[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 234 (Thursday, December 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73974-73986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28737]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6442]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Open Competition for Professional Exchange Programs in 
Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Central 
Asia and the Western Hemisphere and the Nqwang Choephel Fellowship 
Program for Tibet

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C-09-01.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: February 20, 2009.
    Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, of 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for grants that support exchanges and build relationships 
between U.S. non-profit organizations and civil society and cultural 
groups in Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South 
Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere. Pending availability of funds, 
it is anticipated that approximately $5,600,000 or more will be 
available to support this competition. ECA/PE/C expects to fund 
approximately 10-15 projects under this competition in FY 2009. U.S. 
public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
Internal Revenue code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals 
that support the goals of The Professional Exchange Program. Projects 
should promote mutual understanding and partnerships between key 
professional and cultural groups in the United States and counterpart 
groups in other countries through multi-phased exchanges taking place 
over one to two years. Proposals should encourage citizen engagement in 
current issues and promote the development of democratic societies and 
institutions, with a view toward creating a more stable world. All 
programs should be two-way exchanges and involve participants from the 
U.S. and foreign countries.
    Proposed projects should transform institutional and individual 
understanding of key issues, foster dialogue, share expertise, and 
develop capacity. Through these people-to-people exchanges, the Bureau 
seeks to break down stereotypes that divide peoples, to promote good 
governance and economic growth, to contribute to conflict prevention 
and management, and to build respect for cultural expression and 
identity in the world. Projects should be structured to allow American 
professionals and their international counterparts in eligible 
countries to develop a common dialogue for dealing with shared 
challenges and concerns. Projects should include current or potential 
leaders who will effect positive change in their communities.
    Applicants may not submit more than one proposal per theme in this 
competition. Also, applicants may not include countries not eligible 
under a specific theme designated in the RFGP. Proposals that do so 
will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further 
consideration in the review process. For the purposes of this 
competition, eligible regions are Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Near 
East, North Africa, South Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. No 
guarantee is made or implied that grants will be awarded in all themes 
and for all countries listed.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is 
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural

[[Page 73975]]

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 competition is based on the premise that people-to-
people exchanges encourage and strengthen understanding of democratic 
values, nurture the social, political, cultural, and economic 
development of societies and encourage a more active citizenry. 
Exchanges supported by institutional grants from the Bureau should 
operate at two levels: They should enhance partnerships between U.S. 
and foreign institutions, and they should establish a common language 
to develop practical solutions for shared problems and concerns. The 
Bureau is particularly interested in projects that will create mutually 
beneficial and self-sustaining linkages between professional 
communities in the U.S. and their counterpart communities in other 
countries. Applicants must identify the U.S. and foreign organizations 
and individuals with whom they are proposing to collaborate and 
describe previous cooperative activities, if any. Information about the 
mission, activities, and accomplishments of partner organizations 
should be included in the submission. Proposals should contain letters 
of commitment or support from partner organizations for the proposed 
project. Applicants should clearly outline and describe the role and 
responsibilities of all partner organizations in terms of project 
logistics, management and oversight.
    Competitive proposals will include the following:
     A brief description of the theme to be addressed and how 
it relates to the target country or region. (Proposals that request 
resources for an initial needs assessment will be deemed less 
competitive under the review criterion Program Planning and Ability to 
Achieve Objectives, per item V.1 below.);
     A clear, succinct statement of program objectives and 
expected outcomes that responds to Bureau goals as listed in this RFGP. 
Desired outcomes should be described in qualitative and quantitative 
terms. (See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section per item V.1 
below, for more information on project objectives and outcomes.);
     A proposed timeline;
     A description of participant recruitment and selection 
processes;
     Letters of support from foreign and U.S. partners. 
(Letters from prospective partner institutions should demonstrate a 
capacity to arrange and conduct U.S. and overseas activities.);
     An outline of the applicant organization's relevant 
expertise in the project theme and country(ies);
     An outline of relevant experience managing previous 
exchange programs;
     Resumes of experienced staff who have demonstrated a 
commitment to implement and monitor projects and ensure outcomes;
     A comprehensive plan to evaluate whether program outcomes 
will achieve the specific objectives described in the narrative. (See 
the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section [IV.3d.d below] for 
further guidance on evaluation.);
     A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans 
to maintain contacts initiated through the program. Applicants should 
discuss ways that U.S. and foreign participants or host institutions 
will collaborate and communicate after the ECA-funded grant has 
concluded. (See Review Criterion 5, per item V.1 below for 
more information on post-grant activities.)
     Successful projects will demonstrate the importance 
Americans place on community service as an element of active 
citizenship and may include ideas and projects to strengthen civil 
society through community service either during participants' stay in 
the U.S. or upon their return to their countries.
     In addition to addressing the specific themes described 
below, proposals should develop partner organizations' capacity in such 
areas as strategic planning, performance management, fund raising, 
financial management, human resources management, and decision-making.
    U.S. Embassy Involvement: Before submitting a proposal, all 
applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the Washington, DC-
based State Department contact for the themes/regions listed in this 
solicitation. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consult with 
Public Affairs Officers at U.S. Embassies in relevant countries as they 
develop proposals responding to this RFGP. Also, it is important that 
the proposal narrative clearly state the applicant's commitment to 
consult closely with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in 
the relevant country(ies) to develop plans for project implementation 
and to select project participants. Proposals should also acknowledge 
U.S. Embassy involvement in the final selection of all participants. 
Applicants should state their willingness to invite representatives of 
the Embassy(ies) and/or consulate(s) to participate in program sessions 
or site visits.
    ECA/DOS Acknowledgement: Narratives should state that all material 
developed for the project will prominently acknowledge Department of 
State ECA Bureau funding for the program. They should also state that 
in any contact with the media (print, television, blogging, etc.) 
applicants will acknowledge Department of State ECA Bureau funding for 
the program.
    Alumni Outreach and Engagement: Proposals must include a plan 
outlining alumni outreach and engagement. Proposed programs should 
strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages. Reviewers will assess ways in which proposals provide 
substantive plans to prepare exchange program participants for their 
role as active, effective alumni and how the grantee organization will 
continue to engage with alumni once they return home. Recipient 
organization(s) must outline how alumni activities will be sustained 
after the grant period.
    All recipients of ECA grants or cooperative agreements (hereafter 
referred to as ``recipients organization(s)'') will be expected to 
provide regular updates on alumni activities throughout the period of 
performance. Proposals should also include plans to use alumni in 
recruitment and orientation programming of future participants. 
Recipient organization(s) should connect alumni with local private 
sector partners such as NGOs and businesses to ensure sustainability of 
alumni activities.
    The Bureau expects that all recipient organization(s) will 
encourage and assist participants in registering and using the State 
Alumni Web site (alumni.state.gov) at multiple points during their 
exchange experience, at a minimum during program orientations and pre-
departure briefings. Proposals should detail how the State Alumni Web 
site will be promoted to exchange participants and how the recipient 
organization(s) will facilitate participant registration. The Bureau 
expects that all

