[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60711-60713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24475]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4139]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Bosnia and Herzegovina Undergraduate Development Program

    Summary: The Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the 
Bosnia and Herzegovina Undergraduate Development Program. Public and 
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals 
to administer the placement, monitoring, evaluation, follow-on, and 
alumni activities for the FY 2003 Bosnia and Herzegovina Undergraduate 
Development Program. Once cooperative agreement will be awarded to 
administer the program. Proposals should include provisions for the 
recruitment and selection of FY 2003 participants. Organizations with 
less than four years of experience in conducting international exchange 
programs are not eligible for this competition.

Program Information

    The Bosnia and Herzegovina Undergraduate Development Program 
(herein referred to as the BUDP Program) provides scholarships for one-
year, non-degree study at U.S. institutes of higher education to 
outstanding students of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Scholarships are 
available in the fields of agriculture, American studies, business 
administration, criminal justice studies, economics, environmental 
resource management, journalism/communication, and political science. 
Scholarships are granted to students who have completed at least two 
years of study at an accredited university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
Students must be citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. BUDP participants 
will be enrolled in one-year, non-degree programs at four-year colleges 
and universities. Students will enhance their academic education with 
participation in community service and an internship. Interested 
organizations should read the entire Federal Register announcement for 
all information prior to preparing a proposal. Programs must comply 
with J-1 Visa regulations. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for 
further information. Pending the availability of funds, it is 
anticipated that this grant awards will begin in January 2003.

Budget Guidelines

    The Bureau anticipates awarding one grant of approximately $400,000 
under this grant competition. Bureau grant guidelines require that 
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting 
international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. 
Therefore, organizations that cannot demonstrate at least four years 
experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to 
apply under this competition. Applicants must submit a comprehensive 
budget for the entire program. The level of funding for FY 2003 is 
uncertain, but is anticipated to be approximately $400,000. Based on 
this figure, applicant organizations should submit a budget which will 
fund 10-15 participants. ECA anticipates awarding one grant under this 
competition. Applicant organizations are encouraged, through cost 
sharing and other methods, to provide for as many scholarships as 
possible based on approximated funding. 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. 
Please

[[Page 60712]]

refer to the Solicitation Package 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/E/EUR-03-09.
    For Further Information, Contact: The Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs, ECA/A/E/EUR, Room 246, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Phone: 202-205-0525; Fax: 202-
260-4060, [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 Olivia Borecka 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 
Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all 
information before downloading.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, November 
8, 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 (8) copies of the application should be 
sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E/EUR-03-02, 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 Office of Public Affairs at 
the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo for review, with the goal of reducing the 
time it takes to get the embassy's 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.

Adherence to All Regulstions Governing the J VISA

    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by grantees 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 Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 
part 62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate 
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, 
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, 
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements. The Grantee 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) 401-9810. 
FAX: (202) 401-9809.

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. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public Affairs Sections 
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 assistance awards 
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 Development and Management: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, innovation, and relevance to Bureau 
mission. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the organization will meet the 
program's objectives. A 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.
    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. Proposals should also include creative ways to involve 
students in their U.S. communities.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposal should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
both

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geographic and ethnic diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 
United States.
    4. Institution's Record/Ability: 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 Bureau Grant 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.
    5. Alumni Tracking and Follow-on: Proposals should provide a plan 
for effective tracking of participants after the completion of the 
program. Proposals should include a plan for continued follow-on 
activity which insures that ECA supported programs are not isolated 
events, but have meaning and scope beyond the time the actual exchange 
took place.
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program's success, both during and after the program. The Bureau 
recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or 
other technique, plus a description of methodologies that can be used 
to link outcomes to original project objectives. The grantee 
organization will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each 
project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less 
frequent.
    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.

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 Support for East European 
Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989.

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.

Notification

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

    Dated: September 18, 2002.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 02-24475 Filed 9-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P