FY 21 Teacher Exchange NOFO.pdf

Department of State

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): FY 2021 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs

Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0006830

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.408

Application Deadline: June 23, 2020

Executive Summary: 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 one cooperative agreement to administer the Office's Fulbright Teacher

Exchange Programs in Fiscal Year 2021. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations or consortia or other combinations of eligible organizations meeting the provisions described in

Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) may submit a proposal to cooperate with the

Bureau in the administration of the FY 2021 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs. For FY

2021, applicant organizations are required to submit a single proposal to administer the suite of Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs as described below. Applicants should submit one administrative and program budget that clearly details the costs per program component.

Applicant organizations are encouraged to develop synergies across and among program components, look for administrative efficiencies, and explore public and private partnership opportunities with U.S. for-profit and non-profit entities, school districts, and other education stakeholders to increase support for U.S. Fulbright nominees, including in the form of paid leave and benefits. ECA anticipates issuing one cooperative agreement for

$9,075,000 for administrative ad program costs, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds.

ECA reserves the right to fully or partially fund or not to fund a specific program component. Although geographic regions or countries are noted below, applicant organizations must demonstrate flexibility and the willingness to work in locations that may not be identified at the present time. ECA reserves the right to add or delete regions or countries depending on Bureau priorities and the availability of funds. Please see section B.)

Federal Award Information below for additional details. The amounts listed for each component are provided below to enable applicant organizations to prepare budgets for planning purposes only and are subject to change.

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 consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing the award again.

Applicants may submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process.

To facilitate effective communication between ECA's Teacher Exchange Branch

(ECA/A/S/X) and the award recipient cooperating on these programs, applicant organizations should have an office and staff located in Washington, D.C. at the time of application.

More specific information for each program component is provided below and in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document.

The Presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) is responsible for the programs listed below, and has issued overall policy guidelines and selection criteria which are available at the following website:

https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/j-william-fulbright-foreign-scholarship-board-ffsb/ffsb-policies The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) is responsible for the final selection of all Fulbright candidates. Organizations must ensure compliance with all FFSB policies and procedures and fully and properly identify this program as both a Fulbright Program and a U.S. Department of State Programs in all communications.

A. Program 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 this legislation.

Purpose:

Under this award, Fulbright Teacher Exchanges will support the National Security

Strategy (NSS), the Joint Strategic Plan (JSP), and ECA’s Functional Bureau Strategy

(FBS) by increasing Americans’ global competitiveness while advancing American values abroad. Additional information about the Department of State’s foreign policy and public diplomacy goals may be found in the National Security Strategy, the Joint

Strategic Plan and ECA’s Functional Bureau Strategy. Successful applicants will submit a proposal that clearly links program activities to these goals in a thoughtful, practical, and effective approach.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity reinforces the Bureau's engagement with primary and secondary school educators and seeks interested applicant organizations to administer teacher exchange programming for domestic and international teachers.

Detailed descriptions of the program components are provided under the Funding

Opportunity Description section of this document and in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document associated with this solicitation.

https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/j-william-fulbright-foreign-scholarship-board-ffsb/ffsb-policies https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/j-william-fulbright-foreign-scholarship-board-ffsb/ffsb-policies

The Bureau’s Fulbright Teacher Exchanges hone American teachers’ knowledge and skills in leadership, education practices, and education technology. Primary and secondary (K-12) educators participate in professional development exchanges to enhance their teaching abilities, improve education systems, and advance the educational outcomes and broaden the worldview of their students. Collectively, these educators reach approximately a million students over their professional careers.

Programs are open to teachers and administrators in public, charter, and private

(secular and faith-based) schools. Programs prioritize engaging educators, both in the

United States and abroad, who work with students in urban and rural communities, students in career and technical education programs, and students with disabilities, to ensure that the next generation acquires the global knowledge and skills needed to succeed. Working with administrators as well as teachers increases the impact of these exchange programs. Principals and superintendents support teachers’ initiatives and lead schools and districts in adopting strategies they learn from other education systems to improve student learning.

Proposals should reflect a vision for the overall suite of programs and individual components, interpreting the goals of the Fulbright-Hays Act and Fulbright Teacher

Exchange Programs with creativity and providing innovative ideas and recommendations.

