FY 18 CBP POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY2018 Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0004985

Office of Global Educational Programs, U.S. Study Abroad Branch (ECA/A/S/Q)

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued by the

Office of Global Educational Programs, U.S. Study Abroad Branch (ECA/A/S/Q) for the FY2018

Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad. Proposals must conform to the NOFO, 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 NOFO, the

NOFO is to be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

A. Overview

The FY2018 award will be executed as a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and one award recipient to support implementation of programs and activities that build and expand the institutional capacity of accredited U.S. higher education institutions

(HEIs) to increase and/or diversify U.S. student mobility overseas. The FY2018 Capacity Building

Program aims to achieve this goal through two main components: 1) the administration of up to two national open competitions to provide small grants to accredited U.S. HEIs to create, expand, and/or diversify their U.S. study abroad programs and 2) the implementation of workshops and other initiatives to build broader capacity within the U.S. study abroad community. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the number of competitions and the number of capacity building initiatives in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of the funds.

Applicants should apply to administer both of the following components under this agreement:

1) Administration of Small Grants to Support Capacity Building: The award recipient will execute up to two national competitions for the provision of no fewer than 20 total sub-awards of $35,000 or less for all competitions combined to accredited U.S. HEIs to create, expand and/or diversify their undergraduate U.S. study abroad programs.

(Applicants may propose a greater number of awards at lower per-award funding with additional justification.) Selection criteria for sub-awards should fully reflect the overall goals and criteria for the capacity building grants as stated with the NOFO. The award recipient will provide programmatic support, guidance, and consultation to sub-award applicants and recipients and monitor the fiscal and programmatic progress of the recipients and their projects, as well as the final impact of the awards, with regular reporting of results to ECA.

2) Implementation of Other Capacity Building Initiatives: The award recipient will also implement a number of initiatives for the wider U.S. study abroad community to expand and diversify U.S. student mobility abroad. These initiatives may take the form of in-person workshops, seminars, trainings, and/or other creative mechanisms such as online webinars and may also include digital engagement to bolster the capacity and knowledge sharing of U.S. higher education in support of expanding American student mobility overseas. For in-person activities, proposals should include relevant funding to encourage broad and diverse participation of U.S. higher education representatives, including those requiring financial support to participate. Proposals for this element should not exceed

$350,000.

U.S. applicant organizations or consortia must have requisite skills and knowledge in the field of

U.S. higher education and U.S. study abroad and the ability to provide the appropriate programmatic support and subject matter expertise to a diverse range of U.S. higher education institutions on American student mobility abroad. Organizations may demonstrate their direct expertise, or they may partner with other organizations to best respond to the requirements outlined in this solicitation. Organizations should outline all duties and responsibilities of partner and/or sub-award organization(s), preferably in the form of sub-award agreements and accompanying budgets.

Organizations applying for this award must demonstrate their capacity to conduct projects of this nature, focusing on four areas of competency: (1) ability to execute a national competition; (2) capacity to provide programmatic support to a diverse range of U.S. HEIs in the execution of a variety of study abroad program models; (3) experience in evaluation and reporting; and (4) ability to implement innovative initiatives, though in-person and/or digital activities, to share study abroad capacity building best practices with the wider U.S. HEI study abroad community.

C. U.S. Department of State Responsibilities

In a Cooperative Agreement, ECA/A/S/Q is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine award monitoring. The ECA/A/S/Q program office’s activities and responsibilities for this program are detailed below.

ECA/A/S/Q activities and responsibilities for this program are as follows:

1. Provide guidance in the execution of all major program components.

2. Review and approve all program print and online materials, highlight stories, and interview requests prior to publication or completion.

3. Review and approve the recruitment and outreach strategy for sub-award proposals.

4. Review and approve official program web presence and social media platforms and content.

5. Review and approve all program materials, including all Request for

Proposals (RFP) and public/recipient materials.

