Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 6235 

11 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). 

12 17 CFR 240.19–4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19–

4(f)(6)(iii) requires that a self-regulatory 

organization submit to the Commission written 

notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, 

along with a brief description and text of the 

proposed rule change, at least five business days 

prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule 

change, or such shorter time as designated by the 

Commission. FINRA has satisfied this requirement. 

13See supra notes 5 through 9. 

14For purposes only of waiving the 30-day preoperative period, the Commission has considered 

the impact of the proposed rule change on 

efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 

15 U.S.C. 78c(f). 

15 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). 16 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). 

practices, to promote just and equitable 

principles of trade, and, in general, to 

protect investors and the public interest. 

FINRA believes that the proposed rule 

change is consistent with these 

requirements because it will provide a 

process by which ECNs (in the case of 

the ADF) and Trade Reporting Facility 

Participants (in the case of TRFs) can 

request, and FINRA can properly 

allocate, the use of additional MPIDs for 

displaying quotes and orders through 

the ADF or reporting trades to a TRF. 

B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Burden on Competition 

FINRA does not believe that the 

proposed rule change will impose any 

burden on competition that is not 

necessary or appropriate in furtherance 

of the purposes of the Act. 

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Comments on the 

Proposed Rule Change Received From 

Members, Participants or Others 

FINRA has neither solicited nor 

received written comments on the 

proposed rule change. 

III. Date of Effectiveness of the 

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 

Commission Action 

Because the foregoing proposed rule 

change does not: 

(i) Significantly affect the protection 

of investors or the public interest; 

(ii) Impose any significant burden on 

competition; and 

(iii) Become operative for 30 days 

from the date on which it was filed, or 

such shorter time as the Commission 

may designate, if consistent with the 

protection of investors and public 

interest, it has become effective 

pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the 

Act 11 and Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 

thereunder.12

FINRA has requested that the 

Commission waive the 30-day operative 

delay, which would make the rule 

change operative immediately upon 

filing with the Commission. The 

Commission believes waiving the 30- 

day operative date is consistent with the 

protection of investors and the public 

interest because the proposed rule 

change extends without interruption the 

benefits of a pilot program that the 

Commission approved and previously 

extended.13 Furthermore, the 

Commission agrees that extending the 

pilot for another year will provide 

additional time for FINRA to analyze 

the use of multiple MPIDs on the ADR. 

For these reasons, the Commission 

designates the proposal to be effective 

and operative upon filing with the 

Commission.14

At any time within 60 days of the 

filing of the proposed rule change, the 

Commission may summarily abrogate 

such rule change if it appears to the 

Commission that such action is 

necessary or appropriate in the public 

interest, for the protection of investors, 

or otherwise in furtherance of the 

purposes of the Act.15

IV. Solicitation of Comments 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit written data, views, and 

arguments concerning the foregoing, 

including whether the proposed rule 

change is consistent with the Act. 

Comments may be submitted by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Comments 

• Use the Commission’s Internet 

comment form http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml; or 

• Send an e-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File 

Number SR–FINRA–2008–003 on the 

subject line. 

Paper Comments 

• Send paper comments in triplicate 

to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 

20549–1090. 

All submissions should refer to File 

Number SR–FINRA–2008–003. This file 

number should be included on the 

subject line if e-mail is used. To help the 

Commission process and review your 

comments more efficiently, please use 

only one method. The Commission will 

post all comments on the Commission’s 

Internet Web site http://www.sec.gov/ 

rules/sro.shtml. Copies of the 

submission, all subsequent 

amendments, all written statements 

with respect to the proposed rule 

change that are filed with the 

Commission, and all written 

communications relating to the 

proposed rule change between the 

Commission and any person, other than 

those that may be withheld from the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be 

available for inspection and copying in 

the Commission’s Public Reference 

Room, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, 

DC 20549, on official business days 

between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 

Copies of such filing also will be 

available for inspection and copying at 

the principal office of FINRA. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change; the Commission does 

not edit personal identifying 

information from submissions. You 

should submit only information that 

you wish to make available publicly. All 

submissions should refer to File 

Number SR–FINRA–2008–003 and 

should be submitted on or before 

February 22, 2008. 

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated 

authority.16

Nancy M. Morris, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–1850 Filed 1–31–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6086] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: The Rhythm RoadAmerican Music Abroad 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/ 

PE/C–CU–08–29. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: March 20, 

2008. 

Executive Summary: The Cultural 

Programs Division in the Office of 

Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) 

announces an open competition for a 

cooperative agreement to administer 

The Rhythm Road-American Music 

Abroad program. The program will 

consist of up to ten tours for a selected 

number of professional American artists 

in jazz, urban music, and American 

roots music (e.g. country-western, 

bluegrass, zydeco, Cajun, etc.) The 

musicians selected for this program 

must demonstrate high artistic ability 

and be conversant with the broader 

aspects of contemporary American 

society and culture. Tours will include 

workshops, master classes, and outreach 

activities, in addition to concerts. 

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6236 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 

U.S. public and non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue code 

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

proposals that support the goals of The 

Rhythm Road-American Music Abroad 

program: to promote mutual 

understanding and cross-cultural 

awareness. The tours accomplish this by 

providing an opportunity for 

international audiences to experience 

American musical life, highlighting our 

country’s cultural history as well as the 

contemporary cultural scene, and 

allowing American performers to learn 

about life and culture in the foreign host 

countries. 

The Bureau is particularly interested 

in proposals for the administration of 

tours by jazz, urban, and American root 

music performers to countries with 

significant Muslim or underserved 

populations, and countries that engage 

youth and/or groups that influence 

youth. In the Western Hemisphere, we 

are also interested in proposals for 

projects that reach indigenous 

populations. No guarantee is made or 

implied that a grant will be awarded for 

tours to any particular region or that 

tours will be organized to any particular 

region. 

For this competition, all organizations 

must demonstrate a minimum of five 

years’ experience successfully 

conducting international performing 

arts exchange programs in the music 

field to be eligible. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: Overall grant making 

authority for this program is contained 

in the Mutual Educational and Cultural 

Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87–

256, as amended, also known as the 

Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 

Act is ‘‘to enable the Government of the 

United States to increase mutual 

understanding between the people of 

the United States and the people of 

other countries * * *; to strengthen the 

ties which unite us with other nations 

by demonstrating the educational and 

cultural interests, developments, and 

achievements of the people of the 

United States and other nations * * * 

and thus to assist in the development of 

friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 

relations between the United States and 

the other countries of the world.’’ The 

funding authority for the program above 

is provided through legislation. 

Purpose: The Bureau seeks proposals 

to engage audiences overseas that do not 

normally have regular access to 

American cultural performances by 

presenting up to ten tours of Rhythm 

Road quartets. Musicians must be U.S. 

citizens who are at least 21 years old; 

demonstrate the highest artistic and 

musical ability; be conversant with 

broader aspects of contemporary 

American society and culture; and be 

adaptable to unescorted, rigorous 

touring through regions where travel 

and performance situations may be 

difficult. In addition to performances, 

Rhythm Road musicians will be 

expected to conduct or participate in 

master classes, lectures, workshops, 

impromptu musical sessions, radio and 

TV appearances, and other activities 

with local cultural institutions, 

musicians, media and students. A 

Washington, DC public performance by 

each ensemble in connection with the 

overseas tour should be included in the 

proposal. 

Guidelines: The successful applicant 

will organize the selection of up to ten 

quartets, as well as administer the 

international tour program during this 

period. 