One cooperative agreement will be issued under the FY 2021 Fulbright Teacher Exchange

Programs NOFO. Proposal narratives should include a commitment to implement the program for the base year, with two additional renewals, pending successful performance and the availability of funds. The selected award recipient will be responsible for providing complete programmatic and administrative support for each program, including the following broad categories: program planning and management; participant recruitment and placement; orientation and preparation of participants and host/mentor educators;

enrichment activities; participant monitoring and support; fiscal management and budgeting;

program monitoring and evaluation (including program and financial reports as requested by

ECA’s Teacher Exchange Branch); and alumni programming and follow-on activities. ECA will supervise this activity under the auspices of a Cooperative Agreement. Should the award for the FY 2021 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program be awarded to a recipient that does not currently administer these programs, the new recipient and the current and administrator of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs will be required to collaborate closely to ensure a successful transition, especially as relevant to strategic communications, program systems, and alumni programming.

Proposals should include schedules and timelines for notifying ECA, overseas partners, potential applicants and participants of recruitment cycles, placements, travel arrangements and cross-cultural and program information in a timely manner. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations and FFSB regulations. Fulbright Teacher exchange participants in the United States and abroad should be identified through open, merit-based competitions.

I. Programs For U.S. Educators

The Teacher Exchange Branch’s overall mission reflects a growing body of research indicating that U.S. students’ future careers will depend heavily upon their ability to work and collaborate in multiple cultural contexts and navigate in an increasingly competitive and globalized world. The Bureau’s Fulbright Teacher Exchange

Programs reflect the critical need for teachers and administrators to further develop their own global competencies so they may better help their students develop these skills and abilities at the primary and secondary level.

The program models described below provide professional development opportunities to U.S. educators from public, private (secular and faith-based), and charter schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the United States. Educators improve educational outcomes for students as they share best instructional practices from their host countries across their U.S. schools, districts, and communities. Upon return to their U.S. schools and classrooms, educators implement school action plans, design and teach new courses and curricula, and build international partnerships that bring a global perspective to the teaching of STEM, social studies, foreign languages, language arts, the arts, vocational education and special education, and after-school and counseling programs.

For planning purposes, the combined budget for program and administration of the four U.S. teacher program components is approximately $3,559,000, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds.

a) As part of Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching (DA) Research, approximately 20 U.S. teachers design and carry out a project to research and adapt educational practices from abroad and develop new, global content to use in their classrooms and schools when they return to the United States. In addition to conducting an inquiry project, teachers take courses for professional development, and share their expertise with teachers and students in local schools in their host countries. Upon completion of the program, the educators return to the United States with new strategies and resources to improve the education outcomes of U.S.

students in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Based on proposals submitted by U.S. teachers to conduct these activities in specific eligible countries, the U.S. Embassy, Fulbright Commission, or other organization in each participating host country will facilitate a relevant academic or professional affiliation in consultation with each U.S. Distinguished Teacher.

For FY 2021, approximately 20 U.S. teachers propose research projects for a three to six-month period each between September 2021 and July 2022. The budget for this program should be approximately $1,075,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funds.

The program may take place in any of the following locations: Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Greece, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, or Vietnam. ECA reserves the right to add or remove countries and regions depending on Bureau and Mission priorities. As part of the above model, ECA encourages applicants to think creatively about how to encourage individual schools or school districts to provide financial support, including paid leave and extension of fringe benefit coverage to their U.S. educators who are on Fulbright professional development exchanges abroad.

b) Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short Term (DAST) will offer an exchange opportunity for approximately 20 U.S. master teachers to serve as experts abroad at schools, government ministries, or educational organizations for a period of approximately two to six weeks. While sharing their expertise, U.S. teachers hone their skills as consultants and teacher trainers and build global expertise and connections to bring back to their home schools and districts.

The budget for this program should be approximately $584,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funds. In FY 2021, U.S. teachers may be placed individually or in pairs in the following locations: Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana, India, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Uganda, or Vietnam. The U.S. cooperating organization will work with the Bureau and U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions in these locations to develop a list of projects at local host institutions for which U.S. teachers may apply.

ECA reserves the right to add or remove countries and regions depending on Bureau and Mission priorities. Proposals may recommend more than one recruitment cycle for these projects, depending on host country and organizational requirements.

c) As part of Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC), teachers participate in an intensive online course at the graduate level on best practices for internationalizing U.S. education, subsequently traveling to priority countries designated by the State Department to study the society, culture, political, and education systems.

In FY 2021, six groups of approximately 8-12 U.S. teachers (for a total of approximately 66 U.S. teachers) may travel abroad to Colombia, India, Morocco, Peru, Senegal, or Thailand. The budget for this program will be approximately

$1,700,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funds. ECA reserves the right to add or remove countries and regions depending on Bureau and Mission priorities. To prepare for the exchanges, U.S. teachers will take part in a rigorous semester-long online course in fall 2020, focused on best practices in global education; an in-person professional development workshop; and country-specific webinars and other activities administered by the U.S. cooperating organization to maximize the integration of their experience into U.S. classroom activities and curricula. The recipient organization will have access to existing content and materials upon which to base future coursework, seminars, and webinars. During this program component, participants develop resources (curricular units, lesson plans, virtual exchanges, or other materials or activities) for use in U.S. classrooms, schools, and districts to better equip U.S. students for future careers in an interconnected world, and build relationships with international host teachers as well as with other U.S. teachers on the program, in order to continue collaborating upon their return.

d) Through Seminars for U.S. School Administrators 20 U.S. school, district, or state administrators travel abroad for an immersive ten-day international experience during which they will collaborate with colleagues to broaden their leadership capacity in ensuring that students are prepared for future study and careers in the global economy. Two cohorts of approximately 10 participants will travel to one or more countries each to be identified by ECA in consultation with regional bureaus and U.S. Embassies based on U.S. foreign policy priorities. It is anticipated that U.S.

administrators will travel in Spring 2021, but timing may vary depending on academic schedules and educational events/opportunities in the host location. The budget for this program should be approximately $200,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funding.

II. Programs for International Educators

International educators participate in professional development programs that have important domestic benefits for U.S. universities and K-12 schools as well as the international teachers’ home systems and schools. U.S. universities compete in merit-based competitions to host international teachers, and the international teachers contribute to greater international capacity and and integration of educational best practices on U.S. campuses and schools. U.S. K-12 teachers, students and communities learn about the culture, society, and history of the international teachers’ countries and territories during field experiences visits by the international teachers.

Many of these U.S. communities would not otherwise have the opportunity to engage with professionals from these countries.

Fulbright Programs for international educators develop leadership competencies, deepen understanding of U.S. teaching methodologies, broaden technology skills, and improve English language proficiency. Participating educators return home better positioned to implement innovative lessons on global citizenship, civic engagement, critical thinking and other essential skills. International teachers also gain a better understanding of U.S. communities and values through personal engagement with

Americans. Upon their return home, educators communicate these professional skills and personal experiences to thousands of students, peers, and community members over the course of their careers, countering misperceptions of the United States that can arise from a lack of knowledge about the U.S., which also strengthens global security.

As part of these exchanges, leading educators from over eighty countries undertake professional development for six weeks (Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement) or an academic semester (Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching for International

Teachers), respectively.

For planning purposes, the combined budget for program and administration of the two programs under this component is approximately $5,366,000, pending the availability of

FY 2021 funds.

a) Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA). The majority of the international teachers, often from underserved school systems and schools, will take part in this six-week program in approximately eight groups of no more than 20 participants each for a six-week period during the spring or fall semester at U.S.

university schools of education, where the participants collaborate with U.S.

professors of education and practicing U.S. teachers; attend professional development and technology seminars, workshops, and conferences on education-related and pedagogical topics; teach or team-teach as part of a practicum for at least 40 hours in

U.S. secondary school classrooms with experienced U.S. partner teachers; and develop an action plan to implement in their home schools the practices they observe in the United States once they return. It is anticipated that the program will support approximately 158 total international teachers in multi-national groups for six-week periods in the spring and fall of 2021. The budget for this program should be approximately $3,924,000 pending availability of FY 2021 funds.

b) Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching. Approximately 50 international teachers will spend an academic semester at U.S. university schools of education, where the teachers audit two graduate courses; collaborate with U.S. professors of education and practicing U.S. teachers; attend professional development and technology seminars, workshops, and conferences; and spend approximately 90 hours in elementary or secondary schools to build relationships and/or co-teach, learn about

U.S. educational practices, and share their expertise with U.S. colleagues and students. They also complete an individual or group inquiry project, with guidance from faculty advisors, on topics of their own choosing. Projects may include professional development workshops, curriculum units, teaching resources, or other materials to implement what they learned in the United States upon their return home.

The program should be flexible in providing an appropriate professional development experience for educators with diverse teaching backgrounds and expertise. Teachers come from a wide variety of countries and educational systems--some will have had few professional development opportunities and work in schools with few resources in the developing world, while others will be master teachers from well-resourced schools in developed countries. The cooperating agency should plan to place approximately three groups of approximately 16-17 each for a total of about 45 teachers in the spring of 2022. An additional five educators may be cost-shared by a partner organization. The budget for this program should be approximately

$1,442,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funding.

For both of these programs, participants are full-time teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language, math, science, computer science, social studies, or special education. Other disciplines may be added as well, and some cohorts may also focus on a particular theme, such as media literacy and countering disinformation, gender, or STEM. For the semester exchange, library/media specialists, guidance counselors, and administrators who spend at least half of their time interacting directly with students are also eligible. Teacher trainers from lower income countries may also participate in the semester exchange.

III. Outreach and Multiplier Activities

Applicant organizations’ proposals should also include creative, cost-effective ways to engage teachers and administrators as prospective applicants, participants, alumni, and other interested educators. These may include activities such as those listed below, or others as determined in cooperation with ECA, with the goal of amplifying the impact of

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges.

a) Resource sharing among fellows, alumni and the broader teacher community worldwide In person and virtual outreach and professional development events;

b) Online courses, webinars, resource libraries;

c) Reciprocal and virtual exchanges; and

d) Collaboration on ECA initiated events, such as Global Teaching Dialogues

(www.eca.state.gov/global-teaching-dialogue) and regional dialogues throughout the

United States.

The budget for this program should be approximately $150,000 pending the availability of

FY 2021 funds.

Program Administration

In a Cooperative Agreement, the Department and ECA/A/S/X are substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. Bureau responsibilities for

Fulbright teacher exchange programs include:

1. Participation in the design and direction of program activities;

2. Participation in the formulation and approval of program policies and protocols;

3. Approval and input on program timelines, agendas and administrative procedures;

4. Guidance in execution of all programs;

5. Review and approval of all program publicity, outreach, and recruitment materials to ensure adherence to Department, Bureau, and program branding and messaging;

6. Approval of participating teachers and administrators, in cooperation with Fulbright commissions, U.S. embassies, and other partner organizations and subject to final selection by the FFSB;

7. Consultation on and approval of decisions related to special circumstances or problems throughout the duration of the program;

8. Assistance with participants’ non-immigrant visa status and other SEVIS-related issues;

9. Guidance with participant emergencies, including legal and medical matters;

10. Guidance on alumni initiatives and program evaluation activities;

11. Consultation and approval of co-funding and public private partnership initiatives;

12. Liaison with relevant U.S. embassies, Fulbright commissions, country desk officers at the State Department, and other State Department bureaus and offices;

13. Approval of key personnel, such as program director, assistant director or deputies, and other senior level managers.

Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines outlined in the

Solicitation Package, which includes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the

Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI), and the Proposal Submission

Instructions (PSI).

Award Recipient(s) Responsibilities

For each program, the award recipient is responsible for the activities outlined below. This is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to the POGI for additional details.

1. Outreach, recruitment, and screening of applicants using virtual and in person engagement;

2. Administration of, in close consultation with ECA, a distinct website for the Fulbright

Teacher Exchange programs;

3. SEVIS duties and preparation of DS-2019 forms with a G Program Number under the

Bureau's responsibility on behalf of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch’s program models for international teachers: Fulbright Teaching Excellence and

Achievement and Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching, and any other international participants (e.g., reciprocal exchanges, pilot program participants, etc.,);

4. Orientation programs, professional in-service meetings, de-briefings, and events;

5. Training and orientation of U.S. educators and institutions that will work with the international teachers and resources for host institutions and advisors working with

U.S. teachers abroad;

6. Placement, monitoring, supervision, and support of participants;

7. Administering sub-award competitions /as necessary;

8. Fiscal management and program reporting;

9. Compliance with Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board guidelines;

10. Alumni initiatives and follow-on activities; and

11. Program evaluation.

Please see the POGI for details pertaining to these activities for each program model.

The Teacher Exchange Branch and the award recipient will meet regularly and will maintain regular telephone and email communications during the period of performance.

Additional Guidelines

For the FY 2021 cycle, applicant organizations must submit one proposal that includes a maximum 20-page narrative outlining a comprehensive strategy for the administration and implementation of all program models with one administrative and program budget that clearly outlines costs per program component. Where possible, proposals should reflect economies of scale and should demonstrate administrative efficiencies. For example, if applicant organizations are able to support more participants than the numbers suggested above, that efficiency would be welcome. Proposals may utilize appendices as needed to illustrate elements of the narrative. Proposals should reflect an overarching vision for the program, interpreting the goals of the Fulbright-Hays Act and Fulbright Teacher Exchanges with creativity to achieve long-term objectives. Proposals should provide ideas for collaboration among participants and 5,000 alumni worldwide across the entire suite of current Fulbright Teacher Exchanges as well as past ECA teacher exchanges, for the benefit of participants, alumni and their schools and communities. Applicant organizations should outline a plan to work with the media and other organizations, in close consultation with the

Bureau, to ensure that the program and its awards and achievements receive appropriate publicity.

Please refer to the POGI for further information.

B. Federal Award Information:

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA’s level of involvement in this program is listed under A. Program Description.

Fiscal Year Funds: 2021

Approximate Total Funding: $9,075,000, pending availability of FY 2021 funds

Approximate Number of Awards: One

Approximate Average Award: $9,075,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funds.

Floor of Award Range: $9,075,000 pending the availability of FY 2021 funds

Ceiling of Award Range: $9,075,000, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds

Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of FY 2021 funds, October 1, 2020

Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2025

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, consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing it again. 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.

C. Eligibility Information:

C.1. Eligible applicants: U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.

All applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in SAM.gov (see additional information about this requirement in D3a and D3c below).

Consortia of eligible organizations applying for cooperative agreements should designate one organization to be the primary recipient of the Cooperative Agreement award: this primary recipient would be responsible for oversight of the other members of the consortium as part of the award. Proposals from consortia should provide a detailed description of the responsibilities of each partner organization.

To facilitate effective communication between ECA’s Teacher Exchange Branch

(ECA/A/S/X) and the award recipient cooperating on Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, applicant organizations should have offices and staffs located in Washington, D.C., at the time of application.

C.2. Other Eligibility Requirements:

a) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years’ experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to

$130,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making one cooperative agreement, in a total amount of up to $9,075,000, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds, to support program and administrative costs required to implement these exchanges. Therefore, organizations with less than four years’ experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.

b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI, and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI); non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process:

- Applicant organizations are required to submit a single, comprehensive proposal to the full suite of Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs for

U.S. and international educators.

- Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal in this competition. If more than one proposal is received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the review process. Please note:

Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document.

C.3. 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 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 the Office of

Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal

Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution may be reduced in like proportion.

D. Application and Submission Information:

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

D.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package:

Please contact Betsy Devlin-Foltz, Senior Program Officer in the Teacher

Exchange Branch, ECA/A/S/X, SA-5, 4th floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C

St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, telephone: (202) 632-6334; (202) 679-3961

(cell)and fax number: (202) 632-9479, e- mail: Devlin-FoltzEA@state.gov, to request a Solicitation Package.

The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission Instructions (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 Betsy Devlin-Foltz and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

D.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet:

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the

Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

D.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all instructions in mailto:KubanMM@state.gov http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding http://www.grants.gov/ the Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under D.3o. “Application Deadline and Method of Submission” section below.

D.3a. Unique Entity Identifier Number: You are required to have a Unique Entity

Identifier (UEI) 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 UEI number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a UEI number, access http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your UEI (Data Universal

Numbering System or DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF – 424 which is part of the formal application package. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI (DUNS) number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-

1-obtain-duns-number.html

D.3b. Required Proposal Elements: All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative, budget, and budget narrative.

D.3c. Required Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM):

All federal award applicants must be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) database in order to submit a proposal in response to an open competition on Grants.gov.

All federal award recipients must maintain a current registration in the SAM database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting is completed on any issued award. Recipients must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted. There is no cost associated with registering or updating SAM.gov accounts. Failure to register in SAM.gov will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

D.3.d. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS):

Prior to making a Federal Assistance award over $250,000, the Federal agency is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in

FAPIIS (see 41 U.S.C. 2313) and accessible through SAM.gov. If an Applicant is currently in FAPIIS, they can comment on any information about its organization that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant’s http://www.dnb.com/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR

§200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

D.3e. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Report:

In addition to final program reporting requirements, award recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from their program reports, listing and describing their award activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one- page description of program activities, will be transmitted by the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by the

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and Budget on its

USASpending.gov website as part of ECA's FFATA reporting requirements.

D.3f. Required Registration with SAMS Domestic: All ECA award recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories must be registered with the

U.S. Department of State’s SAMS Domestic by accessing https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com and clicking the “create an account” link. SAMS Domestic is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management

System (ILMS). Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously used SAMS Domestic as a U.S. Department of State award recipient do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact the ILMS Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-888-313-ILMS (4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms.

In the event the ILMS Help Desk is unable to provide you with assistance in a timely manner, please contact ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov and copy the program officer associated with the solicitation.

Please take into consideration the following information when preparing your proposal narrative:

D.3g. Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa: The Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients 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 https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ mailto:ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov

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 award 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://j1visa.state.gov or from:

Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division

U.S. Department of State

SA-4E (Bldg. 3)

2430 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

Please refer to the solicitation package for more information.

D.3h. 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 political, social and cultural life in the United States and abroad. ‘Diversity’ should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Proposals should demonstrate how diversity will enhance the program’s goals and objectives and the participants’ exchange experience. Please refer to the review criteria under the 'Support of

Diversity' section of this document as well as the DIVERSITY, FREEDOM

AND DEMOCRACY section in the “Proposal Submission Instructions” document for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total 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.

D.3i. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Please Note: The Bureau plans to add standardized indicators and corresponding data collection questions for performance monitoring during the period of performance of this award.

http://j1visa.state.gov/

Therefore, proposed performance monitoring plans and data collection instruments should be flexible enough to incorporate those once established.

Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the recipient organization will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation plan should include a description of your project’s objectives, your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are "smart" (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this NOFO.

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

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

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

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

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

D.3j. Virtual Exchange Component: ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage appropriate mobile and/or online technologies to maintain engagement among exchange participants, encourage project collaboration and widen participation in the overall project to a broader audience.

ECA strongly encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or after the physical exchange. The objective for the virtual exchange component(s), defined as technology-enabled, sustainable, people-to-people, cross-cultural exchanges, is to augment the impact of the in-person exchange described in this solicitation. ECA encourages organizations to propose virtual exchange ideas that take advantage of ECA’s existing web and social networking platforms, including our International Exchange Alumni space. Virtual exchange components would be coordinated with and approved by the ECA program office and U.S. missions abroad on a project by project basis.

D.3k. Communications Guidance for ECA Grant Recipients: All ECA Grant

Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance

D.3l. Budget Format: Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information –

Non-Construction Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program.

There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets for each program. It is anticipated that total funding for the Cooperative Agreement award(s) for program administration of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs described here will be approximately

$9,075,000, pending the availability of FY 2021 funds.

D.3m. Key Personnel: ECA recommends that the applicant identify intended key personnel positions, such as the program director, deputy director and other senior managers via an asterisk (*) or other marking in the proposal budget, budget narrative, or a separate appendix. If not provided in the application, recipients must submit the names, titles, and brief biographical sketches of key personnel to the Grants Officer and

GOR within 30 days of an award being issued. Additional information regarding key personnel requirements can be found in the State Department’s Standard Terms and

Conditions, VI. Recipient Responsibility and Compliance with Federal Requirements

(link to: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/).

D.3n. Allowable Costs: Allowable costs for the…