Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2008 / Notices 5897 

6. The PSI contains adequate 

instructions for completing the required 

standard forms. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

Please use the space below to provide 

additional comments or to clarify 

responses about the Standard Form 

section of the PSI. 

Information on Cost-Sharing: 

7. The cost sharing principles 

outlined in the PSI are easy to 

implement. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

Please use the space below to provide 

additional comments or to clarify 

responses about the Cost-Sharing 

section of the PSI. 

Information on Program Monitoring 

and Evaluation: 

8. The Monitoring and Evaluation 

section of the PSI provides clear 

guidelines for developing a welldesigned monitoring and evaluation 

plan. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

9. The differences between project 

outputs and outcomes are well-defined. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

Please use the space below to provide 

additional comments or to clarify 

responses about the Monitoring and 

Evaluation section of the PSI. 

Information on Budget Guidelines: 

10. PSI budget guidelines provide 

clear instructions on how to develop 

comprehensive summary and line-item 

budgets. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

11. The PSI clearly delineates what 

costs should be included under 

Administrative versus Program costs. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

12. The budget template is a helpful 

tool for creating a program budget. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

13. Descriptions of line-item 

categories are useful for developing the 

budget and budget narrative. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

14. My organization has a good 

understanding of which costs are not 

DRL priorities. 

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral 

Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A 

Please use the space below to provide 

additional comments or to clarify 

responses about the Budget section of 

the PSI: 

Please use the space below to provide 

any additional information on the PSI 

content. 

Dated: January 23, 2008. 

Jonathan Farrar, 

Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 

Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–1750 Filed 1–30–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6088] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Community College 

Initiative for Egypt 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

A/S/U–08–03. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: April 7, 2008. 

Executive Summary: The Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

announces an open competition for one 

or more assistance awards to administer 

the Community College Initiative for 

Egypt, which will support study by 

Egyptian undergraduate students at 

accredited U.S. community colleges. 

The multi-year program will bring a 

total of 1,000 students to U.S. 

community colleges from Egypt. The 

Initiative builds on the Community 

College Initiative announced at the U.S. 

University Presidents Summit on 

International Education, convened by 

the Secretary of State and the Secretary 

of Education in January 2006. 

The Initiative will provide quality 

educational programs, professional 

development, employment skills and a 

deeper understanding of American 

society to underserved, non-elite 

Egyptian students, particularly women 

and students in their early and midtwenties who already have some work 

experience. U.S. consortia of 

community colleges and other 

combinations of U.S. community college 

campuses meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

section 501(c)(3) may submit proposals 

to cooperate with the Bureau in the 

administration and implementation of 

the Fiscal Year 2008 Community 

College Initiative for Egypt. U.S. 

consortia and other combinations of 

U.S. community colleges must identify 

a lead institution to receive and 

administer the award. The total amount 

of funding available for all program and 

administrative costs will be 

approximately $15.5 million. 

Applicants may apply to administer the 

entire program or a portion thereof. 

Proposals should indicate the number of 

participants that can be accommodated 

at the funding level that is proposed, 

based on detailed calculations of 

program and administrative costs. In 

order to maximize the number of 

student participants under this program, 

it is the Bureau’s expectation that 

significant institutional and private 

sector funding and cost-sharing will be 

made available by cooperating 

institutions. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grantmaking 

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 is 

provided through legislation. 

Purpose: The Community College 

Initiative for Egypt will demonstrate the 

U.S. commitment to providing access to 

educational opportunities for a broad 

range of Egyptian undergraduate 

students. Through community college 

exchange initiatives, the Bureau hopes 

to engage the community college sector 

in the United States to increase the 

number of international students at U.S. 

community colleges and to reinforce 

community college efforts to build 

international ties. U.S. community 

colleges can make a unique contribution 

to international educational exchange 

by demonstrating the flexibility and 

relevance of American higher education 

and the manner in which community 

colleges provide quality technical and 

first-level professional education to vital 

sectors of society that are essential for 

nations to move forward economically 

and politically. They can also provide a 

model of lower-cost community-based 

higher education that offers wide access 

to skills development for existing jobs. 


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5898 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2008 / Notices 

Egyptian students selected for 

academic study at accredited U.S. 

community colleges under this initiative 

will receive educational opportunities, 

professional development, and an 

exposure to American society that will 

enable them to return home with unique 

skills and experiences with which to 

contribute to the growth and 

development of Egyptian society. 

