[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20210-20214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10177]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4342]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: International Sports Programming Initiative

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an 
``International Sports Programming Initiative.'' 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 
discuss approaches designed to enhance and improve the infrastructure 
of youth sports programs in the following countries: Jordan, Morocco, 
Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. To be eligible for consideration under this 
competition, proposals must provide a minimum of 50 percent cost 
sharing of the amount of grant funds sought from ECA, although 
proposals with higher cost sharing levels are welcome. The Office 
expects to make approximately three (3) full grants of no more than 
$135,000 each under this competition, covering all thematic areas 
outlined below.
    Announcement Name and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau 
concerning this RFGP should reference the ``Open Competition for 
International Sports Programming Initiative'' and reference number: 
ECA/PE/C/WHAEAP-03-49. Please refer to title and number in all 
correspondence or telephone calls to the Office of Citizen Exchanges.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations/institutions 
may contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, room 216, SA-44, U.S. 
Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone number 202/260-5491, fax number 202/260-0440, 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, Raymond H. Harvey, on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package also may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site 
at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all 
information before downloading.

Program Information

    Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that 
directly respond to the following thematic areas. Given budgetary 
limitations, projects for other themes and other countries will not be 
eligible for consideration under the FY-2003 International Sports 
Program Initiative.
    Training Sports Coaches: The World Summit on Physical Education 
(Berlin, 1999) stated that a ``quality physical education helps 
children to develop the patterns of interest in physical activity, 
which are essential for healthy development and which lay the 
foundation for healthy, adult lifestyles.'' Coaches are critical to the 
accomplishment of this goal. A coach not only needs to be qualified to 
provide the technical assistance required by young athletes to improve, 
but must also understand how to aid a young person to discover how 
success in athletics can be translated into achievement in the 
development of life skills and in the classroom.
    Projects submitted in response to this theme would be aimed at 
aiding youth, secondary school and university coaches in the target 
countries in the development and implementation of appropriate training 
methodologies, through seminars and outreach. The goal is to ensure the 
optimal technical proficiency among the coaches participating in the 
program while also emphasizing the role sports can play in the long-
term economic well being of youth.
    Youth Sports Management Exchange: Exchanges funded under this theme 
would help American and foreign youth sport coaches, adult sponsors, 
and sports and civic organization officials share their experience in 
managing and organizing youth sports activities, particularly in 
financially challenging circumstances, and would contribute to better 
understanding of the role of sports as a significant factor in 
educational success. Program should be designed to convey to the 
foreign counterparts the importance of linking success in sports to 
educational and leadership achievement and how these factors can 
contribute to short-term and long-term economic prospects.
    Youth with Disability: Exchanges supported by this theme are 
designed to promote and sponsor sports, recreation, fitness and leisure 
events for children and adults with physical disabilities. Project 
goals include improving the quality of life for people with 
disabilities by providing affordable inclusive sports and recreational 
experiences that build self-esteem and confidence, enhancing active 
participation in community life and making a significant contribution 
to the physical and psychological health of people with disabilities. 
Programs should be structured to ensure that physically and 
developmentally challenged individuals be fully included in the sports 
and recreation opportunities in their communities.
    Sports and Health: Projects funded under this category will focus 
on effective and practical ways to use sport personalities and sports 
health professionals to increase awareness among young people of the 
importance of following a healthy life style to reduce illness, prevent 
injuries and speed the rehabilitation and recovery. Emphasis will be on 
the responsibility of the broader community to support healthy 
behavior. The project goals are to promote and integrate scientific 
research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and 
exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, 
health, and quality of life. (Actual medical training and dispensing of 
medications are outside the purview of this theme.)
    Guidelines: The Office seeks proposals that provide professional 
experience and exposure to American life and culture through 
internships, workshops and other learning-sharing experiences hosted by 
local institutions. The experiences also will provide Americans the 
opportunity to learn

[[Page 20211]]

about other cultures and the social and economic challenges young 
athletes elsewhere face today. Travel under these grants should provide 
for a two-way exchange. Projects should not simply focus on athletic 
training; they should be designed to provide practical, hands-on 
experience in U.S. public/private sector settings that may be adapted 
to an individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may combine 
elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and internships 
appropriate to the language ability and interests of the participants.

General Program Guidelines

    Applicants must identify the local organizations and individuals in 
the counterpart country with whom they are proposing to collaborate and 
describe in detail previous cooperative programming and/or contacts. 
Specific information about the counterpart organizations' activities 
and accomplishments is required and must be included in the section on 
Institutional Capacity. All proposals must contain letters of support 
tailored to the project being proposed from all foreign-country partner 
organizations.
    Exchanges and training programs supported by institutional grants 
from the Bureau should operate at two levels: They should enhance 
institutional partnerships, and they should offer practical information 
and experience to individuals and groups to assist them with their 
professional responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the 
following characteristics:
    [sbull] A proven track record of working in the proposed issue 
area;
    [sbull] An experienced staff with language facility and a 
commitment by the staff to monitor projects locally to improve 
accountability;
    [sbull] A clear, convincing plan showing how permanent results will 
be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the grant; and
    [sbull] A follow-on plan beyond the scope of the Bureau grant.
    Proposal narratives must:
    [sbull] Demonstrate an organization's willingness to consult 
closely with the Public Affairs Section and other officers at the U.S. 
Embassy.
    [sbull] Confirm that all materials developed for the project and 
with support from a grant provided under this competition will 
acknowledge USG funding for the program.
    [sbull] Confirm a commitment to invite representatives of the 
Embassy and/or Consulate to participate in various program sessions/
site visits. Please note that this will be a formal requirement in all 
final grant awards.

Suggested Program Designs

    Bureau-supported exchanges may include internships; study tours; 
short-term, non-technical experiential learning, extended and intensive 
workshops and seminars taking place in the United States or overseas. 
Examples of possible program activities include:
    1. A U.S.-based program that includes: Orientation to program 
purposes and to U.S. society; study tour/site visits; professional 
internships/placements; interaction and dialogue; hands-on training; 
professional development; and action plan development.
    2. Capacity-building/training-of-trainer (TOT) workshops to help 
participants to identify priorities, create work plans, strengthen 
professional and volunteer skills, share their experience to committed 
people within each country, and become active in a practical and 
valuable way.
    3. Seed/small grants to indigenous non-profit organizations to 
support community-based educational projects that build upon exchange 
activities and that address issues of local concern. Proposals may 
include a component for a Seed/Small Grants Competition (often referred 
to as ``sub-grants'' or ``secondary grants''). This requires a detailed 
plan for recruitment and advertising; description of the proposal 
review and award mechanism; a plan for how the grantee would monitor 
and evaluate small grant activity; and a proposed amount for an average 
grant. The small grants should be directly linked to exchange 
activities. Small/seed grants may not be used for micro-credit or re-
loaning purposes. Small/seed grants may not exceed 10% of the total 
value of the grant funds sought from ECA.
    4. Site visits by U.S. facilitators/experts to monitor projects in 
the region and to provide additional training and consultations as 
needed.
    5. Content-based Internet training/ cyber-training to encourage 
citizen participation in workshops, fora, chats, and/or discussions via 
the Internet that will stimulate communication and information sharing 
among key opinion leaders on priority topics as a form of cost sharing. 
Proposals that include Internet utilization must reflect knowledge of 
the opportunities and obstacles that exist for use of information 
technologies in the target country or countries, and, if needed, 
provide hardware, software and servers, preferably as a form of cost 
sharing. Federal standards are under review and their adoption may 
impact on the implementation of these programs.

Selection of Participants

    All grant proposals should clearly describe the type of persons who 
will participate in the program as well as the process by which 
participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in 
support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host 
institutions to support the internships. In the selection of foreign 
participants, the Bureau and U.S. Embassies abroad retain the right to 
review all participant nominations and to accept or deny participants 
recommended by grantee institutions. The U.S. Embassy in the host 
country of the exchange must approve all exchange program foreign 
visitors. However, grantee institutions should describe in detail the 
recruitment and selection process they recommend. The grantee 
institution will also provide the names of American participants and 
brief (two pages) biographical data on each American participant to the 
Office of Citizen Exchanges for information purposes. Priority will be 
given to foreign participants who have not previously traveled to the 
United States.

Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange 
program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the 
``Responsible Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 
62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J 
visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations 
receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating 
with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's 
program.'' The actions of grantee program organizations shall be 
``imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 
22 CFR part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization 
receiving a grant under this competition will render all assistance 
necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et 
seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places 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

[[Page 20212]]

administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 
62. If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange 
Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of 
compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et. seq., including the oversight of 
their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, 
screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-
arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of 
participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, 
reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from:

United States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination and 
Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 401-9810, FAX: (202) 401-9809.

Program Data Requirements

    Organizations 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 of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs as required. As a minimum, the data 
must include the following: 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.

Budget Guidelines

    The Bureau has an overall budget of $400,000 for this competition. 
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of 
experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000. The Bureau has set a ceiling of $135,000 for 
proposals funded under this competition. The Bureau encourages 
applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding from 
private sources in support of its programs.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. Grant awards may not exceed $135,000. There must be a summary 
budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program 
budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program 
component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
    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. To be eligible 
for consideration under this competition, proposals must provide a 
minimum of 50 percent cost sharing of the amount of grant funds sought 
from ECA, although proposals with higher cost sharing levels are 
welcome.

    Example: A proposal requests $125,000 in grant funds from ECA, 
for a project with a total budget of $500,000. The required minimum 
allowable cost sharing offered must amount to at least $62,500. In 
this case, the cost sharing far exceeds the minimum, since actual 
cost sharing is $375,000.

    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated 
in this RFGP and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost 
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For 
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all 
allowable costs, which are claimed as being your contribution to cost 
participation, 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 
proportionately to the contribution.
    The following project costs are eligible for consideration for 
funding:
    1. Travel costs. International and domestic airfares; visas; 
transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air 
travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act. There is no 
charge for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs. 
Please note that Tibetan participants may not travel to the U.S. 
primarily for English language instruction.
    2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of 
using a flat $160/day for program participants or the published U.S. 
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities 
outside the U.S., the published Federal per diem rates must be used.


    Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the published Federal per 
diem rates, not the flat rate. Per diem rates may be accessed at 
http://www.policyworks.gov/.


    3. Interpreters: If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are 
available through the U.S. Department of State Language Services 
Division. Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided 
for every four visitors who need interpretation. Bureau grants do not 
pay for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home 
country. Grant proposal budgets should contain a flat $160/day per diem 
for each Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home 
air transportation of $400 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel 
expenses during the program. Salary expenses are covered centrally and 
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget. Locally arranged 
interpreters with adequate skills and experience may be used by the 
grantee in lieu of State Department interpreters, with the same 1:4 
interpreter to participant ratio. Costs associated with using their 
services may not exceed rates for U.S. Department of State 
interpreters.
    4. Book and cultural allowance: Foreign participants are entitled 
to and escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per 
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. program staff 
members are not eligible to receive these benefits.
    5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise, design or manage development projects or to make 
presentations. Honoraria generally do not 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.
    8. Equipment. Proposals may contain limited costs to purchase 
equipment crucial to the success of the program, such as computers, fax 
machines and copy machines. However, equipment costs must be kept to a 
minimum, and costs for furniture are not allowed.
    9. Working Meal. The grant budget may provide for only one working 
meal 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. This may be 
used for incidental

[[Page 20213]]

expenses incurred during international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under 
the terms of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored health insurance 
policy. The premium is paid by the U.S. Department of State directly to 
the insurance company. Applicants are permitted to included costs for 
travel insurance for U.S. participants in the budget.
    12. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grant 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct or indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Solicitation Package.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

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, May 30, 
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. The original and ten 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/WHAEAP-03-49, 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 U.S. Embassy 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 and 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 to achieve program objectives: Proposals should 
clearly demonstrate how the institution plans to achieve the program's 
objectives. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 
The proposal should contain a detailed agenda and relevant work plan 
that demonstrates substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. 
Agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines 
described above.
    2. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals. For technical projects, foreign experts and their 
local partners will be required to have the necessary education, 
training and experience for the work to be undertaken, in addition to 
language skills where applicable.
    3. Institutional Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful development or 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. Many 
successful applicants will have a multiyear track record of successful 
work in the selected country or within the region.
    4. 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.
    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 wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should identify other types of 
exchanges or linkages that might be undertaken after completion of the 
Bureau supported activity.
    7. Monitoring and Project Evaluation Plan: Proposals should provide 
a detailed plan for monitoring and evaluating the program. The 
evaluation plan should identify anticipated outcomes and performance 
requirements clearly related to program objectives and activities and 
include procedures for ongoing monitoring and corrective action when 
necessary. The identification of best practices relating to project 
administration is also encouraged, as is the discussion of unforeseen 
difficulties.
    8. Cost-effectiveness/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 must provide 30% cost sharing (of the amount of 
grant funds requested from ECA) through other

[[Page 20214]]

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 legislation.

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: April 16, 2003.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 03-10177 Filed 4-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P