23920 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97 / Thursday, May 21, 2009 / Notices 

Dated: May 1, 2009. 

Robert D. Barton, 

Managing Director, Bureau of Diplomatic 

Security, Office of Foreign Missions, U.S. 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–11930 Filed 5–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–43–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6623] 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant 

Proposals: Intensive Summer 

Language Institutes for Teachers 

Program 

Announcement Type: New 

Cooperative Agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 00.000. 

Key Dates: 

Application Deadline: July 7, 2009. 

Executive Summary: The Teacher 

Exchange Branch in the Office of Global 

Educational Programs at the Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), 

U.S. Department of State, announces an 

open competition for a program that 

will enable U.S. language teachers to 

study Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin) and 

Russian in an Arabic-speaking country, 

the People’s Republic of China, and 

Russia respectively during the summer 

of 2010. Public and private non-profit 

organizations meeting the provisions 

described in Internal Revenue Code 

section 501(c)(3) may submit proposals 

to cooperate with the Bureau in the 

administration of the program. 

Applicant organizations should design 

and implement three summer institutes 

for a minimum total of 25 teachers— 

fifteen to study Chinese (Mandarin), and 

five each to study Arabic and Russian. 

These summer institutes should offer 

intensive, structured classroom 

instruction as well as less formal 

interactive learning opportunities 

through a comprehensive exchange 

experience that primarily emphasizes 

language learning. 

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: To strengthen the instruction 

of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), and 

Russian at U.S. K–12 schools and 

community colleges through intensive, 

substantive overseas language study for 

teachers, community college instructors, 

and students in the advanced stages of 

preparation to become teachers or 

instructors in these languages. 

Foreign language skills are essential 

tools for engaging foreign governments 

and peoples, especially in critical world 

regions, for promoting mutual 

understanding, and for conveying 

respect for other cultures. These skills 

equip Americans to support the nation’s 

foreign affairs priorities, its economic 

competitiveness, and its educational 

institutions in efforts to prepare future 

citizens for full engagement in the 

global environment. 

ECA plans to award a single 

Cooperative Agreement for the 

administration and implementation of 

all three Intensive Summer Language 

Institutes for Teachers under this 

program. Organizations without 

expertise in the teaching of all three of 

the indicated languages are encouraged 

to seek partners with expertise in 

teaching the other language(s) in 

preparing their proposals. Consortia and 

other combinations of institutions must 

designate a lead institution to receive 

the award and administer the program. 

Applicant organizations may submit a 

proposal requesting funds not exceeding 

$500,000 to implement all three 

overseas language institutes between 

June and August 2010. 

Proposals should outline four distinct 

program components: (1) Publicity, 

recruitment, and selection; (2) 

orientation; (3) the language institutes; 

and (4) follow-on activities. 

(1) Publicity, Recruitment, and 

Selection: The cooperating agency will 

publicize the three language institutes 

as well as recruit, screen, and select U.S. 

elementary and secondary school 

teachers, community college instructors, 

and eligible students for the program. 

Applicant organizations should propose 

a comprehensive outreach plan to 

publicize and recruit for the program 

within the K–12, community college, 

and foreign language educational 

community in the U.S. This plan should 

include separate strategies for reaching 

teachers of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), 

and Russian. Information about the 

program, along with all accompanying 

application materials, should be posted 

online by the cooperating agency. All 

application materials should be 

available in a sortable, searchable, 

electronically accessible database format 

that can be shared easily with the 

Bureau’s program office upon request. 

The cooperating agency will be 

responsible for convening independent 

committees to select candidates for the 

program. The Bureau should be 

consulted regarding the selection of 

candidates and will approve the 

principal and alternate candidates for 

participation in the program. 

The Bureau intends to include 

participants who represent the diversity 

of the U.S. in all components of the 

program. Selection should be based on 

the teachers’ professional backgrounds 

as language teachers, dedication to 

language teaching, and leadership 

potential. Applicants must be U.S. 

citizens and language teachers at 

elementary or secondary schools, 

community college instructors, or 

students in an advanced stage of 

preparation to teach Arabic, Chinese 

(Mandarin), or Russian. 

(2) Orientation: The cooperating 

organization will organize a substantive, 

in-person, pre-departure orientation in 

the U.S. for all participants. The 

orientation should include thorough 

discussions of the goals and objectives 

of the program and should be developed 

and administered in consultation with 

the ECA program office. Comprehensive 

information packets should be provided 

to all participants prior to the 

orientation. 

