[Federal Register: March 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 13603-13608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13mr08-97]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6131]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: English Language Teaching (ELT) Materials Development
Project and English Language Educators Summer Institute
Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/L-08-02.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
Key Dates: Application Deadline: May 13, 2008.
Executive Summary: The Office of English Language Programs of the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for the English Language Teaching (ELT) Materials
Development Project and English Language Educators Summer Institute in
July 2009. U.S. public and private universities, colleges, community
colleges and other organizations meeting the provisions described in
Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals
to provide the following: (1) The development of English language
materials suitable to Office of English Language Programs' goals and
(2) the design and administration of a three-week professional
development program for assessing English language teaching materials
for possible adoption into English language teaching programs overseas.
For the ELT Materials Development Project, the recipient will develop
English Language Teaching materials (print, audio, and online) to
become part of the collection of the Office of English Language
Programs for use overseas. These should reflect current academic best
practices and educational priorities. More detailed information about
the ELT materials to be developed under this cooperative agreement is
detailed in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI).
For the English Language Educators Summer Institute to take place
in 2009, the recipient will design and administer a three-week
professional development program for experienced secondary school and
university English language teachers drawn from countries served by
U.S. Department of State Regional English Language Officers based
overseas.
The focus of the English Language Educators Summer Institute is to
familiarize participants with the newly authored materials (created as
part of this cooperative agreement), selected
[[Page 13604]]
Office of English Language Program publications, U.S. student-centered
teaching methods, various materials illustrating U.S. society, culture
and diversity, and the role of materials in the language classroom. The
exchange experience should also give participants an in-depth
experience of American life and culture and contribute to mutual
understanding between participants' countries and the United States.
The program should include both a theoretical component, provided
through professional development seminars in an academic setting, and a
practical component, provided through hands on experience assessing and
working with selected titles from the Office of English Language
Programs. Participants should also create or adapt English language
teaching materials suitable for their local context. Applicant
organizations should have a demonstrated ability to conduct a
substantive academic program, develop English language materials, and
manage logistical and administrative aspects of the program.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended,
Public Law 87-256, 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 purpose of this cooperative agreement is two-fold: 1)
development of English language materials appropriate to the Office of
English Language Programs' goals and 2) design and administration of a
three-week English Language Educators Summer Institute with a focus on
materials assessment and techniques for participants on how to
incorporate Office of English Language Programs' materials into English
language teaching programs in their home countries.
The English Language Teaching Materials Development Project for the
Office of English Language Programs will allow U.S. missions and
programs overseas to provide low-cost, high-quality English language
teaching (ELT) materials that demonstrate current best practices in the
field appropriate for global audiences.
The follow-on English Language Educators Summer Institute in 2009
will bring approximately twenty-six in-service teachers of English from
public institutions (secondary schools and universities) from regions
overseas to the U.S. to learn about the role of materials in the
language learning classroom--specifically: selecting, assessing, using,
and supplementing materials with available resources (internet, realia,
articles etc.), as well as incorporating these materials into U.S.-
style student-centered teaching methods. Following their program, the
participants will return to their home institutions.
This program is designed to assist educators in their classroom
pedagogy and to provide these educators with an in-depth exchange
experience in the United States. It is intended that this experience
will provide a basis for participants' continuing contact with American
counterparts in order to promote mutual understanding.
Guidelines
The English Language Teaching Materials Development Project
component of the cooperative agreement will focus on publications
relevant and appropriate to ECA/A/L's ongoing English language
programming efforts around the world. The effort should focus on
updating existing materials and creating supplemental materials (print,
audio, and online use) for our current titles. Selection of titles to
expand will be made by the Office of English Language Programs in
consultation with the recipient.
The Department of State will retain full foreign ownership to the
text that is prepared including the right to print, publish, repurpose,
and distribute the text in all media including electronic media, and in
all languages and editions.
The follow-on English Language Educators Summer Institute should
provide participants with thorough exposure to the new materials, their
use in the classroom, and student-centered teaching approaches as well
as a substantive cultural/educational exchange experience in the United
States. The participants will be selected by the Office of English
Language Programs in consultation with Regional English Language Offers
(RELOs) and Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) at U.S. embassies.
The recipient should provide substantive information for the pre-
departure briefing materials about the program, the program's goals,
and expectations of participants. This information should be conveyed
electronically via email or fax for optimum efficiency. The recipient
should also design a framework for integrating the professional
development component and its objectives to reflect the participants'
previous education and experience, and promote strategies for
participants to share their knowledge with professional counterparts
and with students in their classrooms. To help in the design of this
framework, organizers should seek participants' input about the needs
of local educators in pre- and in-service positions with regards to
materials, curricula, and teaching practices.
It is anticipated that the cooperative agreement will begin on or
about July 1, 2008, and the recipient should complete all exchange
activities by December 31, 2009. The exchange program will take place
in July 2009. Please refer to additional program specific guidelines in
the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.