[[Page 73976]]

recipient organization(s) will place a link to State Alumni on their 
own Web sites.
    State Alumni is an interactive global community where alumni from 
all over the world can stay connected with their exchange experience by 
sharing ideas, projects, and experiences.
    On State Alumni, exchange participants can:
     Find the latest research in their field, plus career 
enhancing information;
     Participate in live Q&A discussions with experts on a 
variety of current issues;
     Find grant and job opportunities;
     Post r[eacute]sum[eacute]s and academic articles;
     Access 20,000 free journals, newspapers, and more;
     Find a local alumni association to join;
     Share their experience with a global audience;
     Read alumni success stories, perspectives, and ideas. All 
statistical information collected on ECA funded program participant(s) 
should be transferable to databases maintained by ECA.

    While applicant organizations may propose the use of Web sites 
for recruitment and selection, pre-departure and re-entry efforts/
activities, the Bureau will not fund or support Web sites and/or Web 
site activities that are duplicative or run parallel to alumni 
opportunities on ECA's State Alumni Web site.

    Recipient organizations will be granted access to the password-
protected State Alumni Web site to interact with program participants 
and alumni. ECA funds can be used to support the recipient 
organization's interaction with alumni via the State Alumni Web site.
    After awards have been finalized, all recipient organization(s) 
will be expected to work directly with the respective ECA program 
office, ECA's Office of Alumni Affairs and the Embassy-based alumni 
coordinator to provide regular updates on alumni activities, alumni 
follow-up and alumni participant data. Proposals should specifically 
acknowledge a commitment to this effort.
    ECA will provide general information on alumni outreach ideas as 
well as illustrative examples of State Alumni Web site pages on 
http://exchanges.state.gov">exchanges.state.gov that interested organizations can use in designing 
their alumni outreach strategies.

FY 2009 Thematic Topics

1. The Legislative Fellows Program (LFP)

    ECA priorities continue to focus on engagement with young 
professionals in positions to influence and develop their societies, 
including young professionals involved in the local and national 
legislatures of developing democracies. ECA is seeking competitive 
proposals for the LFP program in all regions of the world involving 
specific countries listed below. The LFP program is designed to 
strengthen understanding of the U.S. legislative process and enhance 
appreciation of the role of civic society and its engagement in the 
political process. LFP will provide young professionals from identified 
countries with hands-on exposure to the U.S. political process through 
internships in U.S. Congressional offices (including state/district 
offices), state legislatures, city councils or local governments across 
the U.S. The program will also involve U.S. participants who will be 
selected from staff members at the various internship sites who will 
act as primary host/mentors to the foreign fellows during their U.S.-
based program. After the internships are completed, these U.S. staff 
members will travel overseas to the interns' home countries to continue 
their engagement by participating in joint outreach activities, 
engaging the local media, and on-site consultancies and presentations 
to wider audiences.
    The foreign participants should be selected through a merit-based, 
competitive process. They should be college graduates involved in 
political affairs or other relevant fields, approximately 25 to 35 
years in age, with some professional experience in the political or 
legislative arenas. Because of the nature of this program, all selected 
participants must have good English language skills (except for the 
program in the Western Hemisphere as noted below). Participants should 
have demonstrated leadership abilities and a commitment to or 
participation in the political process or policy-making through 
involvement in civic education activities, citizen advocacy groups, 
political campaigns, political parties, or election monitoring. U.S. 
participants will be staff members of the U.S. Congress, state 
legislatures, city councils or local governments who act as host for 
foreign participants during the inbound portion of the program.
    Proposals must include qualified and established partner 
organizations/offices in each of the foreign countries where 
participants are being recruited. Also, proposals must demonstrate 
capacity in the U.S. to secure relevant placements for foreign 
participants. Proposals that include such information, especially with 
letters of commitment from possible U.S-based host organizations, will 
be deemed more competitive.
    Applicants should strive to maximize the number of participants and 
the length of U.S.-based program given funding levels. Therefore, 
applicants that use homestays for foreign participants, establish 
public-private partnerships that provide programming support, and 
employ other creative techniques will be deemed more competitive than 
those that do not.
    Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve 
the following key activities:
    (1) Recruit and select qualified individuals throughout the target 
country(ies). The foreign participants should be selected through a 
merit-based, competitive process. An in-country partner 
organization(s)/office is required to coordinate programming and 
fellowships.
    (2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening, 
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United 
States, the recipient of this grant will also conduct a thorough 
orientation program for foreign participants upon their arrival in the 
United States. After the orientation session, grantees will be 
responsible for implementing fellowships in the United States for 
participants. This will include individualized fellowships for the LFP 
fellows in legislative offices/bodies at the national, state, and local 
levels. Selection of foreign LFP Fellows should take into account the 
types of positions that are available for placement/job shadowing in 
the U.S. ECA is open to creative and cost-efficient approaches to this 
selection and placement program. Specifically, U.S-based homestays for 
foreign participants are strongly recommended.
    (3) Conducting an in-country program where U.S. mentors will travel 
overseas to conduct on-site consultancies and joint programming with 
foreign participants and their colleagues. The in-country program 
should be designed to engage a broad audience, not only traveling 
participants.
    (4) The development of enhancement activities that reinforce 
program goals after the participants' return to their home country. An 
essential follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the 
achievements of the program.
    ECA envisions that the LFP program calendar will approximately be 
as follows:
    September 2009-January 2010: Recruitment and selection of foreign 
participants and securing U.S.-based hosts and host sites.
    February-April 2010: Travel to the United States by \1/2\ of all 
the foreign

[[Page 73977]]

participants to U.S. for orientation and placement at internship sites 
for a four to eight week program.
    April 2010: Travel by the foreign participants to Washington, DC 
at/towards the end of their U.S.-based program for a two-day enrichment 
program. ECA will coordinate the dates and arrangements with each 
eventual grantee. Proposal budgets should include airfare, lodging, and 
per diem for each foreign participant for two working days in 
Washington, DC.
    May-September 2010: The U.S. participants who were involved in the 
winter 2010 hosting will travel overseas for approximately two week 
program.
    October-November 2010: Travel to the United States by the remaining 
\1/2\ of all the foreign participants to the U.S. for orientation and 
placement at internship sites for a four to eight week program.
    November-December 2010: Travel by the remaining foreign 
participants to Washington, DC at/towards the end of their U.S.-based 
program for a two-day program. ECA will coordinate the dates and 
arrangements with each eventual grantee. Proposal budgets should 
include airfare, lodging, and per diem for each foreign participant for 
two working days in Washington, DC.
    January-May 2011: The U.S. participants who were involved in the 
fall 2010 hosting will travel overseas for approximately two week 
program.
    Program Regions/Countries:
    ECA could award up to six separate grants by region to administer 
the LFP program. However, ECA will consider proposals that cover 
multiple regions (or all the regions) as long as the applicant 
demonstrates particular program capacity in those regions.
    Grantees should construct their proposals to fit the general 
outline and schedule of the LFP program as described above, but also to 
tailor it to the following regional priorities, participant numbers, 
and specifications as noted. Applicant organizations are highly 
encouraged to contact the relevant ECA program officer responsible for 
the relevant region(s) BEFORE submitting a proposal.
    Africa (AF):
    Program Contact: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 453-8159, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 participants.
    For Africa, proposals for the LFP program should recruit foreign 
participants from one or more of the following countries: Nigeria, 
South Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and 
Sudan. Placements may be considered at the Federal, State or local 
level and should be consistent with the participant's professional 
experience. Both single-country and multiple-country proposals will be 
considered, although applicants are cautioned not to spread their 
project so thinly across multiple countries or communities that it 
cannot be sustained. Internships should emphasize the hands-on work of 
legislators and their staff, including research on legislative issues, 
bill drafting, outreach to constituencies, fiscal analysis of 
legislation, policy debate, and understanding the ethical and legal 
parameters for such work.
    East Asia and the Pacific (EAP):
    Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: (202) 453-8151, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 participants.
    For East Asia and the Pacific, proposals for the LFP program should 
recruit foreign participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan. While a proposal does not require 
participation from all of these countries, ECA would like to see 
participation from as many of these countries as possible. Placements 
may be considered at the Federal, State or local level and should be 
consistent with the participant's professional experience.
    Europe (EUR):
    Program Contact: Brent Beemer, tel: (202) 453-8147, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $600,000 to $675,000 for a program 
involving approximately 70 to 75 total participants.
    In Europe, proposals for the LFP program should recruit foreign 
participants from only Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia. 50% of the foreign 
participants in the EUR program should be recruited from Russia. 25% of 
the participants should be recruited from Ukraine and 25% of the 
participants should be recruited from Georgia. Placements may be 
considered at the Federal, State or local level and should be 
consistent with the participant's professional experience.
    Near East and North Africa (NEA):
    Program Contact: Thomas Johnston, Tel: (202) 453-8162; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 participants.
    For the Near East and North Africa, proposals for the LFP program 
should recruit foreign participants from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, 
Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, and Oman. While a proposal does not require 
participation from all of these countries, ECA would like to see 
participation from as many of these countries as possible. It is 
recommended that, given the nature of this exchange, applicants focus 
primarily on placing Middle Eastern and North African participants in 
Federal/Congressional offices in the United States, though proposals 
that recommend state-level placement, with solid justification, will 
receive full consideration. Placements should be consistent with the 
participant's professional experience.
    South and Central Asia (SCA):
    Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: (202) 453-8151, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 participants.
    For South and Central Asia, proposals for the LFP program should 
recruit foreign participants from Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and Pakistan. At least 50% of the foreign 
participants should come from Kyrgyzstan and Nepal with the remaining 
50% coming from the other countries listed. Placements may be 
considered at the Federal, State or local level and should be 
consistent with the participant's professional experience.
    Western Hemisphere (WHA):
    Program Contact: Laverne Johnson, tel: (202) 453-8160, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 total participants.
    In the Western Hemisphere, proposals for the LFP program should 
recruit only from Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. 75% of the 
foreign participants in the WHA program should be from Colombia, 
Nicaragua and Bolivia. For these three countries, ECA prefers that the 
participants be Spanish speakers placed in Spanish language internships 
in the United States. The remaining 25% of the foreign participants 
should be from Brazil. For Brazil, ECA prefers that the participants be 
Portuguese speakers placed in Portuguese language internships in the 
United States. Placements may be considered at the Federal, State or 
local level and should be consistent with the participant's 
professional experience as well as language ability.

2. Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP)

    Support and development of business entrepreneurs in emerging free 
market societies remains a top priority for the State Department 
worldwide. In

[[Page 73978]]

response, ECA is seeking proposals to implement the Young Entrepreneurs 
Program (YEP) program. YEP seeks to promote entrepreneurial thinking, 
job creation, business planning, and management skills that will assist 
young emerging entrepreneurs worldwide (approximately 25-35 years old) 
in launching business careers. The YEP program will increase 
understanding of the links between entrepreneurial activity and free 
markets as well as the importance of transparency and accountability in 
business and government. The YEP program will introduce young men and 
women to entrepreneurial thinking, business management skills, 
attracting investment, and also in designing programs to teach others 
these skills. The program will enhance appreciation for American 
business practices and the role of the individual in creating growth 
through grassroots-focused entrepreneurial efforts.
    The YEP Program will provide its participants with exposure to day-
to-day functioning of a free market system. Programs for English-
speaking fellows would be designed as individual fellowships. They may 
include seminars, internships, workshops and site visits. Programs for 
fellows who do not speak English would be less individualized and more 
groups focused, and use a variety of training methodologies. These 
programs would be implemented with the assistance of U.S.-based 
interpreters. American participants would come from the same firms and 
organizations that the foreign participants worked with while in the 
United States. They would travel as a group overseas and do on-site 
workshops with foreign audiences. This program would work to establish 
long-term professional links between U.S. mentors and overseas fellows.
    Proposals must include qualified and established partner 
organizations/offices in each of the foreign countries where 
participants are being recruited.
    Applicants should strive to maximize the number of participants and 
the length of U.S.-based program given funding levels. Therefore, 
applicants that use homestays for foreign participants, establish 
public-private partnerships that provide programming support, and 
employ other creative techniques will be deemed more competitive than 
those that do not.
    Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve 
the following key activities:
    (1) Recruit and select qualified individuals throughout the target 
country(ies), through a merit-based open competition. Program should be 
designed for foreign fellows to travel to the U.S. as a group, even if 
they will be doing individualized programs. An in-country partner 
organization or offices to help coordinate recruitment and overseas 
programming is required.
    (2) In addition to identifying an in-country partner and screening, 
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United 
States, the grant recipient will be responsible for building and 
executing an orientation program upon arrival in the U.S. and a 
business-based program in the United States. This may include 
individualized internships for the appropriate foreign participants at 
U.S. businesses that are analogous in size and scope to their own 
domestic workplaces. This may also include group-based programming that 
relies on job-shadowing and group sessions on business topics that are 
facilitated through U.S.-based interpreters. Selection of foreign 
participants should take into account the types of businesses that are 
available for placement/job shadowing in the U.S. ECA is open to 
creative and cost-efficient approaches to this selection and placement 
program. This could include U.S.-based homestays for foreign 
participants.
    (3) Conducting an in-country program where U.S. mentors will travel 
to the target country(ies) to conduct on-site consultancies for foreign 
participants and their firms. Workshops should be designed based on 
foreign participant's requests and could cover issues such as basic 
business principles, marketing, customer-service strategies, business 
ethics, etc. The workshop(s) should be designed to engage a broad 
audience, not only traveling program participants.
    (4) The development of enhancement activities and development 
opportunities that reinforce program goals after the participants' 
return to their home country. An essential follow-on component will be 
a longitudinal assessment of the achievements of the program.
    ECA envisions that the YEP program calendar will approximately be 
as follows:
    September 2009-January 2010: Recruitment and selection of foreign 
participants and development of U.S.-based programs.
    February-April 2010: Travel to the United States by \1/2\ of all 
the foreign participants for a three to eight week program.
    May-September 2010: Travel overseas by U.S. participants for an 
approximately two week program.
    October-December 2010: Travel to the United States by all the 
remaining foreign participants for a three to eight week program.
    January-May 2011: Travel overseas by remaining U.S. participants 
for an approximately two week program.
    Program Regions/Countries:
    ECA could award up to three separate grants by region to administer 
the YEP program. However, ECA will consider proposals that cover 
multiple regions (or all the regions) as long as the applicant 
demonstrates strong program capacity in all the regions included in a 
single proposal. Applicant organizations are highly encouraged to 
contact the relevant ECA program officer responsible for the relevant 
region(s) BEFORE submitting a proposal.
    Africa (AF):
    Program Contact: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 453-8159, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 total participants.
    In Africa, proposals for the YEP program should recruit only from 
Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
Liberia, and Sudan. Both single-country and multiple-country proposals 
will be considered, although applicants are cautioned not to spread 
their project so thinly across multiple countries or communities that 
it cannot be sustained. For YEP Africa, English fluency is strongly 
recommended. Programs should emphasize developing skills to create jobs 
and to start and build new businesses, not expecting the government to 
do it.
    Near East and North Africa (NEA):
    Program Contact: Thomas Johnston, Tel: (202) 453-8162; e-mail: 
[email protected]
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 total participants.
    For the YEP program in the NEA region, foreign participants can be 
recruited from all countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the 
Persian Gulf region with the understanding that a minimum of six and a 
maximum of ten participants be recruited from each country involved. 
Both single-country and multiple-country proposals will be considered.
    South and Central Asia (SCA):
    Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: (202) 453-8151, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Approximate Grant Award: $300,000 to $375,000 for a program 
involving approximately 35 to 40 total participants.

[[Page 73979]]

    For the YEP program in South and Central Asia, ECA seeks proposals 
for a single-country program in Afghanistan. Because of the changing 
nature of the security situation, U.S. participants may not be able to 
travel to Afghanistan as part of the YEP program. Therefore, proposals 
should include a contingency plan to bring U.S. and Afghan participants 
together in a third country (preferably within the South and Central 
Asia region) for those relevant program components.

3. Outreach and Integration of Minority Communities

    ECA seeks proposals for programs that will engage community 
leaders, educators, youth influencers, journalists, and community-based 
organizations in examination of programs and practices to facilitate 
integration and empowerment of minority populations, particularly 
youth, in selected countries. This program would look at issues related 
to the integration of immigrant and minority populations into a modern 
democratic society. This includes integration in the political system, 
economic opportunity, freedom of expression, access to education, and 
practice of an open social/cultural life, while maintaining ethnic 
identity within a multi-ethnic society. A specific concentration of 
programming on immigrant and minority youth populations and the special 
needs/challenges they face in modern society should be a major focus. 
An overall comparison and sharing of best practices in the U.S. and in 
foreign countries on these issues should also be included. Programming 
should include an overview of U.S. and foreign government and legal 
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American and foreign 
societies and efforts to increase tolerance and respect for others with 
differing views and beliefs. Program content should include an overview 
of the range of historical and current American and foreign experiences 
with integrating various immigrant and minority citizens, examination 
of what has worked well and what has not, and analysis of the range of 
actors including government, NGOs, religious organizations, immigrant 
organizations, educational institutions, and the role of the media and 
public who report on these issues. Participants (from the U.S. and 
foreign countries) in the program should include representatives of 
non-governmental organizations, community leaders, educators, youth 
influencers, religious leaders, and journalists from minority 
communities.
    Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve 
the following:
    (1) Recruit and select approximately 20 to 25 individuals 
throughout the target country. Program should be designed for two 
groups to travel to the U.S. Partnering with organizations based in 
target country is required.
    (2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening, 
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United 
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building 
and executing a three to four week informative travel and training 
program in the United States.
    (3) Conduct an in-country (overseas) workshop(s) to examine the 
process of integration of marginalized populations in foreign country 
for approximately 10 to 15 U.S. participants. Ideally, the U.S. 
participants will be professionals who have worked with foreign 
participants and are recommended by foreign participants. The overseas 
program/workshop(s) should be designed to engage a broad audience, not 
just program participants.
    (4) Develop enhancement activities that reinforce program goals 
after the participants' return to their home country. An essential 
follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the 
achievements of the program.
    ECA envisions that the program calendar will approximately be as 
follows:
    September 2009-January 2010: Recruitment and selection of foreign 
participants and development of U.S.-based programs.
    February-April 2010: Travel to the United States by \1/2\ of all 
the foreign participants to the for a three to six week program.
    May-September 2010: Travel overseas by U.S. participants for an 
approximately two week program.
    October-December 2010: Travel to the United States by of all the 
remaining foreign participants for a three to six week program.
    January-May 2011: Travel overseas by remaining U.S. participants 
for an approximately two week program.
    Program Countries:
    ECA plans to award up to two grants under this theme at $300,000 to 
$350,000 each. ECA seeks separate programs in the following countries:
    Thailand: Program should specifically address the minority 
communities in southern Thailand.
    Philippines: Program should specifically address the minority 
communities in the Mindanao region.

