[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 236 (Thursday, December 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71461-71466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27036]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4921]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Fulbright Senior Scholar Program

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E-06-01.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.401.
    Key Dates: Application Deadline: February 25, 2005.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Academic Programs, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State 
announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to assist in 
the administration of the worldwide Fulbright Senior Scholar Program. 
The Fulbright Senior Scholar Program is a major component of the 
overall Fulbright Program, which also includes the Fulbright Student 
Program.
    For more than 55 years, the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program has 
offered grants for college and university faculty, as well as for non-
academic professionals (such as lawyers and journalists) and 
independent scholars, to lecture and conduct research abroad. Tens of 
thousands of U.S. and non-U.S. scholars and professionals have 
participated in these exchanges since the Fulbright Program's inception 
in 1946.
    The Fulbright Senior Scholar Program will send approximately 1,300 
qualified U.S. scholars and professionals abroad to lecture, conduct 
research, and provide academic consulting at overseas institutions in 
FY 2006. Conversely, the program will bring approximately 920 visiting 
(non-U.S.) grantees from over 140 countries to the United States for 
similar activities.
    Responsibility for the management of the Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program is shared among the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC, 
51 bilateral Fulbright commissions and 99 U.S. embassies overseas, and 
a private sector, cooperating agency in the United States. Overall 
policy guidelines for the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program are 
determined by the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign 
Scholarship Board (FSB).
    The organization that is awarded the cooperative agreement under 
this competition will be responsible for recruitment, selection, 
placement, enhancement activities for grantees, program promotion, and 
record keeping for both the U.S. and Visiting Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Programs. This work will be supervised by the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.

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. The Fulbright Program 
also receives significant annual funding and other support from partner 
governments and private donors worldwide.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as sponsor and 
manager of the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program, plays a significant 
role in the planning and implementation of all program initiatives, 
publicity, promotion and enhancement activities,

[[Page 71462]]

and liaison with overseas field partners. The Bureau should also be 
consulted on participant selection procedures, development of selection 
panels, and stipend and benefit issues. Regular, ongoing contacts with 
Bureau managers will be required throughout the program year. Through 
this Request For Grant Proposal (RFGP), the Department seeks new ideas 
to develop effective responses to changing recruitment conditions, to 
improve the outreach of the program in the U.S. and overseas and to 
take advantage of opportunities to expand the program, as they appear.

Purpose

    The Department of State will provide funding to the successful 
applicant organization to assist in the administration of both the U.S. 
and Visiting Fulbright Senior Scholar Program.
    The Fulbright Program was created by the U.S. Congress at the end 
of World War II to provide the opportunity for future leaders to 
observe and better comprehend the political, economic, and cultural 
institutions and societies of other countries and people. In the 
intervening years, the Fulbright Program has evolved into the premier 
educational exchange program sponsored by the people of the United 
States through their federal government, and thus an important element 
in the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. The Fulbright Program, which 
now extends to more than 150 foreign countries and involves 
approximately 5,000 participants per year, has helped to form and 
inform tens of thousands of the world's leaders in every academic and 
professional field.
    The Senior Scholar portion of the Fulbright Program will engage 
approximately 2,220 scholars and professionals in FY 2006.
    The hallmark of the Fulbright Program is binationalism. The United 
States Government and foreign governments, educational institutions and 
other public and private entities are all partners in this enterprise. 
In many countries of the world, financial contributions from 
governments or public/private sources match or exceed those of the 
United States. Because of its binational nature, the profile of the 
Fulbright Program worldwide reflects a range of objectives and 
interests.
    Under the auspices of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship 
Board, approximately 850 U.S. citizens are awarded traditional, one or 
two semester Fulbright Senior Scholar grants each year through a merit-
based, competitive process, to teach undergraduate or graduate courses, 
collaborate with foreign colleagues on projects, pursue individual 
research, conduct seminars, consult with government ministries and 
educational institutions, advise on curriculum development, and guest 
lecture at universities other than host institutions. The majority of 
grants under the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program are for individual 
awards for lecturing and/or research for an academic semester or 
academic year abroad. All grant opportunities are determined overseas 
by binational Fulbright commissions and U.S. embassies in coordination 
with the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs in Washington, DC. The cooperative organization administering 
the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program is responsible for advertising and 
recruiting applicants in the U.S. and for managing an academic peer 
review process to nominate candidates for participation in the program.
    Similarly, foreign scholars and professionals receive grants each 
year for research, teaching, guest lecturing and academic consulting in 
the United States. These grantees are chosen through open, merit-based 
competitions in each country, which are conducted by a bilateral 
Fulbright commission or, in the absence of a commission, by a U.S. 
embassy.
    In recent years, the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program has embarked 
on a range of new activities in response to changing conditions and 
requirements within the U.S. academic community and varying 
circumstances and emerging needs in overseas academic environments. 
While maintaining its traditional core long-term activities, the 
program now includes shorter-term grant opportunities for both American 
and foreign scholars, new opportunities for collaborative research and 
support for follow-on activities to build lasting links between U.S. 
and foreign academic institutions. These recent initiatives have made 
the Senior Scholar Program more responsive to academic environments and 
more relevant in supporting U.S. national interests. The Department 
continues to seek new program models that respond to changing 
recruitment and placement circumstances in the U.S. and overseas. The 
following are the major, recent initiatives under the Fulbright Senior 
Scholar Program.
    In FY 2006, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will 
continue to seek to strengthen exchanges with the Islamic World. It 
therefore seeks innovative recruitment approaches and creative 
strategies for the U.S. Senior Fulbright Scholar Program in countries 
where a significant portion of the population practices Islam. The 
Bureau is also looking to expand opportunities for visiting scholars 
from the Islamic World to engage U.S. audiences.
    The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program provides short-term (two 
to six weeks) opportunities for approximately 450 American academic 
specialists annually to work with overseas, post-secondary institutions 
on projects ranging from lecturing and participation in teaching 
seminars to collaboration on curriculum and course design.
    The Bureau also brings visiting scholars and professionals from 
abroad to the U.S. for two to six weeks to lecture at U.S. 
universities. This pilot initiative is currently limited to scholars 
from Muslim countries who address U.S. audiences about issues related 
to Islamic society and culture.
    Through the Scholar-in-Residence component of the program, the 
Bureau brings scholars and professionals for an academic semester or 
academic year to U.S. campuses that do not often host foreign scholars. 
These campuses are selected through a competition managed by the 
cooperating agency.
    The Bureau sponsors an annual collaborative research program, the 
Fulbright New Century Scholars Program, on a topic of worldwide 
significance involving 30 U.S. and foreign scholars. This program 
requires close collaboration between the Bureau, the cooperating agency 
in the United States, and Fulbright commissions and U.S. embassies 
overseas. The grantee organization is responsible for seeking private 
sector to supplement government funds based upon the program's direct 
relevance to current world issues.
    The cooperating agency will also be responsible for the development 
and management of the Fulbright Alumni Initiative Awards Program that 
will provide small grants to alumni of the Fulbright Scholar and Senior 
Specialists Programs to expand upon their experience by building 
institutional ties between their home and host institutions.
    The cooperating agency will also be responsible for other specials 
projects as directed by the Office of Academic Exchange Programs, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.
    The Bureau welcomes proposals from applicant organizations for 
other scholarly activities consistent with Fulbright principles that 
are relevant to changing circumstances in the global academic 
community.

[[Page 71463]]

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. The Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs' (ECA) level of involvement in this program is listed 
under number 1 above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2006.
    Approximate Total Funding: $6,560,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: One.
    Approximate Average Award: $6,560,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $6,560,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $6,560,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, October 1, 
2005.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 28, 2008.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
the Bureau's intent to renew this grant for at least four 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 required minimum or maximum percentage for this 
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide the 
maximum level 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, the cooperating agency must maintain written records to 
support all costs that are claimed as your contribution, as well as 
costs to be paid by the Department of State. 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 that the 
cooperating agency does 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

    (a) Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four 
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will 
be limited to $60,000. ECA anticipates awarding one grant, in an amount 
up to $6,560,000 to support program and administrative costs required 
to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are 
ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages 
applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in 
support of its programs.
    (b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
technical eligibility requirements specified in the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) and the Project Objectives, Goals, and 
Implementation (POGI). Failure to do so will result in proposals being 
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in 
the review process.