Standardized pre-institute testing 

should be done to determine 

participants’ initial language proficiency 

and subsequent progress. Applicant 

organizations should include in their 

proposals their plans to develop and 

implement an instrument to measure 

participants’ increased language 

proficiency resulting from their 

participation in the program. 

The cooperating agency should 

provide the participants with an incountry orientation upon arrival to 

familiarize them with the language 

institute and surrounding community. 

(3) Language Institutes: Each six-week 

institute will provide intensive language 

instruction in a classroom setting for 

approximately twenty hours per week, 

in addition to language-learning 

opportunities through immersion in the 

cultural, social, and educational life of 

the host country. Classes should provide 

formal instruction in grammar, 

vocabulary, and pronunciation in 

addition to covering the four main 


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97 / Thursday, May 21, 2009 / Notices 23921 

language skills: Speaking, listening, 

reading, and writing. The institutes 

should also provide access to tutors for 

individualized language learning. Visits 

to schools or interactions with local 

teachers should be included, where 

possible. The exchange program should 

enhance the participants’ knowledge of 

the host country’s history, culture, and 

political system as these support 

language learning. Language study must 

be the primary focus of the program and 

should be a specific element of all 

cultural enrichment activities as well. 

Staff should be physically present and 

available to support the participants 

throughout the institutes. 

Applicant organizations should 

explain in their proposal how they will 

ensure the quality of programs overseas. 

Applicant organizations should 

arrange for participants to earn 

academic credit from a U.S. institution 

for successful completion of the 

program. 

The Bureau reserves the right to make 

changes in placement countries based 

on safety and security concerns. 

A. Arabic Language Summer Institute: 

Applicant organizations should present 

a plan for not fewer than five 

participants in the Arabic language 

institute. Classroom instruction should 

emphasize Modern Standard Arabic 

with class time devoted also to 

colloquial Arabic. Participants should 

also gain knowledge of colloquial 

Arabic through informal study and 

through interaction with their host 

community. Applicant organizations 

should propose a study location in a 

country/region in North Africa, the 

Middle East, or the Gulf region with the 

exception of Algeria, Iraq, Israel, 

Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and West 

Bank and Gaza. 

B. Chinese Language Summer 

Institute: Applicant organizations 

should present a plan for not fewer than 

fifteen participants in the Chinese 

language institute. The cooperating 

agency should be prepared to provide 

multiple levels of language 

instruction—from advanced beginner 

through superior. Applicant 

organizations should propose a study 

location in the People’s Republic of 

China. 

C. Russian Language Summer 

Institute: Applicant organizations 

should present a plan for not fewer than 

five participants in the Russian language 

institute. Applicant organizations 

should propose a study location in 

Russia other than St. Petersburg and 

Moscow. 

(4) Follow-on Activities: Proposals 

should outline strategies for providing 

small grants to increase further the 

participants’ language skills after the 

study program; to purchase educational 

resources to enhance their home 

institution’s foreign language 

curriculum; to develop their 

understanding of foreign language 

teaching methodology; to attend 

conferences, seminars, or workshops; 

and to conduct other activities that will 

contribute to the goals of the program. 

The development and approval of 

follow-on grants must be coordinated by 

the cooperating agency in conjunction 

with the Teacher Exchange Branch. 

Please refer to the PSI for additional 

guidance on alumni outreach and 

follow-on engagement. 

The Intensive Summer Language 

Institutes for Teachers Program will be 

funded through a Cooperative 

Agreement. Please note that in a 

Cooperative Agreement, the Teacher 

Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X) is 

substantially involved in program 

activities above and beyond routine 

monitoring. Bureau activities and 

responsibilities include: 

• Participation in the design and 

direction of program activities; 

• Approval of key personnel; 

• Approval and input on program 

timelines, agendas and administrative 

procedures; 

• Guidance in execution of all 

program components; 

• Review and approval of all program 

publicity and recruitment materials; 

• Approval of participants; 

• Approval of decisions related to 

special circumstances or problems 

throughout the duration of the program; 

• Assistance with participant 

emergencies; 

• Approval of follow-on projects; and 

• Liaison with relevant U.S. 

embassies. 

Programs must conform with 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). 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

Fiscal Year Funds: 2010. 

Approximate Total Funding: $500,000 

pending availability of funds. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 1. 