    Note: Applicants must be aware of security related travel 
restrictions for U.S. citizens in southern Thailand and the Mindanao 
region in the Philippines. Therefore, proposals should include plans 
to conduct programming in Thailand and the Philippines that involves 
U.S. participants in alternative locations within those countries.

    Applicant organizations are highly encouraged to contact the ECA 
program officer responsible for this theme(s) BEFORE submitting a 
proposal.
    Program Contact: Brent Beemer, tel: (202) 453-8147, e-mail: 
[email protected].

4. Nqwang Choephel Fellowship Program for Tibet

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals in an open 
competition for the Ngwang Choepel Fellows program that focus on the 
themes of Cultural Preservation and Economic Self-sufficiency. The 
Office seeks proposals that train and assist Tibetans living in Tibetan 
communities in China by providing professional experience and exposure 
to American society and culture through internships, workshops and 
other learning activities hosted by U.S. institutions. The experiences 
will also provide Americans the opportunity to learn about Tibetan 
culture and the social and economic challenges that Tibetans face 
today. Applicants may propose programming for Tibetans who travel to 
the United States and/or for Americans who travel to Tibet. Programs 
designed for participants from Tibet should not be simply academic in 
nature, but should provide practical, hands-on experience in U.S. 
public or private sector settings that may be adapted to an 
individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may combine 
elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and internships 
appropriate to the language ability and interests of the participants. 
Americans who travel to Tibet will be expected to participate in 
activities that further the goals and objectives of the Tibet Policy 
Act of 2002, as described below. Applicants should ensure that their 
proposals comply with the Tibet Policy Act of 2002, particularly that 
their projects promote in all stages the active participation of 
Tibetans. Section 616(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
2003 (Pub. L. 107-228) defines the Tibet Project Principles:
    (d) Tibet Project Principles--Projects in Tibet supported by 
international financial institutions, other international 
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the United States 
entities referred to in subsection (c), should (1) Be

[[Page 73980]]

implemented only after conducting a thorough assessment of the needs of 
the Tibetan people through field visits and interviews; (2) Be preceded 
by cultural and environmental impact assessments; (3) Foster self-
sufficiency and self-reliance of Tibetans; (4) Promote accountability 
of the development agencies to the Tibetan people and active 
participation of Tibetans in all project stages; (5) Respect Tibetan 
culture, traditions, and the Tibetan knowledge and wisdom about their 
landscape and survival techniques; (6) Be subject to on-site monitoring 
by the development agencies to ensure that the intended target group 
benefits; (7) Be implemented by development agencies prepared to use 
Tibetan as the working language of the projects; (8) Neither provide 
incentive for, nor facilitate the migration and settlement of, non-
Tibetans into Tibet; and (9) Neither provide incentive for, nor 
facilitate the transfer of ownership of, Tibetan land or natural 
resources to non-Tibetans.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that focus on 
the themes of Cultural Preservation and Economic Self-sufficiency under 
this competition for FY-2009 Ngwang Choepel Fellows program.

Cultural Preservation

    Projects under this theme should aim to assist Tibetans in 
preserving their cultural heritage through activities designed to 
reduce the pillage of irreplaceable cultural artifacts, and to create 
opportunities that develop long-term strategies for preserving cultural 
property through training and conservation, museum development, and 
education. Projects might include the preservation of cultural sites; 
objects in a site, museum or similar institution; or forms of 
traditional cultural expression. The proposals may encompass topics 
such as museum needs, historic buildings, collections, archaeological 
sites, rare manuscripts, language, or traditional arts, crafts, or 
music.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

