[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60214-60219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22582]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4855]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Educational Advising and Regional Educational Advising 
Coordinator Services in Eurasia

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/A-05-07.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates: January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005.
    Application Deadline: Friday, November 12, 2004.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Global Educational Programs, 
Educational Information and Resources Branch of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for 
Educational Advising and Regional Educational Advising Coordinator 
(REAC) Services in Eurasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, 
Ukraine and Uzbekistan). 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 operate centers in Bureau-
specified locations in Eurasia and provide REAC services for the region 
out of Moscow, Russia. The educational advising centers would be a part 
of the network of approximately 450 Department of State-affiliated 
centers worldwide. These centers provide comprehensive and unbiased 
information to interested students, scholars, and other individuals 
about study opportunities in the U.S.
    The REAC provides training and information to new and experienced 
advisers, conducts needs assessments, site visits, manages the regional 
advising listserv, and oversees production of the regional newsletter.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

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.
    Purpose: The educational advising centers in Eurasia must provide 
access to comprehensive and unbiased information about study 
opportunities in the U.S. Services provided by the centers must include 
group informational sessions as well as individual advising. The 
centers should provide accurate, impartial information and advising on 
the following topics: all accredited U.S. colleges, universities, and 
other higher education institutions; accreditation issues; the 
application process to a U.S. university; majors and fields of study; 
testing requirements; life in the U.S.; scholarship programs and 
financial aid; visa requirements, and pre-departure orientation. 
Centers should also provide information on grant opportunities 
sponsored by the USG and other institutions and organizations. The 
Bureau will provide a selection of reference books and materials to 
each center. Educational advisers at the centers will be eligible to 
apply for Bureau-sponsored professional development opportunities and 
training events.
    The REAC coordinates a network of educational advising centers 
throughout the region. Advising centers first opened in Eurasia in 
1992, and the network has expanded each year. These centers provide 
accurate and unbiased information and advising about higher education 
in the U.S. and U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs to all 
interested students and scholars. The REAC's mission is to continue to 
develop and strengthen this network of educational information and 
advising centers and to provide leadership and expertise on educational 
advising issues to centers and Public Affairs Sections. The REAC is 
responsible for providing onsite technical assistance and training to 
all centers in the U.S. Department of State-affiliated network. The 
REAC lends support to any affiliated center in the twelve countries 
comprising the Eurasia region and works impartially with all 
organizations involved in educational advising to help enable centers 
to provide accurate and timely information on U.S. higher educational 
opportunities. The REAC also works closely with the Bureau and Public 
Affairs Sections to help establish

[[Page 60215]]

priorities for educational advising in the region. The REAC must be a 
U.S. citizen located in Moscow.
    In a cooperative agreement, ECA/A/S/A is substantially involved in 
program activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/A 
activities and responsibilities for this program are as follows: all 
Eurasia centers must facilitate international exchange through overseas 
educational advising, orientation, and information services for foreign 
students and scholars seeking information on opportunities in U.S. 
higher education. ECA/A/S/A will provide reference materials, training 
opportunities, and occasional equipment (on a priority needs basis) to 
all educational advising centers in the State Department-affiliated 
EducationUSA advising network. All centers in the network, including 
those centers receiving grants from ECA/A/S/A, must operate according 
to the following basic principles:
    (a) Advising centers should provide impartial information about all 
accredited institutions of higher learning in the United States;
    (b) Services provided at no charge should include, at minimum, 
access to educational reference materials as appropriate and to an 
introductory group advising session;
    (c) Advising centers must be open to the public and must serve the 
diversity of the population without bias against age, gender, socio-
economic level, race, religion, physical disabilities, or any other 
factor.
    In addition, ECA/A/S/A support is contingent upon the following 
standards of operation:
    Outreach: Proposals should include any proposed outreach programs 
from each center and a detailed description of activities, along with a 
proposed schedule of visits. Examples of outreach may include 
collaboration with American Corners and the Internet Access Training 
Program (IATP), organization of education fairs, presentations at local 
high schools, and cooperation with Peace Corps volunteers. The Bureau's 
priority of diversity should be considered when making plans for 
outreach activities to ensure that less represented non-elite 
populations, including the physically challenged, have access to the 
centers' services.
    Statistics: Centers should submit monthly usage statistics to the 
Eurasia REAC and be responsive to special requests for information from 
the Eurasia REAC and ECA/A/S/A. The proposal should also explain how 
the centers are working with public affairs and consular sections of 
the U.S. Embassies in the region to assist the Embassies and students 
in the visa application process.
    Fund-Raising/Cost Defrayment: The proposal should explain any 
measures the advising centers are taking to generate income or defray 
operating costs and include projected savings/income from activities 
during 2005.
    Coordination and Communication: ECA/A/S/A requests that Eurasia 
educational advising centers continue to coordinate major events such 
as workshops, advising fairs, etc. with the REAC and other centers in 
the region or in Europe to prevent similar events from occurring at the 
same time. In accordance with the principles of better customer 
service, such coordination will provide visiting representatives of 
U.S. institutions the opportunity to participate in multiple advising 
fairs on the same trip.
    Advisers at the centers should participate in the Eurasia advising 
listserv and maintain contact with other educational advisers in 
Eurasia and other regions. This listserv is administered by the 
Educational Information and Resources Branch and is open to educational 
advisers working at Department of State-affiliated advising centers.
    Professional Standards, Guidelines and Development: Educational 
advisers should adhere to the OSEAS Standards of Ethical Conduct 
adopted by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
    ECA/A/S/A requests that your organization consider providing cost 
sharing for educational advisers to attend/participate in professional 
development conferences.
    Unless an educational advising center is removed from the list of 
State Department-approved EducationUSA advising centers, each center 
should prominently display in the center and on its website, if one 
exists, the EducationUSA name and logo, as part of the State 
Department's effort to build recognition of the EducationUSA brand.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY2005.
    Approximate Total Funding: $435,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One--Three.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, January 1, 
2005.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2005.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years, 
before openly competing it again.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code 
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide 
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal 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 costs 
which are claimed as your contribution, 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 in like proportion.

