[Federal Register: November 17, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 221)]
[Notices]
[Page 69795-69800]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17no05-103]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5230]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: FY 2006 Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and
Achievement Program
Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/S/X-06-02.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Key Dates: Application Deadline, January 12, 2006.
Executive Summary: The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch in the
Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, announces an open
competition for an assistance award in the amount of $2,750,000 to
support the FY 2006 Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and
Achievement Program, a series of concurrent six- to seven-week
professional enrichment programs in the U.S. for outstanding secondary-
level teachers from selected countries in Eurasia and South Asia,
followed by subsequent programs involving U.S. teachers with the
Eurasian and South Asian teachers in their countries.
Applicant organizations should be prepared to conduct recruitment
and accommodate participants from the following countries: Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri
Lanka. During the course of this two-year program, approximately 136
teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and the social sciences
in groups of 20 to 25 teachers in each cohort will take part in U.S.-
based professional development institutes to learn new teaching
methodologies and approaches to curriculum development through
workshops, seminars and, where possible, team-teaching in secondary-
level classes with U.S. mentor teachers.
Approximately 36 outstanding U.S. teachers will subsequently travel
to Eurasia and South Asia to take part in shorter programs with their
Eurasian/South Asian counterparts.
To build on the achievements of the exchange visits, small grants
will be awarded to individual foreign and U.S. teacher alumni in
support of follow-on projects.
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: Overview: The Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and
Achievement Program will expand the impact of the former Teaching
Excellence Awards Program by bringing outstanding secondary school
teachers from Eurasia and South Asia to the United States to augment
their subject area teaching skills and knowledge of the U.S. The goals
of the program are: (1) To contribute to the improvement and status of
teaching in the participating countries; (2) to create resident experts
on the U.S. in schools across the regions; (3) to develop long-lasting
partnerships and mutual understanding between American and
international teachers and their students; and (4) to provide
opportunities for under-served foreign populations, especially women,
to develop their leadership skills.
Proposals should outline three distinct program components:
A. A total of six six- to seven-week U.S.-based institutes (each
comprising a group of 20 to 25 teachers from Eurasia and South Asia),
three of which should occur concurrently in summer or fall of 2006, and
three of which should occur concurrently in summer or fall of 2007;
B. Visits of four cohorts of U.S. teachers (two cohorts to each
region) during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years to reciprocate
the visits of the Eurasian and South Asian teachers to the U.S.; and
C. Follow-on grants.
Applicant organizations should propose a calendar that will include
a coherent sequence of program components for each of the two program
years. Although the number of participants may be greater in the second
year than the first, each year's
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program should include both participating regions.
A. Professional Development Institutes
The institutes should be based at competitively selected Schools of
Education at U.S. universities. The assignment of teachers to U.S. host
campuses will be made based on the similarity of candidates'
qualifications and their English proficiency. The grantee organization
should administer an open sub-grant competition among U.S. schools of
education to host a cohort of international teachers. Institutions that
perform well in the first year may host a cohort of teachers in the
second year as well.
In the first year of program activity, the grantee organization
should arrange a three-day orientation program in Washington, DC, for
all three cohorts of international teachers. Then, the international
participants will travel to the U.S. host universities for the six-to
seven-week institute. The program will conclude with a three-day end-
of-program conference and debriefing session at one of the host
universities for all of the international and U.S. participant teachers
in the first year's cohort. This schedule should repeat in the second
year of activity. In each year of program activity, the institutes
should provide:
(1) English language instruction, if necessary;
(2) Intensive training in the Teaching of English as a Foreign
Language (or in the teaching of one of the social sciences, depending
on the specializations of the participants) and teaching methodologies;
(3) Training in the use of computers for Internet and word
processing and as tools for teaching EFL or other coursework;
(4) Consultations with leading U.S. teacher training and curriculum
development specialists and practitioners and, to the extent possible,
school visits and collaborations with U.S. teachers on teaching and
observing a variety of teaching methods (inquiry, active classroom,
group projects, etc.);
(5) Individual and group work periods for research and curriculum
writing activities;
(6) Involvement with Americans at civic and volunteer
organizations, at school board meetings, parent-teacher conferences or
other community and cultural activities, and through short home stays.
