fy 13 gilman pogi.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program ECA/A/S/A-13-07

Office of Global Educational Programs Educational Information and Resources Branch

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) issued by the Office of

Global Educational Programs for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Proposals must conform to the RFGP, the Guidelines stated in this document, and the standard Proposal Submission

Instructions (PSI). Applications not adhering to the conditions set forth herein may be deemed technically ineligible. These guidelines are specific to the program mentioned above and are IN ADDITION TO the

Standard Guidelines outlined in the PSI. If there is a perceived disparity between the standard and program specific Guidelines and the program information supplied in the accompanying RFGP, the RFGP is to be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

This project is to administer and implement the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

Pending the availability of funds, this agreement should begin on April 1, 2013 and will run through approximately September 30, 2014. This solicitation includes both the administration and program portions of the Gilman Program: the selection of the 2013-2014 Gilman Scholars; the administration and implementation of the National Review Panel; workshops and outreach to underrepresented institutions; and follow up with

Gilman Scholars to collect follow-on project reports and maintain alumni contact information.

Upon receipt of award notification, the administering organization should be prepared to conduct the following activities:

• disburse scholarship payments to students for overseas study in fall 2013 (study abroad programs from

August - December 2013), and monitor their programs;

• announce the Gilman competition for overseas study in spring, summer and fall 2014;

• review applications for overseas study in spring, summer and fall 2014 (study abroad programs from

January – December 2014);

• disburse scholarship funds to students for the spring and summer of 2014, and monitor their programs.

Specific responsibilities for administration of the Gilman Program in FY 2013 include:

1. Publicizing widely the availability of Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships in keeping with the

Department of State’s interest in reaching out to all sectors of the U.S. higher education community.

2. Keeping administrative costs low in order to maximize the amount available to support Gilman scholarship recipients. The proposal should include a plan for the distribution of no fewer than 2,300 scholarships with a budget of approximately $11,000,000. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs (ECA) prefers programs that maximize possibilities for cultural immersion while also emphasizing the priority of including a wide range of fields and institutions. The proposal should therefore include creative methods to attract applicants from non-traditional student pools.

3. Developing and maintaining contacts with accredited U.S. institutions of higher education throughout all phases of the program. Particular attention should be given to Minority-Serving

Institutions and others that enroll large numbers of minority students, since participant diversity is one of the primary objectives of the Gilman Program.

4. Responding to inquiries about the program from members of the public, academic institutions, study abroad organizations, etc.

5. Involving ECA in key program decisions and activities (examples include changing eligibility criteria and preparation of the annual report to Congress) and obtaining approval from ECA prior to their implementation.

6. Conducting careful screening and selection of U.S. student participants, including pre-screening for technical eligibility and application completeness, ensuring that scholarship recipients are not only highly qualified, but also, in the aggregate, represent the full diversity of the United States. Where possible, preference should be given to those applicants seeking to study abroad in non-traditional locations. The Bureau is especially interested in supporting study in nations with significant Muslim populations, where this is feasible. The Bureau also seeks to encourage participating students and their institutions to choose non-traditional study-abroad locations, to study languages, to engage in credit-bearing, career-oriented internships overseas, to support 100,000 Strong educational exchange initiatives with China and Latin America and the Caribbean, and to help under-represented U.S.

institutions offer and promote study-abroad opportunities for their students. The administering organization should coordinate panels of higher education administration experts in the fields of financial aid and study abroad who are representative of the diversity of U.S. higher education institutions to select scholarship award winners. Selection panels should take place at least twice a year (usually in April for the following fall cycle and November for the following spring cycle;

summer selections are done at all panels) and include experts from Minority-Serving Institutions and two-year institutions.

7. Determining individual award amounts. Scholarship funding should be proportionate to the length and location of the program and must not exceed the amount requested by the applicant. Care should be taken to ensure that Gilman funds do not duplicate funding that participants are receiving from other study abroad scholarship programs.

8. Providing funding to individual participants or their institutions.

9. Confirming that participants provide evidence of international insurance coverage (to cover illness, accident, and repatriation of remains).

10. Ensuring that participants comply with the Fly America Act.

11. Fully preparing participants with information relevant to their overseas sojourn prior to departure, particularly with respect to safety and security.

12. Monitoring individual participants to ensure their safety and security while they are abroad, to the extent that is reasonably possible. As part of this effort, the administering organization should maintain systems that permit rapid verification of the whereabouts of participants while overseas, as well as mechanisms that enable the administering organization to communicate quickly with next-of-kin or other emergency contacts in the United States.

13. Maintaining a database of participants and alumni that includes such information as name, gender, race/ethnic heritage, U.S. home institution, home state, host study institution, country, and any other descriptors requested by ECA. Contact information for alumni should also be maintained, to the extent possible. The proposal should explain arrangements to provide periodic electronic data uploads of participant statistics for ECA’s participant and alumni databases. The cooperating partner may contact ECA for additional information on the technical requirements for the data updates.

14. Periodic and ad-hoc reporting on program statistics including distribution of participants by region, field of study, award amounts, and length of study abroad program, in print and electronic formats.

15. Preparation of an annual report to the Congress highlighting program achievements.

16. Evaluation and follow-on. ECA is emphasizing evaluation in all of its assistance awards. The administering organization should work closely with ECA to design an evaluation mechanism that includes, but goes beyond, gathering anecdotal material and highlighting successful program participants following their return to the United States. The administering organization will require all Gilman recipients to complete a follow-on project upon their return home and report on the results. The program shall also set aside funding to train alumni to present about the program and support their travel to national conferences and alumni events.

17. National Review Panel. The administering organization will organize an annual review of the program by coordinating a panel of higher education administration experts in the fields of financial aid and study abroad, who are representative of the diversity of U.S. higher education institutions.

Each review panel should include experts from Minority-Serving Institutions and two-year institutions.

18. Fiscal management and financial reporting to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Please submit a complete and thorough proposal describing the program in a convincing and comprehensive manner. Since there is no opportunity for applicants to meet with reviewing officials, the proposal should respond to the criteria set forth in the solicitation and other guidelines as clearly as possible.

The proposal should address succinctly, but completely, the elements described below and must follow all format requirements.

NOTE: Proposals submitted through Grants.gov may only be submitted in the following formats:

- Microsoft Word

- Microsoft Excel

- Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)

- ASCII Text

- Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG images)

The proposal should include the following items:

TAB A - Application for Federal Assistance Cover Sheet (SF-424)

TAB B - Executive Summary

In one double-spaced page, provide the following information about the project:

1. Name of organization/participating institutions

2. Beginning and ending dates of the program

3. Proposed theme

4. Nature of activity

5. Funding level requested from the Bureau, total program cost, total cost-sharing from applicant and other sources

6. Scope and Goals

a. Number and description of participants

b. Wider audience benefiting from program (overall impact)

c. Geographic diversity of program, both U.S. and overseas

d. Fields covered

e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)

TAB C

Calendar of activities/itinerary

Narrative

In 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below.

1. Vision (statement of need, objectives, goals, benefits)

2. Participating Organizations

3. Program Activities (advertisement, recruitment, orientation, academic component, cultural program, participant monitoring)

4. Program Evaluation

5. Follow-on

6. Project Management

7. Work Plan/Time Frame

TAB D - Budget Submission

1.) Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)

2.) Detailed Budget (list allowable costs and any other program specific budget issues.)

TAB E

Letters of endorsement

Resumes

Resumes of all program staff should be included in the submission. No resume should exceed two pages.

TAB F

1.) SF-424B, “Assurances - Nonconstruction Programs.”

2.) First time applicant organizations and organizations which have not received an assistance award

(grant or cooperative agreement) from the Bureau during the past three (3) years, must submit as an attachment to this form the following: (a) one copy of their Charter OR Articles of Incorporation; (b) a list of the current Board of Directors; and (c) current financial statements. Note: The Bureau retains the right to ask for additional documentation of those items included on this form.

3.) Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one of the following ways:

Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, "Return of Organization Exempt

From Income Tax," must include a copy of relevant portions of this form.

Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information above in the format of their choice.

In addition to final program reporting requirements, the administering organization will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from program reports, listing and describing their grant activities. The names of the administering organization’s directors and/or senior executives

(current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one- page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by the State Depatrment 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.

4.) Include other attachments, if applicable, i.e. the SF-LLL form, etc.

REVIEW PROCESS

The proposal will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. The proposal may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements.

Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's Assistant

Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer. The

Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and availability of funds.

The submission will be reviewed with the following review criteria in mind:

1. Quality of the program idea: The proposal should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's mission.

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above.

3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. The proposal should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan.

4. Multiplier effect/impact: The proposed program should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.

5. Support of Diversity: The proposal should demonstrate substantive support of the

Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both program administration (selection of participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).

6. Institutional Capacity and Institution's Record/Ability: Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. The proposal should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau awards (grants or cooperative agreements) as determined by the Bureau's Office of Contracts.

7. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau awards (grants or cooperative agreements) as determined by the Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.

8. Follow-on Activities: The proposal should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) which insures that Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.

9. Project Evaluation: The proposal should include a plan to evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives.

Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

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

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The RFGP indicates the date the complete proposal is due and the manner in which proposals must be submitted. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline. For further information regarding this program or the competition, call Bahareh

Moradi at (202) 632-6350, ECA/A/S; Fax: (202) 632-6489; email:

moradibx@state.gov.