Students are expected to return to Egypt 

promptly upon completion of their 

programs. Upon return, it is anticipated 

that these students will enter the skilled 

work force and fill important needs in 

Egypt. Funding will not be provided to 

support the dependents of participants 

in this program. 

Guidelines: Applicant institutions are 

requested to submit a narrative 

outlining a comprehensive strategy for 

the administration and implementation 

of the Community College Initiative for 

Egypt including the following program 

components: Identification of accredited 

U.S. community colleges to host 

students in clusters based on one or 

more of the fields of study that are listed 

in the following section; a system for 

acceptance and placement of students 

based on the nomination of candidates 

by the Fulbright Commission in Egypt 

for final approval by ECA; development 

and dissemination of pre-departure 

orientation materials; registration of 

participants in SEVIS on the Bureau’s 

behalf for which ECA will provide the 

principal responsible officer; 

organization of post-arrival orientation 

programming; placement of students in 

programs lasting, in most cases, one 

academic year; enrichment 

programming; advising, monitoring and 

supporting participants; evaluation; and 

follow-up with program alumni. An 

applicant institution may propose to 

administer the entire program or a 

portion thereof based on the applicant’s 

interest and capacity in relevant fields. 

A proposal should be consistent with 

the applicant’s institutional capacities 

and the range of fields in which the 

institutions have expertise. 

The multi-year program will bring a 

total of approximately 1,000 students 

from Egypt to study at U.S. community 

colleges. We anticipate that 

approximately 450 to 475 students from 

Egypt will participate in the Fiscal Year 

2008 Initiative. The budget should 

provide funding for round-trip travel, 

tuition, books, and living costs as well 

as costs for program administration. 

Cost-sharing is expected from 

institutions applying to cooperate with 

the Bureau on this Initiative. Applicant 

institutions are encouraged to include 

third-party contributions in their 

proposals. 

For each field of study, students 

should be clustered at one or more 

colleges with a strong program of 

instruction in the field. In most cases, 

colleges will place students in 

certificate programs lasting one 

academic year. Colleges may also offer 

students two-year programs leading 

either to a certificate or an Associate 

Degree, where two academic years are 

necessary to prepare students for 

employment. Those proposals that focus 

resources on more costly two-year 

programs should demonstrate 

significant levels of cost-sharing. 

Proposals should anticipate the 

placement of students in the following 

fields: 

• Agriculture 

• Applied Engineering 

• Business Management and 

Administration 

• Health Professions including Nursing 

• Information Technology 

• Media 

• Tourism and Hospitality Management 

Pre-departure orientation materials 

and on-campus arrival orientation 

programs should be provided. The 

Bureau will provide support for 

intensive English language instruction 

in Egypt to those students who lack 

adequate English to function effectively 

in the U.S. classroom as evidenced by 

standardized test scores; this instruction 

in Egypt will not be the responsibility 

of the cooperating organization. 

Applicant organizations should 

describe English as a Second Language 

programs and services that they are 

prepared to provide during the U.S. 

exchange to students needing additional 

language work. 

Beyond the classroom, host campuses 

should plan to provide practical, 

community-oriented, and service 

learning opportunities to participating 

students. Proposals should explain how 

students will engage in enrichment 

activities, and should include creative 

ideas for exposing students broadly to 

American institutions, society and 

culture. For example, these activities 

may include volunteer work; 

presentations to college classes, local 

schools and the community; 

involvement with local families; and 

attendance at educational and cultural 

events with a U.S. focus. 

Proposals should demonstrate depth 

of experience in conducting and 

administering complex and multifaceted international education 

programs. Proposals should exhibit not 

only programmatic and logistical 

expertise but also a proven track record 

(four or more years) of financial 

management, including a demonstrated 

ability to manage U.S. government 

funds. Proposals should provide a plan 

for continued follow-on activity 

(without Bureau support), such as 

tracking and maintaining updated lists 

of all alumni and facilitating follow-up 

activities with alumni, including list 

serves. Proposals should also convey an 

understanding of Egypt’s culture, 

economy, and society. 

Proposal programs must conform with 

the Bureau requirements and guidelines 

outlined in the Solicitation Package, 

which includes the Request for Grant 

Proposals (RFGP), the Project 

Objectives, Goals and Implementation 

(POGI) and the Proposal Submission 

Instructions (PSI). 