III.3 Other Eligibility Requirements

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: 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.

IV.1 Contact Information To Request an Application Package

    Please contact the Educational Information and Resources Branch, 
ECA/A/S/A, Room 349, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20547,

[[Page 60216]]

telephone: 202-260-6936, fax: 202-401-1433, e-mail: [email protected] to 
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number: ECA/A/S/A-05-07 located at the top of this announcement when 
making your request.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document that consists of required application forms, 
and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation 
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria 
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
    Please specify Bureau Program Officer Dorothy Mora and refer to the 
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/A-05-07 located at the top of this 
announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. 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/menu.htm. Please 
read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and eight copies of the application should be 
sent per the instructions under IV.3e. ``Submission Dates and Times 
section'' below. Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' 
and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) 
format on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. embassies and 
consulates in Eurasia for review.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative 
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit 
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. 
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF--424 which is part of the formal application 
package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project 
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative: Proposals should include a plan 
to work with the American Corner network in Eurasia. Proposals should 
also address cooperation with the IATP network and alumni groups where 
practical.
    IV.3d.2 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 disabilities. 
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 your 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.
    IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation. Proposals must include 
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the 
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends 
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes 
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee 
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key 
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning 
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the 
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in 
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan 
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as 
well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation 
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your 
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure 
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic 
organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new 
knowledge gained; continued contacts between

[[Page 60217]]

participants, community members, and others.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.


    Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate 
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-
term outcomes.


    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be 
judged on how well it: (1) Specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation 
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] 
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All 
data collected, including survey responses and contact information, 
must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the 
Bureau upon request.
    Describe your plans for: sustainability, overall program 
management, staffing, coordination with ECA and PAS.
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. 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.
    IV.3.e.2. Allowable costs for the educational advising program 
include the following:
    (1) Educational advising staff salaries and benefits;
    (2) Office supplies and expenses, including rent, communications, 
postage and shipping;
    (3) Outreach and publicity costs;
    (4) Indirect costs; Allowable costs for the REAC include the 
following:
    (1) REAC salary and benefits;
    (2) Travel and per diem costs for site visits and training within 
the Eurasia region;
    (3) Travel for REAC to attend NAFSA National Conference in Seattle, 
Washington for one week, and an additional week of REAC meetings in 
Washington, DC in May/June 2005;
    (4) Program costs for internship training programs and other 
training workshops. This may include participant travel and per diem, 
supplies, venue costs, and honoraria for speakers;
    (5) Office and administrative costs, including communication and 
equipment.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
    Application Deadline Date: Friday, November 12, 2004.
    Explanation of Deadlines: 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 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 uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or 
before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days 
after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under 
this 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. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. 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. 
Applications may not be submitted electronically at this time.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package.

    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure 
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it 
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.


    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/A/S/A-05-07, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. 
embassy(ies) for its(their) review.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public 
Affairs Sections overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards and 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.
    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.

[[Page 60218]]

    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. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    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 Grants 
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 (without Bureau support) ensuring that 
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
    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.
    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.
    12. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects 
should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of State's 
geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential 
impact, and significance in the partner country(ies).

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1a. Award Notices

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. 
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant 
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the 
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. 
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and 
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the 
application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.

VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements 
include the following:

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for 
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements 
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations

    Please reference the following websites for additional information:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

    You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus two copies of 
the following reports:
    A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the 
expiration of the award;
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) 
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and 
provided to the Bureau upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.
    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 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. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: The 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-
260-6936, fax: 202-401-1433, http://exchanges.state.gov/education/educationusa.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/A/S/A-05-07.
    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.

VIII. Other Information

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 per section VI.3 
above.


[[Page 60219]]


    Dated: September 30, 2004.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-22582 Filed 10-6-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P