[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 75 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19737-19744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7462]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5780]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Fellowships in the Visual Arts, Film, and Architecture 
and Urban Design

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-07-60.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: May 29, 2007.
    Executive Summary: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
will award up to three Cooperative Agreements to support programs for 
short residency and training programs in the United States for emerging 
and mid-career visual artists, film artists, and architecture and urban 
design professionals from selected countries. Each Cooperative 
Agreement may support artists from one or more of the three categories. 
The foreign participants will be nominated by the Public Affairs 
Sections of U.S. Embassies, in consultation with the grantee. Grantees 
will develop 30-60 day programs in the United States for the nominated 
participants, individually or in small groups. Each program should be 
built around a residency experience, which may be supplemented by other 
program elements designed to enhance and expand upon the activities of 
the residency. The goal of each project is to increase cross-cultural 
understanding internationally by providing program participants with an 
in-depth exposure to their professional discipline as practiced in the 
United States; outreach to U.S. colleagues and publics, and 
opportunities for creation and exhibition of their work.

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

[[Page 19738]]

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 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs Division offers a new funding 
opportunity for organizations to develop short residency and training 
programs in the United States for emerging and mid-career visual 
artists, film artists, and architecture and urban design professionals 
from selected countries. The Bureau expects to award up to three 
Cooperative Agreements, one for work with each category of artist, and 
expects each Cooperative Agreement to be approximately $250,000 to 
$500,000, including administrative costs. Each proposal may include 
artists from one of the three categories. Applicants may submit 
separate proposals in up to two categories. Contingent on the quality 
of the proposals submitted and their responsiveness to this RFGP, the 
Bureau anticipates providing funding under this RFGP for each of the 
three categories of artists. For the purpose of this RFGP, visual arts 
includes artistic production in all media of the visual arts; and film 
includes all aspects of production in film and electronic media, 
including features, short films, and documentaries.
    The Bureau seeks to increase cross-cultural understanding 
internationally by providing program participants with an in-depth 
exposure to their professional discipline as practiced in the U.S.; 
outreach to U.S. colleagues and publics, and opportunities for creation 
and exhibition of their work. We will select innovative programs for 
emerging and mid-career professionals in the visual arts, film, and 
architecture and urban design that will introduce them to the diversity 
of cultural expression in the United States, in particular in their 
chosen medium of expression; provide them with hands-on and direct 
experience with new techniques and technology in the arts; offer 
opportunities for interaction with U.S. artists and other arts 
professionals in their discipline; assist them with the development of 
their careers; familiarize them with the business aspects of their 
respective fields, including measures to protect artists' rights; and 
offer them opportunities to share their work with U.S. audiences. Both 
practicing artists and curators and historians of the disciplines 
concerned may be included in these projects.
    Proposals may include programs for individual artists or for 
defined small groups of artists. Each proposal will include several 
programs. The proposal should describe the proposed programs, explain 
how they reflect the diversity of U.S. culture, and show how they 
respond to the needs and interests of artists coming from a variety of 
countries and backgrounds. A program may be for artists in a specific 
discipline (painting, sculpture, animation, etc.) or for groups of 
artists working in different disciplines. In general, all participants 
will have at least limited capacity in English.
    Each program may be 30-60 days in length. Applicants should explain 
their rationale for the length of the program proposed, keeping in mind 
that longer programs will of necessity reduce the total number of 
program participants. Programs should be centered around an artistic 
residency, customized to meet the needs and interests of the 
participants, that includes the foreign program participants as peers 
of U.S. colleagues. Applicants should include other activities that 
will enhance the residency experience, which may include site visits; 
meetings with U.S. artists, curators, designers, architects, film 
directors, cinematographers, and other professionals; public 
presentations of the work of the program participants; workshops for 
U.S. youth, artists, and arts educators. All programs should include 
the opportunity for the participants to create works and to share their 
creation with U.S. colleagues and with the public. Program activities 
complementary to the residency may take place in one or more locations 
in the U.S. This project does not include program activities outside 
the U.S. Participation in university courses for credit may not be 
included in proposals, and participation in conferences will be 
considered only if it is clearly relevant to the professional 
background of the participants and represents only a small part of a 
larger program. Programs that exclusively involve participation in 
summer institutes or other structured training situations are not 
acceptable and will not be funded.
    The Bureau welcomes public presentation of the art work of program 
participants and recognizes its value to mutual understanding. 
Proposals should include opportunities for presentation and for public 
programs, such as panel discussions and other opportunities for program 
participants to discuss their work with U.S. audiences. While Bureau 
funds may be used to support public programming, long-standing ECA 
practice is that Bureau funds are not used for the public presentation 
of art works in the United States, including such costs as shipping, 
framing, installation, gallery rental, or security. Cost sharing may be 
used for presentation costs and should be so noted in the budget.
    Proposals should include sample programs with day-by-day schedules. 
Proposals should also indicate the willingness and ability of the 
applicant to design or adjust specific programs to meet the 
professional goals of the program participants. Key U.S. partner 
institutions should be identified and, where possible, letters of 
support should be provided in the proposal.
    Program participants will be emerging and mid-career professional 
artists in the visual arts, film, and architecture and urban design, 
generally aged 20-40 years from countries identified by the Bureau. ECA 
intends that the program will be highly competitive and that the 
Participants will be nominated by the Public Affairs Section of U.S. 
Embassies, in consultation with local cultural institutions, the ECA 
program office and the grantee. Proposals should describe the proposed 
consultative role of local cultural institutions and the grantee in the 
nomination and selection process.
    Nominations will demonstrate the candidate's record of 
accomplishment in the chosen discipline, the benefits he or she will 
gain from the program, and the impact on cultural relations between the 
U.S. and the country concerned. (Grantees will be encouraged to propose 
names to the Public Affairs section in target countries as part of the 
recruitment process.) In general, participants will not have extensive 
or recent experience in the U.S. The grantee may request nominations 
from a group of countries for a specific program and, if the total 
number of nominations received is greater than the funding allows for 
that program, may select from among the nominees, with the approval of 
the program office.
    Applicants may suggest preferred countries and regions from which 
to draw participants, however, because the priority countries may 
change at any time, applicants must state that they are prepared to 
work with program participants from any country or region. ECA will 
determine the priority or target countries for recruitment of program 
participants. Priority countries will be those in all world regions of 
greatest importance to the Department of State's public diplomacy 
mission of building mutual understanding. Currently, our key priorities 
for cultural exchange programs (subject to change as noted) include 
countries with significant Muslim populations in North Africa, the

[[Page 19739]]

Middle East, South and Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe; China, 
selected countries in Latin America, and certain major countries in 
Africa. However, while priority countries may change, it is unlikely 
that we will include countries whose artistic community has substantial 
and ongoing contact with their counterparts in the U.S.
    Currently, priority countries for this project are:
    Africa (sub-Saharan): Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
    East Asia and the Pacific: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines.
    Europe: Azerbaijan, Turkey.
    Near East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, 
Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank/Gaza, Yemen.
    South and Central Asia: India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, 
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
    Western Hemisphere: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
    Potential program participants will have at least a working 
knowledge of English, sufficient to carry out the residency program 
without interpretation. Applicants may propose interpretation for 
selected ancillary program elements. Normally, the applicant will 
provide the interpreter for these activities; costs for the interpreter 
may be included in the budget.
    We expect that this project will lead to greater artist-to-artist 
and institution-to-institution contact and collaboration across 
international borders. Proposals should describe mechanisms for 
measuring, supporting and enhancing this cooperation during the grant 
period and beyond.
    In the Cooperative Agreements issued under this RFGP, the Bureau 
program office (ECA/PE/C/CU--the Cultural Programs Division) and U.S. 
Embassies abroad are substantially involved in program activities above 
and beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA program office and U.S. 
Embassy activities and responsibilities for this program are as 
follows:
     ECA will determine the priority or target countries for 
recruitment of program participants. Priority countries will be those 
in all world regions of greatest importance to the Department of 
State's public diplomacy mission of building mutual understanding.
     Embassies will nominate all program participants, in 
consultation with local cultural institutions, ECA and the grantee. The 
grantee may propose names for consideration by Embassy Public Affairs 
Sections and will have the opportunity to review the biographic 
information submitted and advise if a specific nominee does not appear 
to have attained an appropriate professional level.
     The ECA program office will review the proposed program 
schedules for each program participant or group of participants.
     Embassies will showcase the participating artists and 
their work, including work developed in or as a result of their 
experience in the U.S., following the artists' return to the home 
country.

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: FY-2007.
    Approximate Total Funding: $750,000-$1.5 million.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Up to three.
    Approximate Average Award: $250,000-$500,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $250,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 
15, 2007.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 15, 2009.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew the cooperative agreements 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 
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

    (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 three 
cooperative agreements, in an amount of $250,000 or more 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) Arts experience: Applicants must demonstrate expertise in, and 
show experience programming in the artistic disciplines (contemporary 
visual arts, fiction or documentary film, and/or architecture and 
design) appropriate to their proposal, as well as experience in the 
administration of substantial residency programs in the arts.
    (c) Iran vetting: The Department of State is expanding its cultural 
exchange programs with the people of Iran. ECA has received a license, 
under the Iran sanctions regulations, from the Department of the 
Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) covering its own and 
its grantees' exchange programs. A condition of that license is that 
grantees must submit information on their Boards of Directors and key 
personnel involved in the project, together with similar information on 
their sub-grantees, for vetting. Because it is likely that participants 
from Iran will be included in every cooperative agreement funded under 
this RFGP, all applicants must be vetted before an award can be made. 
For further information, see section VI.1.b below.

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

[[Page 19740]]

until the proposal review process has been completed.

IV.1 Contact Information To Request an Application Package

    Please contact Ms. Proctor, Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/
CU, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20547, 202-203-7488, [email protected] to request a Solicitation 
Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/CU-07-
60 located at the top of this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/CU-07-60 
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 10 copies of the application should be sent 
per the instructions under IV.3e. ``Submission Dates and Times 
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 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 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:
V.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 your organization has experience as 
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their 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, 
recordkeeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office 
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 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 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,

[[Page 19741]]

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.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. 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.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    1. Travel. International and domestic airfare; visas; transit 
costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air travel 
must be in compliance with the Fly America Act. There is no charge for 
J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs.
    2. Per Diem. It is anticipated that residency programming will be 
economical with costs substantially below published Federal per diem 
rates. For U.S.-based programming outside the residency site, 
organizations may use, as a maximum, the published Federal per diem 
rates for individual U.S. cities. Domestic per diem rates may be 
accessed at: http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that 
reflect the local economy and do not exceed Federal per diem rates. No 
programming in foreign areas is anticipated under this RFGP.
    3. Interpreters. Interpreters will not be authorized for the 
residency program, as participants will be expected to have sufficient 
English for the residency. Interpreters may be authorized, where 
justified, for selected activities complementary to the residency 
itself. Applicants should hire their own locally based interpreters for 
these activities. State Department interpreters will not normally be 
available for these activities.
    4. Book and Cultural Allowances. Foreign participants are entitled 
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book 
allowance of $50. U.S. program staff, trainers or participants are not 
eligible to receive these benefits.
    5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed 
$250 per day. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that 
would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be 
employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective 
grantee and sub-grantee should be included in the proposal. Such sub-
grants should detail the division of responsibilities and proposed 
costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.
    6. Room Rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 
per day. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.
    7. Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and 
translate materials for participants. Costs for high quality 
translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the 
budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all 
program materials to ECA, and ECA support should be acknowledged on all 
materials developed with its funding.
    8. Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to purchase 
equipment, such as computers and printers; these costs should be 
justified in the budget narrative. Costs for furniture are not allowed.
    9. Working Meal. Normally, no more than one working meal may be 
provided during the program. Per capita costs may not exceed $15-$25 
for lunch and $20-$35 for dinner, excluding room rental. The number of 
invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a factor of 
two-to-one.
    10. Return Travel Allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. This allowance 
would cover

