[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 68 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18667-18671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7976]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4683]


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 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 countries of Africa, South East Asia, Near East, and 
South Asia with significant Muslim populations.
    In Africa, the following countries are eligible: Senegal, Mali, 
Nigeria, Benin, Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Cameroon. The eligible 
countries in South East Asia are: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and 
Thailand. In the Near East and North Africa eligible countries are: 
Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq; Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, 
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 
the West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. Eligible countries in South Asia are 
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

    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.

    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-04-61. 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. 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 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-2004 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 associations officials 
share their experience in managing and organizing youth sports 
activities, particularly in financially challenging circumstances, and 
would contribute to better understanding of role of sports as a 
significant factor in educational success. Americans are in a good 
position to convey to the foreign counterparts the importance of 
linking success in sports to educational achievement and how these two 
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

[[Page 18668]]

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. Physically and 
developmentally challenged individuals will be fully included in the 
sports and recreation opportunities in our 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 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 
about culture and the social and economic challenges young athletes 
face today. Travel under these grants should ideally provide for a two-
way exchange but may focus primarily on U.S.-based activities for 
countries with heightened security concerns. 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:
     A proven track record of working in the proposed 
issue area;
     An experienced staff with language facility and 
a commitment by the staff to monitor projects locally to improve 
accountability;
     A clear, convincing plan showing how permanent 
results will be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the 
grant; and
     A follow-on plan beyond the scope of the Bureau 
grant.
    Proposal narratives must demonstrate an organization's willingness 
to consult closely with the Public Affairs Section and other officers 
at the U.S. Embassy. Proposal narratives must confirm that all 
materials developed for the project will acknowledge USG funding for 
the program as well as 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.

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.
     Itineraries of international and domestic 
travel, providing dates of travel and cities in which exchange 
experiences take place.

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 for programs 
including U.S. internships, grant applicants submit letters tentatively 
committing host institutions to support the internships. In the 
selection of foreign participants, the Department and U.S. Embassies 
retain the right to review all participant nominations and to accept or 
refuse participants recommended by grantee institutions. When 
participants are selected, grantee institutions will 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 in two-way exchange proposals will be 
given to foreign participants who have not previously traveled to the 
United States. (See section below on requirements for maintenance of 
and provision to ECA of data on participants and program activities.)

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%

[[Page 18669]]

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.

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 62, 
which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 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 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 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 62. If your organization has experience as a 
designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 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.

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.

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. Proposals must 
provide a minimum 30% cost sharing of the amount requested from ECA to 
be eligible for consideration in this competition. 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 $37,500. 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:

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.

Per Diem

    For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of using a flat 
$160/day for program participants or the

[[Page 18670]]

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/.

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.

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.

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.

Room Rental

    Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.

Materials Development

    Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop, and translate 
materials for participants.

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.

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.

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 expenses 
incurred during international travel.

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.

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 proposal 
submission instructions.
    Please refer to the proposal submission instructions for complete 
budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

Deadline for Proposals

    Important Note: The deadline for this submission is Friday, May 
21, 2004. In light of recent events and heightened security 
measures, proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally 
recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., Airborne Express, DHL, 
Federal Express, UPS, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, 
etc.) and be shipped no later than 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 uniforms and delivery vehicles. It is each applicant's 
responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible 
tracking number and to monitor and confirm delivery via the 
Internet. Neither faxed documents nor documents postmarked after the 
above deadline will be accepted.

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and twelve 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-04-61, Program Management, ECA/
EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Please also submit the Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and 
Budget sections of the proposal as e-mail attachments in Microsoft Word 
and Excel to the program officer at [email protected]. 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

[[Page 18671]]

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/Record/Ability: 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. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should identify other types of 
exchanges or linkages that might be undertaken after completion of the 
Bureau supported activity.
    6. 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.
    7. 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 have 30% cost sharing of the amount of grant funds 
requested from ECA 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, Pub. L. 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 1, 2004.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 04-7976 Filed 4-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P