[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70577-70580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31230]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4559]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition to 
administer the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship 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 for the purpose of administering a scholarship program 
for academic study by Americans outside of the United States.

    Important Note: This Request for Grant Proposals contains 
language in the ``Shipment and Deadline for Proposals'' section that 
is significantly different from that used in the past. Please pay 
special attention to procedural changes as outlined.

Program Information

    This program provides grants to enable U.S. citizen undergraduate 
students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. 
Such foreign study is intended to expand understanding of other 
countries and cultures among U.S. students, expose citizens of other 
countries to Americans from diverse backgrounds, and better prepare 
U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global 
economy.

Overview

    It is anticipated that, pending appropriation of funds, this grant 
will provide an assistance award of approximately $1,600,000 for the 
purpose of recruiting, selecting, and issuing grants of up to $5,000 to 
individuals who meet the eligibility requirements listed below toward 
the cost of up to one academic year of undergraduate study abroad. 
Subject to the availability of funding and to satisfactory performance 
of the organization selected, this assistance award may be renewable 
for two subsequent fiscal years.
    The intent of the authorizing legislation for the Benjamin A. 
Gilman International Scholarship Program is to broaden the U.S. student 
population that participates in study abroad by focusing on those 
students who might not otherwise study outside the U.S. due to 
financial constraints.
    The Bureau also seeks to encourage participating students and their

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institutions to choose non-traditional study-abroad locations and to 
help under-represented U.S. institutions offer and promote study-abroad 
opportunities for their students. These objectives should also be 
addressed in grant proposals.

Guidelines

    The administering organization should be prepared to announce the 
program and solicit applications as soon as possible upon receipt of 
grant notification and to award scholarships to U.S. students to enable 
them to begin overseas study in the fall semester of 2004.
    Student Eligibility: To apply for a scholarship, an applicant must:
    [sbull] Be a citizen of the United States. Permanent residents of 
the United States are not eligible.
    [sbull] Be an undergraduate student in good standing at an 
institution of higher education in the United States (including both 
two-year and four-year institutions).
    [sbull] Be a recipient of federal Pell Grant funding during the 
academic term of his/her application.
    [sbull] Be applying to, or accepted for a program of study abroad 
eligible for credit from the student's home institution. Proof of 
program acceptance is required for final award disbursement.
    [sbull] Not study in a country currently under a Travel Warning 
issued by the United States Department of State. Travel Warnings are 
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid a 
certain country. To find a list of these countries, please see http://travel.state.gov/warnings_list.html.
    Recruitment, Application and Selection:
    (1) Outreach will be made by the grantee organization to accredited 
institutions of higher education in the United States for the purpose 
of publicizing the scholarship competition. This can be achieved 
through direct contacts with these institutions and through 
participation in major education conferences and events. Emphasis will 
be on reaching out to a diverse pool of institutions and programs 
within those institutions.
    (2) The selection process shall be carried out through a committee 
which includes representatives of accredited institutions of higher 
education in the United States.
    (3) In ranking eligible applicants for scholarships, consideration 
should be given to academic excellence, financial need, diversity of 
the applicant pool, fields of study, proposed destination, and type and 
location of home institution. Preference should be given to applicants 
with no previous study abroad experience.
    Reporting:
    The grantee organization will submit quarterly reports on the 
number of applicants, the number of participants selected, the names of 
the institutions of higher education in the United States that 
applicants and awardees were attending at the time of application, the 
names of institutions sponsoring the study programs abroad, the names 
and locations of the institutions of higher education outside the 
United States that participants attended during their study program 
abroad, the fields of study of participants, and attrition rates. 
Because diversity is an important program goal, the grantee should 
attempt to collect age, ethnic, gender, and disability data from 
applicants and from those selected for awards, in keeping with Federal 
guidelines on the solicitation of such information. Additionally, the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may request other periodic 
and ad hoc reports.

Budget Guidelines

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs are limited 
by Bureau policy to $60,000. The Bureau intends to make one award not 
to exceed $1,600,000. Accordingly, institutions with less than four 
years experience are not encouraged to apply. 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. Applicants should budget the maximum possible amount for 
scholarships and keep administrative and overhead costs to a minimum. 
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.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Administrative: Salaries and benefits and other direct 
administrative expenses such as postage, phone, printing and office 
supplies.
    (2) Program: Participant expenses, which may include institutional 
fees, travel expenses, tuition; expenses related to review panels, 
including travel and per-diem.
    Please 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/S/A-04-14.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Global Educational 
Programs, Educational Information and Resources Branch (ECA/A/S/A), 
Room 349, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547; telephone 202-619-5434; fax 202-401-1433; e-mail 
[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 Branch Chief Phillip Ives 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.

New OMB Requirement

    An OMB policy directive published in the Federal Register on 
Friday, June 27, 2003, requires that all organizations applying for 
Federal grants or cooperative agreements must provide a Dun and 
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when 
applying for all Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after 
October 1, 2003. The complete OMB policy directive can be referenced at 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/062703_grant_identifier.pdf. 
Please also visit the ECA Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm for additional information on how to comply 
with this new directive.

Shipment and Deadline for Proposals

    Important Note:  The deadline for this competition is Friday, 
February 6, 2004. In light of recent events and heightened security 
measures, proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally 
recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, 
UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service

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Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be shipped no later than the above 
deadline. The delivery services used by applicants must have in-
place, centralized shipping identification and tracking systems that 
may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who are 
identifiable by commonly recognized competition. Proposals shipped 
after the established deadlines are ineligible for consideration 
under this competition. It is each applicant's responsibility to 
ensure that each package is marked with a legible tracking number 
and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of 
proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in 
person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at 
any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be 
considered.

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 15 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/A-04-14, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

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

    Please note:  The following is being communicated for 
informational purposes only and does not directly apply to this 
solicitation or program. 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 6Z, 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.

    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 Diplomacy section 
overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to 
compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and 
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may 
also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other 
Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and 
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 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.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda 
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above. The work plan should specify target dates for objectives such as 
application deadlines, notifications, and provision of funds to 
participants.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    4. 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 and program 
content. Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to 
promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity, including, but 
not limited to diversity in applicant pool, type and location of home 
institution, study destinations, and fields of study.
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals. Electronic databases should be compatible with the 
Bureau's systems.
    7. 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.
    8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity such as alumni tracking and programming.
    9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants will be 
expected to submit intermediate

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reports after each project component is concluded or quarterly, 
whichever is less frequent.
    10. 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.
    11. Cost-sharing: 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 International Academic 
Opportunity Act of 2000.

Notice

    Funding for this program is subject to final Congressional action 
and the appropriation of FY-2004 funds. The actual level of funding for 
the Gilman Program was $1.5 million in FY-2002 and $1,575,000 in FY-
2003. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation 
requirements. 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.

Notification

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

    Dated: December 10, 2003.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 03-31230 Filed 12-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P