[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 207 (Thursday, October 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62642-62647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17977]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5593]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-10.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Application Deadline: December 13, 2006.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs 
Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. 
Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) will 
submit proposals to recruit and select English-speaking high school 
students in Iraq and conduct month-long projects in the United States 
for student groups that focus on leadership development and civic 
education.

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 Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program is being 
introduced to offer youth from Iraq an opportunity to learn about the 
United States, to develop their leadership skills, and to develop 
friendships. The Office of Citizen Exchanges' Youth Programs Division, 
through the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program, will sponsor 
approximately 200 Iraqi exchange participants, ages 15-17, in a series 
of intensive one-month-long projects in the summers of 2007 and 2008. 
Programs will be designed to provide educational and recreational 
opportunities to experience a democratic and free society firsthand.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges' Youth Programs Division will bring 
100 young people from Iraq to the United States through a series of 
month-long programs in the summer of 2007 and a minimum of 100 students 
in the summer of 2008. The grant recipient organizations will recruit, 
screen, and select the exchange participants, in consultation with, but 
without reliance on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The grantee 
organization will prepare the students for both the content and the 
logistics of the exchange. Students will travel to the United States in 
groups of 20 to 30 with adult accompaniment.
    Grant recipient organizations will be responsible for the entire 
cycle of each program to include: Recruitment, screening and selection 
of Iraqi and American students; management of travel documents, 
international and domestic airline reservations for students and adult 
chaperones; preparation and oversight of all programmatic components in 
the U.S.; provision of follow on activities and support for grantee 
alumni.
    For each summer's program, an applicant organization will plan to 
recruit between 20 and 100 exchange participants in Iraq. There is no 
limit on the number of groups each applicant plans to organize. 
However, since a delegation will include between 20 and 30 students, 
any organization that plans to recruit more than 30 participants will 
also need to propose to arrange U.S. program activity for more than one 
delegation. ECA intends to award multiple grants in order for 100 
students to travel to the U.S. for each summer's program. Applicant 
organizations will be responsible for arranging all activities in the 
U.S. directly or in collaboration with partner organizations, which 
must be identified in the proposal. The applicant will take into 
account that Iraqi students may have little or no prior knowledge of 
the United States and varying degrees of experience in expressing their 
opinions in a classroom setting, therefore, component activities will 
be tailored accordingly. Every effort will be made to encourage active 
student participation in all aspects of a program.
    Components for each program group will include: (A) A two-week 
period of community stays with activities designed to enhance student 
leadership skills, expose students to grass-roots democratic 
institutions and processes, and strengthen English language 
proficiency; (B) a week at a camp or other summer program site where 
students can have structured interaction with American youth and with 
each other; and (C) a civic education week in Washington, DC for Iraqi 
students only. Follow-up activities in Iraq for alumni from each grant 
recipient alumni will be designed to reinforce the lessons learned on 
the exchange and enable the alumni to apply their new skills in their 
community.
    A successful project will be one that nurtures a cadre of students 
to be actively engaged in addressing issues in their schools and 
communities upon their return home and that equips students with the 
knowledge, skills, and confidence to do so. By the end of the program, 
students will also have developed relationships with their peers

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in the United States and within their delegation, will have gained an 
accurate impression of the people of the U.S., and will have an 
understanding of the values of democracy and freedom and the role they 
play in how Americans conduct their lives.
    Goals:
     To promote mutual understanding between the United States 
and the people of Iraq;
     To develop a sense of civic responsibility and commitment 
to community development among youth; and
     To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, 
religious, and national groups.
    Applicants will identify their own specific program objectives as 
well as measurable outcomes based on the program goals and 
specifications provided in this solicitation. Applicants will outline 
their capacity for doing projects of this nature, focusing on three 
areas of competency: (1) Provision of leadership and civic education 
programming, (2) age-appropriate programming for youth, and (3) prior 
work with individuals from the Middle East.
    Iraq-based Activity: Recipients of the grant will demonstrate a 
capacity to work effectively in Iraq and manage the following 
activities in consultation with, but without reliance on the U.S. 
Embassy in Baghdad.
    (1) Recruit, screen, and select 20 to 100 Iraqi high school 
students, ages 15-17, for month-long programs in the United States 
during summer 2007, with an additional, similar cycle of recruitment 
for programs in the summer of 2008. Recruitment and selection will be 
coordinated in partnership with the Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the 
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
    (2) Assist selected participants with obtaining J-1 visas to the 
United States with sufficient lead-time. Submit requests for DS-2019 
forms and U.S. visa applications to the Youth Programs Division of the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and U.S. Embassy in Baghdad 
at least 100 days before the beginning of travel to the United States.
    (3) Provide pre-departure orientations in a third country for all 
Iraqi students chosen to participate.
    (4) Serve as liaison with natural parents.
    (5) Provide international roundtrip travel arrangements to 
Washington, DC for students and adult chaperones.
    (6) Coordinate with and oversee partner organizations that will be 
providing context for U.S. program activity.
    (7) Manage in-country follow-on activities designed for grantee 
organization alumni.
    (8) Consult with and make alumni contact information available to 
the organization selected to implement the All-Alumni Conference.
    (9) Create and manage an online communication portal for grantee 
organization alumni to continue dialogue and carry out action plans 
that promote program objectives. The portal can also be used to track 
alumni addresses, and will take every precaution to safeguard student 
security.
    U.S.-based Activity: The grant recipients will be responsible for 
the following by administering the activities directly or through 
partner organizations.
    (1) Recruit and select American youth who will participate in the 
camp.
    (2) Recruit and select American host families.
    (3) Provide orientations for American families and youth, and a 
welcome orientation for Iraqi participants.
    (4) Design and plan activities that provide a substantive program 
on civic education and leadership through both academic and 
extracurricular components.
    (5) Manage logistical arrangements, disburse stipends/per diem, and 
arrange domestic travel, and ground transportation travel between 
sites.
    (6) Organize a closing session in Washington, DC to summarize 
program activities and prepare the Iraqi participants for their return 
home.
    Participants: Selection will focus on teenagers, aged 15-17, from 
across Iraq who represent the ethnic, religious, and geographic 
diversity of the Iraqi population. Students should speak sufficient 
English to be able to communicate without interpretation. They should 
demonstrate an interest in the project theme and exhibit maturity, 
flexibility, and open-mindedness.
    Each program will also include American students, also aged 15-17, 
who will be recruited and selected by the grant recipient organization 
or their partner organization. The American students will have a 
demonstrated interest in the project theme and will exhibit maturity, 
flexibility, and open-mindedness.
    Each program will involve a delegation from Iraq of between 20-30 
participants. They will be joined by a delegation of American students 
for the camp component; these may or may not be the same American 
students who are involved in the community stay component. The group of 
selected American teenagers will be at least half the size of the Iraqi 
delegation (e.g., a delegation of 30 Iraqis will be joined by 15 
American students). Applicants will specify the size and composition of 
each delegation in their proposal.
    Each delegation will have adult accompaniment on the international 
flight to the United States, and adult staff will be available to 
support the participants during the course of each component of the 
exchange.
    U.S. Program: Each of the month-long programs will begin and end in 
Washington, DC, starting with a two-day orientation and wrapping up 
with a civic education workshop and a one-day debriefing session. The 
homestay and camp experiences will allow Iraqi and American students to 
build relationships and will combine both recreational and substantive 
elements on such topics as conflict management, participatory 
democracy, community service, media literacy, ethics and 
accountability, and free enterprise. The U.S. program will focus 
primarily on interactive activities, practical experiences, and other 
hands-on opportunities to explore such topics. The activities of the 
project could include a mix of workshops, simulations and role-playing, 
meetings, classroom visits, shadowing, tours, training, and social time 
among peers. The civic education workshop will include briefings, 
simulations, and discussions on citizen participation and the 
fundamentals of the American democratic system of government.
    The primary components are described here in more detail. Two weeks 
of community stay will take place after orientation sessions in 
Washington, DC to be followed by a one-week camp component. The civic 
education workshop in Washington, DC will take place during the last 
week of the exchange. Proposals will demonstrate how each program 
component links to the identified theme.
    1. Community stay: During community stays, the Iraqi students will 
live with American families and witness everyday life in the United 
States. Members of the delegation can be placed in one or more 
community but will be clustered in small groups so that program 
activities are planned together. Brief English language sessions will 
be built into morning activities to build vocabulary and students can 
practice with their host families in the evening. Social, recreational, 
and cultural activities with host families will be balanced with 
supplementary activities organized by the grantee organization to 
provide an understanding of how a community works and local examples of

[[Page 62644]]

democratic practices. Examples of activities include site visits to a 
courthouse, a media outlet, and/or a school; meetings with local 
government officials, non-profit organizations, and business leaders; 
or shadowing opportunities. At least one day each of leadership 
development training and of community service is required. 
Opportunities for students to interact with American teenagers will be 
included whenever appropriate. [Two weeks]
    2. Camp: The venue for this ``camp'' may be an actual camp, but can 
also be a college campus, residential hotel, or other site that allows 
selected Iraqi and American students to build relationships in a 
relatively sheltered environment. During the week, students will 
explore in-depth a topic of interest to be identified by the applicant 
in its proposal. This topic of interest will be conflict management, 
participatory democracy, rule of law, media literacy, ethics and 
accountability, free enterprise, and/or other topics selected and 
justified by the applicant. Applicants are encouraged to include 
innovative activities or events in sports, math and science, and the 
arts that provide a cultural context regarding the topic being 
explored. [One week]
    3. Civic education workshop: The civic education workshop in 
Washington, DC for Iraqi students only will include briefings, 
workshops, simulations, and discussions on citizen participation and 
the fundamentals of the American democratic system of government. 
Students will learn about the three branches of government and 
federalism, and in turn see how a system of checks and balances 
protects the rights of minorities for people of the country. Visits 
with Congressional and Executive branch representatives will be 
included. [One week]
    The U.S. program activities must take place in any month-long 
period between June 20 and September 10, 2007 and in the same time 
period in summer 2008. Applicants will propose the periods of the 
exchanges, but the exact timing of each program may be altered through 
mutual agreement with the Department of State.
    OPTIONAL All-Alumni Conference: Applicants may propose to implement 
an All-Alumni Conference, a follow-on gathering in a third country, for 
all 200 alumni approximately four to six months after the set of 
programs during summer 2008. Only one applicant will be selected to 
conduct the conference. The organization selected for the final follow-
on gathering will be assigned responsibility to coordinate with other 
grantee organizations to track and support all alumni. Approximate 
funding available is $250,000. Note: A proposal that includes an All-
Alumni Conference will have this component reviewed separately from the 
other three mandatory program components, using the same published 
review criteria.
    The activity will help reinforce the lessons of the exchanges, 
acquaint both summer cohorts of alumni with each other, and demonstrate 
the impact of the program. A conference or seminar setting is preferred 
and will also include some additional practical skills training, 
although that will be secondary to reinforcing the topics of the U.S. 
programs. The activity will have several purposes, including (1) to 
ensure that alumni have an opportunity to engage with each other in 
activities that will help them continue their experience; and (2) to 
provide a resource that can be used to expand and enhance the U.S. 
programs.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: Prior year USAID resources transferred to ECA 
for obligation in FY-2007.
    Approximate Total Funding: $2,312,500.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Three.
    Floor of Award Range: $400,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $2,312,500.
    Anticipated Award Date: March 15, 2007, pending availability of 
funds.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: Approximately 24 months after 
start date.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew these grants for two additional fiscal years 
before openly competing them 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 
that 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

    a. Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be 
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding grant in 
amounts over $60,000 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.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete 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 Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 224, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, Telephone (202) 453-8149, Fax (202) 453-8169, E-mail: 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer 
to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-07-10) located at the 
top of this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from http://www.grants.gov/. Please see section IV.3f for further 
information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required

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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 Astrida Levensteins and refer 
to the Funding Opportunity Number 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, or 
from the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
    Please read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under 
IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and Methods of Submission'' section 
below.
    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 form that 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 
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered 
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the Responsible 
Officer for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which covers 
the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). 
Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving grants under 
this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating with or assisting the 
sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The actions of 
grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the sponsor in 
evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR part 62. Therefore, 
the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant under this 
competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the Bureau 
to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and 
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program 
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that 
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all 
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs 
as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If the applicant organization has 
experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the 
applicant should discuss its record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 
et. seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and 
Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program 
participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to 
participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and 
security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program. Requests for DS-
2019 forms will be submitted to Bureau Program Officer Astrida 
Levensteins at least 100 days before the beginning of travel to the 
U.S.
    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) 203-5029. 
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
    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 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 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.

[[Page 62646]]

    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.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. Awards may not exceed the amount specified. There must 
be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both 
administrative and program budgets. Applicants applying to implement 
more than one project must provide separate subbudgets for each.
    Please refer to the other documents in the Solicitation Package for 
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: December 13, 2006.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-10.
    Methods of Submission
    Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:
    1. In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
    2. Electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
    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.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications. Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. 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. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure 
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to 
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal 
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for 
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.

    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, one fully-tabbed copy, and six copies of the 
application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 8 copies) should be sent to: 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-10, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the executive summary, proposal 
narrative, budget section, and any important appendices as e-mail 
attachments in Microsoft Word and Excel to the following e-mail 
address: [email protected]. In the e-mail message subject line, 
include the name of the applicant organization and the partner country.
    IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic Applications. Applicants have the 
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov 
(http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available 
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system. Please follow the 
instructions available in the ``Get Started'' portion of the site 
(http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.) Washington, DC time of the 
closing date to ensure that their entire application has been uploaded 
to the Grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site after 
midnight of the application deadline date will be automatically 
rejected by the grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.

[[Page 62647]]

    Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from Grants.gov upon 
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you 
upon receipt of electronic applications.
    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 
Diplomacy section overseas. Eligible proposals will be subject to 
compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and 
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may 
also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other 
Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and 
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards 
(grants) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    Please see the review criteria in the accompanying Project 
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.

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 one copy of the 
following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) Interim reports, as required in the Bureau grant agreement.
    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. 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 workdays prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Astrida 
Levensteins, Program Officer, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), 
Room 224, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone (202) 453-8149, Fax (202) 453-8169, E-
mail: [email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-07-10.
    Please read the complete 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: October 18, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
 [FR Doc. E6-17977 Filed 10-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P