In a cooperative agreement, the 

Bureau is substantially involved in 

program activities above and beyond 

routine grant monitoring. Bureau 

activities and responsibilities for this 

program include: 

(1) Participation in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

(2) Approval of key personnel; 

(3) Approval and input on program 

timelines and agendas; 

(4) Guidance in execution of all 

program components; 

(5) Review and approval of all 

program publicity and other materials; 

(6) Approval of host campuses; 

(7) Final selection of participating 

students; 

(8) Approval of changes to students’

proposed academic field or institution; 

(9) Approval of decisions related to 

special circumstances or problems 

throughout duration of program; 

(10) Oversight of SEVIS-related issues; 

(11) Assistance with participant 

emergencies; 

(12) Liaison with the Fulbright 

Commission in Egypt and desk officers 

for Egypt at the State Department. 

A total of $15.5 million in FY 2007/ 

FY 2008 Economic Support Funds will 

support one or more awards under this 

competition. Programs should begin on 

or about July 1, 2008 and will run 

through June 30, 2011. Awards will 

include funds for both the 

administrative and program portions of 

the program such as: Selection, 

placement and monitoring of all 

students starting academic programs in 

Fall 2009; the preparation of predeparture orientation materials and the 

organization of on-campus orientation 

programs in the U.S. for students; 

oversight and monitoring of practical 

and service learning opportunities for 

students; evaluation of all aspects of the 

program; and the design and 

administration of creative programs of 

follow-up support and coordination 

with program alumni. 


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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: $15,500,000 in FY 

2007/FY 2008 Economic Support Funds 

(ESF) has been transferred to the Bureau 

to support this competition. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$15,500,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 

Pending the review and approval of 

successful proposals, the Bureau 

intends to make approximately one to 

four awards under this competition. 

Approximate Average Award: The 

size of the awards will depend on the 

number and quality of the proposals 

submitted, and on the distribution of 

fields on which the recommended 

proposals focus. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, July 1, 2008. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

June 30, 2011. 

Additional Information: 

Pending successful implementation of 

this program and the availability of 

funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 

ECA’s intent to provide up to two 

additional awards to successful 

institutions for subsequent cohorts of 

students in addition to those covered by 

the initial award. 

III. Eligibility Information 

III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications 

may be submitted by public and private 

non-profit organizations meeting the 

provisions described in Internal 

Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 

501(c)(3) including consortia of 

accredited U.S. community colleges, or 

other combinations of multiple 

community college campuses. Consortia 

must designate a lead institution to 

receive and administer the award. 

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. Costsharing at a significant level will be 

required for arrangements that include 

study for more than one academic year. 

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 

cooperative agreement. Cost-sharing 

may be in the form of allowable direct 

or indirect costs. For accountability, 

organizations must maintain written 

records to support all costs which are 

claimed as contributions, 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 that the minimum amount of 

cost-sharing as stipulated in the 

approved budget is not provided, ECA’s 

contribution will be reduced in like 

proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

Bureau grant and cooperative agreement 

guidelines require that organizations 

with less than four years experience in 

conducting international exchanges be 

limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. 

Due to the scope and complexity of this 

program, organizations with less than a 

four-year track record in conducting 

international exchanges are ineligible to 

apply under this competition. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries or 

submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not 

discuss this competition with applicants 

until the proposal review process has been 

completed. 

IV.1 Contact Information to Request 

an Application Package: Please contact 

the Office of Global Educational 

Programs, ECA/A/S/U, Room 349, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; 

telephone 202–453–8643; fax 202–453–

8890; e-mail GradKX@state.gov to 

request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number (ECA/A/S/U–08–03) located at 

the top of this announcement when 

making your request. 

Alternatively, an electronic 

application package may be obtained 

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

for further information. 

The Solicitation Package contains the 

Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. 

It also contains the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document, which provides specific 

information, award criteria and budget 

instructions tailored to this competition. 

Please specify Bureau Program Officer 

Karene Grad and refer to the Funding 

Opportunity Number (ECA/A/S/U–08–

03) located at the top of this 

announcement on all other inquiries 

and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/ 

rfgps/menu.htm, or from the Grants.gov 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

‘‘Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission’’ section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

Please Refer to the Solicitation 

Package. It contains the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

document and the Project Objectives, 

Goals and Implementation (POGI) 

document for additional formatting and 

technical requirements. 