    Vocational Education:
    The Bureau seeks proposals that emphasize vocational training or 
the administration and development of vocational schools targeted 
towards the practical needs of Tibetan communities. Discussion of how 
to integrate education with economic planning, how to diversify revenue 
sources, and how to recruit, train and retain strong faculty would all 
contribute towards increased emphasis on vocational education and its 
importance to both Americans and Tibetans in a modern and changing 
economy. Vocational education may include practical training of 
entrepreneurs, development of Tibetan-language educational materials 
(such as Tibetan-English teaching guides or Tibetan-language public 
health education materials), or the development of distance learning 
technology for remote rural schools. English-language training projects 
that are held in China are preferred over ones that would bring 
Tibetans to the United States for training.
    Developing Entrepreneurship:
    Projects under this theme should focus on the skills that Tibetans, 
many of whom come from rural backgrounds with rudimentary economies, 
need to function effectively in a modern economy (e.g., finance, 
accounting, and language skills). Projects should explore how the 
government and the private sector can help promote sustainable 
entrepreneurship, including access to credit, ecologically-conscious 
tourism policies and investment, or English language training for trade 
or tourism purposes. Programs that train aspiring entrepreneurs and 
develop micro-finance programs for them are welcome.
    Sustainable Growth and Ecotourism:
    Exchanges funded under this theme should help American and Tibetan 
conservationists, tourism planners, and economic planners share their 
experience in managing tourism resources and development projects, 
particularly in ecologically fragile areas, and should contribute to 
increased understanding of conservation and concepts essential to 
responsible economic growth. Local community projects are invited in 
fields such as ecotourism, renewable energy, or poverty alleviation 
projects, including farm technology, animal husbandry, or agricultural 
marketing.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: 2009.
    Approximate Total Funding: $5,600,000 (Pending Availability of 
Funds).
    Approximate Number of Awards: 10-15.
    Approximate Average Award: $325,000-$350,000. Grants that cover 
several components (regions/countries) of LFP and YEP will be larger. 
Please contact ECA for further information on this.
    Floor of Award Range: $300,000 per region of the LFP and YEP 
programs and per country for the Integration of Minority Communities 
Program. Grants that cover several components (regions) will be larger. 
Please contact ECA for further information on this.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000 per region of the LFP and YEP 
programs and per country for the Integration of Minority Communities 
Program. Grants that cover several components (regions) will be larger. 
Please contact ECA for further information on this.
    Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 1, 
2009.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 31, 2011.

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. Proposals that offer significant 
cost-sharing will be judged more competitive than those that do not.
    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 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 making awards in 
an amount from $300,000 and higher to support program and 
administrative costs required to implement the programs in this RFGP. 
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.

[[Page 73981]]

    (b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
following or will be declared technically ineligible and will receive 
no further consideration in the review process:

--Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal per theme 
under this competition;
--Eligible applicants may only propose working with the countries and 
themes listed under each of the themes of this RFGP.
--No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to 
conferences or conference type seminars overseas; nor is funding 
available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine 
professional association meetings in the United States.

    Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document 
for additional requirements.

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 Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547, (202) 453-8174 (202) 453-8169, [email protected] to request 
a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number 
ECA/PE/C-09-01 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 specify Brent Beemer and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C-09-01 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 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. Please note: Effective March 14, 2008, all applicants for 
ECA federal assistance awards must include with their application, a 
copy of page 5, Part V-A, ``Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, and 
Key Employees'' of their most recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 
Form 990, ``Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.'' If an 
applicant does not file an IRS Form 990, but instead files Schedule A 
(Form 990 or 990-EZ)--``Organization Exempt Under Section 501(c)(3),'' 
applicants must include with their application a copy of Page 1, Part 
1, ``Compensation of the Five Highest Paid Employees Other Than 
Officers, Directors and Trustees,'' of their most recent Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS) Form--Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ).
    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 62, 
which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, organizations receiving awards 
(either a grant or cooperative agreement) under this RFGP will be third 
parties ``cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of 
the sponsor's program.'' The actions of recipient organizations shall 
be ``imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance 
with'' 22 CFR 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization 
receiving an award under this competition will render all assistance 
necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 et seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically 
important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange 
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by recipient 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 62. If your organization has experience as a 
designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 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://
http://exchanges.state.gov">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

[[Page 73982]]

    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 recipient organization will track participants or partners and 
be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction 
with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in 
behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on 
institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner 
institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that 
measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation 
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your 
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure 
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic 
organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new 
knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community 
members, and others.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.

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

    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be 
judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation 
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] 
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
    Recipient organizations 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. For informational and planning purposes, we are informing 
all potential applicants that ECA is in the process of developing 
comprehensive approaches to alumni programming, web portal development 
supported through ECA assistance awards (grants/cooperative agreements) 
and the expansion of private/public partnerships to increase the reach 
of ECA's exchange programs. In the event your proposal is recommended 
for funding, you may receive additional guidance/information related to 
these topics during the negotiation stage of the approval process.
    In addition, all recipients of ECA grants or cooperative agreements 
should be prepared to state in any announcement or publicity where it 
is not inappropriate, that activities are assisted financially by the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States 
Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 
1961, as amended. Award recipients are strongly encouraged to use the 
Department seal on all promotional and related materials for ECA funded 
programs which support the commemoration of special occasions or 
events, but only after first obtaining written permission from the ECA 
program office(r) assigned to the project.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with 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; airline baggage and 
seat fees; 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

[[Page 73983]]

for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs.
    2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use 
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. 
Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?programId=9704&channelId=-15943&ooid=16365&contentId=17943&pageTypeId=8203&contentType=GSA_BASIC&programPage=%2Fep%2Fprogram%2FgsaBasic.jsp&P=MTT.
    ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the 
local economy and do not exceed Federal per diem rates. Foreign per 
diem rates can be accessed at: http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.
    3. Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, ECA strongly encourages 
applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters. However, 
applicants may ask ECA to assign State Department interpreters. One 
interpreter is typically needed for every four participants who require 
interpretation. When an applicant proposes to use State Department 
interpreters, the following expenses should be included in the budget: 
Published Federal per diem rates (both ``lodging'' and ``M&IE'') and 
``home-program-home'' transportation in the amount of $400 per 
interpreter. Salary expenses for State Department interpreters will be 
covered by the Bureau and should not be part of an applicant's proposed 
budget. Bureau funds cannot support interpreters who accompany 
delegations from their home country or travel internationally.
    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. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for 
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. 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. When setting up a budget, interpreters should be considered 
``participants.''
    10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for 
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. This allowance 
would cover incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during 
their participation in the 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. Wire transfer fees. When necessary, applicants may include 
costs to transfer funds to partner organizations overseas. Grantees are 
urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these 
transfers by host governments.
    13. 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.
    14. 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: February 20, 2009.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C-09-01.
    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

[[Page 73984]]

one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an envelope 
addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
    The original and eight copies of the application should be sent to: 
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C-09-01, 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) or Microsoft Word 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. In 
addition, validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can 
take up to two business days.
    Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the 
application deadline to begin the submission process through 
Grants.gov.
    The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all 
phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive 
section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For 
Applicants'' section of the Web site. ECA strongly recommends that all 
potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in 
advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA 
bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or 
conversion processes.
    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.
    Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various 
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission 
receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a 
validation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an 
application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via 
Grants.gov can take up to two business days. Therefore, we strongly 
recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the 
submission process through Grants.gov. 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.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 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 award grants resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability To Achieve Objectives: Program 
objectives should be stated clearly and should reflect the applicant's 
expertise in the subject area and region. Objectives should respond to 
the topics in this announcement and should relate to the current 
conditions in the target country/countries. A detailed agenda and 
relevant work plan should explain how objectives will be achieved and 
should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance 
of workshops, internships, seminars and/or consulting should be 
described in detail. Sample schedules should be outlined. 
Responsibilities of proposed in-country partners should be clearly 
described. A discussion of how the applicant intends to address 
language issues should be included, if needed.
    2. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include (1) the 
institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) detailed 
information about proposed in-country partner(s) and the history of the 
partnership; (3) an outline of prior awards--U.S. government and/or 
private support received for the target theme/country/region; and (4) 
descriptions of experienced staff members who will implement the 
program. The proposal should reflect the institution's expertise in the 
subject area and knowledge of the conditions in the target country/
countries. 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 adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals. The 
Bureau strongly encourages applicants to submit letters of support from 
proposed in-country partners.
    3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs in the proposal budget, including salaries, honoraria and 
subcontracts for services, should be kept to a minimum. Proposals in 
which the administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested 
ECA grant funds will be more competitive (see IV.3e.2 14 for 
clarification on this). Applicants are

[[Page 73985]]

strongly encouraged to cost share a portion of overhead and 
administrative expenses. Cost-sharing, including contributions from the 
applicant, proposed in-country partner(s), and other sources should be 
included in the budget request. Proposal budgets that do not reflect 
cost sharing will be deemed not competitive on this criterion.
    4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities). Applicants should refer to the Bureau's 
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) and the Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines 
section, Item IV.3d.2, above for additional guidance.
    5. Post-Grant Activities: Applicants should provide a plan to 
conduct activities after the Bureau-funded project has concluded in 
order to ensure that Bureau-supported programs are not isolated events. 
Funds for all post-grant activities must be in the form of 
contributions from the applicant or sources outside of the Bureau. 
Costs for these activities must not appear in the proposal budget, but 
should be outlined in the narrative.
    6. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals should include a 
detailed plan to monitor and evaluate the program. Program objectives 
should target clearly defined results in quantitative terms. 
Competitive evaluation plans will describe how applicant organizations 
would measure these results, and proposals should include draft data 
collection instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc.) in Tab E. 
Successful applicants (grantee institutions) will be expected to submit 
a report after each program component concludes or on a quarterly 
basis, whichever is less frequent. The Bureau also requires that 
grantee institutions submit a final narrative and financial report no 
more than 90 days after the expiration of a grant.

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 a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with 
subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding 
authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The 
FAA 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. The following additional requirements apply to this project:
    All awards made under this competition must be executed according 
to all relevant U.S. laws and policies regarding assistance to the 
Palestinian Authority, and to the West Bank and Gaza. Organizations 
must consult with relevant Public Affairs Offices before entering into 
any formal arrangements or agreements with Palestinian organizations or 
institutions.

    Note: To assure that planning for the inclusion of the 
Palestinian Authority complies with requirements, please contact 
Thomas Johnston, Tel. (202) 453-8162; e-mail: [email protected] 
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://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original plus one electronic copy of the following reports:
    A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the 
expiration of the award;
    (1) A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program 
outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award. This 
one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to 
the public via OMB's USAspending.gov Web site--as part of ECA's Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting 
requirements.
    (2) A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports.
    (3) Quarterly program and financial reports for the duration of the 
program.
    Award recipients 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. Optional Program Data Requirements:
    Award recipients 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 agreement 
or who benefit from the award funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Brent Beemer, 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, Room 220, U.S. Department of 
State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, (202) 453-
8147, [email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C-09-01.
    Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries

[[Page 73986]]

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: November 25, 2008.
Goli Ameri,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E8-28737 Filed 12-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P