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###### Department of State

          - [Public Notice 3698] 

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

                        The Office of Academic Exchange Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, Room 246, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 619-5429, fax: (202) 260-7985, e-mail:                         *nsargent@pd.state.gov*                         to request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify ECA Program Officer Nadine Asef-Sargent on all inquiries and correspondence.                     

                        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.                     

## To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet 

                        The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from ECA's website at                         *http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​RFGPs.*                         Please read all information before downloading.                     

*Deadline for Proposals:*                         All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time, Thursday, August 9, 2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by the above deadline.                     

                        Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and ten (10) copies of the application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:                         *ECA/A/E/EUR-02-02*, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.                     

                        Applicants must also submit the “Executive Summary” and “Proposal                               ( print page 32409)                            Narrative” sections of the proposal on a 3.5″ diskette, formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. ECA will transmit these files electronically to Public Affairs Sections at U.S. Embassies in the NIS for review, with the goal of reducing the time it takes to obtain embassy comments for ECA's grants review process.                     

*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 American political, social, and cultural life. “Diversity” should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges. 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 total 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,” ECA “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, to the full extent deemed feasible.                     

*Review Process:*                         ECA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. The Program Office, as well as the Public Affairs Sections overseas, where appropriate, will review all eligible proposals. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and ECA regulations and guidelines and forwarded to ECA 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 Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with an ECA Grants Officer.                     

*Review Criteria:*                         Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:                     

                        1.                         *Program Development:*                         The proposal should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to ECA's mission. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. A detailed and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive understanding of program goals and logistical capacity.                     

                        2.                         *Institutional Capacity:*                         Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past ECA grants. ECA will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.                     

                        3.                         *Multiplier Effect:*                         The program should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.                     

                        4.                         *Support of Diversity:*                         The proposal should demonstrate the applicant organization's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity through participant recruitment efforts, the selection of U.S. host institutions, and other measures.                     

                        5.                         *Follow-on and Alumni Activities:*                         The proposal should provide a plan for continued activity which ensures that ECA-supported programs are not isolated events, but have meaning and scope beyond the time the actual exchange took place.                     

                        6.                         *Project Evaluation:*                         The proposal should include plans to evaluate the program's success, both during and after the program.                     

                        7.                         *Cost-effectiveness:*                         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.                     

                        8.                         *Cost-sharing:*                         The proposal should maximize cost sharing through private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.                     

*Authority:*                         Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is “to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.” The funding authority for the program above is provided principally through FREEDOM Support Act legislation.                     

*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 made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.                     

## Notification 

Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated, and committed through internal ECA procedures.

Dated: June 5, 2001.

Helena Kane Finn, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 01-15052 Filed 6-13-01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710-05-P