[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 70 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17746-17749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8834]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3975]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Three Curriculum Development Projects for Armenia-Civic 
Education, Pre-Service Education and School Administrator Training

SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Department of State announces 
an open competition for an assistance award to support planning, 
implementing and evaluating up to three education projects for Armenia: 
(1) High school civic education curriculum development; (2) curriculum 
development at pre-service pedagogical institutes in Armenia; and (3) 
curriculum development and leadership training for Armenian school 
directors. Organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to undertake one or 
more of these projects.

Overview and Project Objectives

Program Information

    Overview: These projects are designed to assist Armenian educators 
to develop curricular materials in civic education at the high school 
level and to assist in training teachers and teacher trainers to use 
these materials in classrooms in Armenia; to develop and provide 
leadership training materials for Armenian school principals; and to 
assist pedagogical institutes in Armenia to develop courses for 
improvement of pre-service teacher training. The rationale for these 
projects is that improving civic education, educational leadership, and 
teaching practices in Armenia will better prepare students, teachers 
and school administrators to participate more actively in Armenia's 
emerging democratic society. Projects should promote productive 
relationships among members of the school community, including 
students, teachers, school administrators and parents, while training 
teachers to support these relationships.

Project Objectives

    Applicants may submit proposals focusing on one, two, or all three 
of the projects. In the high school civic education project, proposals 
should emphasize curriculum design and faculty training in civic 
education for the eighth and ninth grade levels. In the educational 
leadership project, proposals should emphasize the development of 
training materials to improve the educational leadership skills of 
school directors. In the pre-service teacher education curriculum 
development project, proposals should outline a practical strategy to 
assist pedagogical institutes to develop new curricula and 
instructional materials for the training of pre-service teachers. Each 
project will include the following three phases of activity: recruiting 
and selecting Armenian participants; coordinating U.S. based training 
workshops; and testing and publishing the training or curricular 
materials. (Full details for each project phase are contained in the 
POGI).

Selection of Topics

    For all three projects, applicants should suggest in their 
proposals the process for selecting the specific topics to be developed 
by the Armenian participants. Final determination of appropriate topics 
will be made in consultation with Armenian project participants before 
the start of U.S. based curriculum development and training workshops. 
Proposals should include a detailed plan for collaboration with the 
local Armenian partner organizations. (Please see the POGI for 
information on Armenian partner organizations available as project 
partners. Grantees may propose other partners than the ones listed. The 
proposal should provide justification for a recommendation of any 
partner not listed.) The Armenian partner organizations should be 
actively engaged with the U.S. grantee organization during the planning 
phase of project activities and implementation of project activities.

Guidelines

Project Planning and Implementation

Grant Duration
    Grant activities should begin on or around September 1, 2002 and 
should last approximately thirty-six months. Grantees proposing to 
administer more than one project may suggest an individual project 
start date for each project as long as all project activities are 
completed within the approved grant period.

[[Page 17747]]

Planning
    In Phase I of each project the U.S. grantee organization will 
collaborate with the Armenian partner organization(s) to coordinate 
recruitment and selection of Armenian educators to serve on curriculum 
development teams; and conduct planning trips to Yerevan for initial 
consultations. Planning trips should not exceed two weeks in length.
    During the planning stage the grantee organization should consult 
with representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Education to 
negotiate, if possible, the following assistance to all Armenian 
participants: 1) Paid leave time for the Armenian participants during 
their stays in the U.S. and during any subsequent training work in 
Armenia; 2) Facilitation of the logistics of training sessions to be 
conducted in Armenia through appropriate signed agreements.
Project Implementation
    In Phase II of each project, members of the curriculum development 
and training teams will spend approximately 6-12 weeks in the U.S. 
attending workshops organized by the U.S. grantees; observing relevant 
aspects of the U.S. educational system; and drafting curriculum or 
training materials in consultation with the U.S. specialists. The 
grantee organization will develop workshops which meet the needs of the 
Armenian participants through activities designed to introduce the 
Armenian teams to U.S. education specialists with appropriate expertise 
in civic education, pre-service teacher training, or educational 
leadership. Applicants should develop a timetable which incorporates 
significant time for writing curricular materials. Workshops should 
include field experiences which are relevant to the materials being 
produced (such as visits to schools, consultations with U.S. teachers 
or school principals, and mentored attendance at professional 
meetings).
    In Phase III of each project, the grantee organization and the 
local Armenian partner(s) should plan and implement a program for 
testing, revising and publishing the materials developed in Phase II. 
Phase III project activities should emphasize outreach and training of 
local educators by the Armenian participants. (Please see the POGI for 
detailed guidelines for designing and implementing each project phase.)
Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations and the grantee 
organization will need to have authority to provide J-1 visa 
sponsorship by the time grant activities begin. Please refer to 
Solicitation Package for further information. Administration of the 
project must be in compliance with reporting and withholding 
regulations for federal, state, and local taxes as applicable. 
Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax regulation adherence in 
the proposal narrative and budget.