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status 

with the IRS at the time of application. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

documentation to verify nonprofit status 

as directed in the PSI document. Failure 

to do so will cause your proposal to be 

declared technically ineligible. 

IV.3d. Please take into consideration 

the following information when 

preparing your proposal narrative: 

IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa. The Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs places 

critically important emphases on the 

security and proper administration of 

the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs 

and adherence by cooperating 

organizations 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 


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Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62, 

including the oversight of Responsible 

Officers and Alternate Responsible 

Officers, screening and selection of 

program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, record-keeping, reporting and 

other requirements. The cooperating 

organizations 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. 

Please refer to Solicitation Package for 

further information. 

IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to the 

Bureau’s authorizing legislation, 

programs must maintain a non-political 

character and should be balanced and 

representative of the diversity of 

American political, social, and cultural 

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted 

in the broadest sense and encompass 

differences including, but not limited to 

ethnicity, race, gender, religion, 

geographic location, socio-economic 

status, and disabilities. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to adhere to the 

advancement of this principle both in 

program administration and in program 

content. Please refer to the review 

criteria under the ‘Support for Diversity’

section for specific suggestions on 

incorporating diversity into your 

proposal. Public Law 104–319 provides 

that ‘‘in carrying out programs of 

educational and cultural exchange in 

countries whose people do not fully 

enjoy freedom and democracy,’’ the 

Bureau ‘‘shall take appropriate steps to 

provide opportunities for participation 

in such programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’

Public Law 106–113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation. Proposals must include a 

plan to monitor and evaluate the 

project’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. 

The Bureau recommends that your 

proposal include a draft survey 

questionnaire or other technique plus a 

description of a methodology to use to 

link outcomes to original project 

objectives. The Bureau expects that the 

cooperating organizations will track 

participants or partners and be able to 

respond to key evaluation questions, 

including satisfaction with the program, 

learning as a result of the program, 

changes in behavior as a result of the 

program, and effects of the program on 

institutions (institutions in which 

participants work or partner 

institutions). The evaluation plan 

should include indicators that measure 

gains in mutual understanding as well 

as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable timeframe), the easier it 

will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs 

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements. 

Please note: Consideration should be 

given to the appropriate timing of data 

collection for each level of outcome. For 

example, satisfaction is usually 

captured as a short-term outcome, 

whereas behavior and institutional 

changes are normally considered longerterm outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your 

monitoring and evaluation plan will be 

judged on how well it (1) specifies 

intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 

descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when 

particular outcomes will be measured; 

and (4) provides a clear description of 

the data collection strategies for each 

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

focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the 

first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will 

be deemed less competitive under the 

present evaluation criteria.) 

Cooperating 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 in your proposal 

your plans for: Overall program 

management, staffing, coordination with 

ECA and with community colleges 

enrolling clusters of students, and 

learning and service opportunities for 

students. Please provide a staffing plan 

which outlines the responsibilities of 

each staff person and explains which 

staff members will be accountable for 

each program responsibility. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a 

comprehensive budget for the complete 

program or a portion of the program. 

The total funding available for this 

program is approximately $15,500,000 

for both program and administrative 

costs. 

Applicants may apply to administer 

total funds of less than $15,500,000, 

proportionate with the program being 

proposed. Please indicate clearly the 

number of students to be funded and the 

budget total for both administrative and 

program costs. Applicant institutions 

must present a summary budget as well 


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as breakdowns including both 

administrative and program budgets. 

Applicants may provide separate subbudgets for each program component, 

phase, location, or activity to provide 

clarification. 

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the 

program and additional budget guidance 

are outlined in detail in the POGI 

document. 

Please refer to the Solicitation 

Package for complete budget guidelines 

and formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: April 7, 

2008. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/S/U–08–

03. 

Methods of Submission: Applications 

may be submitted in one of two ways: 

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

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service 

Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2.) electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

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 ten copies of the 

application should be sent to: U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: 

ECA/A/S/U–08–03, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

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

Applicants submitting hard-copy 

applications must also submit the 

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal 

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in 

text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on 

a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will 

provide these files electronically to the 

appropriate Public Affairs Section at the 

U.S. embassy in Egypt 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 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. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that 

you not wait until the application 

deadline to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

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. 