Anticipated Award Date: Pending 

availability of funds, October 1, 2009. 

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 

September 30, 2012. 

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 grant or 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 

agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 

form of allowable direct or indirect 

costs. For accountability, you must 

maintain written records to support all 

costs which are claimed as your 

contribution, as well as costs to be paid 

by the Federal government. Such 

records are subject to audit. The basis 

for determining the value of cash and 

in-kind contributions must be in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–110, 

(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing 

and Matching. In the event you do not 

provide the minimum amount of cost 

sharing as stipulated in the approved 

budget, ECA’s contribution will be 

reduced in like proportion. 

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: 

(a) Bureau grant guidelines require that 

organizations with less than four years 

experience in conducting international 

exchanges be limited to $60,000 in 

Bureau funding. ECA anticipates 

making one award, in an amount up to 

$500,000 to support program and 

administrative costs required to 

implement this exchange program. 

Therefore, organizations with less than 

four years experience in conducting 

international exchanges are ineligible to 

apply under this competition. The 

Bureau encourages applicants to 

provide maximum levels of cost sharing 

and funding in support of its programs. 

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 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
23922 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97 / Thursday, May 21, 2009 / Notices 

Mr. William Heaton in the Teacher 

Exchange Branch, ECA/A/S/X, U.S. 

Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 

telephone: (202) 453–8888, fax: (202) 

453–8890, e-mail: heatonwe@state.gov, 

to request a Solicitation Package. Please 

refer to the Funding Opportunity 

Number ECA/A/S/X–10–04 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. 

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation 

Package Via Internet: The entire 

Solicitation Package may be 

downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site 

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

open2.html, or from the Grants.gov Web 

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

Please read all information before 

downloading. 

IV.3. Content and Form of 

Submission: Applicants must follow all 

instructions in the Solicitation Package. 

The application should be submitted 

per the instructions under IV.3f. 

Application Deadline and Methods of 

Submission section below. 

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

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number to 

apply for a grant or cooperative 

agreement from the U.S. Government. 

This number is a nine-digit 

identification number, which uniquely 

identifies business entities. Obtaining a 

DUNS number is easy and there is no 

charge. To obtain a DUNS number, 

access http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1– 

866–705–5711. Please ensure that your 

DUNS number is included in the 

appropriate box of the SF–424 which is 

part of the formal application package. 

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an 

executive summary, proposal narrative 

and budget. 

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. 

Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all 

applicants for ECA Federal assistance awards 

must include in their application the names 

of directors and/or senior executives (current 

officers, trustees, and key employees, 

regardless of amount of compensation). In 

fulfilling this requirement, applicants must 

submit information in one of the following 

ways: 

(1) Those who file Internal Revenue 

Service Form 990, ‘‘Return of 

Organization Exempt From Income 

Tax,’’ must include a copy of relevant 

portions of this form. 

(2) Those who do not file IRS Form 

990 must submit information above in 

the format of their choice. 

In addition to final program reporting 

requirements, award recipients will also 

be required to submit a one-page 

document, derived from their program 

reports, listing and describing their 

grant activities. For award recipients, 

the names of directors and/or senior 

executives (current officers, trustees, 

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

be transmitted by the State Department 

to OMB, along with other information 

required by the Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA), and will be made available to 

the public by the Office of Management 

and Budget on its USASpending.gov 

Web site as part of ECA’s FFATA 

reporting requirements. 

If your organization is a private 

nonprofit which has not received a grant 

or cooperative agreement from ECA in 

the past three years, or if your 

organization received nonprofit status 

from the IRS within the past four years, 

you must submit the necessary 

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 award recipients and sponsors to all 

regulations governing the J visa. 

Therefore, proposals should 

demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to 

meet all requirements governing the 

administration of the Exchange Visitor 

Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, 

including the oversight of Responsible 

Officers and Alternate Responsible 

Officers, 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 award recipient 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, socioeconomic status, and disabilities. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

adhere to the advancement of this 

principle both in program 

administration and in program content. 

Please refer to the review criteria under 

the ‘Support for Diversity’ section for 

specific suggestions on incorporating 

diversity into your proposal. Public Law 

104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out 

programs of educational and cultural 

exchange in countries whose people do 

not fully enjoy freedom and 

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take 

appropriate steps to provide 

opportunities for participation in such 

programs to human rights and 

democracy leaders of such countries.’’ 