Participants in the institutes should be younger teaching
professionals with five or more years of experience and strong written
and oral English skills. Teachers will be selected primarily from the
discipline of English as a Foreign Language, with teachers of social
sciences (including social studies, civics, and history) also eligible.
Both for Eurasia and South Asia, applicant organizations should
propose creative, cost-efficient recruitment and selection strategies
involving a combination of partner organizations, branch offices, or
other cooperating agencies to attract qualified teachers to the
program. The recruitment strategy should attract a sufficient number of
applicants to ensure a pool of highly qualified candidates, while
limiting the number that will not be accepted. We anticipate 200
nominations from international partner organizations for each year of
the program cycle. Applicant organizations are invited to suggest,
based on their experience and knowledge, appropriate grant-to-applicant
ratios that should be targeted in the recruitment effort. Applicants
should identify field offices or other local partner organizations and
individuals with whom they propose to collaborate, and should describe
in detail previous projects undertaken by the organization(s) or
individual(s). Please include letters of project commitment from all
partners. A sub-grant agreement and an accompanying budget are required
if an applicant partners with another organization. Please include this
documentation with your proposal submission.
In Eurasia and South Asia the grantee organization, together with
all local partners, should collaborate with the Regional English
Language Officers (RELO) for Eurasia and South Asia, who are based at
the U.S. Embassies in Kiev, Tashkent, and New Delhi. The RELOs will be
encouraged to participate in reviewing applications, interviewing and
nominating candidates, and the approval and monitoring of follow-up
activities.
In all cases, the top candidates' applications will be submitted to
the grantee organization, which should organize external peer review
panels to help determine the final selection of candidates in
collaboration with ECA. ECA's role is to ensure that these programs
help support U.S. foreign policy goals.
B. Reciprocal Visits
The program will provide two-week reciprocal visits to Eurasia and
South Asia for a total of 36 U.S. teachers during the course of the
program. The visits should feature the sharing of best practices, team-
teaching with counterparts abroad, teacher-training, seminars on
regional educational topics, and opportunities to learn from regional
master teachers about teaching styles, curriculum, and educational
issues in the host country. The grantee organization should invite
applications from outstanding and, preferably, award-winning U.S.
teachers and, in consultation with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange
Branch (ECA/A/S/X), should select approximately thirty-six for
participation over the course of two program cycles. These U.S.
teachers will join their Eurasian and South Asian counterparts for the
U.S.-based conference and debriefing session in the summer or fall
preceding their reciprocal visits to Eurasia or South Asia in fall
2006/winter 2007 or fall 2007/winter 2008. The grantee organization
should work with ECA/A/S/X and international counterparts to identify
and arrange host placements in Eurasia and South Asia for the U.S.
teachers.
C. Follow-On Programming
The third component, which will take place after the international
participants return home, is follow-on programming. International
teachers will be eligible to apply for small grants after the program
ends, to purchase essential materials for their schools, to offer
follow-on training for other teachers, and to conduct other activities
that will build on the exchange visits. The development and approval of
follow-on grants must be coordinated by the grantee organization with
the relevant non-governmental organizations, Fulbright Commissions,
U.S. Embassies in Eurasia and South Asia (including RELOs, where
appropriate), and the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch. The possible
range of follow-on programs across Eurasia and South Asia includes
organizing teacher training workshops (in such areas as EFL or
tolerance education), donating books and school supplies, and opening a
teacher resource center. Applicant organizations' proposals should
allot a total of $40,000 ($20,000 after each program cycle) to fund
approximately 10 or 12 small grants.
The Bureau will work with the recipient of this cooperative
agreement award on administrative and program issues and questions as
they arise over the duration of the award.