Applicants will receive a 

confirmation e-mail from grants.gov 

upon the successful submission of an 

application. ECA will not notify you 

upon receipt of electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all 

applicants submitting proposals via the 

Grants.gov web portal to ensure that 

proposals have been received by 

Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications: Executive Order 12372 

does not apply to this program. 

V. Application Review Information 

V.1. Review Process. The Bureau will 

review all proposals for technical 

eligibility. Proposals will be deemed 

ineligible if they do not fully adhere to 

the guidelines stated herein and in the 

Solicitation Package. All eligible 

proposals will be reviewed by the 

program office, as well as the Public 

Diplomacy section overseas, where 

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be 

subject to compliance with Federal and 

Bureau regulations and guidelines and 

forwarded to Bureau grant panels for 

advisory review. Proposals may also be 

reviewed by the Office of the Legal 

Adviser or by other Department 

elements. Final funding decisions are at 

the discretion of the Department of 

State’s Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 

technical authority for cooperative 

agreements resides with the Bureau’s 

Grants Officer. 

Review Criteria 

Technically eligible applications will 

be competitively reviewed according to 

the criteria stated below. These criteria 

are not rank ordered and all carry equal 

weight in the proposal evaluation: 

1. Quality of the program idea: 

Proposals should exhibit originality, 

substance, precision, and relevance to 

the Bureau’s mission as well as the 

objectives of the Community College 

Initiative for Egypt. Proposals should 

demonstrate an understanding of Egypt 

and of the needs of Egyptian students as 

related to the program goals. A detailed 

agenda and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity for students 

placed in field-related clusters. The 

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 

Community College Initiative for 

Egypt’s objectives and plan and should 

address each program component. 

3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposals 

should strengthen long-term mutual 

understanding, including maximum 

sharing of information and individual 


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5902 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2008 / Notices 

linkages. The proposed strategy should 

maximize the Program’s potential to 

maintain community college links with 

Egyptian alumni. 

4. 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). 

5. Institutional Capacity and Ability: 

Proposed personnel and institutional 

resources should be adequate and 

appropriate to achieve the program’s 

goals. Proposals should describe the 

applicant’s knowledge of, or prior 

experience with, students from Egypt, 

and the applicant’s experience in 

educating students in the targeted 

subject fields. Proposals should 

demonstrate an institutional record of 

successful exchange programs involving 

the hosting of international students, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for past 

Bureau grants or cooperative 

agreements. The Bureau will consider 

the past performance of prior recipients 

and the demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals 

should provide a plan for continued 

follow-on activity (without Bureau 

support) ensuring that Bureau 

supported programs are not isolated 

events. Activities should include 

tracking and maintaining updated lists 

of all alumni and facilitating follow-up 

activities with alumni, including 

electronic list serves. 

7. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan and methodology 

to evaluate the program’s degree of 

success in meeting program objectives, 

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. Successful 

applicants will be expected to submit 

intermediate reports after each project 

component is concluded, or quarterly, 

whichever is less frequent. 

8. 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. Proposals 

should maximize cost-sharing through 

institutional direct funding 

contributions and private sector 

support. Budget estimates should be as 

accurate as possible over the full period 

of the cooperative agreement. 

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 grant or 

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.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://exchanges.state.gov/education/ 

grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI. 

VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You 

must provide ECA with a hard copy 

original plus one copy of the following 

reports: 

(1) Quarterly financial reports; 

(2) Annual program reports for the 

first and second year of the agreement; 

(3) And a final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. 

Cooperating organizations 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: Karene Grad, 

Office of Global Educational Programs, 

ECA/A/S/U, Room 349, ECA/A/S/U–

08–03, U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547, telephone 202–453–8643, fax 

202–453–8891, e-mail 

GradKX@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/S/U–

08–03. 

Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries 

or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may 

not discuss this competition with 

applicants until the proposal review 

process has been completed. 

VIII. Other Information 

Notice: The terms and conditions 

published in this RFGP are binding and 

may not be modified by any Bureau 

representative. Explanatory information 

provided by the Bureau that contradicts 

published language will not be binding. 

Issuance of the RFGP does not 

constitute an award commitment on the 

part of the Government. The Bureau 

reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 

increase proposal budgets in accordance 

with the 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: January 23, 2008. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–1752 Filed 1–30–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES