E6-4383. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Programs Academic Year Disability Component

Announcement Type: New Grant.

Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.

Key Dates: July 2006-June 2007.

Application Deadline: May 8, 2006.

Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the management of the Disability Component for its Academic Year programs. This includes conducting a five-day summer Preparatory Workshop and a three-day spring Leadership and Reentry Workshop for Students with Disabilities from Eurasia participating in the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program and from countries with significant Muslim populations participating in the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, as well as the provision of support services to these students throughout the year by assisting grantee placement organizations and maintaining regular communication with each student, as needed. Approximately 20-27 high school-aged students will participate in the Disability Component 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, 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: It is Bureau policy that recruitment of people with disabilities at every level should be a priority in all sponsored programming. It is ECA's goal to provide each student with disabilities participating in the FLEX or YES Programs with an integrated three-phase program designed to enhance their experience in the U.S. This will include providing a Preparatory Workshop upon the students' arrival in the U.S. and developing an action plan with each student for the coming year. The grantee organization will then continue to support each of these students and work with their placement organizations to assist the students in taking advantage of local opportunities for people with disabilities. Finally, the process will include implementing the Leadership and Reentry Workshop to assist the students in discussing their year's experience and in preparing for their return home as individuals with disabilities.

Background: The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programs bring secondary school students from Eurasia and countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S. for an academic year. During their time in the U.S., these students live with American host families and attend U.S. high schools. (Note: For more information on these programs, refer to the Youth Programs Division Web site: http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​citizens/​students.)Since 1995, the FLEX program has included a component for students with disabilities. This has been challenging since individuals with disabilities are treated very differently in Eurasia than they are in the U.S. In Eurasia, most disabled young people attend special schools, largely institutions, and being disabled carries a major stigma. Most young, disabled individuals either are ignored by parents who are ashamed of them or are overprotected by parents who are concerned that they cannot function independently. A similar situation exists in the countries from which the YES students come; and therefore, the disabilities component is being expanded this year to include YES students. The program should be designed to support the following specific activities/components:

Preparatory Workshop for Students with Disabilities: Generally, FLEX and YES participants with disabilities adjust well to American life and culture and realize the same positive effects as non-disabled participants. The grantee organization will assess the students' abilities and special needs and provide information to placement organizations (POs) on accommodations that each student may require as well as assist each PO in identifying resources to support the student in the host community. The Preparatory Workshop will also introduce and guide students' expectations and skills for the U.S. academic year as individuals with disabilities. The grantee organization will also focus on identifying local activities and resources to prepare each student to incorporate disability related themes into their FLEX or YES program objectives of participation in community service and enhancement activities designed to involve them in civic education, democracy building and mutual understanding. Please note: Due to differences in scheduling between the FLEX and YES programs, two separate Preparatory Workshops will be necessary for FLEX and YES program participants respectively.

Ongoing Support and Academic Year Programming: Placement organizations have minimal experience working with students with disabilities and often lack resources and counseling expertise. Providing such support services during the year will undoubtedly offer students with disabilities access to opportunities that they may not be aware of as well as enhance their experiences in their American host communities. However, in addition to providing for the physical and emotional support of students with disabilities, POs also need guidance in identifying appropriate disability related local community service and enhancement opportunities to provide for the programmatic aspects of the students' FLEX or YES experience. Your organization's expertise and knowledge of resources around the country will provide valuable assistance to POs in planning meaningful activities that can expand the students' knowledge and self-awareness of disability issues. This will enhance their stay as well as their ability to become agents of change in their home countries on matters concerning people with disabilities.

Leadership and Reentry Workshop for Students with Disabilities: After having enjoyed the accessibility and other disability supports that exist in the U.S., FLEX and YES students with disabilities are often not well prepared to return to the less disability-friendly environments of their home countries. It is important to adequately prepare program participants with disabilities for the reverse culture shock that is sure to occur when they return home. Therefore, this workshop should focus solely on the readjustment of each student as a person with a disability, as the students will also be attending other reentry workshops conducted for all FLEX and YES students by their respective placement organizations at the end of the program year. These other workshops will provide more general training for readjustment to the students' home cultures. Additional goals of the Leadership and Reentry workshop are conducting activities to further develop leadership skills and foster empowerment and provision of tools that would enable these individuals to do outreach and work in support of disability rights in their countries.

Proposed funding would support the following activities:

Preparatory Workshops: Two five-day workshops in summer 2006 to prepare FLEX and YES students with disabilities for their exchange experience.

• Assessment of students' skills and preparation of reports to provide placement organizations information about their students' specific needs and abilities.
• Lodging, meals, student supervision and emergency medical care. [Note: Health insurance is provided by each student's placement organization. Any issues or questions regarding insurance should be addressed to the placement organizations.]
• Coordination of arrival and departure travel information with administrative component grantee. [Students' international and domestic travel is provided through the FLEX administrative components and YES recruitment grants.]
• Coordination of make-up activities and information for any late arriving students.
• Comprehensive follow-up programming with any selected individuals who were unable to attend the workshop.
• Fiscal management.
• Workshop evaluation.

Support and Programming Services:

• Provision of disability- and locality-specific information and resources to placement organizations and students to enhance their FLEX and YES program activities.
• Provision of ongoing support and program assistance and communication to FLEX and YES students with disabilities through their POs.
• Fiscal management.
• Evaluation.

Leadership and Reentry Workshop: A three-day workshop in spring 2007 to prepare students with disabilities to return to their home countries.

• Lodging, meals, student supervision and medical care.
• Travel from host communities to workshop site, and return.
• Follow-up programming—with any selected individuals who were unable to attend the workshop.
• Fiscal management.
• Evaluation.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Grant Agreement.

Fiscal Year Funds: 2006.

Approximate Total Funding: Approximately $146,346.

Approximate Number of Awards: One.

Anticipated Award Date: June 2006.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: June 2007.

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, 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

Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.

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 the Youth Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room Number 568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone: [phone], fax [phone], or e-mail [e-mail] to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement 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. Please specify Bureau Program Officer Michele Peters and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37) located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​rfgps/​menu.htm. Please read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission

Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be sent per the instructions under IV.3f. “Submission Dates and Times” section below.

IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF-424 which is part of the formal application package.

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget. Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document 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 Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the “Responsible Officer” for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties “cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.” The actions of grantee program organizations shall be “imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with” 22 CFR part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, recordkeeping, reporting and other requirements. The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.

A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://www.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: [phone]. Fax: [phone].

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 physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the ‘Support for Diversity’ section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that “in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy,” the Bureau “shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.” Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, 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 timeframe), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.

We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in increasing order of importance):

1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.

2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.

4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.

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

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes (satisfaction) will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)

Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the Bureau upon request.

IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration when preparing your budget:

IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program. The award will be approximately $146,346. 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) Round-trip transportation for participants from their host communities to/from the Leadership and Reentry workshop site.

(2) Daily travel at workshop site location as necessary.

(3) Accommodations and meals for participants during the time of the workshop.

(4) Rental of facilities and equipment.

(5) Fees for relevant excursions and cultural activities.

(6) Honoraria for speakers/trainers, as appropriate.

(7) Necessary reasonable accommodations.

(8) Materials development.

Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:

Application Deadline Date: Monday, May 8, 2006.

Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37.

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 Program 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”.

Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package.

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, Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic Applications: Applicants have the option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available at Grants.gov in the “Find” portion of the system. Please follow the instructions available in the “Get Started” portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/​GetStarted).

Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.) of the closing date to ensure that their entire applications have been uploaded to the grants.gov site. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.

Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program. Applicants must also submit the “Executive Summary” and “Proposal Narrative” sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format on a PC-formatted disk.

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 grants assistance awards 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: Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and resourcefulness. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should include proposed support activities and should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above and should clearly demonstrate how the project will meet objectives.

2. 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 (program venue and program evaluation) and program content.

3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. You should demonstrate experience working with youth with disabilities, as well as familiarity with the culture and current challenges that exist for people with disabilities living in Eurasia and represented by the FLEX program and people with disabilities in the countries represented in the YES program. Your proposal should demonstrate an institutional record of successful programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant Staff.

4. Multiplier Effect/Impact: The proposed program should describe how workshop participants will be motivated and enabled to reach out to other individuals with disabilities in their communities in the U.S. and in their home countries.

5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should describe how the program will encourage participants to teach and encourage advocacy to others in their home countries.

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 are recommended.

7. Cost effectiveness/Cost sharing: The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

VI. Award Administration Information

VI.1. Award Notices

Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The AAD will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the application.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this competition.

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the following:

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, “Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations.”

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions.”

OMB Circular A-87, “Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Governments.”

OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.

OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.

OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-profit Organizations.

Please reference the following Web sites for additional information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/​omb/​grants;

http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​grantsdiv/​terms.htm#articleI.

VI.3. Reporting Requirements

You must provide ECA with two hard copy originals of the following reports:

Quarterly program and financial reports; and a 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: Michele Peters, Program Officer, Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, Reference Number ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone: [phone] and fax [phone], E-mail: [e-mail].

All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-06-37.

Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

VIII. Other Information

Notice: The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 above.

Dated: March 22, 2006.

C. Miller Crouch,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.