Program Planning and Implementation
Applicant organizations are requested to submit a narrative
outlining a comprehensive strategy for the administration and
implementation of the Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and
Achievement Program. The narrative should include a proposed design for
the institutes and the reciprocal visits by U.S. teachers, a
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strategy for selecting university hosts and for cooperating with them
through subgrants, a plan for recruiting, selecting, and placing
applicants from Eurasia and South Asia for the U.S. institutes, a plan
for monitoring the teachers' academic and professional programs, a plan
to identify U.S. teachers and the Eurasian/South Asian teachers who
will host them, a plan to assess and improve the program based on
experience with the first program cycle, and a proposal for alumni
programming follow-on support. Employees of the grantee organization
will be named Alternate Responsible Officers and will be responsible
for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants on behalf of the Teacher
Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X) and performing all actions to comply with
the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The comprehensive program strategy should reflect a vision for the
Program as a whole, interpreting the goals of the Teaching Excellence
and Achievement Program with creativity and providing innovative ideas
for the Program. The strategy should include a description of how the
various components of the Program will be integrated to build upon and
reinforce one another. Pending availability of funds, this grant should
begin on March 1, 2006, and will run through June 30, 2008.
In a cooperative agreement, ECA's Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch
(ECA/A/S/X) will be substantially involved in program activities above
and beyond routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/X activities and
responsibilities for this program are as follows:
Formulation of program policy;
Clearing texts and program guidelines for publication;
Establishing which countries are eligible and the number
of participants from each country;
Approval of recruitment mechanisms;
Review and approval of university-based programs and
enhancement activities for the teachers such as the Washington, DC,
orientation and the end-of-program conference/debriefing;
Oversight of selection of U.S. and international teacher
participants and alumni awards.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in
this program is listed under number I above.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2006.
Approximate Total Funding: $2,750,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
Approximate Average Award: Pending availability of funds,
$2,750,000. This would include $1,500,000 in FY 2005 ECA resources and
$1,250,000 in FY 2006 ECA resources, pending a FY 2006 appropriation.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, March 1,
2006.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: June 30, 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 this grant for two additional fiscal years before
openly competing it again.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible Applicants
Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds
There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For
accountability, applicants must maintain written records to support all
costs, which are claimed as their 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
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 issuing one award in an
amount up to $2,750,000 to support program and administrative costs
required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations
with less than four years experience in conducting international
exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement
before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition
with applicants until the proposal review process has been
completed.
IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package
Please contact Patricia Mosley of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange
Branch, ECA/A/S/X, Room 349, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202)453-8897, fax
(202)453-8890, e-mail: MosleyPJ@state.gov to request a Solicitation
Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/X-06-02
when making your request.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's
website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm. Please
read all information before downloading.
IV.3. Content and Form of Submission
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and seven copies of the application should be
sent per the instructions under IV.3e. ``Submission Dates and Times
section'' below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that
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your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF-424 which
is part of the formal application package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal
narrative and budget.
Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project
Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional
formatting and technical requirements.
IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information
when preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1 Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa. The
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed emphasis
on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa)
Programs and adherence by grantees and sponsors to all regulations
governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the
applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR
62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants,
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms,
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
An employee of the Bureau will be named the Responsible Officer for
the program; employees of the grantee organization will be named
Alternate Responsible Officers and will be responsible for issuing DS-
2019 forms to participants and performing all actions to comply with
the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 401-9810,
FAX: (202) 401-9809.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
IV.3.d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines. Pursuant to
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this
principle both in program administration and in program content. Please
refer to the review criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section
for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal.
Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of
educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not
fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take
appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such
programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.''
Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of the countries
described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection
process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their
program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3.d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation. Proposals must include
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee
will track participants and 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, how and when you intend to measure these
outcomes (performance indicators), and how these outcomes relate to the
above goals. 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 of teachers to apply
knowledge in home schools and community; interpretation and explanation
of experiences and new knowledge gained to school administrators and
other colleagues; continued contacts between participants and others.