Proposals should reflect a practical 

understanding of global issues, and 

demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, 

political, economic and social 

differences in regions where tour groups 

may perform. Special attention should 

be given to describing the applicant 

organization’s experience with planning 

and implementing complex and 

unpredictable logistical scenarios 

overseas. Applicants should outline 

their project team’s capacity for doing 

projects of this nature and provide a 

detailed sample program (to include 

itineraries) to illustrate planning 

capacity and ability to achieve program 

objectives. Applicants must identify all 

U.S. and foreign partner organizations 

and/or venues with whom they are 

proposing to collaborate, and describe 

previous cooperative projects in the 

section on ‘‘Institutional Capacity.’’ For 

this competition, applicants must 

include in their proposal supporting 

materials or documentation that 

demonstrates a minimum of five years 

experience in conducting global 

exchanges in the music field. Proposals 

must include references with name and 

contact information for other assistance 

awards the applicant has received, in 

the event the Bureau chooses to be in 

touch directly. 

ECA intends to give one assistance 

award to a qualified institution or 

organization to administer The Rhythm 

Road: American Music Abroad program 

globally. Activities funded through this 

cooperative agreement support the 

organization and implementation of up 

to ten (10) international tours, and must 

include, but are not limited to: 

• Selection of artists; 

• Advance tour planning; 

• Programming educational, media 

and other outreach activities in 

consultation with U.S. embassies; 

• Scheduling public performance 

dates in Washington, DC, for each 

ensemble; 

• Assisting musicians with passport, 

visa, immunizations, and other pre-tour 

preparations; 

• Arranging and providing 

orientation sessions and pre-travel 

briefings, producing press materials and 

providing support for publicity while 

the artists are overseas; 

• Evaluating program activities; 

• Reporting on tour activities to ECA; 

• Assisting ensembles and embassies 

with follow-on program development. 

Applicants must have experience in 

global exchange planning and 

implementation, and should address the 

above elements in the proposal. The 

grantee must be highly responsive and 

able to work in close consultation with 

the Public Affairs Sections of the 

participating U.S. embassies. 

A pre-tour briefing session for each 

ensemble should be held with State 

Department regional experts and ECA 

program officers in attendance. This 

event should be scheduled in 

coordination with the Washington, DC 

public performance. 

Successful applicants will include 

with their proposal specific criteria for 

the selection of American artists in jazz, 

urban, and American root music styles. 

The Cultural Programs Division’s 

activities and responsibilities for this 

program are as follows: 

• Participation in the selection of 

musicians. 

• Determination of the priority 

countries to which the tours will travel. 

Priority countries will be those in all 

world regions of greatest importance to 

the Department of State’s public 

diplomacy mission to build mutual 

understanding. 

• Arrangement of participation by 

Department of State officers in pre-tour 

briefings and any debriefings that might 

take place. 

• Approval of all tour arrangements. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. ECA’s level of involvement 

in this program is listed under number 

I above. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY–2008. 

Approximate Total Funding: 

$1,000,000. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$1,000,000. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $1,000,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: June 12, 

2008. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 6237 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

June 30, 2009. 

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. 

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). 

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: 

There is no minimum or maximum 

percentage required for this 

competition. However, the Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide 

maximum levels of cost sharing and 

funding in support of its programs. 

When cost sharing is offered, it is 

understood and agreed that the 

applicant must provide the amount of 

cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal 

and later included in an approved grant 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

(a.) Bureau grant guidelines require 

that organizations with less than four 

years experience in conducting 

international exchanges be limited to 

$60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA 

anticipates giving one award, in an 

amount not to exceed $1,000,000 to 

support program and administrative 

costs required to implement this 

exchange program. Therefore, 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges are ineligible to apply under 

this competition. The Bureau 

encourages applicants to provide 

maximum levels of cost sharing and 

funding in support of its programs. 

(b.) Technical Eligibility: All 

proposals must comply with the 

following: (1) Full adherence to the 

guidelines stated herein and in the 

Solicitation Package; (2) proposal 

submission deadline date; (3) non-profit 

organization status, and; (4) for 

purposes of this competition, at least 

five years of demonstrated experience in 

programming globally in the music 

field, or your proposal will be declared 

technically ineligible and given no 

further consideration in the review 

process. Eligible applicants may submit 

only ONE proposal (TOTAL) in 

response to this RFGP. If multiple 

proposals are received, all submissions 

will be declared technically ineligible 

and will be given no further 

consideration in the review process. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

Note: Please read the complete 

announcement before sending inquiries or 

submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 

deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not 

discuss this competition with applicants 

until the proposal review process has been 

completed. 

IV.1 Contact Information To Request 

an Application Package: Please contact 

the Cultural Programs Division (ECA/ 

PE/C/CU) in the Office of Citizen 

Exchanges, Room 568, U.S. Department 

of State, SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, 202/203–7488; 

fax 202/203–7525; e-mail 

ProctorLM@state.gov to request a 

Solicitation Package. Please refer to the 

Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/ 

C–CU–08–29 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 Instructions (PSI) 

document which consists of required 

application forms, and standard 

guidelines for proposal preparation. 

Please specify Jill Staggs and refer to 

the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/ 

PE/C–CU–08–29 located at the top of 

this announcement on all other 

inquiries and correspondence. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via the 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 original and 14 copies (15 proposals 

total) of the application should be sent 

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 PSI 

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.1 Adherence to All Regulations 

Governing the J Visa: The Office of 

Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs is the 

official program sponsor of the exchange 

program covered by this RFGP, and an 

employee of the Bureau will be the 

‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the program 

under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, 

which covers the administration of the 

Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 

program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 

part 62, organizations receiving grants 

under this RFGP will be third parties 

‘‘cooperating with or assisting the 

sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s 

program.’’ The actions of grantee 

program organizations shall be 

‘‘imputed to the sponsor in evaluating 

the sponsor’s compliance with’’ 22 CFR 

part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects 

that any organization receiving a grant 

under this competition will render all 

assistance necessary to enable the 

Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 

part 62 et seq. 

The Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs places critically 

important emphases on the secure and 

proper administration of Exchange 

Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 

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6238 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 

by grantee program organizations and 

program participants to all regulations 

governing the J visa program status. 

Therefore, proposals should explicitly 

state in writing that the applicant is 

prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting 

all requirements governing the 

administration of Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. 

If your organization has experience as a 

designated Exchange Visitor Program 

Sponsor, the applicant should discuss 

their record of compliance with 22 CFR 

part 62 et. seq., including the oversight 

of their Responsible Officers and 

Alternate Responsible Officers, 

screening and selection of program 

participants, provision of pre-arrival 

information and orientation to 

participants, monitoring of participants, 

proper maintenance and security of 

forms, record-keeping, reporting and 

other requirements. 

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS–

2019 forms to participants in this 

program. 

A copy of the complete regulations 

governing the administration of 

Exchange Visitor (J) programs is 

available at http://exchanges.state.gov 

or from: United States Department of 

State, Office of Exchange Coordination 

and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44, 

Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: 

(202) 203–5029, Fax: (202) 453–8640. 

IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and 

Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the 

Bureau’s authorizing legislation, 

programs must maintain a non-political 

character and should be balanced and 

representative of the diversity of 

American political, social, and cultural 

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted 

in the broadest sense and encompass 

differences including, but not limited to 

ethnicity, race, gender, religion, 

geographic location, 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 

grantee will track participants or 

partners and be able to respond to key 

evaluation questions, including 

satisfaction with the program, learning 

as a result of the program, changes in 

behavior as a result of the program, and 

effects of the program on institutions 

(institutions in which participants work 

or partner institutions). The evaluation 

plan should include indicators that 

measure gains in mutual understanding 

as well as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs 

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements. 

Please note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

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

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and 

evaluation plan will be judged on how well 

it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives 

clear descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when particular 

outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides 

a clear description of the data collection 

strategies for each outcome (i.e., surveys, 

interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the first 

level of outcomes [satisfaction] will be 

deemed less competitive under the present 

evaluation criteria.) 

Grantees will be required to provide 

reports analyzing their evaluation 

findings to the Bureau in their regular 

program reports. All data collected, 

including survey responses and contact 

information, must be maintained for a 

minimum of three years and provided to 

the Bureau upon request. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. The award may not exceed 

$1,000,000. There must be a summary 

budget, as well as breakdowns reflecting 

both administrative and program 

budgets. Applicants may provide 

separate sub-budgets for each program 

component, phase, location, or activity 

to provide clarification. 

IV.3e.2. For budgeting purposes, 

applicants should estimate costs based 

on eight to ten quartets traveling for 

approximately four (4) weeks to six (6) 

destinations with significant Muslim 

and indigenous populations in the 

following regions: Africa, East Asia, 

Eurasia, Central Europe and the 

Balkans, the Near East/North Africa, 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 6239 

Latin America, and South Asia. Final 

determination of participating regions 

and countries will be made by ECA in 

collaboration with U.S. embassies and 

the successful applicant after the 

assistance award has been given. 

IV.3e.3. Allowable costs for the 

program include the following: (1) 

Program Expenses, including but not 

limited to: Domestic and international 

travel for the selected ensembles (per 

The Fly America Act); visas and 

immunizations; airport taxes and 

country entrance fees; honoraria; 

educational materials and presentation 

items; excess and overweight baggage 

fees; trip itinerary booklets; press kits 

and promotional materials; follow-on 

activities; monitoring and evaluation; 

and international travel for program 

implementation and/or evaluation 

purposes. 

The following guidelines may be 

helpful in developing a proposed 

budget: 

A. Travel Costs. International and 

domestic airfares. (per The Fly America 

Act), transit costs, ground 

transportation, and visas for The 

Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad 

participants to travel to the tour 

destinations. 

B. Per Diem: For the Washington, DC, 

portion of the tour, organizations should 

use the published Federal per diem 

rates, and estimate per diems based on 

a two-night stay per ensemble member. 

The Public Affairs Sections of the 

participating U.S. embassies and 

consulates are responsible for per diem 

abroad. Domestic per diem rates may be 

accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/

gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=

17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC. 

C. Sub-grantees and Consultants. Subgrantee organizations may be used, in 

which case the written agreement 

between the prospective grantee and 

sub-grantee should be included in the 

proposal. Sub-grants must be itemized 

in the budget under General Program 

Expenses. Consultants may be used to 

provide specialized expertise. Daily 

honoraria cannot exceed $250 per day, 

and applicants are strongly encouraged 

to use organizational resources, and to 

cost share heavily in this area. 

D. Health Insurance. Each Rhythm 

Road participant will be covered under 

the terms of the ECA-sponsored COINS 

health insurance policy. The cost for 

international travel insurance for staff 

travel may be included in the proposal 

budget. 

E. Honoraria for Rhythm Road 

musicians. Daily honorarium is $200 

per day for each performer, including 

rest and travel days. 

F. Educational and Promotional Items. 

Ensemble members may use these funds 

for individual purchases or they may 

pool funds for joint purposes. ECA 

funds for educational and promotional 

items (e.g. CDS, guitar strings, label 

pins, etc.) should not exceed $500 per 

ensemble. 

G. Excess Baggage. Excess baggage 

costs are based on the size and weight 

of the instrument. Excess baggage 

estimates may be subject to change once 

actual tour itineraries are scheduled; 

however for proposal budget purposes, 

costs should be estimated at $3,500 per 

ensemble. 

H. Immunizations/Visas. For purposes 

of a proposed budget, line items for 

immunizations should be estimated at 

$400 per musician, and visas/visa 

photos should be estimated at $600 per 

musician. 

I. Press Kits. Each relevant U.S. 

embassy should receive appropriate 

contents for press kits. Items may be 

sent electronically with the 

understanding that in some cases, 

embassies may not be able to access 

large files or attachments. This line item 

may include funds for shooting and 

duplicating B&W publicity photos and 

duplicating CDS. 

J. Staff Travel. Allowable costs 

include domestic staff travel for one 

staff member to attend recruitment/ 

selection events in approximately two 

U.S. cities and to pre-tour briefings and 

performances in Washington, D.C. 

International staff travel will be 

allowable, especially if associated with 

monitoring and evaluation, as long as 

costs for a full four-week tour for each 

ensemble are completely covered. Costsharing for staff travel is strongly 

encouraged. 

2. Administrative Costs. Costs 

necessary for the effective 

administration of the program may 

include salaries for grantee organization 

employees, benefits, and other direct 

and indirect costs per detailed 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

While there is no rigid ratio of 

administrative to program costs, 

proposals in which the administrative 

costs do not exceed 25% of the total 

requested from ECA grant funds will be 

more competitive on cost effectiveness. 

Please refer to the Solicitation Package 

for complete budget guidelines and 

formatting instructions. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: Thursday, 

March 20, 2008. 

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU–

08–29. 

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 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 14 copies of the 

application should be sent to: U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: 

ECA/PE/C–CU–08–29, 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. The Bureau will 

provide these files electronically to the 

appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at 

the U.S. embassies for their review. 

IV.3f.2—Submitting Electronic 

Applications: Applicants have the 

option of submitting proposals 

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6240 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 

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. Program Planning and Ability to 

Achieve Objectives: 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. Proposals 

should clearly demonstrate how the 

institution will meet the program’s 

objectives and plan. 

2. Multiplier Effect/Impact: Proposed 

programs should strengthen long-term 

mutual understanding, including 

maximum sharing of information and 

establishment of long-term institutional 

and individual linkages. 

3. Support of Diversity: Proposals 

should demonstrate substantive support 

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. 

Achievable and relevant features should 

be cited in both program administration 

(selection of participants, program 

venue and program evaluation) and 

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

materials and follow-up activities). 

4. Institutional Capacity: Proposals 

should include (1) the institution’s 

mission and date of establishment; (2) 

an outline of prior awards—U.S. 

government and/or private support 

received for tours abroad; (3) 

descriptions of experienced staff 

members who will be part of the team 

implementing the program, and; (4) all 

other documentation requested herein. 

Proposed personnel and institutional 

resources should be adequate and 

appropriate to achieve the program or 

project’s goals. The proposal should 

reflect the institution’s expertise in the 

music management arena and 

knowledge of the conditions in the 

regions abroad. 

5. Institution’s Record/Ability: 

Proposals should demonstrate an 

institutional record of at least five years 

of international music management 

planning and implementation, 

including responsible fiscal 

management and full compliance with 

all reporting requirements for past 

Bureau grants as determined by Bureau 

Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider 

the past performance of prior recipients 

and the demonstrated potential of new 

applicants. 

6. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. A 

draft survey questionnaire or other 

technique plus description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives is 

recommended. 

7. Cost-effectiveness 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 other private sector support as 

well as institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards 

cannot be made until funds have been 

appropriated by Congress, allocated and 

committed through internal Bureau 

procedures. Successful applicants will 

receive an Assistance Award Document 

(AAD) from the Bureau’s Grants Office. 

The AAD and the original grant 

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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 6241 

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 two copies of the following 

reports: 

(1) A final program and financial 

report no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award; 

(2) Quarterly program and financial 

reports showing activities carried out 

and expenses incurred in the calendar 

quarter. 

Grantees 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: Jill Staggs, 

Cultural Programs, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 

568, ECA/PE/C–CU–08–29, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

202/203–7493; fax 202/203–7525; 

StaggsJJ@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/PE/C–

CU–08–29. 

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. E8–1749 Filed 1–31–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions 

on Proposed Highway in Indiana 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims 

for Judicial Review of Actions by FHWA 

and United States Fish and Wildlife 

Service (USFWS), DOI. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces actions 

taken by the FHWA and the USFWS 

that are final within the meaning of 23 

U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a 

proposed highway project for a 13.1 

mile segment of I–69, in the Counties of 

Warrick and Gibson, State of Indiana 

and grant licenses, permits, and 

approvals for the project. 

DATES: By this notice, the FHWA is 

advising the public that the FHWA and 

the USFWS have made decisions that 

are subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1) and are 

final within the meaning of that law. A 

claim seeking judicial review of those 

Federal agency decisions on the 

proposed highway project will be barred 

unless the claim is filed on or before 

July 30, 2008. If the Federal law that 

authorizes judicial review of a claim 

provides a time period of less than 180 

days for filing such claim, then the 

shorter time period applies. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

the FHWA: Mr. Anthony DeSimone, 

P.E., Federal Highway Administration, 

Indiana Division, 575 North 

Pennsylvania Street, Room 254, 

Indianapolis, IN 46204–1576; telephone: 

(317) 226–5307; e-mail: 

Anthony.DeSimone@dot.gov. The 

FHWA Indiana Division Office’s normal 

business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., 

e.t. For the USFWS: Mr. Scott Pruitt, 

Field Supervisor, Bloomington Field 

Office, USFWS, 620 South Walker 

Street, Bloomington, IN 47403–2121; 

telephone: 812–334–4261; e-mail: 

Scott_Pruitt@fws.gov. Normal business 

hours for the USFWS Bloomington Field 

Office are: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t. You 

may also contact Mr. Thomas Seeman, 

Project Manager, Indiana Department of 

Transportation (INDOT), 100 North 

Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204; 

telephone: (317) 232–5336; e-mail: 

TSeeman@indot.IN.gov. Normal 

business hours for the Indiana 

Department of Transportation are: 8 a.m. 

to 4:30 p.m., e.t. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that the FHWA has 

approved a Tier 2 Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (FEIS) for section 1 of 

the I–69 highway project from 

Evansville to Indianapolis and issued a 

Record of Decision (ROD) for section 1 

on December 12, 2007. Section 1 of the 

I–69 project extends from the I–64/I–

164/SR 57 interchange north of 

Evansville to approximately one-half 

mile north of SR 64 near Oakland City, 

Indiana. Section 1 is a new alignment, 

fully access-controlled highway that has 

an approximately 350-foot-wide rightof-way. The ROD selected Alternative 4 

for section 1, as described in the I–69 

Evansville to Indianapolis, Indiana, Tier 

2 Final Environmental Impact 

Statement, Evansville to Oakland City 

(FEIS). The ROD also approved the 

locations of the interchanges, grade 

separations, and access roads (which 

include new roads, road relocations, 

and realignments). 

The FHWA had previously issued a 

Tier 1 FEIS and ROD for the entire I–

69 project from Evansville to 

Indianapolis, Indiana. A Notice of 

Limitation on Claims for Judicial 

Review of Actions by FHWA and United 

States Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS), DOI, was published in the 

Federal Register on April 17, 2007. A 

claim seeking judicial review of the Tier 

1 decisions must have been filed by 

October 15, 2007, to avoid being barred 

under 23 U.S.C. 139(l). Decisions in the 

FHWA Tier 1 ROD that were cited in 

that Federal Register notice included, 

but were not limited to, the following: 

1. Purpose and need for the project. 

2. Range of alternatives for analysis. 

3. Selection of the Interstate highway 

build alternative and highway corridor 

for the project, as Alternative 3C, 

4. Elimination of other alternatives 

from consideration in Tier 2 NEPA 

proceedings. 

5. Process for completing the Tier 2 

alternatives analysis and studies for the 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES