final ee-ert-12-001.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Request for Grant Proposals:

Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the

Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)

Announcement Type: New Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: EE-ERT-12-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 19.300

Application Deadline: Friday, March 2, 2012

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of State’s, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach, invites organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administering research and training programs to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern

Europe and Eurasia. U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for Title VIII-funded programs that 1) support and sustain

American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government, and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals.

All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge and expertise and national capability.

The program also works to support outreach and build relationships with the academic and nonprofit communities. Intelligence Community analysts and State Department policy makers benefit from engagement with outside elements to explore new ideas and perspectives and create new knowledge and research. Federal grants will be awarded through an open, merit-based competition. Grantee organizations will then conduct competitions for students, scholars, and specialists. The purpose of this request for proposals is to inform potential applicant organizations of programmatic, procedural and funding information for the fiscal year 2012 Title

VIII grants competition.

We request that applicants read the entire announcement before addressing inquiries to the

Office of Outreach. Proposals from individuals or institutions and organizations to fund their own projects, i.e., projects that are not national in scope and/or do not involve open, merit-based recruitment of participants, will not be considered.

Mission Statements:

U.S. Department of State – To create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

Bureau of Intelligence and Research – To ensure that intelligence informs wise foreign policy decisions and effectively supports U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union - To develop and maintain high-quality research and training programs critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs.

Definitions:

For the purposes of this Request for Grant Proposal (RFGP), the following terms are defined below.

Applicant: an eligible U.S.-based public or private nonprofit organization/educational institution submitting a proposal to the State Department for funding consideration under this RFGP.

Grantee Organization: an applicant organization that is awarded a State Department grant.

End-User: an eligible individual indentified by a grantee organization to receive a Title VIII-sponsored fellowship to conduct research and/or receive training.

icPORT: the Title VIII database for collecting and storing program data including statistics, products, and artifacts. This database exists solely for the purposes of academic outreach.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

AUTHORITY:

Grant making authority for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the

Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) is contained in the Soviet-Eastern

European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended.)

PURPOSE:

Congress determined that independently verified factual knowledge about the countries of

Eastern Europe and Eurasia is critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs. Congress further concluded that providing a stable and dedicated source of financial support for Title VIII functions supplementing other Federal, State, local, regional, and private sector funding is critical to maintaining this important research and training on a long-term, national scale.

The development and maintenance of U.S. expertise on these regions depends upon a national capability for advanced research by highly trained specialists with in-country experience. These specialists are a national resource available for service in and out of Government.

In order to guarantee the existence of that knowledge and the capability to sustain it, certain essential functions are necessary, including:

a. graduate training;

b. advanced research;

c. public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings;

d. contact and collaboration among Government and private specialists; and

e. American specialists’ firsthand experience of the countries of Eastern Europe and

Eurasia, including on-site advanced training and research to the extent practicable.

OBJECTIVES:

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to achieve the following objectives:

Support U.S. citizen participants only;

Support and sustain American expertise in the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia through language training and/or comprehensive research opportunities for Title VIII fellows;

Provide critical on-site support and access to local resources for Title VIII fellows at all levels, but especially younger scholars conducting research on policy relevant topics and/or engaging in language training;

Bring American expertise to the service of the U. S. Government by encouraging Title

VIII fellows to pursue careers, internships, or short-term sabbaticals during and/or after their overseas program;

Assist State Department efforts to raise awareness of the Title VIII program through comprehensive outreach and reporting by:

o Using the Department’s standard data themes in icPORT;

o Promoting participants’ experiences and research findings through presentations and briefings in the U.S.;

o Disseminating final research results within the academic and government policy communities; and o Communicating regularly with the State Department.

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to the

PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

SCOPE OF WORK:

All applicants must include a “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW). The SOW will be a stand-alone single-page document. The SOW shall be a list in outline form of the specific program components proposed, with a brief (1-2 sentence description) of what each component entails and which of the aforementioned OBJECTIVE(s) it addresses. The SCOPE OF WORK must include anticipated results in terms of outputs and outcomes.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Type of Award: New Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2012

Approximate Total Funding: Pending availability of funds

Approximate Average Award: Awards are dependent upon the availability of funding, scope of work, number of proposed fellowships, and volume of activities

Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 2012

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants:

Applications may be submitted by U.S.-based public or private nonprofit organizations/educational institutions meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Only one proposal may be submitted by any organization.

Technical Eligibility:

Technically eligible submissions are those that: 1) INR receives (via Grantsolutions.gov or

Grants.gov) prior to the deadline established in this solicitation; 2) follow all instructions contained herein, including those relating to formatting and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in this document.

Applications must be received by the due date indicated in this solicitation (see “Application

Deadline”). Those applications received after the due date will be considered ineligible.

IV. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submission Instructions:

All applications must be submitted via www.grantsolutions.gov OR www.grants.gov by 11:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, March 2, 2012. The State Department has a strong preference for proposals to be submitted through www.grantsolutions.gov. Since awards are administered exclusively with this system, grant recipients must use grantsolutions.gov to accept and manage their Title VIII grants. INR will not accept proposals submitted via email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, or couriers. Please note that once the RfGP deadline has passed, State Department staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate the electronic application process early, and to submit proposals before the due date. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications to www.grantsolutions.gov or www.grants.gov.

All applicants MUST upload the following documents as separate attachments:

A. Standard Forms:

1. SF 424 - Application for Federal Assistance Award http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

2. SF 424A - Budget

3. SF 424B – Assurances

4. SF LLL – Lobbying Form (if applicable)

B. Proposal Documents:

1. Single-page Scope of Work (includes all proposed program components and links each of these to the specific Title VIII goal(s) it addresses. It should also include expected outputs, outcomes and indicators of success).

2. Single-page Executive Summary.

3. Narrative (Not to exceed 20 Pages with the following specifications: 12pt. font, Times New Roman, double spaced, one-sided).

4. Budget (see VIII, Technical Format for details). Applicants are required to submit a budget overview and a detailed budget. Recipients of previous awards shall submit a six-column budget. First time applicants and organizations which have not received an assistance award from the INR during the past three years, shall submit a four-column budget.

5. Budget Notes (referenced by line item number and line item descriptor).

6. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

7. Most recent Single or A-133 Audit.

8. Addenda - Additional Documents as Needed.

GrantSolutions.gov Applications:

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications via www.grantsolutions.gov.

Interested organizations using GrantSolutions for the first time must register on the www.GrantSolutions.gov site to create a new Applicant account as soon as possible. The

Applicant must complete this registration before the application can be submitted. To register with GrantSolutions follow the “First Time Applicants” link and complete the “GrantSolutions

New Applicant Sign Up” application form. Organizations that have previously used www.GrantSolutions.gov do not need to register again. If an organization that has previously used www.GrantSolutions.gov is not able to access the system, please contact Customer Support

(see contact information below).

A valid Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number IS required for submission of an application on GrantSolutions.gov. Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

A Central Contractor Registration (CCR) number IS NOT required prior to submitting an application via GrantSolutions.gov.

Electronic applications submitted via the GrantSolutions system must contain all completed online forms and the Proposal documents specified by the application kit. No additional documents should be uploaded. The preferred document formats for the uploaded proposal documents are PDF or .docx (accordingly budgets are acceptable in either PDF or Excel).

http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

Applicants should wait until the upload shows the status as “Successful” before moving to the next part of the application kit.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, the GrantSolutions system will provide the applicant with a confirmation page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission as well as an official Application Number. This confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final application submission.

For assistance with GrantSolutions.gov please contact Customer Support at help@grantsolutions.gov or call 1-800-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or 1-202-

401-5282. Customer Support is available 8 AM – 6 PM EST, Monday – Friday.

Grants.gov Applications:

Applicants who choose not to submit applications via GrantSolutions.gov must submit via www.grants.gov.

A valid DUNS number and a CCR number ARE BOTH required prior to submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Instructions for registering with CCR can be found at https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx. An organization must wait approximately 3-5 business days after registering with the CCR before the organization may obtain a username and password for Grants.gov. This may delay the organization’s ability to submit a Statement of Interest through www.grants.gov. In addition, CCR registration must be updated annually to maintain a valid registration.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission on Grants.gov, the applicant will receive an email confirmation that the application has been successfully submitted and is in the process of verification. The applicant will then receive another email confirming that the application has been verified. Both emails are provided by grants.gov to verify receipt of an application.

For assistance with Grants.gov, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Application Deadline:

All applications must be submitted on or before Friday, March 2, 2012, 11:30 p.m. Eastern

Standard Time. Applications submitted after 11:30 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration.

Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. Faxed proposals will not be accepted at any time.

mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

Late applications will not be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered on time.

V. PROGRAM INFORMATION:

INR seeks proposals that clearly and succinctly outline plans to implement graduate, postdoctoral, and teaching fellowships for advanced training and research programs on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border studies. The proposed program must:

a. align with the program PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES above;

b. respond to the RATING CRITERIA listed below;

c. be conducted on a shared-cost basis by U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions;

d. outline clearly the plan to disseminate program information and solicit applications;

e. discuss and demonstrate the applicant’s process of identifying, vetting and awarding fellowships to qualified end-users who are best suited to achieve the Title VIII

PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES; and

f. outline the plan to disseminate research, data, and findings on the countries of Eastern

Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border areas to best achieve the Title VIII

PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES.

Funding Shall:

a. support U.S. citizen participants only;

b. provide fellowship and research support for U.S. specialists on the countries of Eastern

Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border fields to conduct advanced research, with particular emphasis on the use of quantitative data on those countries;

c. support seminars, conferences, and other similar workshops to facilitate collaboration between Government and private specialists on the countries of Eastern

Europe and Eurasia and cross-border issues;

d. facilitate access for U.S. specialists to research institutes, personnel, archives, documentation, and other research and training resources located in Eastern Europe and

Eurasia;

e. support training in the languages of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and relevant cross-border languages. Such support should include grants to individuals to pursue training and to summer language institutes operated by institutions of higher education.

Preference shall be given for critical language studies and, as appropriate, studies of other languages of strategic importance across the regions; and

f. support other research and training on the countries of Eastern Europe and

Eurasia not otherwise described in this section if tied to the program purpose, including outreach efforts to student populations in order to promote and sustain the field. Per the

Title VIII legislation, funding may only support graduate level and advanced study/research. Applicants may cost-share undergraduate students and include them in outreach events.

Funding Shall Not:

a. support journals, newsletters and other periodical publications;

b. support technical research in fields such as mathematics;

c. support undergraduate students; or

d. support foreign participants, scholars, students, and specialists.

Scope:

Research and Training programs related to the following countries are eligible for funding under this RfGP: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Travel to certain countries may be subject to restrictions due to unforeseen world events, statutory restrictions, U.S. embassy requirements, or general security concerns.

Areas of Focus:

a. Cross-Regional Issues: The Caucasus and the greater Central Asia Region are critical in counterterrorism efforts; therefore, also eligible are proposals that incorporate a focus on “Cross-Regional Issues” and include specifically the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and/or Uzbekistan, relative to their shared historical, ethnic, linguistic, political, economic, and cultural ties with such countries as

Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, China, and Turkey. Proposals focusing on Islam and religious minorities in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, as well as analysis on the prospects and politics surrounding Euro-Atlantic integration in the Western Balkans are also a priority.

b. Critical Language Support: In support of the National Security Language Initiative

(NSLI), Title VIII funds the study and mastery of critical foreign languages. For Russian language, funding may be used to support intermediate and advanced level language study for U.S. post-bachelor students who demonstrate their intention to pursue graduate study in a Title VIII-related field.

c. Promoting Federal Service for Title VIII Grant Recipients: The Title VIII Program does not require a federal service commitment for individuals receiving funding (end-users); however, the Advisory Committee urges grantees to encourage end-users to pursue U.S. Government career opportunities, internships, or short-term sabbaticals after completing their fellowships, and to otherwise bring their research to the service of the

U.S. Government.

End-User Pool: Applicants should also address the need to seek out diverse and underserved students and scholars, particularly those in Military Institutions, and Postsecondary Minority

Institutions.

Funding Acknowledgement and Information Dissemination: All end-users (Title VIII-supported scholars) must be made aware of the funding source as well as the PURPOSE of this program. For purposes of academic outreach only, INR will capture and report on information on participant study (i.e. papers, themes, language training). Intelligence Community analysts and policy staff must engage with outside academic elements to explore new ideas, perspectives, knowledge and research. Grantee organizations are directed to specifically cite the Title VIII program and to acknowledge the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research as the funding source. The Department allows grantee organizations to use their own judgment in cases where publicly acknowledging the funding source could hamper research efforts or jeopardize end-users’ personal safety.

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

Review Process: The State Department will review all proposals for technical eligibility.

Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein.

The Program Office, a State Department grant review panel, and the Title VIII Advisory

Committee will review all eligible proposals. The State Department’s Office of the Legal

Adviser or other Department elements also may review proposals. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research. Final technical authority for grants resides with the State Department’s Grants Officers.

Title VIII established within the State Department the Advisory Committee for Studies of

Eastern Europe and Eurasia which is composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of

Defense, the Secretary of Education, the Librarian of Congress, the President of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (formerly the American Association for the

Advancement of Slavic Studies), and the President of the Association of American Universities.

The Secretary of State shall be the Chair. The Advisory Committee recommends grant policies to achieve the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of this program. The Advisory Committee gives the highest priority to national organizations with an interest and expertise in conducting research and training concerning the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and in disseminating the results of such research. In making its recommendations, the Advisory

Committee emphasizes the development of a stable, long-term research program.

Review Criteria: The review panels described above will evaluate the technically eligible applications according to the following criteria. These are the main REVIEW CRITERIA that the applicant must individually and explicitly address in the proposal. INR strongly suggests that the applicant structure its proposal so that in addition to the SCOPE of WORK mentioned above, each REVIEW CRITERION has its own discrete section within the proposal. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation.

(1) Overall Quality of the Program Idea: Proposals must respond to the PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES and guidelines provided in this RfGP. Competitive applications will exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the State Department, INR, and Title VIII missions; the legislation supporting the Title VIII Program; and the academic outreach initiatives of the Intelligence Community.

(2) Program Plan: Applicants must state the proposed program goals clearly and link them directly to the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES above. They must address any national gaps in knowledge for particular fields and/or regions and how the proposed program will narrow those gaps; provide a calendar or timeline of major program activities; and clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of partner and sub-grantee organizations. Applicants must clearly address the plan to work with the Office of Outreach to engage Intelligence Community analysts and State Department policy staff (this is separate and in addition to the reporting mechanisms and research distribution described in (6) below).

End-users and Alumni - Proposals must include a plan outlining alumni outreach/follow-on and engagement. Proposed programs should strengthen long-term collaboration, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.

Reviewers will assess ways in which proposals provide substantive plans to engage Title VIII alumni once fellowships are complete. Recipient organization(s) must outline how alumni/follow-on activities will be sustained after the grant period.

All recipients of INR grants or cooperative agreements (here-after referred to as "recipient organization(s)") will be expected to provide regular updates on alumni/follow-on activities throughout the grant period. Proposals should also include plans to include alumni in recruitment and orientation programming of future participants.

When appropriate to achieve program goals, INR expects that the recipient organizations will undertake outreach and follow-on activities that have a strong multiplier effect. When appropriate, proposals should detail how the applicant organization will recruit prospective participants and how it will engage with participants and alumni through ongoing and/or recurring activities.

Recipient organizations must provide INR with regular updates in the required program reports throughout the grant period on alumni activities and follow-up. Proposals must specifically acknowledge a commitment to this effort. Please consult with the Title VIII program manager for additional guidance.

(3) Institutional Capacity: Competitive proposals will reflect the applicant’s expertise and knowledge in managing federal grants and in conducting national competitive award programs.

Personnel and selection committees should have the appropriate level of expertise to achieve the proposed program’s goals. Highly competitive committees will include representatives from the academic community as well as experts in the fields of U.S. foreign policy and national security.

This will ensure both the academic quality and the policy relevance of the research and training programs. Reviewers will also consider letters of support, resumes, annual reports, and other documents housed in the appendices that directly support the proposal.

(4) Cost-Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Competitive proposals will ensure that administrative costs in the proposal budget are reasonable and relative to the scope of the proposed program; all other items deemed necessary and appropriate must be justified in the

Budget Notes. Although there is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition, reviewers will consider cost sharing. INR encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in supporting 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, the applicant must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as contributions, 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 an applicant does not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, the Department’s contribution will be reduced in direct proportion.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to maximize cost sharing, including in-kind assistance, through contributions from the applicant, partner organizations, and other private sector support.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the OMB Circulars (e.g., A-110) to ensure that proposed cost shares are allowable under the applicable cost principles. “Applicant Cost-

Sharing” and “Third Party Cost Sharing” should be included as separate columns in the budget request; the respective budget line items that reflect cost sharing under these categories must be explained in the Budget Notes. Proposal budgets that do not provide cost sharing will be less competitive in this category.

(5) Monitoring: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate and monitor students, scholars and alumni along with overall program successes and challenges. Describing methods for linking outputs and outcomes to program PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES is required. Proposals that include sample monitoring instruments in the appendices will be deemed more competitive.

Program Monitoring includes Participant Monitoring, which focuses specifically on ensuring end-users are adequately supported throughout the course of their Fellowship. Proposals must include a plan to monitor and report on the program’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. INR strongly recommends that the proposal include a draft instrument or other technique, plus a description of the methodology that will be used to link outcomes to the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. INR expects that the grantee will track participants and be able to respond to key monitoring questions throughout the life of the Grant, particularly on program outputs and outcomes.

Successful monitoring depends heavily on setting clear milestones and benchmarks that will help the applicant achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. The monitoring plan should include a description of how and when the applicant intends to measure the outputs and outcomes. The applicant should also show how the project’s scope of work links to the Title

VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES described in this RfGP.

Overall, the quality of the monitoring plan will be judged on how well it specifies anticipated successes and challenges. Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their monitoring findings to the State Department in their regular program reports. Grantees must retain all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years after the Grant has closed. The data must be provided to INR upon request.

(6) Evaluation: Applicants must include in their proposals a plan for evaluating their success in achieving the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. Proposed evaluation mechanisms should be able to track progress during the program (e.g., on a per-participant and per-activity basis) and, at the end of the program, to assess the cumulative effect of all aspects of the proposed program (e.g., activities, committee selection, etc.) over which the Grantee Organizations had control. Evaluations may be in any form, however methodologies that exhibit a high level of precision in quantitative measurements will be considered more competitive.

Proposals from national organizations involving language instruction programs should provide information on programs supported in the past year, including: indications of progress that Title

VIII-funded participants achieved; criteria for evaluation, including levels of instruction, degrees of intensiveness, facilities, and methods for measuring language proficiency (including pre-and post-testing); instructors' qualifications; and budget information showing estimated costs per student.

Plans should address the appropriate timing of data collection for each output and eventual outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes.

In general, the quality of an evaluation plan depends on how well it specifies intended outcomes, clearly defines outcome measurement techniques, identifies timing of outcome measurement, and clearly describes data collection strategies for each outcome (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups). Evaluation plans that deal with all levels of outcomes will be deemed more competitive.

Grantee Organizations must include the results of ongoing evaluation plans in their annual reports, with the final report summarizing the overall program success. Applicants must maintain all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years following completion of each Grant.

(7) Reporting: Recipients will be required to submit quarterly financial and programmatic reports for each active and open grant to Grantsolutions.gov. Please contact Customer Support at help@grantsolutions.gov or call 1-866-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or 1-202-

401-5282 for questions regarding set up and troubleshooting. Customer Support is available 8

AM – 6 PM EST, Monday – Friday. Any organization awarded a Title VIII grant shall use

Grantsolutions to manage, amend, and report on financial and programmatic progress. The programmatic reports will be uploaded to Grantsolutions, while Financial Status Reports (FSR), Standard Form 425 will be uploaded to BOTH the Payment Management System (PMS) and

Grantsolutions.

Recipients also must submit quarterly electronic data reports on Title VIII statistics, products, and artifacts to ic-PORT. This database exists solely for the purposes to facilitate academic outreach. This section of the proposal should address the recipient’s willingness and ability to collect and submit timely and accurate data reports and what mechanisms exist within the organization to do so. ic-PORT data reports shall include (but are not limited to):

a. information on all products produced under a specific grant, i.e. research, language training, events, etc;

b. product identifiers such as theme, country, region, and location/host of study;

c. artifacts such as papers, summaries, participant reports, presentations;

d. and dates of fellowships.

End-user names and home organizations should be the only information identifying the participant. Grantee organizations are responsible for acquiring the necessary permissions to input this information to ic-PORT. These permissions should be incorporated into the terms and conditions of end-user fellowship agreements/contracts. Grantee organizations are also responsible for contacting participants in order to set up outreach and dissemination activities.

Grantee organizations should ensure that end-users applying for funding describe their proposal/work using the State Department’s standard data themes (these will be provided to selected Grantee Organizations), and should ascertain whether the end-users are seeking funding or have been awarded funding from another Title VIII grantee organization (past or present).

Finally, when categorizing research products and artifacts Grantees should consult the Foreign

Assistance Standardized Program Structure and Definitions

(http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/141836.pdf).

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION:

Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated, and committed through internal State Department procedures. Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Office of Acquisitions Management

(AQM) Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing documents between the recipient and the U.S.

Government. An authorized Grants Officer will sign the FAA and send it to the recipient’s responsible officer identified in the SF 424.

The Title VIII Advisory Committee will notify all applicants of the application review results at the Public Meeting. INR will notify any applicant that cannot attend the Public Meeting through electronic correspondence.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Organizations are expected to be familiar and compliant with the Office of Management and Budget Circulars below. Terms and

Conditions for the Administration of Title VIII grant 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.”

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/141836.pdf

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

For a copy of the OMB circulars cited, contact Government Publications or download from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default.

Please reference the following websites for additional information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/

Reporting Requirements: Successful applicants must provide AQM and INR with the following reports:

1.) Quarterly program and financial reports, including both the quantitative and qualitative data applicants have available.

2.) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award.

3.) A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program outcomes no more than

90 days after the expiration of the award. This one-page report will be transmitted to

OMB, and be made available to the public via OMB's USAspending.gov website.

4.) A SF-PPR, “Performance Progress Report” Cover Sheet with all program reports.

As indicated above, all award recipients must provide quarterly electronic data reports on Title

VIII statistics, products, and artifacts via ic-PORT.

The Grantee Organization must maintain all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years and provide it to the Department upon request.

All reports must be uploaded to Grantsolutions.gov. The AQM Grants Officer and INR Program

Manager listed in the final assistance award document may request copies of uploaded reports.

VIII. TECHNICAL FORMAT, BUDGET REQUIREMENTS, AND REQUIREMENTS

FOR APPLICATIONS:

As stated above, applicants must submit proposals using Grantsolutions.gov or Grants.gov.

Technical Format:

1. Mandatory Standard Forms: Provide completed SF-424 “Application for Federal

Assistance,” SF-424A “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs,” and SF-

424B, “Assurances – Non-construction Programs;” SF-LLL (if applicable);

2. Provide double-spaced Scope of Work, Executive Summary and Proposal Narrative;

3. Provide proposal budget per RFGP guidelines (see below);

4. Number each proposal component/element that consists of more than a single page, (i.e., Proposal Narrative, Budget, Budget Narrative and other supporting materials);

5. Format all proposal components for printing on 8 ½” x 11” paper.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/

6. Include other attachments as addenda if necessary.

Budget Requirements:

1. Standard Form 424A - Recipients must submit the Standard Form 424A (Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs). This is a standard form designed to assist in budget planning. Instructions for this form can be found at http://www.grants.gov/assets/Forms/InstructionsSF424A.pdf .

Recipients must also submit the following:

a budget summary;

a line-by-line budget that provides detailed information on all program and administrative costs, including specific calculations showing how the totals were derived; and a budget narrative to provide any additional information or explanations regarding the budget.

When completing the Budget Information section of the Standard Form 424A, break out costs according to Program Function. Program Function should be interpreted as General

Program Costs and Administrative Costs. General Program Costs are costs incurred in direct support of the program, for example, travel, honoraria, consultant fees, tuition, etc.

Administrative costs are generally limited to staff salaries (including direct program staff and more general organizational support staff), fringe benefits, office supplies, rent, and indirect costs.

a. Section A, Budget Summary, requires the applicant to break out the General

Program, and Administrative costs by Federal and Non-Federal (cost-share)

Expenses, as in the example below.

BUDGET INFORMATION – Non-Construction Programs OMB Approval No.0348-0044

SECTION A – BUDGET SUMMARY

Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance

Number

(b)

Grant Program

Function

(a)

New or Revised Budget Estimated Unobligated Funds

Total

(g)

Non-Federal

(f)

Federal

(e)

Non-Federal

(d)

Federal

(c)

1. Program $$$

2. Administrative http://www.grants.gov/assets/Forms/InstructionsSF424A.pdf

b. Section B, Budget Categories, requires the applicant to break out these costs by

Federal and Non-Federal Expenses, across “Object Class Categories” as in the example below.

SECTION B - BUDGET CATEGORIES

6. Object Class Categories

Grant Program, Function or Activity Total

(5) (1) T8 Program (2) T8 Admin (3) Non-Fed Prog. (4) Non-Fed Admin

a. Personnel $ $ $ $ $

b. Fringe Benefits $ $ $ $ $

c. Travel $ $ $ $ $

See SF 424A for additional line items.

c. Section C, Non-Federal Resources, requires the applicant to break out General

Program, Participant, and Administrative costs by types of Cost-share, whether from the applicant or from other sources.

d. Section D, Forecasted Cash Needs, requires the applicant to state the total and then break out by quarter, the forecasted cash needs both by Federal and Non-

Federal (cost-share) Expenses.

e. The applicant is not required to complete Section E, Budget Estimates.

2. Budget Overview – In addition to the SF 424A referenced above, applicants must include a budget outlining total program and administrative costs as well as overall total project cost, following the template below. Participant numbers and costs per participant are to be included as well.

3. Detailed Budget –Include a line-item budget, which breaks out costs under each of the nine main categories of the SF424A: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Construction, Other, and Indirect. The budget must be responsive to the solicitation guidelines and as accurately as possible reflect costs associated with program activities outlined in the proposal.

Title VIII Cost

Sharing rd

Party

Cost Sharing

Total

I. PROGRAM COSTS

Program costs per participant

II. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

Administrative costs per participant

III. TOTAL COSTS

Approx. costs per participant

Approx. number of participants:

The following table provides examples of specific budget categories and line items. The table should not be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all allowable costs.

a. Please refer to the previous RfGP sections to determine which costs are authorized.

b. Applicants are urged to be detailed and specific, adding line items if needed.

c. If the applicant has received a Title VIII grant from the State Department in the past three years, include the costs related to the most recent prior-year award in the first

(shaded) column and the percent increase or decrease in each line item from the prior fiscal year in the sixth column.

d. Identify administrative costs with an asterisk (*) next to the appropriate line items.

Please ensure that the totals match the Administrative totals provided on the SF424A and in the budget summary.

e. Detail third party cost sharing in the budget narrative.

f. Note that line item VI Contractual captures sub-recipient organizations (also known as sub-grantees). These “subs” are other organizations that the applicant contracts to perform key functions of a proposed program. An example of this would be an applicant organization contracting another organization to conduct recruitment and selection of a research fellowship competition. Contractual IS NOT INTENDED to capture fellowships to Title VIII end-users. These costs are captured under line item

VIII Other Direct Costs.

A. BUDGET CATEGORY

20XX

Requested

State

Budget

FY 2012

State

Funds

Requested

FY 2012

Cost

Sharing

FY 2012

3rd

Party

Cost

Sharing

Total

Budget

% Change

[Col. 2 -

Col. 1]

I. SALARIES *

Indicate each position or individual (Base salary x % of time x # of months)

II. FRINGE BENEFITS *

(Base fringe % of salaries from above)

III. TRAVEL

1. Staff Travel Costs and Per Diem

Identify multiple locations and break out costs accordingly

Round Trip Airfare (fare x # of people)

Per Diem (rate x # of days x # of people)

2. Participant Travel Costs and Per Diem (or residency costs) Identify multiple locations and break out costs accordingly

a. Round Trip Airfare (fare x # of people)

Requested

State

Budget

FY 2012

State

Funds

Requested

FY 2012

Cost

Sharing

FY 2012

3rd

Party

Cost

Sharing

Total

Budget

% Change

[Col. 2 -

b. Per Diem (rate x # of days x # of people)

3. Ground Transportation (rate x # of people or # of buses x daily rate, etc.). Staff or Participant airport transfers upon arrival and departure, bus or van rentals, taxis, etc.