[[Page 19742]]

incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during 
their participation in the U.S. program by the ECA-sponsored Accident 
and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for which the grantee must 
enroll them. Details of that policy can be provided by the contact 
officers identified in this solicitation. The premium is paid by ECA 
and should not be included in the grant proposal budget. However, 
applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. 
participants in the budget.
    12. In-country Travel Costs for Visa Processing Purposes. Given the 
requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported 
participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated 
with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.
    13. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. While there is no 
rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which the 
administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested ECA grant 
funds will be more competitive under the cost effectiveness and cost 
sharing criterion, per item V.1 below. Proposals should show strong 
administrative cost sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-
country partner and other sources.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3F. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2007.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-07-60.
    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 and ten (10) copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-07-60, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications 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.
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).
    Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could 
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate 
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP 
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov.
    Once registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an 
application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the 
size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. 
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the 
application deadline to begin the submission process through 
Grants.gov.
    Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and 
submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support
    Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726.
    Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time.
    E-mail: grants.gov">support@grants.gov.
    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. There are no exceptions to the above 
deadline. 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.
    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.
    It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via 
the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received 
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for 
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
    IV.3f.3 An applicant may submit no more than two proposals under 
this competition; only one proposal may be submitted for each category 
of artists included in this RFGP (visual arts; film; architecture and 
urban design).
    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, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and

[[Page 19743]]

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. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission. Proposals must show high artistic merit of the organizations 
and activities included.
    2. Institutional Capacity: The institution must demonstrate a 
successful record of providing residency opportunities for visual 
artists, film artists, and/or architects and urban designers, as 
appropriate to the proposal. The institution must show its professional 
capacity to manage high-quality arts exchange programs. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals, with sufficient 
background in the disciplines concerned. Proposals should demonstrate 
an institutional record of successful exchange programs in the arts, 
including responsible fiscal management.
    3. 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. Program objectives should be clearly stated, reasonable, 
feasible, and flexible. Proposals should explain how they will be 
adapted to meet the needs of participants from countries or world 
regions selected by ECA, and clearly demonstrate how the institution 
will meet the program's objectives and plan.
    4. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: The overhead and 
administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and 
honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be 
necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.
    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 audience, and program evaluation) and 
program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, 
resource materials and follow-up activities).
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program'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 the methodology used to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended.

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.1b. Iran Vetting:
    A critical component of the Administration's Iran policy is the 
support for indigenous Iranian voices calling for freedom. President 
Bush himself has pledged this support and the State Department has made 
the awarding of grants for this purpose a key component of its Iran 
policy. As a condition of licensing these activities, the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has requested the Department of State to 
follow certain procedures to effectuate the goals of Sections 481(b), 
531(a), 571, 582, and 635(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as 
amended); 18 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  2339A and 2339B; Executive Order 13224; 
and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 6. These licensing 
conditions mandate that the Department conduct a vetting of potential 
Iran democracy grantees and sub-grantees for counter-terrorism 
purposes. To conduct this vetting the Department will collect 
information from grantees and sub-grantees regarding the identity and 
background of their key employees and Boards of Directors.
    Should your proposal be ultimately recommended for funding, to 
fulfill these requirements and include Iranians in this proposed 
exchange, your organization will need to submit the names of your Board 
and principle officers as well as the names of any sub-grantees for the 
vetting described above on Form DS-4100 which will be provided at the 
appropriate time.

    Note: To assure that planning for the inclusion of Iran complies 
with requirements, please contact Mr. Mark Larsen at 202-453-8154 or 
Mr. Daniel Schuman at 202-453-8167 for additional information.

    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 award;
    2. Quarterly program and financial reports showing activities 
carried out and expenses incurred in the calendar quarter.
    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

[[Page 19744]]

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.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement: For film programs, contact 
Ms. Susan Cohen at 202-203-7509, [email protected]. For visual arts or 
architecture and design programs, contact: Ms. Leanne Mella at 202-203-
7497, [email protected]. The address for both program officers is 
Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, U.S. Department of State, SA-
44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 567, Washington, DC 20547.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/CU-07-60.
    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: April 12, 2007.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-7462 Filed 4-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P