6. Review and approve the selection process for all open competitions; observe selection committee panels.

7. Provide final approval for the selection of any sub-recipients receiving funding.

8. Review and concur on sub-award recipients, sub-award budgets, and plans.

9. Concur on any changes in key project staff members.

10. Concur on the scope of work and resumes for consultants hired to perform key program functions.

11. Provide substantive input on and approval for all capacity-building initiatives.

12. Approve follow-on reporting mechanisms and tools.

13. Approve decisions related to special circumstances or challenges that arise throughout the duration of the program.

14. Monitor the progress of the award recipient at each stage of the project’s implementation.

D. Award Recipient Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:

1. Develop and implement plans for outreach and recruitment to generate a strong pool of accredited U.S. HEIs (for no fewer than 20 sub-awards) that represent the diversity of the

U.S. higher education system for both the small grants competitions and other capacity building initiatives.

2. Respond to and manage a significant volume of queries and applications.

3. Develop an RFP, an online application form, and application and screening process for the small grants competitions, as well as any other relevant components.

4. Conduct a merit-based selection process for the sub-award competitions with clearly identified criteria for the selection.

5. Recommend the final selected institutions and alternates to ECA for approval for funding recipients.

6. Prepare and send notifications to all applicants.

7. Maintain, and regularly update, a program information and data reporting mechanism of participating institution information that ECA can also access, protecting personally identifiable information.

8. Consult with ECA on a plan for notifying Congressional representatives and state governors of the participation of HEIs from their districts/states and prepare notification letters.

9. Create and manage an official program web presence and social media accounts.

10. Consult with ECA on a plan to create and distribute press release notifications.

11. Propose and implement a marketing and communications plan to communicate the impact of the Capacity Building Program to stakeholders and the public. An emphasis should be put on sharing best practices and digital resources related to the sub-awardees’ projects and other capacity building initiatives.

12. Provide management and coordination for all program components under the award.

13. Design, plan, and implement virtual and in-person capacity building initiatives that focus on expanding and diversifying U.S. student mobility abroad.

14. Provide advising and monitoring support to sub-award recipients.

15. Manage all sub-awards, both programmatically and financially.

16. Submit all reports and requested program information to ECA in a timely manner.

17. Respond fully and promptly to requests from ECA for information relating to program activities.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

Applicant organizations are requested to submit a narrative outlining a comprehensive strategy for the administration and program implementation of ECA’s FY2018 Capacity Building Program for

U.S. Study Abroad. The comprehensive program strategy should reflect a vision for the program as a whole, interpreting the goals of the FY2018 Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad with creativity and providing innovative ideas and recommendations for the program. The strategy should include a description of how the various program activities in the proposal will be integrated to build upon and reinforce one another. Program specific guidelines are detailed below.

A. Program Planning and Management

Annual Planning Meeting: Convene a kick-off planning meeting at the start of the award in late summer/early fall 2018 for all key personnel and ECA staff.

Staffing: Propose a Project Director to oversee the program supported by the award. The Project

Director will serve as the main point of contact for ECA. Provide an overall staffing plan including level of effort for each position. ECA will approve key project staff, as well as any changes in key staff during the program period.

Program Administration/Coordination: The recipient is responsible for developing a detailed program plan and timeline to administer the program, including the submission of all reports on a timely basis to ECA. The recipient will ensure that the program stays on schedule, but immediately alert ECA to necessary changes in the program plan and/or timeline if unforeseen events or issues arise.

Provide overall coordination of key program activities with ECA. Conduct regular meetings in-person or virtually with ECA Program Officer and key personnel, including staff of sub-award recipients. Provide ECA with minutes of these meetings, including action items and key deadlines.

Develop a calendar and timeline of key program activities.

Program information and data reporting mechanism: Develop and maintain a secure program information and data reporting mechanism for applicant and participating organizations. All statistical information collected by ECA-funded participating organizations should be transferable to databases maintained by ECA. All records and data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and be provided to ECA upon request. Secure and protect all personally identifiable information. Refer to F.4. Program

Data Requirements in the NOFO for further guidance.

Congressional and Gubernatorial Notifications: Manage all administrative tasks associated sending notifications to members of the U.S. Congress and governors of U.S. states and territories, as well as the mayor of Washington DC, about participants in their respective locales.

Evaluation: Present a plan to monitor and evaluate the program’s success, during the program implementation, as well as at the end of the program. ECA expects that the award recipient will monitor participants and be able to respond to evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, and quantitative and qualitative impacts on U.S. study abroad operations as a result of the program. Evaluation should include assessment of program-specific aspects, such as logistical arrangements and program components, as well as overall impact on U.S. HEIs. Refer to D.3j.

Program Monitoring and Evaluation information in the NOFO for further guidance.

B. Program Promotion, Outreach, and Publicity

Outreach and Publicity Plan: Propose a comprehensive plan to publicize the program, engage and recruit U.S. colleges and universities nationwide for the sub-award competition, and highlight program achievements. Propose ideas to ensure that U.S. HEIs represent the diversity of the U.S higher education system. To the fullest extent possible, the proposal should address and encourage the participation of traditionally underserved U.S. HEIs. Special attention should be paid to the recruitment and support of eligible Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and community colleges.

The recipient should develop a media strategy to publicize the program through the media via written materials, electronic communication, social media, and other means ensuring the role of the

U.S. Government and the U.S. Department of State is noted. On a regular and timely basis, provide

ECA with highlights, photos, videos, press coverage, and the like that may be used to publicize the program and to highlight its achievements. The Department will approve the materials and content before dissemination.

Print and Electronic Materials: Ensure that all print and electronic materials (online application, websites, digital resources, brochures, press releases, announcements, etc.) developed for promotional purposes and related to the program comply with ECA’s Communications Guidance.

The award recipient must ensure that ECA and the U.S. Department of State are prominently identified as the program sponsor in all publicity and program materials. All recruitment materials must prioritize the U.S. Department of State branding identity, which should predominate in the materials. The award recipient must use the U.S. Department of State seal and the U.S. flag on all materials related to the program as delineated in ECA’s Communications Guidance. All program-related print and electronic materials must be submitted to ECA for concurrence in advance of publication and distribution. ECA retains copyright use of materials and will determine how and where to distribute materials related to this program.

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

Digital Presence: Develop and maintain a dedicated Capacity Building Program web presence, which includes information about the program; recruitment and application information and frequently asked questions; program promotion; a calendar of events and activities; program highlights; and impact stories and data. Provide ECA with analytics for all program digital properties and full administrative access to program digital properties, including user names and passwords. Work closely with ECA to highlight and amplify program impacts and outcomes on social media. ECA welcomes innovative ideas for leveraging online technologies to enhance participant engagement. Refer to D.3k. Virtual Exchange Component in the NOFO.

C. Administration of Small Grants to Support Capacity Building

The Bureau anticipates that the award recipient conduct up to two national open competitions for accredited U.S. HEIs to receive small grants for the creation, expansion, and/or diversification of

U.S. study abroad program. The award recipient should plan to award no less than 20 total sub-awards from all competitions combined to accredited U.S. HEIs of up to $35,000 each. (Applicants may propose a greater number of awards at lower per-award funding with additional justification.)

1) Selection criteria for sub-awards should fully reflect the overall goals and criteria for the capacity building grants as stated within the NOFO. The competition managed by the recipient will have sub-award selection criteria focused on the expected outcomes of the sub-awards, including but not limited to, a clear description of how, as a direct result of the sub-award, the HEI will in the near term increase the number of primarily undergraduate students (though not necessarily exclusively undergraduates) that study and/or intern abroad for academic credit. While sub-award applications should, overall, emphasize the expansion and diversification of study abroad to better represent students, countries, and institutions historically underrepresented in study abroad, sub-award applications should be judged based on how the sub-awardee’s proposal would expand and diversify based on whatever current study abroad capacity the HEI currently has. A sub-award proposal should define what this expansion and diversification would look like as a result of the sub-award at the HEI. Sub-award proposals may not include funding for student scholarships, student travel, or overseas HEI faculty and/or staff travel to the U.S. The award recipient will provide programmatic support, guidance, and consultation to sub-award applicants and recipients and monitor the fiscal and programmatic progress of the recipients and their projects, as well as the final impact of the awards, with regular reporting of results to

ECA.

Application: Develop comprehensive Requests for Grant Proposals and online application for the small grants competition. Monitor the online system to limit and address technical problems. The award recipient must be capable of accommodating applicants who cannot apply online. Any paper-based applications must be entered into the online system by the award recipient. All application materials and associated data must be available in a sortable, searchable, database format that can be easily shared with ECA upon request. Respond to and manage all general inquiries and application questions. Record and track all inquiries related to problems or issues with any part of the application process. The applicant should describe its capacity to manage a significant volume of queries and applications.

Eligibility Criteria: Ensure that the following minimum criteria are used to recruit and screen applicants:

1) Applicants must be accredited U.S. higher education institutions;

2) Proposals must support U.S. undergraduate student mobility abroad;

3) Funding may not be used to support student scholarships, which includes, but is not limited to, tuition, international travel, and meals.

4) Proposals to locations with a State Department Travel Advisory Level 3 must have an additional justification for safety and security procedures for the proposed study abroad programs. Proposals to locations with a State Department Travel Advisory Level 4 will not be considered. Please consult the Travel Advisory list here:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html

ECA will provide additional eligibility requirements, as needed.

Review and Selection: Conduct a nationwide merit-based competition for U.S. HEIs with clearly defined criteria and a formal selection process. ECA will approve the overall selection plan and specific selection criteria. A general statement about the selection criteria should be included in the promotional materials for potential applicants.

The proposal should describe a process for soliciting, receiving, reviewing, and recommending proposals for additional review and approval by ECA. The recipient should conduct a technical review of all proposals received for minimum eligibility and completion of required documentation. The proposed process and related materials, including draft solicitation documents, should be presented for ECA approval at least four weeks prior to the opening date of the competition. Proposals should be shared with ECA upon request.

The recipient should also describe a screening/selection process to present to ECA for approval.

The process should include clearly identified review criteria that support the goals described in the

NOFO, which will form the basis of a merit-based selection of U.S. HEIs. This process should allow for institutions to be selected and notified as quickly as possible, preferably by Spring 2019.

At a minimum, successful sub-award applications should demonstrate the following:

A strategy that includes one or more exchange visits by U.S. students and, as relevant, accompanying faculty/administrators, between the United States and a foreign country.

Funding may not be used to support student scholarships or student travel.

A clear, well-articulated plan to build institutional capacity to expand and/or diversify the number of U.S. students who study abroad. Diversification includes the expansion of opportunities for students from sectors currently underrepresented in study abroad including first-generation college/university students, students of diverse race or ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, and students in underrepresented disciplines; and/or the diversity https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html of destination countries and regions less represented within study abroad and not already accessible to the target student body.

A plan for the sustainability of the proposed program after federal funding ends.

A connection to the institution’s U.S. student mobility abroad and/or campus internationalization goals.

A plan to expand the capacity of the foreign partner to host U.S. students, particularly in locations in eligible foreign countries that have not participated extensively in traditional

U.S. study abroad programs.

Selected HEIs should represent diversity of institutional type, destinations, and student audiences reached, to the extent possible. Sub-awards should support projects that result in increased and broadened opportunities for U.S. students to study abroad in quality academic programs that form an integral part of degree-granting programs at accredited U.S. HEIs.

Selection Panels: The award recipient should convene selection panels to review applications and rank the candidates for final approval by ECA. Most selection panels should be held in

Washington, DC, although some selection panels may be held virtually or in other regions of the

United States, with ECA concurrence. Selection panels should include representatives of a variety of types and locations of U.S. educational institutions. Panelists should include staff and faculty associated with study abroad, fellowships, and regional or language studies. To avoid perceptions of a conflict of interest, the award recipient should ensure that HEI staff and/or faculty associated with study abroad at an HEI submitting a sub-award proposal recuse himself/herself from the review of his/her HEI’s sub-award proposal, if s/he serves on the sub-award selection panels. The award recipient should also ensure all sub-award panelists sign a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement related to the panels.

The recipient should provide ECA with information about the scheduling and composition of panels at least four weeks before the meetings are scheduled to convene. ECA representatives may serve as observers and resources at the panel meetings. Employees of the award recipient may facilitate and observe proposal review panels, but may not serve as voting panel members.

Department of State Concurrence: Provide ECA with lists of finalists and alternates for concurrence prior to notification.

Applicant Notification: Prepare and send notifications to all finalists, alternates, and non-selected applicants for ECA signature. The text for all notifications must be approved by ECA. Manage the acceptance process, advancing alternate sub-award applications to replace declinations on a timely basis and with ECA concurrence.

Programmatic Support: Proposals must address the applicant organization’s plans under the cooperative agreement to serve institutions that receive sub-awards under this program with different levels of study abroad capacity. The recipient should provide programmatic support to sub-award recipients to assist them with the general design, execution, and evaluation of their study abroad programs. Programmatic support will include having staff with appropriate expertise to advise the sub-awardee recipient as well as sufficient staff capacity from the primary award recipient to assist sub-award recipients, hiring outside consultants as needed to ensure appropriate expertise and sub-award recipient support. The staff of the primary award recipient and/or outside consultants should be able to assist and advise sub-award recipients on how to take their selected capacity building proposal and follow an activities timeline that will lead the organization to realize the anticipated outcome of creating or growing study abroad mobility and achieving the proposed diversity goals. Proposals that outline innovative methods to virtually connect selected institutions to each other, building a peer network of support and the sharing of best practices both with sub-recipients and with other U.S. HEIs nationwide at least quarterly are encouraged.

D. Implementation of Other Capacity Building Initiatives

Program Design: The award recipient will implement a number of initiatives for the wider U.S.

HEI study abroad community to expand and diversify U.S. student mobility. These initiatives may take the format of workshops, digital engagement, and/or other creative mechanisms to bolster the capacity and knowledge within U.S. higher education around American student mobility.

Proposals should include a mix of:

A) Topical seminars relevant to expanding and diversifying American student mobility, and

B) Spotlighting best practices from sub-award recipients.

Topical seminars may include, but are not limited to, topics such as international partnerships;

student safety and well-being overseas; supporting underserved U.S. undergraduate students;

internships and other career-readiness models related to study abroad; and curriculum integration.

Implementation: To the extent possible, the award recipient should engage U.S. HEIs with the relevant subject matter expertise and experience in the execution of these program activities, including, but not limited to, running up to two open competitions per calendar year to identify interested host campuses that want to run the activities. All needed logistical arrangements, including, but not limited to, meals, space rentals, and speakers, should be included in the budget.

Digital Resources: All content developed and delivered through either in-person or digital means should be packaged as digital resources for use of the broad U.S. HEI study abroad community. All digital resources should be shared with ECA for use on its studyabroad.state.gov website and social media feeds, as well as any other platforms ECA deems relevant.

Travel Grants: Plans should include small travel grants for U.S. higher education representatives with stated financial need to participate in in-person activities.

Funding: Proposals for this element should not exceed $350,000.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The following guidance applies to the award recipient. Refer to F.3. Reporting Requirements in the

NOFO for further guidance.

Reporting: The award recipient will be expected to keep ECA informed of program progress, as well as other aspects of the program throughout the year. The award recipient will provide ECA with a final comprehensive report on an annual basis, as well as at the conclusion of the program.

The recipient should develop a plan to monitor and assess the quality and effectiveness of awarded proposals to present to ECA for approval. The recipient should present a plan for follow-on reporting that illustrates the impact of the sub-award in creating or developing study abroad programs on both the U.S. and international partner campuses, taking into account the impact on participating students, whose participation in study abroad increased as a direct or indirect result of the sub-award. Reporting should include numeric data noting increases of students as a result of the sub-award. Preference is for plans that include a standardized, online reporting mechanism to ensure consistency of reporting from and across sub-award institutions. ECA will have final approval over the reporting tool and related content.

The recipient will provide program reports containing information about significant activities and accomplishments of program activities, such as the number of participating students, study abroad destinations, fields of study, and agreed upon relevant data to ECA on a semi-annual basis.

The recipient will also provide ad-hoc program updates, as requested by ECA.

Quarterly Performance Reports: The award recipient is responsible for implementing mechanisms to monitor participants and report to the ECA Grants Office and the Program Office success and impact on a quarterly basis through quarterly program and financial performance reports. The award recipient must submit quarterly program performance reports that address, at a minimum, the following topics: past and planned program activities, financial status (e.g., identify significant financial variations from original budgets), and the strengths and weaknesses of program design and implementation. Quarterly reports should include updates on the activities and achievements of the implementing organization, as well as for the sub-award recipients. The award recipient must submit to the ECA Program and Grants Offices electronic copies of all quarterly performance reports no more than 30 days after the reporting period end dates.

Evaluation Reports: The recipient must share program evaluation reports, both interim and summary reports, with ECA in a timely manner, and make appropriate adjustments to the programs in consultation with ECA. Monitoring and evaluation results should be addressed in the quarterly and final program performance reports.

The recipient must provide well-articulated plan for the evaluation of the overall Capacity Building

Program that should include qualitative and quantitative measures; including, but not limited to, what institutions were funded; the successes and challenges of their programmatic activities; institutional changes in capacity and sustainability plans for the funded programs; and an overview of the students participating, their fields of study, study abroad destinations, and other relevant data. Information collected should include reporting data on the realized study abroad student mobility increases as direct result of the capacity-building sub-awards during or immediately following the sub-award duration, as available. Please see section “D.3j. Program Monitoring and Evaluation” for additional information on program evaluation.

III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Applicants should 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.

Proposals 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)

Proposals should include the following items. All documents should be appropriately and clearly titled.

Online Forms

- SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

- SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

- SF-424B, “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs”

- Include other attachments, if applicable, such as indirect agreements, form 990, SF-

LLL, etc.

Executive Summary

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

Name of organization/participating institutions

Beginning and ending dates of the program

Scope and Goals

Number and description of participants

Description of the key program activities

Anticipated results (short and long-term)

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

Program Narrative

In a maximum of 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below. Refer to the proposal review criteria in this solicitation for further guidance.

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

Recruitment, Screening, and Selection

Project Activities outlined in this solicitation, highlighting innovations.

Follow-on Activities

Program Monitoring and Evaluation

Diversity

Institutional Capacity and Project Management

Partner organizations and/or subaward organizations, including their roles and unique contributions to the program.

Work plan/Time-frame.

Detailed Budget and Budget Narrative

The anticipated level of base-year funding available for the FY2018 Capacity Building

Program for U.S. Study Abroad is $1,669,400.

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. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the number of competitions and the number of capacity building initiatives in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. Please refer to the PSI for allowable costs and complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

The available funding may be used to support the program and administrative costs necessary to implement the program as described in this solicitation. Applicant organizations must provide an explanatory budget narrative, separate sub-budgets for each institute, and copies of any subaward agreements to be implemented under the terms of this award.

Allowable Costs:

a) Allowable administrative costs include items such as the following:

Staff salaries and benefits

Staff travel and per diem

Rent and facilities

Furniture and equipment

Meetings and conferences

Communication costs

Network charges

Indirect costs

OMB Guidance 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F Audits

Applicant organizations should provide a detailed explanation of administrative overhead (what elements of the budget it is based upon and how it is calculated).

b) Allowable program costs to be funded by the award include items such as the following:

Publicity

Costs of national review committees including travel and per diem

Web presence/on-line applications/program information and data reporting mechanism management

Program materials

Staff and sub-awardee travel

Follow-on activities

Monitoring

Evaluation

Subject matter experts/consultants (if needed)

Other justifiable expenses directly related to supporting program activities

While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, the Bureau urges applicant organizations to keep administrative costs as low and reasonable as possible.

Proposals should show strong administrative cost sharing contributions from the applicant organization and other sources.

Additional Information to be Submitted:

Calendar of Activities or timetable that demonstrates the timing and organization of the major program activities.

Letters of Endorsement from collaborating organizations or institutions indicating their agreement and the role they will play in the program.

Resumes of key staff members of the applicant and collaborating organizations. (No resume should exceed two pages.)

Outreach and Publicity Plan

Capacity Building Initiatives Plan that shows dynamic and innovative ideas on workshops, digital engagement, and other means to expand and diversify American student mobility abroad. Proposals for this component cannot exceed $350,000.

Evaluation Plan and Sample Survey Instruments

First-Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable

Applicants should limit attachments to information that is directly applicable to the program as described in this solicitation.

Please note: 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.

As part of 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 grant 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 grant 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.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The NOFO 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, contact Program

Officer Tara Barancik at (202) 632-9483; Fax: (202) 632-6489; or email:

BarancikT@state.gov.

mailto:BarancikT@state.gov