4. Other Travel Costs (e.g. baggage allowance, visas, immunizations etc.). Provide breakdown

IV. EQUIPMENT

Equipment is defined as having a per unit cost of

$5,000 and a service life of more than one year. If the item meets these criteria then all federal procurement policies and procedures must be followed. If an item does not meet these criteria it is considered a supply.

Title VIII awards do not generally support the purchase of equipment

V. SUPPLIES *

Provide line item breakdown for each supply category

VI. CONTRACTUAL

Each Sub-award must be listed separately with a detailed line item budget submitted for each. Sub-recipient organizations are subject to the Title VIII

10% cap on indirect costs. If indirect is charged on a sub-award include that sub-recipient’s NICRA.

1. Sub-Recipient Name Attach sub-award detailed budget

a. Salaries

b. Fringe etc.

2. Add as many lines as necessary

VII. CONSTRUCTION

Title VIII does not fund Construction

VIII. OTHER DIRECT COSTS

All other costs that do not fit into the categories listed above. Indicate with an asterisk (*) which costs are administrative.

1. Participant (End-User) Application, Review and Selection

2. Fellowships (Research or Language)

Indicate for which category you are requesting funding.

3. Workshops or Seminars

Requested

State

Budget

FY 2012

State

Funds

Requested

FY 2012

Cost

Sharing

FY 2012

3rd

Party

Cost

Sharing

Total

Budget

% Change

[Col. 2 -

4. Alumni Outreach

5. Communication*

Provide line item breakdown for each communication category such as postage, telephone calls, faxes, etc.

6. Photocopying *

Provide cost breakdown

7. Audit Costs *

Include A-133 audit costs directly associated with the

Title VIII program.

IX. Indirect Costs*

Indirect costs for Title VIII are capped at 10%.

Provide a copy of the most recent Negotiated

Indirect Cost Agreement (NICRA) ________ %

TOTAL COSTS

Proposal Requirements:

1. Mandatory Standard Forms: SF 424 - Application for Federal Assistance Award (The the authorized representative on the SF424 must be the same person who will accept a

Title VIII award on behalf of the recipient organization. If you have questions regarding authorized representative assignments, please contact the INR program manager.), SF

424A - Budget, SF 424B – Assurances, and (if applicable), SF LLL – Lobbying Form;

2. Scope of Work: Single Page. This document is not a narrative. It shall be in outline form and capture all proposed work to be funded by Title VIII. This includes each proposed program component with a brief statement that links each component to the corresponding Title VIII goal it supports. SOWs that contain quantitative estimates of expected outputs, outcomes and indicators of success for each component shall be considered more competitive;

3. Executive Summary: Single Page. This document is a narrative that summarizes the proposal. It shall include an overview of proposed work, how much the applicant is requesting from the State Department, how much cost share the applicant is providing, and (if applicable) how much cost share a third party is providing. Please note that third parties must be named. This document shall also include an estimated total number of end-users broken down into the following three categories – “Research,” “Language

Training,” and/or “Combined Research and Language Training”;

4. Proposal Narrative: Not to exceed 20 double-spaced pages in 12 point Times New

Roman font. As stated above, INR strongly suggests that applicants structure the proposal so that each REVIEW CRITERION has its own dedicated section within the proposal. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation;

5. Budget: A budget overview and a detailed line item budget (six-column if the applicant has received Title VIII funding in the past three years; four-column budget if the applicant is new).

a. Indirect costs SHALL NOT exceed 10%

b. Budgets shall break down estimated numbers and types of participants (scholars, students, specialists) the applicant will fund

c. Budgets shall also break down types of activities

d. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged

6. Budget Narrative: Following the Detailed Budget, please include a Budget Narrative.

The budget narrative should elaborate…