4. Institutional changes influencing policy improvement, 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
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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.)
ECA/A/S/X and the Bureau's Office of Policy and Evaluation will
work with the recipient of this cooperative agreement to develop
appropriate evaluation goals and performance indicators.
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.3.d.4. Describe your plans for staffing: Please provide a
staffing plan which outlines the responsibilities of each staff person
and explains which staff member will be accountable for each program
responsibility. Wherever possible please streamline administrative
processes.
IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration
when preparing your budget:
IV.3.e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the
program. The budget should not exceed $2,750,000 for program and
administrative costs. There must be a summary budget as well as
breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets for host
campus and foreign teacher involvement in the program. Applicants
should provide separate sub-budgets for the summer institutes,
reciprocal visits by U.S. teachers, and the follow-on grant component.
The summary and detailed administrative and program budgets should
be accompanied by a narrative which provides a brief rationale for each
line item including a methodology for estimating appropriate average
maintenance allowance levels and tuition costs for the participants,
the number that can be accommodated at the levels proposed. The total
administrative costs funded by the Bureau must be reasonable and
appropriate.
IV.3.e.2. Allowable costs for the program and additional budget
guidance are outlined in detail in the POGI document.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times. Application Deadline Date:
Thursday, January 12, 2006.
Explanation of Deadlines: Due to heightened security measures,
proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally recognized overnight
delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or
U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be shipped no
later than the above deadline. The delivery services used by applicants
must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking
systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who
are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles.
Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA
more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for further
consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the
established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this
competition. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each
package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm
delivery to ECA via the Internet. ECA will not notify you upon receipt
of application. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local
courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will
not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above
will be considered. Applications may not be submitted electronically at
this time.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
The original and seven copies of the application should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/X-06-02, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order
12372 does not apply to this program.
V. Application Review Information
V.1. Review Process
The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility.
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public
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 awards (cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's
Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Program Development and Management: The proposal narrative
should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the
Bureau's mission as well as the objectives of the Eurasia/South Asia
Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program. It should include an
effective program plan and demonstrate how the distribution of
administrative resources will ensure adequate attention to program
administration, including host institution selection.
2. Multiplier effect/impact: The proposed administrative strategy
should maximize the program's potential to build on the participants'
training upon their return to their countries.
3. 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, resource materials and follow-up activities).
4. Institutional Capacity and Record: 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. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be
adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals.
5. Follow-on and Alumni Activities: Proposals should provide a plan
for continued follow-on activity (both with
[[Page 69800]]
and without Bureau support) ensuring that the Teaching Excellence and
Achievement Program training is not an isolated event. Activities
should include tracking and maintaining updated lists of all alumni and
facilitating follow-up activities for alumni.
6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and
methodology to evaluate the Teaching Excellence and Achievement
Program's degree of success in meeting program objectives, both as the
activities unfold, at the end of the first program iteration, and at
their conclusion. Draft survey questionnaires or other techniques plus
description of methodologies to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives are recommended. Successful applicants will be
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is
concluded, or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
7. Cost-effectiveness and Cost Sharing: The overhead and
administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and
honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be
necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct
funding contributions.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD)
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant
proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the
only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S.
Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and
mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the
application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles
for Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian
Governments.''
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher
Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and
Non-profit Organizations.
Please reference the following Web sites for additional
information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants; http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
erms.htm#articleI.
You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus one copy of the
following reports:
Quarterly financial reports; Annual program reports for the first
and second year of the agreement; and 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 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.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Michael Kuban,
Office of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/X, Room 349, U.S.
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
telephone: 202-453-8878, fax: 202-453-8890, KubanMM@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the title and number ECA/A/S/X-06-02. 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.
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 9, 2005.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 05-22804 Filed 11-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-U