IV.3f. APPLICATION DEADLINE AND METHODS OF SUBMISSION:
Application Deadline Date: Friday, September 1, 2006
Reference Number: ECA/A/S/U-06-10
Methods of Submission:
Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:
1.) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or
2.) electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications
Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. It is each applicant’s responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an envelope addressed to "ECA/EX/PM".
The original and ten 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/U-06-10
Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534
301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 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).
Applicants have until midnight (12:00 a.m.), Washington, DC time 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.
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 sections 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 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 Management and Planning: Your proposal narrative should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau’s mission as well as the objectives of the Community College Summit Initiative Program. Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the participating world regions and of the needs of students from the region(s) as related to the program goals. A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity for students placed in field-related clusters. The agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.
2. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how institutions will meet the Community College Summit Initiative Program’s objectives and plan and should address each program component.
3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposals should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and individual linkages. The proposed strategy should maximize the Program’s potential to maintain community college links with alumni abroad.
4. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of the Bureau’s policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both program administration (selection of participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, academic programs, and follow-up activities). The applicant should clearly demonstrate how it will select, place, monitor and maintain contact with scholarship recipients representative of the diversity underserved, non-elite populations, especially women and older students with work experience from the six targeted countries. The U.S. study and enrichment programs should also incorporate and demonstrate the diversity of the American people, regions and cultures.
5. Institutional Capacity and Ability: Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program’s goals. Proposals should describe the applicant’s knowledge of, or prior experience with, students from the designated six countries, and the applicant’s experience in training students in the targeted subject fields. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs involving the hosting of international students, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau grants. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events. Activities should include tracking and maintaining updated lists of all alumni and facilitating follow-up activities with alumni, including electronic list serves.
7. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and methodology to evaluate the programs degree of success in meeting program objectives, 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. Successful applicants will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is concluded, or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
8. 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 institutional direct funding contributions and private sector support. Budget estimates should be as accurate as possible over the full period of the grant.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices:
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive 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 websites 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: Quarterly financial reports; annual program reports for the first and second year of the agreement; 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: Michelle Johnson, Office of Global Educational Programs, ECA/A/S/U, Room 349, ECA/A/S/U-06-10, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone 202-453-8862, fax 202-453-8891, e-mail JohnsonML3@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/A/S/U-06-10.
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.