Budget Guidelines

    Applicants may submit a budget up to $250,000 for projects focusing 
on civic education curriculum development; $250,000 for pre-service 
teacher training curriculum development; $150,000 for projects focusing 
on educational leadership curriculum development or a budget of up to 
$650,000 for projects focusing on all three-project components. 
Requests for amount smaller than the maximum are eligible. The Bureau 
anticipates awarding up to three grants in a total amount not to exceed 
$650,000, to support program and administrative costs required to 
implement these projects. Proposals to administer more than one of 
these projects should reflect economies of scale in the administrative 
budget. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of 
cost sharing and funding from private sources in support of its 
programs. Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are 
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. Therefore organizations with less 
than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges are 
ineligible to apply under this competition. Applicants must submit 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. The 
summary and detailed project and administrative budgets should be 
accompanied by a narrative, which provides justification for the amount 
needed.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Administrative costs, including salaries and benefits, of 
grantee organization.
    (2) Program costs, including general program costs and program 
costs for each participant from Armenia in the U.S. based curriculum 
development and training seminars and the Armenia-based pilot-testing 
activities. Please refer to the POGI for complete budget guidelines and 
formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau 
concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/A/
S/U-02-09.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Humphrey Fellowships and 
Institutional Linkages Branch, Office of Global Educational Programs, 
U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone: 202-619-5289; Fax: 202-401-1433; or [email protected], 
to request a solicitation package.
    The Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program 
Officer Marie W. Grant on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    Please read the complete Federal Register 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.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received by the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC 
time on Friday, May 31, 2002. Faxed documents will not be accepted at 
any time. Documents postmarked the due date but received on a later 
date will not be accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the 
proposals are received by the above deadline.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and eight copies of the application should be 
sent to:
    U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-02-09 Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5" diskette, 
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will 
transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs section at 
the US Embassy

[[Page 17748]]

for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get 
embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

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 physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program 
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review 
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal. Public 
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and 
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom 
and democracy,'' 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.

Review Process

    The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will 
review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed 
ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein 
and in the Solicitation Package. The program office, as well as the 
Public Affairs Section overseas, where appropriate will review all 
eligible proposals. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
Bureau officers 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 assistance awards (grants or 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 and responsiveness to the objectives and guidelines stated in 
this solicitation. Proposals should demonstrate substantive expertise 
in civic education, educational leadership training and curriculum 
development.
    2. Creativity and feasibility of program plan: A detailed agenda 
and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertaking, 
logistical capacity, and a creative utilization of resources and 
relevant professional development opportunities. The agenda and work 
plan should be consistent with the program overview and guidelines 
described in this solicitation.
    3. Ability to achieve project objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities). The proposal should demonstrate an 
understanding of the specific diversity needs in Armenia and strategies 
for addressing these needs in terms of the project goals.
    5. Institutional capacity and record: Proposed personnel and 
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve 
the goals of the project. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional 
record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past 
Bureau grants as determined by the 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 are recommended. Successful applicants will be 
expected to submit intermediate program and financial reports after 
each project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less 
frequent.
    7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support), which ensures 
that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
    8. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components 
of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as 
low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate 
and should reflect a commitment to pursuing project objectives. 
Proposals should maximize cost sharing through other private sector 
support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through the Freedom for Russia and Emerging 
Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1993 (FREEDOM 
Support Act). Programs and projects must conform to Bureau requirements 
and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. Bureau projects 
and programs are subject to the availability of funds.

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

[[Page 17749]]

increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program 
and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic 
reporting and evaluation requirements.

Notification

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

    Dated: April 4, 2002.
Rick A. Ruth,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 02-8834 Filed 4-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P