Public Law 106—113 requires that the 

governments of the countries described 

above do not have inappropriate 

influence in the selection process. 

Proposals should reflect advancement of 

these goals in their program contents, to 

the full extent deemed feasible. 

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Proposals must include a plan to 

monitor and evaluate the project’s 

success, both as the activities unfold 

and at the end of the program. The 

Bureau recommends that your proposal 

include a draft survey questionnaire or 

other technique plus a description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97 / Thursday, May 21, 2009 / Notices 23923 

original project objectives. The Bureau 

expects that the recipient organization 

will track participants or partners and 

be able to respond to key evaluation 

questions, including satisfaction with 

the program, learning as a result of the 

program, changes in behavior as a result 

of the program, and effects of the 

program on institutions (institutions in 

which participants work or partner 

institutions). The evaluation plan 

should include indicators that measure 

gains in mutual understanding as well 

as substantive knowledge. 

Successful monitoring and evaluation 

depend heavily on setting clear goals 

and outcomes at the outset of a program. 

Your evaluation plan should include a 

description of your project’s objectives, 

your anticipated project outcomes, and 

how and when you intend to measure 

these outcomes (performance 

indicators). The more that outcomes are 

‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, 

attainable, results-oriented, and placed 

in a reasonable time frame), the easier 

it will be to conduct the evaluation. You 

should also show how your project 

objectives link to the goals of the 

program described in this RFGP. 

Your monitoring and evaluation plan 

should clearly distinguish between 

program outputs and outcomes. Outputs 

are products and services delivered, 

often stated as an amount. Output 

information is important to show the 

scope or size of project activities, but it 

cannot substitute for information about 

progress towards outcomes or the 

results achieved. Examples of outputs 

include the number of people trained or 

the number of seminars conducted. 

Outcomes, in contrast, represent 

specific results a project is intended to 

achieve and is usually measured as an 

extent of change. Findings on outputs 

and outcomes should both be reported, 

but the focus should be on outcomes. 

We encourage you to assess the 

following four levels of outcomes, as 

they relate to the program goals set out 

in the RFGP (listed here in increasing 

order of importance): 

1. Participant satisfaction with the 

program and exchange experience. 

2. Participant learning, such as 

increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, 

and changed understanding and 

attitude. Learning includes both 

substantive (subject-specific) learning 

and mutual understanding. 

3. Participant behavior, concrete 

actions to apply knowledge in work or 

community; greater participation and 

responsibility in civic organizations; 

interpretation and explanation of 

experiences and new knowledge gained; 

continued contacts between 

participants, community members, and 

others. 

4. Institutional changes, such as 

increased collaboration and 

partnerships, policy reforms, new 

programming, and organizational 

improvements. 

Please note: Consideration should be given 

to the appropriate timing of data collection 

for each level of outcome. For example, 

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

institutional changes are normally 

considered longer-term outcomes. 

Overall, the quality of your 

monitoring and evaluation plan will be 

judged on how well it (1) Specifies 

intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 

descriptions of how each outcome will 

be measured; (3) identifies when 

particular outcomes will be measured; 

and (4) provides a clear description of 

the data collection strategies for each 

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

focus groups). (Please note that 

evaluation plans that deal only with the 

first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will 

be deemed less competitive under the 

present evaluation criteria.) 

Recipient organizations will be 

required to provide reports analyzing 

their evaluation findings to the Bureau 

in their regular program reports. All 

data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

IV.3e. Please take the following 

information into consideration when 

preparing your budget: 

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF– 

424A—‘‘Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs’’ along with a 

comprehensive budget for the entire 

program. There must be a summary 

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting 

both administrative and program 

budgets. Applicants may provide 

separate sub-budgets for each program 

component, phase, location, or activity 

to provide clarification. It is anticipated 

that funding for the cooperative 

agreement for program administration 

will be approximately $500,000. 

IV.3f. Application Deadline and 

Methods of Submission: 

Application Deadline Date: July 7, 

2009. 

Reference Number: ECA/A/S/X–10– 

04. 

Methods of Submission: Applications 

may be submitted in one of two ways: 

(1) In hard-copy, via a nationally 

recognized overnight delivery service 

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

Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 

Overnight Mail, etc.), or 

(2) Electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

below rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov web portal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in this RFGP, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov 

Along with the Project Title, all 

applicants must enter the above 

Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF– 

424 contained in the mandatory 

Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 

of the solicitation document. 

IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications 

Applications must be shipped no later 

than the above deadline. Delivery 

services used by applicants must have 

in-place, centralized shipping 

identification and tracking systems that 

may be accessed via the Internet and 

delivery people who are identifiable by 

commonly recognized uniforms and 

delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on 

or before the above deadline but 

received at ECA more than seven days 

after the deadline will be ineligible for 

further consideration under this 

competition. Proposals shipped after the 

established deadlines are ineligible for 

consideration under this competition. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

application. It is each applicant’s 

responsibility to ensure that each 

package is marked with a legible 

tracking number and to monitor/confirm 

delivery to ECA via the Internet. 

Delivery of proposal packages may not 

be made via local courier service or in 

person for this competition. Faxed 

documents will not be accepted at any 

time. Only proposals submitted as 

stated above will be considered. 

Important note: When preparing your 

submission please make sure to include one 

extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and 

place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/ 

EX/PM’’. 

The original and 5 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/X–10–04, Program 

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20547. 


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IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic 

Applications 

Applicants have the option of 

submitting proposals electronically 

through Grants.gov (http:// 

www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 

packages are available at Grants.gov in 

the ‘‘Find’’ portion of the system. 

Please Note: ECA strongly encourages 

organizations interested in applying for this 

competition to submit printed, hard copy 

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

below rather than submitting electronically 

through Grants.gov. This recommendation is 

being made as a result of the anticipated high 

volume of grant proposals that will be 

submitted via the Grants.gov Web portal as 

part of the Recovery Act stimulus package. 

As stated in this RFGP, ECA bears no 

responsibility for data errors resulting from 

transmission or conversion processes for 

proposals submitted via Grants.gov. 

Please follow the instructions 

available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of 

the site (http://www.grants.gov/ 

GetStarted). 

Several of the steps in the Grants.gov 

registration process could take several 

weeks. Therefore, applicants should 

check with appropriate staff within their 

organizations immediately after 

reviewing this RFGP to confirm or 

determine their registration status with 

Grants.gov. 

Once registered, the amount of time it 

can take to upload an application will 

vary depending on a variety of factors 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your Internet connection. 

In addition, validation of an electronic 

submission via Grants.gov can take up 

to two business days. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend 

that you not wait until the application 

deadline to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

The Grants.gov Web site includes 

extensive information on all phases/ 

aspects of the Grants.gov process, 

including an extensive section on 

frequently asked questions, located 

under the ‘‘For Applicants’’ section of 

the Web site. ECA strongly recommends 

that all potential applicants review 

thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, 

well in advance of submitting a 

proposal through the Grants.gov system. 

ECA bears no responsibility for data 

errors resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

Direct all questions regarding 

Grants.gov registration and submission 

to: Grants.gov Customer Support, 

Contact Center Phone: 800–518–4726, 

Business Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 

a.m.–9 p.m. Eastern Time, E-mail: 

support@grants.gov. 

Applicants have until midnight (12 

a.m.), Washington, DC time of the 

closing date to ensure that their entire 

application has been uploaded to the 

Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions 

to the above deadline. Applications 

uploaded to the site after midnight of 

the application deadline date will be 

automatically rejected by the Grants.gov 

system, and will be technically 

ineligible. 

Please refer to the Grants.gov Web 

site, for definitions of various 

‘‘application statuses’’ and the 

difference between a submission receipt 

and a submission validation. Applicants 

will receive a validation e-mail from 

Grants.gov upon the successful 

submission of an application. Again, 

validation of an electronic submission 

via Grants.gov can take up to two 

business days. Therefore, we strongly 

recommend that you not wait until the 

application deadline to begin the 

submission process through Grants.gov. 

ECA will not notify you upon receipt of 

electronic applications. 

It is the responsibility of all 

applicants submitting proposals via the 

Grants.gov Web portal to ensure that 

proposals have been received by 

Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA 

bears no responsibility for data errors 

resulting from transmission or 

conversion processes. 

IV.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 relevant 

Embassy 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. 

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda 

and relevant work plan should 

demonstrate substantive undertakings 

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan 

should adhere to the program overview 

and guidelines described above. 

3. Ability to achieve program 

objectives: Objectives should be 

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 

Proposals should clearly demonstrate 

how the institution will meet the 

program’s objectives and plan. 

4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed 

personnel and institutional resources 

should be adequate and appropriate to 

achieve the program or project’s goals. 

5. 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). 

6. Project Evaluation: Proposals 

should include a plan to evaluate the 

activity’s success, both as the activities 

unfold and at the end of the program. A 

draft survey questionnaire or other 

technique plus description of a 

methodology to use to link outcomes to 

original project objectives is 

recommended. 

7. Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing: 

The overhead and administrative 

components of the proposal, including 

salaries and honoraria, should be kept 

as low as possible. Proposals should 

maximize cost-sharing through other 

private sector support as well as 

institutional direct funding 

contributions. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards 

cannot be made until funds have been 

appropriated by Congress, allocated and 

committed through internal Bureau 

procedures. Successful applicants will 

receive a Federal Assistance Award 

(FAA) from the Bureau’s Grants Office. 

The FAA and the original proposal with 

subsequent modifications (if applicable) 

shall be the only binding authorizing 

document between the recipient and the 

U.S. Government. The FAA will be 

signed by an authorized Grants Officer, 

and mailed to the recipient’s 

responsible officer identified in the 

application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification of the results of the 

application review from the ECA 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97 / Thursday, May 21, 2009 / Notices 23925 

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://fa.statebuy.state.gov. 

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) A concise, one-page final program 

report summarizing program outcomes 

no more than 90 days after the 

expiration of the award. This one-page 

report will be transmitted to OMB, and 

be made available to the public via 

OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as 

part of ECA’s Federal Funding 

Accountability and Transparency Act 

(FFATA) reporting requirements. 

(3) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress 

Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program 

reports. 

(4) Quarterly program and financial 

reports. 

Award recipients will be required to 

provide reports analyzing their 

evaluation findings to the Bureau in 

their regular program reports. (Please 

refer to IV. Application and Submission 

Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation information. 

All data collected, including survey 

responses and contact information, must 

be maintained for a minimum of three 

years and provided to the Bureau upon 

request. 

All reports must be sent to the ECA 

Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer 

listed in the final assistance award 

document. 

Program Data Requirements: Award 

recipients will be required to maintain 

specific data on program participants 

and activities in an electronically 

accessible database format that can be 

shared with the Bureau as required. As 

a minimum, the data must include the 

following: 

(1) Name, address, contact 

information and biographic sketch of all 

persons who travel internationally on 

funds provided by the agreement or who 

benefit from the award funding but do 

not travel. 

(2) Itineraries of international and 

domestic travel, providing dates of 

travel and cities in which any exchange 

experiences take place. Final schedules 

for in-country and U.S. activities must 

be received by the ECA Program Officer 

at least three work days prior to the 

official opening of the activity. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For questions about this 

announcement, contact: William 

Heaton, Teacher Exchange Branch, 

ECA/A/S/X, U.S. Department of State, 

SA–44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 349, 

Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 

453–8888, fax: (202) 453–8890, e-mail: 

heatonwe@state.gov. 

All correspondence with the Bureau 

concerning this RFGP should reference 

the above title and number ECA/A/S/X– 

10–04. 

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: May 13, 2009. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–11949 Filed 5–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

[Docket No. DOT–OST–2008–0388] 

Revision of a Previously Approved 

Collection: Public Charters, 14 CFR, 

Part 380 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13, the Department of 

Transportation (DOT) invites the general 

public, industry and other governmental 

parties to comment on the Public 

Charters, 14 CFR Part 380. The preexisting information collection request 

was previously approved by the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB). 

DATES: Written comments should be 

submitted by July 20, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Reather Flemmings (202–366–1865) and 

Ms. Torlanda Archer (202–366–1037), 

Office of the Secretary, Office of 

International Aviation, Special 

Authorities Division, X–46, 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 

20590. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

[identified by Docket No. DOT–OST– 

2008–0388] through one of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., West Building, Room 

W12–140, Washington, DC 20590, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except on Federal 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

OMB Control Number: 2106–0005. 

Title: Public Charters, 14 CFR Part 

380. 

Form Numbers: 4532, 4533, 4534, 

4535. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

previously approved collection: The 

current OMB inventory has decreased 

and the changes are listed below. 

Abstract: 14 CFR Part 380 (Part 380) 

establishes the regulations of the 

Department’s terms and conditions 

governing Public Charter operators to 

conduct air transportation using direct 

air carriers. Public Charter operators 

arrange transportation for groups of 

people on chartered aircraft. This 

arrangement is less expensive for the 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES