submitted in one of two ways: 

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

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service 

Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2.) Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

below rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov web portal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov. 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF– 

424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

above, rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov web portal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov. Please 

follow the instructions available in the ‘‘Get 

Started’’ portion of the site (http:// 

www.grants.gov/GetStarted). 

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 an applicant 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. 

Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

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 15 copies of the 

application should be sent to: U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: 

ECA/A/L—09–04, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

a PC-formatted disk. ECA will provide 

these files electronically to the 

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appropriate Public Affairs Section at the 

U.S. Embassy for its review. 

IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

above, rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov web portal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in these RFGPs, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov. Please 

follow the instructions available in the ‘‘Get 

Started’’ portion of the site (http:// 

www.grants.gov/GetStarted). 

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov 

registration process could take several 

weeks. Therefore, applicants should 

check with appropriate staff within their 

organizations immediately after 

reviewing this RFGP to confirm or 

determine their registration status with 

Grants.gov. 

Once registered, the amount of time it 

can take to upload an application will 

vary depending on a variety of factors, 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of an applicant’s Internet 

connection. In addition, validation of an 

electronic submission via Grants.gov 

can take up to two business days. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend 

that an applicant 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.3f. 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 U.S. Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for assistance 

awards Cooperative Agreements resides 

with the Bureau’s Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

1. Program Planning and Ability to 

Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals 

should exhibit originality, substance, 

precision, and relevance to the Bureau’s 

mission. 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. Objectives 

should be reasonable, feasible, and 

flexible. Proposals should clearly 

demonstrate how the institution will 

meet the program’s objectives and plan. 

2. Multiplier: Proposed programs 

should strengthen long-term mutual 

understanding, including maximum 

sharing of information and 

establishment of long-term institutional 

and individual linkages. 

3. Diversity: Proposals should 

demonstrate the recipient’s commitment 

to promoting the awareness and 

understanding of diversity. 

4. Institutional Capacity and Track 

Record: Proposed personnel and 

institutional resources should be 

adequate and appropriate to achieve the 

program or project’s goals. Proposed 

programs should include at least one 

staff member with a minimum of a 

Master’s degree in the field of Teaching 

English as a Second/Foreign Language 

or Applied Linguistics. Proposals 

should demonstrate an institutional 

record of successful exchange programs, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for past 

Bureau grants as determined by the 

Bureau’s Office of Contracts. The 

Bureau will consider the past 

performance of prior recipients and the 

demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

5. Evaluation and Follow-on: 

Proposals should include a plan to 

evaluate the activity’s success, both as 

the activities unfold and at the end of 

the program. The Bureau recommends 

that the proposal include a draft survey 

questionnaire or other technique plus 

description of a methodology to be used 

to link outcomes to original project 

objectives. Award-receiving 

organizations/institutions will be 

expected to submit intermediate reports 

after each project component is 

concluded or quarterly, whichever is 

less frequent. Proposals should provide 

a plan for continued follow-on activity 

(without Bureau support) which insures 

that Bureau supported programs are not 

isolated events. 

6. Cost Effectiveness and 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 

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other private sector support as well as 

institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered, and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation. 

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 an Assistance Award Document 

(AAD) from the Bureau’s Grants Office. 

The AAD and the original Cooperative 

Agreement proposal with subsequent 

modifications (if applicable) shall be the 

only binding authorizing document 

between the recipient and the U.S. 

Government. The AAD 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. sections 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 counter-terrorism purposes. To 

conduct this vetting the Department will 

collect information from grantees and 

sub-grantees 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 ECA/A/L 

Program Officer Michael Rudder at telephone 

202–453–8846 or e-mail RudderME@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 

(OMB) Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles 

for Nonprofit Organizations’’ 

OMB Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles 

for Educational Institutions’’ 

OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles 

for State, Local and Indian 

Governments’’ 

OMB Circular A–110 (Revised), 

‘‘Uniform Administrative Requirements 

for Grants and Agreements with 

Institutions of Higher Education, 

Hospitals, and other Nonprofit 

Organizations’’ 

OMB Circular A–102, ‘‘Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for 

Grants-in-Aid to State and Local 

Governments’’ 

OMB Circular 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: 

The Cooperative Agreement 

organization must provide ECA with a 

hard copy original plus one copy 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 ninety 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. 

(3.) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

The Cooperative Agreement recipient 

will be required to provide reports 

analyzing its evaluation findings to the 

Bureau in its regular program reports. 

Please refer to IV. Application and 

Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above 

for Program Monitoring and Evaluation 

information. 

All data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. All reports must be sent to the 

ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 

Officer listed in the final assistance 

award document. 

VI.4. Additional Program Data 

Requirements: The Cooperative 

Agreement organization will be required 

to maintain specific data on program 

participants and activities in an 

electronically accessible database format 

that can be shared with ECA upon 

request. As a minimum, the data must 

include the following: 

(1) Name, address, contact 

information and biographic sketch of all 

persons who travel internationally on 

funds provided by the Cooperative 

Agreement or who benefit from its 

funding but do not travel. 

(2) Itineraries of international and 

domestic travel, providing dates of 

travel and cities in which any exchange 

experiences take place. Final schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three business days prior to the 

official opening of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: Michael 

Rudder, Office of English Language 

Programs, ECA/A/L, Room 304, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

(202) 453–8846 and fax (202) 453–8858, 

RudderME@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/L– 

09–04. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, ECA 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 ECA representative. 

Explanatory information provided by 

ECA that contradicts published 

language will not be binding. Issuance 

of the RFGP does not constitute an 

award commitment on the part of the 

Government. ECA reserves the right to 

reduce, revise, or increase proposal 

budgets in accordance with the needs of 

the program and the availability of 

funds. Awards will be subject to 

periodic reporting and evaluation 

requirements per section VI.3 above. 

Dated: April 17, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–9353 Filed 4–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

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