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 Office of Academic Exchange Programs (ECA/A/E), 
Room 234, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 619-4360, fax (202) 401-5914, e-
mail [email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer 
to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/A/E-06-01) located at the top of 
this announcement when making your request.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, which 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 Ms. Susan Borja and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number (ECA/A/E-06-01) located at the top of this announcement on all 
other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package via the 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 10 copies of the application should be sent 
per the instructions under IV.3e. ``Submission Dates and Times 
section'' below.
    IV.3a. Applicants 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:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa
    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

[[Page 71464]]

applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the 
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 
62, 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, 
recordkeeping, reporting and other requirements. The grantee will be 
responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms for all non-U.S. participants in 
the Fulbright Senior Scholar 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.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
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 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.
    IV.3d.4. Describe your plans for: i.e., sustainability, overall 
program management, staffing, coordination with ECA, Fulbright 
commissions, and U.S. embassies' Public Affairs Sections or any other 
requirements etc.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Depending on the availability of funds, up to 
$6,560,000 in U.S. Government funding will be available to support the 
administration of the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program worldwide in FY 
2006. In addition, a program budget totaling approximately $45,000,000 
for the global Fulbright Senior Scholar Program will be transferred to 
the grantee organization at

[[Page 71465]]

regular intervals to cover the cost of individual participant grants.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following: 
Staff salaries and benefits, rent, furniture and equipment, travel, 
communications, printing/publishing, and other fees associated with the 
normal administration of exchange programs.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times
    Application Deadline Date: February 25, 2005.

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 10 hard copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/E 06-01, 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 (ECA/A/E 06-01) 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.

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 Section at U.S. embassies 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 (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. Program Planning: Proposals should respond to the planning 
requirements outlined in the RFGP. Planning should demonstrate 
substantive and rigorous preparation. A detailed agenda and work plan, 
including a timeline, should demonstrate feasibility and the 
applicant's logistical capacity to implement the program.
    2. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the applicant will fulfill the program's objectives and 
implement plans, while demonstrating innovation and a commitment to 
academic excellence. Proposals should demonstrate a capacity for 
flexibility in the management of the program.
    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 (included in Solicitation 
Packet). Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both 
program administration (selection of participants, program venues and 
program evaluation) and program content (orientations, program 
meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities). Individual 
grant awards as well as institutional participation should reflect the 
Fulbright Program's historic commitment to diversity.
    5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve Fulbright 
Senior Scholar Program goals in all respects. Applicants should 
demonstrate well-established links to the scholarly and professional 
community in the U.S. and knowledge of other educational environments, 
particularly an awareness of conditions in societies and educational 
institutions outside of the United States as they apply to academic and 
professional exchange programs. Applicants should demonstrate their 
capacity to provide information management compatible with ECA's 
systems as described in section VI.4. ``Additional Program Data 
Requirements'' in the RFGP.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the success of the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program in all its 
components, both as program activities unfold and at the end of the 
individual grant cycles. Applicants should anticipate working closely 
with ECA on these evaluation activities.
    9. 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.

[[Page 71466]]

    10. Cost Sharing: The proposal should maximize cost sharing through 
U.S. private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions. Preference will be given to proposal that demonstrate 
innovative approaches to the leveraging of funds, fundraising, and 
other sharing of costs. Note: The Fulbright Senior Scholar Program has 
historically enjoyed significant financial and other support from the 
U.S. and foreign academic communities and it is important that such 
support continues and be expanded wherever possible.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. 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 Web sites 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:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the first year of the cooperative agreement;
    (2) Quarterly program and financial reports.
    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.

VI.4. Additional Program Data Requirements

    The grantee awarded this cooperative agreement 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 on demand. As a minimum, the data must include the following: 
Full name of applicant, home country address and contact information, 
host country affiliation, academic or professional discipline and 
biographical information (for example, but not limited to, date of 
birth, gender, country of birth, country of citizenship) for all 
participants awarded funding under the auspices of the Fulbright Senior 
Scholar Program. This includes the traditional Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program and the recently developed New Century Scholars Program, 
Fulbright Senior Specialists Program, and the Direct Access to the 
Muslim World Visiting Specialist Program for scholars from the Islamic 
World. Applicant must consult with ECA/A/E to determine the 
requirements of the Bureau's Academic Exchanges Information System 
(AEIS) database.

VII. Department Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Ms. Susan Borja, 
Office of Academic Exchange Programs (ECA/A/E), Room 234, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
Telephone (202) 619-4360, Fax (202) 401-5914, e-mail 
[email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number: ECA/A/E-06-01.
    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.

    Dated: December 2, 2004.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-27036 Filed 12-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P