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: 2008.
Approximate Total Funding: $500,000.
Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
Approximate Average Award: $500,000.
Anticipated Award Date: July 1, 2008.
Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2009.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is
ECA's intent to renew this cooperative agreement for two additional
fiscal years, before openly competing it again. Pending availability of
funds in future fiscal years, the size of the award may increase.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by U.S.
public and private universities, colleges, community colleges and other
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
[[Page 13605]]
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 cooperative 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: Bureau grant guidelines
require that organizations with less than four years experience in
conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau
funding. ECA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement, in an
amount up to $500,000 to support program and administrative costs
required to implement the ELT Materials Development Project and English
Language Educators Summer Institute. Amount available for program and
administration of English Language Educators Summer Institute estimated
at $200,000. 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 Maria Snarski of the Office of English Language Programs, ECA/
A/L, Room 304, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 453-8841, fax: (202) 453-8858,
e-mail: SnarskiME@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please
refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/L-08-02 located at the
top of this announcement when making your request.
Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation
(POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria
and budget instructions tailored to this competition.
Please specify Maria Snarski, telephone: (202) 453-8841, and refer
to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/l-08-02 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 original and seven copies
of 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 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. The recipient will be
responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://
exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029,
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further information.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic
status, and disabilities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere
to the advancement of this principle both in program
[[Page 13606]]
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 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.)
The cooperative agreement recipient 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. The Office of English Programs requests that at least
one member of the staff should be well versed in current methodology of
teaching English as a foreign language preferably holding an advanced
degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), applied
linguistics or a related field. In depth knowledge of best practices in
the English language teaching (ELT) field is preferable. Wherever
possible please streamline administrative processes.
IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration
when preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the
entire program. The budget should not exceed $300,000 for both the ELT
Materials Development Project and $200,000 for the English Language
Educators Summer Institute 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 may provide separate sub-budgets
for each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide
clarification.
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 (as applicable) for the
participants, and the number that can be accommodated at the levels
proposed. The total administrative costs funded by the Bureau must be
reasonable and appropriate.
IV.3e.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. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
Application Deadline Date: May 13, 2008.
Reference Number: ECA/A/L-08-02.
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,
[[Page 13607]]
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.),
or
(2) Electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications
Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline.
Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized
shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via
the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly
recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or
before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days
after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under
this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are
ineligible for consideration under this competition. ECA will not
notify you upon receipt of application. It is each applicant's
responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible
tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the
Internet. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local
courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will
not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above
will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.
The original and 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-07-02, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the
proposal in text (.txt) format on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will
provide these files electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs
Section(s) at the U.S. embassy(ies) for its(their) review.
IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic Applications
Applicants have the option of submitting proposals electronically
through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation
packages are available at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the
system. Please follow the instructions available in the ``Get Started''
portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Once
registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to
begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission to:
Grants.gov Customer Support.
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726.
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time.
E-mail: support@grants.gov.
Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC time of
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above
deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the
application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you
upon receipt of electronic applications.
It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via
the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
IV.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 and Fulbright Commission overseas. Eligible proposals
will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review.
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for
assistance awards (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 ELT Materials
Development Project and English Language Educators Summer Institute. It
should include an effective, feasible plan and clearly demonstrate how
the institution will meet the program's objectives.
2. Multiplier effect/impact: The proposed program should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
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
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, 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. The successful proposal will demonstrate the organization's
experience in international educational exchange and intensive
programs, and an understanding of international differences of culture,
religion, and system of education. The Bureau will consider the past
performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new
applicants.
[[Page 13608]]
5. Follow-on and Alumni Activities: ECA's office of Alumni Affairs
is the leading agency for alumni activities and as such, all suggested
alumni activity for participants should dovetail with Alumni Affairs'
initiatives. Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on
activity ensuring that the English Language Educators Summer Institute
is not an isolated event. Activities should include tracking and
maintaining updated lists of all alumni. These lists should be
available for the Office of Alumni Affairs.
6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives is recommended.
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 Federal
Assistance Award (FAA) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the
original cooperative agreement 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.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements
include the following:
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian
Governments''.
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations
Please reference the following Web sites for additional
information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants. http://
exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy
original plus one copy of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after
the expiration of the award; and
(2) Quarterly program and financial reports.
The recipient 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 Federal Assistance Award.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Maria Snarski,
Office of English Language Programs, ECA/A/L, Room 304, ECA/A/L-08-02,
U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547, telephone: 202-453-8841, fax 202-453-8858, SnarskiME@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/A/L-08-02. Please read the
complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.
Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this
competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been
completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice:
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 4, 2008.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E8-5040 Filed 3-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P