[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 201 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59136-59141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20594]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5960]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Study of the United States Institutes on American 
Politics and Political Thought, Contemporary American Literature, 
Religious Pluralism in the United States, U.S. Foreign Policy, and for 
Secondary Educators

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.418.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: December 14, 2007.
    Executive Summary: The Branch for the Study of the United States, 
Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, invites proposal submissions for the design and 
implementation of five Study of the United States Institutes to take 
place over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2008. These 
institutes should provide a multinational group of experienced 
educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values 
and institutions.
    Four of these institutes will be for groups of 18 foreign 
university level faculty each, focusing on American Politics and 
Political Thought, Contemporary American Literature, U.S. Foreign 
Policy, and Religious Pluralism in the United States. The fifth 
institute will be a general survey course on the study of the United 
States, for a group of 30 foreign secondary educators.
    Applicants may only propose to host one institute listed under this 
competition.

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: Study of the United States Institutes are intensive 
academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign university 
faculty, secondary educators, and other scholars the opportunity to 
deepen their understanding of American society, culture and 
institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to 
improve the quality of teaching about the United States in academic 
institutions abroad.
    The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals for five different Study 
of the United States Institutes from U.S. colleges, universities, 
consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-for-profit 
academic organizations that have an established reputation in a field 
or discipline related to the specific program themes.
    Overview: Each program should be six weeks in length; participants 
will spend approximately four weeks at the host institution, and 
approximately two weeks on the educational study tour, including two to 
three days in Washington, DC, at the conclusion of the institute. The 
educational travel component should directly complement the academic 
program, and should include visits to cities and other sites of 
interest in the region around the grantee institution, as well as to 
another geographic region of the country. The grantee institution also 
will be expected to provide participants with guidance and resources 
for further investigation and research on the topics and issues 
examined during the institute after they return home.
    The Study of the United States Institute on American Politics and 
Political Thought should provide a multinational group of 18 
experienced foreign university faculty with a deeper understanding of 
U.S. political institutions and major currents in American political 
thought. The institute should provide the foreign participants insight 
into how intellectual and political movements have influenced modern 
American political institutions. The institute should provide an 
overview of political thought during the founding period 
(constitutional foundations), and the development and current 
functioning of the American presidency, Congress and the federal 
judiciary. The examination of political institutions might be expanded 
to include the electoral system, political parties and interest groups, 
the civil service system, media and think tanks, or the welfare/
regulatory state. The institute should address modern political and 
cultural issues in the United States (including but not limited to 
civil rights, women's rights, immigration, etc.), and the significance 
of public discourse in the formulation of public policy. One award of 
up to $280,000 will support this institute.
    The Study of the United States Institute on Contemporary American 
Literature should provide a multinational group of up to 18 experienced 
foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of 
U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of 
contemporary American literature. Its purpose is twofold: (1) To 
explore contemporary American writers and writing in a variety of 
genres; and (2) to suggest how the themes explored in those works 
reflect larger currents within contemporary American society and 
culture. The program should explore the diversity of the American 
literary landscape, examining how major contemporary writers, schools 
and movements reflect the traditions of the American literary canon. At 
the same time, the program should expose participants to writers who 
represent a departure from that tradition, and who are establishing new 
directions for American literature. One award of up to $280,000 will 
support this institute.
    The Study of the United States Institute on Religious Pluralism in 
the United States should provide a multinational group of up to 18 
experienced foreign university faculty and practitioners with a deeper 
understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an 
examination of religious pluralism in the United States and its 
intersection with American democracy. Employing a multi-disciplinary 
approach, drawing on fields such as history, political science, 
sociology, anthropology, law and others where appropriate, the program 
should explore both the historical and contemporary relationship 
between church and state in the United States; examine the ways in 
which religious thought and practice have influenced, and been 
influenced by, the development of American-style democracy; examine the 
intersections of religion and politics in the United States in such 
areas as elections, public policy,

[[Page 59137]]

and foreign policy; and explore the sociology and demography of 
religion in the United States today, including a survey of the 
diversity of contemporary religious beliefs and its impact on American 
politics. One award of up to $280,000 will support this institute.
    The Study of the U.S. Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy should 
provide a multinational group of 18 experienced foreign university 
faculty with a deeper understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is 
formulated and implemented with an emphasis on the post Cold War 
period. This institute should begin with a review of the historical 
development of U.S. foreign policy and cover significant events, 
individuals, and philosophies that have dominated U.S. foreign policy. 
In addition, the institute should explain the role of key players in 
the field of foreign policy including the executive and legislative 
branches, the media, public opinion, think-tanks, non-governmental and 
international organizations and how these players debate, cooperate, 
influence policy, and are held accountable. Regional sessions, for the 
entire group, highlighting salient topics such as energy security and 
environmental policy in Europe; trade and human rights issues in Asia; 
foreign aid and humanitarian assistance in Africa; drug trafficking and 
immigration issues for the Western Hemisphere; and combating terrorism 
in the Near East and South Asia are among the relevant issues that 
might be explored. In addition, sessions focusing on current issues 
such nuclear disarmament, the Middle East peace process, or U.S. 
military actions would be appropriate. The host institution should 
provide a comprehensive and cohesive program, ensuring that a diversity 
of views is presented and remain flexible based on final composition of 
the participant group. One award of up to $280,000 will support this 
institute.
    The Study of the U.S. Institute for Secondary Educators should 
provide a multinational group of 30 experienced secondary school 
educators (teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook 
writers, education ministry officials) with a deeper understanding of 
U.S. society, education, and culture, past and present. The institute 
should be organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. 
civilization and should have a strong contemporary component. Through a 
combination of traditional, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary 
approaches, program content should be integrated in order to elucidate 
the history and evolution of U.S. educational institutions and values, 
broadly defined. The program should also serve to illuminate 
contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American 
society. One award of up to $350,000 will support this institute.
    Program Design: Each Study of the U.S. Institute should be designed 
as an intensive, academically rigorous seminar for an experienced group 
of educators from abroad. Each institute should be organized through an 
integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar discussions, regional 
travel and site visits, and should also include sessions that expose 
participants to U.S. pedagogical philosophy and practice for teaching 
the discipline. Each institute should also include some opportunity for 
limited but well-directed independent research.
    Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs 
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources 
of their institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized 
expertise of scholars and other experts throughout the United States.
    Further details on specific program responsibilities can be found 
in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document. 
Interested organizations should read the entire Federal Register 
announcement for all information prior to preparing proposals. Please 
refer to the solicitation package for further instructions.

    Please note: In a cooperative agreement, the Branch for the 
Study of the United States is substantially involved in program 
activities above and beyond routine grant monitoring. The Branch 
will assume the following responsibilities for the institute: 
participate in the selection of participants; oversee the institute 
through one or more site visits; debrief participants in Washington, 
DC at the conclusion of the institute; and engage in follow-on 
communication with the participants after they return to their home 
countries. The Branch may request that the grantee institution make 
modifications to the academic residency and/or educational travel 
components of the program. The recipient will be required to obtain 
approval of significant program changes in advance of their 
implementation.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is detailed in the previous paragraph.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2008 (pending availability of funds).
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,470,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 5.
    Approximate Average Award: Four awards of $280,000 for 18 
participants each; one award of $350,000 for 30 participants.
    Floor of Award Range: $280,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, March 1, 
2008.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 2008
    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 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 
strongly 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.) 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 five grants 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.
    (b.) Technical Eligibility: It is the Bureau's intent to award five 
separate cooperative agreements to five different institutions under 
this competition. Therefore prospective applicants may

[[Page 59138]]

only submit one proposal under this competition. All applicants must 
comply with this requirement. Should an applicant submit multiple 
proposals under this competition, all proposals will be declared 
technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review 
process.

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 Branch for the Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS, 
Room 314, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202) 453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533 to 
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/A/E/USS-08-05 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. It also 
contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) 
document, which provides specific information, award criteria and 
budget instructions tailored to this competition.
    For specific questions on the institutes on American Politics and 
Political Thought or Religious Pluralism in the United States, please 
specify Brendan Walsh, [email protected]. For specific questions on the 
institute on Secondary Educators, please specify Jennifer Phillips, 
[email protected]. For specific questions on the institute on U.S. 
Foreign Policy or Contemporary American Literature, please specify 
Sanda Chao, [email protected] and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/A/E/USS-08-05 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 section IV.3f, ``Application 
Deadline and Methods of Submission,'' 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 form 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 PSI document and the 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 
applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the 
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 
part 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, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    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.
    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 
(V.2.) 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 strongly 
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

[[Page 59139]]

(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 overall program management, 
staffing, and coordination with Branch for the Study of the United 
States. The Branch considers these to be essential elements of your 
program; please be sure to give sufficient attention to them in your 
proposal. Please refer to the Technical Eligibility Requirements and 
the POGI in the Solicitation Package for specific guidelines.
    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 institute. Awards for the institutes on American Politics and 
Political Theory, Contemporary American Literature, U.S. Foreign 
Policy, and Religious Pluralism in the United States may not exceed 
$280,000. The award for the institute for Secondary Educators may not 
exceed $350,000. While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to 
program costs, the Bureau urges applicant organizations to keep 
administrative costs as low and reasonable as possible. 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) Institute staff salary and benefits.
    (2) Participant housing and meals.
    (3) Participant travel and per diem.
    (4) Textbooks, educational materials and admissions fees.
    (5) Honoraria for guest speakers.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: December 14, 2007.
    Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.
    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 eight (8) copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, Reference Number: ECA/A/E/USS-08-05.

[[Page 59140]]

    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 regional bureaus and Public 
Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies and for their review, as 
appropriate.
    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.
    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 
ECA program office and the Public Affairs Sections, 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 cooperative agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants 
Officer.
    V.2. 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 Program Idea/Plan: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission. Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate 
substantive undertakings and logistical capacity.
    2. Ability to Achieve Overall Program Objectives: Objectives should 
be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    3. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (program venue, 
study tour venue, and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, site visits, program meetings and 
resource materials).
    4. Evaluation and Follow-Up: Proposals should include a plan to 
evaluate the institute's success, both as the activities unfold and at 
the end of the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique 
plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
institute objectives is strongly recommended. Proposals should also 
discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned grantees as a means 
of establishing longer-term individual and institutional linkages.
    5. Cost-Effectiveness/Cost-Sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be 
kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and 
appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other 
private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    6. Institutional Track 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. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be fully qualified to 
achieve the institute's goals.

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 one (1) copy of the final program and financial report no 
more than 90 days after the expiration of the award.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
Please refer to Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3d.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.

[[Page 59141]]

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Branch for the 
Study of the United States, ECA/A/E/USS, Room 314, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; tel. (202) 
453-8540; fax (202) 453-8533. For specific questions on the institutes 
on American Politics and Political Thought or Religious Pluralism in 
the United States, please contact Brendan Walsh, [email protected]. For 
specific questions on the institute on Secondary Educators, please 
contact Jennifer Phillips, [email protected]. For specific questions 
on the institute on U.S. Foreign Policy or Contemporary American 
Literature, please contact Sanda Chao, [email protected]. All 
correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference 
the title ``Study of the U.S. Institutes'' and number ECA/A/E/USS-08-
05.
    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: October 9, 2007.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. E7-20594 Filed 10-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P