[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6245-6250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2924]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4273]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals (RFGPs) for the Project ``Cultural and Religious Pluralism in 
Uzbekistan and the United States''

SUMMARY: The Europe/Eurasia Division of the Office of Citizen Exchanges 
of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for the project, Cultural and Religious Pluralism in 
Uzbekistan and the United States. 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 conduct a two-
component exchange program with Uzbekistan. The first component of the 
program is for 60 community and religious leaders from Uzbekistan to 
travel to host communities in the United States for a program on 
cultural and religious pluralism. The second component is the 
recruitment of 16 experts on religion and the role of religion in 
American society who will travel to Uzbekistan to conduct lectures and 
training programs.

Program Information

    Organizations must have four or more years of documented experience 
in conducting international exchange to be eligible to apply for a 
grant under this competition.
    Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges consults with and 
supports American public and private nonprofit organizations in 
developing and implementing multi-phased, often multi-year, exchanges 
of professionals,

[[Page 6246]]

community leaders, scholars and academics, public policy advocates, 
non-governmental organization professionals, etc. These exchanges 
address issues crucial to both the United States and the foreign 
countries involved; they promote focused, substantive, and cooperative 
interaction among counterparts; and they entail both theoretical and 
experiential learning for all participants.
    The initiative Cultural and Religious Pluralism in Uzbekistan and 
the United States will support an outreach program in a number of Uzbek 
communities to encourage an exchange of ideas about religious tolerance 
and diversity and the role of religion in a democratic society. The 
U.S. Embassy in Tashkent will select approximately twelve communities 
within Uzbekistan where the program will be conducted. The program will 
expose participants to freedom of religion and church-state issues in 
the United States, including the study and practice of religion 
(including Islam) in the United States, interfaith issues and 
associations, the role of religious organizations in the community, and 
the role of religion in a democratic political and social structure. 
ECA estimates that the project will run over a three-year period with 
the first part of the program commencing in the spring/summer of 2003. 
It is anticipated that one grant will be awarded under this 
competition. Requested ECA funding for the project should not exceed 
$1,305,000. Bureau guidelines state that organizations with less than 
four years of international exchange experience are limited to no more 
than $60,000 in ECA funding. Therefore, organizations that do not have 
more than four years of international exchange experience are not 
eligible under this competition. Project activities supported by the 
Department of State should be consistent with the principles of the 
non-establishment of religion and the separation of church and state. 
Activities that focus on theology or training in religious doctrine are 
not appropriate under this competition.
    Guidelines: Strong proposals will have the following 
characteristics:
    [sbull] A proven track record of working in Uzbekistan;
    [sbull] Established offices in Uzbekistan and experienced staff 
with language facility and a commitment by the staff to monitor 
projects locally to ensure accountability;
    [sbull] A clear, convincing plan showing how permanent results will 
be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the grant.
    Public Affairs Section Involvement: Though project administration 
and implementation are the responsibility of the grantee, the Public 
Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent will play a 
primary role in this project. The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. 
Embassy in Tashkent will evaluate project proposals, coordinate 
planning with the grantee organization, help coordinate in-country 
activities (including identification of participating communities), 
help nominate participants and review grantee nominations, observe in-
country activities, debrief participants, work with grantee to solicit 
and approve follow-on projects, and evaluate project impact. The U.S. 
Embassy Public Affairs Section in Tashkent and the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs must approve all participants.
    Bureau Acknowledgement: Proposal narratives must confirm that all 
materials developed for the project with funds provided by the Bureau 
will acknowledge the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State funding for the program. Please note that this will 
be a formal requirement in all final grant awards.
    Project Components: As envisioned by ECA and the Public Affairs 
Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, this project will be comprised 
of two program components that will run concurrently over the three 
years of the project. Proposals must address both components.
    Uzbekistan Community Leaders Component: Proposals should describe a 
U.S. based program that involves substantive meetings with U.S. experts 
on the role of religion and religious and cultural pluralism in 
American life. Proposals should include activities that involve Islamic 
and other clerics and lay experts, faith-based organizations, and 
representatives of local government, and others involved in the 
interplay between church and state. The program should also include 
observation of classes on religion at religious and secular educational 
institutions. Groups from two Uzbek communities at a time should travel 
together to the U.S. for a two to three week program. The program 
should be based in one U.S. community (approximately two weeks) but 
include visits to other representative or relevant communities. There 
will be approximately five participants from each of the communities 
identified by the U.S. Embassy for a total of approximately 60 
participants. Proposals should describe a transparent selection process 
that will be coordinated with the Public Affairs Section in Tashkent. 
Uzbek community leaders in the selected regions should include imams, 
clerics from other religions, government officials responsible for 
monitoring and regulating religion, people involved in formal and 
informal religious education (including women), as well as others 
involved in community religious affairs from the selected communities. 
The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent must approve 
all Uzbek participants in this program. Proposals should identify 
possible appropriate U.S. hosting communities. Host communities should 
be chosen based on their ability to accommodate visitors' dietary and 
worship needs, expose participants to the variety of religious practice 
in the U.S., offer appropriate academic programs in the vicinity, and 
demonstrate active faith-based and interfaith community organizations. 
Proposals should include a plan to address all logistics for the Uzbek 
participants including international and domestic travel, ground 
transportation, and lodging arrangements. Also, applicants should 
include detailed orientation programs for Uzbek participants. Proposals 
must include a plan for interpretation while in the United States. 
Interpretation for the participants must be in Uzbek (not Russian).
    Follow On: Proposals should describe how applicants would encourage 
and organize the participants to undertake follow-on activities 
individually or in groups upon their return to Uzbekistan. These 
activities might include projects to describe participants' experiences 
in the U.S. to Uzbek audiences or other community-based projects that 
would build on the themes of this exchange. These themes include 
government/religious community relations, interfaith relations, the 
role of religion in a democratic society, and cultural heritage and its 
preservation. Proposals should describe how applicants would, in 
coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, assist participants to 
develop concrete plans for activities such as community presentations 
and discussions, articles in/interviews with local media outlets, 
projects to advance interfaith dialogue in their communities, and local 
community-based projects to explore the diversity of Uzbek religious 
and cultural heritage.
    U.S. Experts Component: This program component should build on the 
themes of this exchange, including government/religious community 
relations, interfaith relations, the role of religion in a democratic 
society, and cultural heritage preservation. This component involves 
the recruitment, selection, and programming of

[[Page 6247]]

approximately 16 U.S. experts on religion and the role of religion in 
American society to travel to Uzbekistan over a three-year period. Each 
expert should be in Uzbekistan for approximately two weeks. U.S. 
participants would be expected to prepare speeches and presentations, 
conduct workshops, and consult with Uzbek peers. For this component, 
proposals should focus on the same communities identified by the U.S. 
Embassy for the Uzbek leaders component.
    Applicants should describe in detail how U.S. experts would 
interact with groups in the community including religious leaders, 
local government officials, students and educators, NGOs, and mahalla 
leadership. U.S. experts may be asked to address general issues related 
to religious practice in the United States and to speak on specific 
issues of interest to the Embassy or the community. U.S. experts may 
also be identified to participate in special events, conferences, or 
other relevant activities in connection with other parts of this 
initiative. Proposals should describe how logistical preparations would 
be made for the U.S. experts including transportation, lodging, 
interpretation (if necessary), insurance, visa processing, etc. 
Applicants should describe the content of orientation programs for U.S. 
experts before departure to Uzbekistan. Also, applicants should include 
a plan to follow up with the U.S. experts when they return from 
Uzbekistan.
    Participants: Applicants should describe recruitment of U.S. 
participants, preferably from among specialists who have worked with 
Uzbek participants during the U.S.-based part of this program. 
Participants should be American experts on religion and religious 
pluralism, including religious scholars, religious organization 
leaders, clerics, and professionals active in community/religious 
relations. ECA and Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in 
Tashkent must approve final selections.
    Media: For both components, the implementing organization will work 
with PAS Tashkent to coordinate media coverage in Uzbekistan with a 
USAID-funded grantee that will be responsible for working with local 
media outlets.

    Note: In a separate solicitation, the Bureau anticipates 
announcing the Uzbekistan Educational Partnerships Program in 
Religious and Cultural Studies. That program will support academic 
linkages between scholars and institutions in the United States and 
selected counterparts in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek institutions 
identified for participation in the Uzbekistan Educational 
Partnerships Program in Religious and Cultural Studies may be 
appropriate venues for experts sponsored by the Cultural and 
Religious Pluralism in Uzbekistan and the United States Program. 
Therefore the grantees in the two programs for Uzbekistan will be 
expected to coordinate activities closely with one another to make 
sure that the activities of the two programs are complementary.

    Evaluation: In general, evaluation should occur throughout the 
project. The evaluation should incorporate an assessment of the program 
from a variety of perspectives. Specifically, project assessment 
efforts will focus on: (a) Determining if objectives are being met or 
have been met, (b) identifying any unmet needs, and (c) assessing if 
the project has effectively discovered resources, advocates, and 
financial support for sustainability of future projects. Informal 
evaluation through discussions and other sources of feedback will be 
carried out throughout the duration of the project. Formal evaluation 
must be conducted at the end of each component, should measure the 
impact of the activities and should obtain participants' feedback on 
the program content and administration. A detailed evaluation should be 
conducted at the conclusion of the project and included in the final 
report submitted to the Department of State Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs. When possible, the evaluation should be conducted by 
an independent evaluator.
    Program Data Requirements: Organizations that are awarded grants 
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 grant or 
who benefit from the grant 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.
    Budget Guidelines and Cost-Sharing Requirements: Applicants must 
submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program. Applicants must 
provide 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 refer to the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) for complete budget guidelines and formatting 
instructions. Since Bureau grant assistance constitutes only a portion 
of total project funding, proposals should list and provide evidence of 
other anticipated sources of financial and in-kind support. Competitive 
proposals will provide cost sharing to the fullest extent possible 
beyond ECA's minimum cost-sharing requirements.
    The following program costs are eligible for funding consideration:
    1. Travel Costs. International and domestic airfares (per the Fly 
America Act), transit costs, ground transportation costs, and visas for 
U.S. participants (J-1 visas for Bureau-supported participants from 
Eurasia to travel to the U.S. are issued at no charge).
    2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use 
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. For 
activities in Uzbekistan, ECA strongly encourages applicants to budget 
realistic costs that reflect the local economy. Domestic per diem rates 
may be accessed at: http://www.policyworks.gov/ and foreign per diem 
rates can be accessed at: http://www.state.gov/www/perdiems/index.html.
    3. Interpreters. Local interpreters with adequate skills and 
experience may be used for program activities. The Bureau strongly 
encourages applicants to use local interpreters, if possible. Salary 
costs for local interpreters must be included in the budget. Costs 
associated with using their services may not exceed rates for U.S. 
Department of State interpreters. Typically, one interpreter is 
provided for every four visitors who require interpreting, with a 
minimum of two interpreters. Bureau grants do not pay for foreign 
interpreters to accompany delegations from their home country. U.S. 
Department of State Interpreters may be used for highly technical 
programs with the approval of the Office of Citizen Exchanges. Proposal 
budgets should contain a flat $170/day per diem for each U.S. 
Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home air 
transportation of $400 per interpreter, reimbursements for taxi fares, 
plus any other transportation expenses during the program. Salary 
expenses for State Department interpreters are covered centrally and 
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget.
    4. Book and cultural allowance. Foreign participants are entitled 
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book 
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for 
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program 
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these 
benefits.

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    5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Daily honoraria cannot exceed $250 
per day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case 
the written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor 
should be included in the proposal. Subcontracts should be itemized in 
the budget.
    6. Room rental. Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop and translate materials for participants. The Bureau strongly 
discourages the use of automatic translation software for the 
preparation of training materials or any information distributed to the 
group of participants or network of organizations. Costs for high-
quality translation of materials should be anticipated and included in 
the budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all 
program materials to the Bureau.
    8. Equipment. Proposals may contain costs to purchase equipment for 
Eurasia-based programming such as computers, fax machines and copy 
machines. Costs for furniture are not allowed. Equipment costs must be 
kept to a minimum.
    9. Working meal. Only one working meal may be provided during the 
program. Per capita costs may not exceed $5-8 for a lunch and $14-20 
for a dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may 
not exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. 
Interpreters must be included as participants.
    10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. The allowance 
may be used for incidental expenses incurred during international 
travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under 
the terms of a Bureau-sponsored health insurance policy. The Bureau 
pays the premium directly to the insurance company. Applicants are 
permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. participants 
in the budget.
    12. Wire transfer fees. When necessary, applicants may include 
costs to transfer funds to partner organizations overseas.
    13. 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 Application Package. While there is no 
rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, priority will be given 
to proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) 
per cent of the total requested from the Bureau. Proposals should show 
strong administrative cost-sharing contributions from the applicant, 
the in-country partner and other sources.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau 
concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/
PE/C/EUR-03-23.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brent Beemer, Program Officer, The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges Europe/Eurasia Division ECA/PE/C/EUR, Room 
220, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, (202) 401-6887, fax: (202) 260-0440, [email protected]. The 
Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program 
Officer Brent Beemer 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, April 11, 2003. 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 
narrative. 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/PE/C/EUR-03-23, 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 for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it 
takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

    Note: Proposal should not exceed a narrative of 20 pages double 
spaced in length.

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 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

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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 great emphasis on the secure and proper 
administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence 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 the applicant 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) 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 Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). The Program Office, 
the State Department Regional Office, as well as the Public Diplomacy 
section overseas will review all eligible proposals. 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 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 Program Objectives: 
Program objectives should be stated clearly and should reflect the 
applicant's expertise in the subject area and region. Objectives should 
respond to the priority topics in this announcement and should relate 
to the current conditions in Uzbekistan. A detailed agenda and relevant 
work plan should explain how objectives will be achieved and should 
include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance of 
workshops, internships, seminars and/or consulting should be described 
in detail. Sample training schedules should be outlined.
    2. Institutional Capacity: The proposal should include (1) The U.S. 
institution's mission and date of establishment (2) an outline of prior 
awards--U.S. government and private support received for the selected 
theme/region (3) descriptions of experienced staff members who will 
implement the program. Proposed personnel and institutional resources 
should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals. The 
proposal should reflect the institution's expertise in the subject area 
and knowledge of the conditions in the selected country. 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.
    3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs for the proposal, including salaries, honoraria and subcontracts 
for services, should be kept to a minimum. Priority will be given to 
proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) per 
cent of the total funds requested from the Bureau. Applicants are 
encouraged to cost share a portion of overhead and administrative 
expenses. Cost-sharing, including contributions from the applicant, the 
in-country partner, and other sources should be included in the budget 
request.
    4. Multiplier Effect and Impact: Proposed programs should 
strengthen long-term mutual understanding, should enhance information 
sharing and should establish long-term institutional and individual 
linkages. Applicants should describe how responsibility and ownership 
of the project will be transferred to the in-country partners and 
participants to ensure continued impact.
    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 venues and program evaluation) and program 
content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource 
materials and follow-up activities). Applicants should refer to the 
Bureau's Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal 
Submission Instructions (PSI).
    6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity ensuring that Bureau supported programs 
are not isolated events.
    7. Evaluation: Proposals should include a detailed plan to monitor 
and evaluate the program. A draft survey questionnaire plus a 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives should be included. Successful applicants will be 
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component 
concludes or on a quarterly basis, whichever is less frequent.

    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 Support Act (FSA) 
legislation.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information

[[Page 6250]]

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: January 28, 2003.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 03-2924 Filed 2-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P