FY 19 Component A POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY 2019 Teacher Exchange Program Component A:

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching (Semester Research and Short-Term) Programs for U.S.

Teachers

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0005088

Office of Global Educational Programs Teacher Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X)

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

Global Educational Programs’ Teacher Exchange Branch for the FY 2019 Teacher Exchange Program

Component A: Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching (Semester Research and Short-Term Programs) for

U.S. Teachers. 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

Pending the availability of FY 2019 funds, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the

U.S. Department of State expects to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with one award recipient to administer the FY 2019 Teacher Exchange Program Component A: Fulbright Distinguished Awards in

Teaching (Semester Research and Short-Term Programs) for U.S. Teachers. The Cooperative Agreement should begin on October 1, 2018, and run through September 30, 2023.

The award recipient will work closely with bi-national Fulbright commissions, Public Affairs Sections

(PAS) of U.S. embassies, and other organizations to ensure that program content meets the needs of participants as well as the U.S. Department of State and Bureau goals and objectives. The Bureau anticipates including the regions or countries and approximate number of participants listed below, although applicant organizations must demonstrate flexibility in working with countries and/or regions which may not be identified at the present time. ECA reserves the right to add or delete regions and countries depending on Bureau priorities and the availability of funds. Award recipient representatives will meet with Bureau program officers to finalize timelines, budgets, and other program details.

Under the terms of the FY 2019 Cooperative Agreement, the recipient will be responsible for administering both programs within Component A of the FY 2019 Teacher Exchange Program, which includes the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program semester research program and a short-term program option, both for U.S. teachers. See the NOFO and POGI below for further information on these programs.

Pending successful implementation of these programs and the availability of funds in the subsequent fiscal year, it is ECA's intent to renew this Cooperative Agreement for a period of one additional fiscal year in FY 2020 before openly competing it again.

The following information pertains to the FY 2019 Teacher Exchange Program Component A broadly defined. (More detailed information is provided in the section entitled "Program Specific Guidelines".)

A. Program Design, Planning and Management

For the FY 2019 Cooperative Agreement, the award recipient will have responsibility for program administration, which includes the following broad categories: program planning and management;

participant recruitment and screening, including formal selection of participants by the Fulbright Foreign

Scholarship Board (FFSB); participant placement; orientation and preparation of participants and host/mentor educators; enrichment activities; participant supervision and support services; fiscal management and budgeting; program reporting and evaluation; and alumni programming and follow-on activities, to include tracking of the programs’ impact and an online platform for U.S. and international participants and alumni to engage in collaborative work together during and after their programs.

ECA may request subject-specific programs or program components focusing on topics or themes, foreign policy priorities, or regions of importance for teachers, administrators or other educators.

Proposals should include schedules and timelines for notifying ECA, overseas partners, and exchange participants of placements, travel arrangements and cross-cultural and school information in a timely manner. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations.

B. Participant Eligibility

The Bureau intends to include participants who represent the diversity of the United States in all components of the Program. The Bureau will emphasize the inclusion of educators from non-elite populations in rural, suburban, and urban areas, in addition to those who work with underserved student populations including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, LGBTQ students, and students with disabilities. Preference will be given to teachers without significant overseas experience. Selection should be based on the educators’ professional backgrounds, dedication to teaching, and leadership potential. U.S. applicants must have a minimum of five years of teaching or other professional experience, hold a full-time position in elementary or secondary education spending at least 50 percent of their time working directly with students. They must also hold at least a Bachelor's degree, and be fluent in English. Some programming may include pre-service teachers or school administrators.

C. Teacher Recruitment, Publicity and Outreach

The applicant organization should develop a publicity and outreach strategy to reach U.S. educators via written materials, electronic communication, social media platforms, conferences, or other means. The outreach plan may include printed brochures, posters, and publicity to advertise special initiatives. The

Bureau should review conference attendance plans and publicity documents before publication or distribution.

The award recipient should also maintain a dedicated, stand-alone program website with a program-specific URL and corresponding social media accounts. The site should contain up to date program information, applications, and program and alumni highlights and pictures. The site design should be approved by the Bureau.

Please see Communications Guidance for ECA Grant Recipients of the NOFO (D.3l) for more detailed information or https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance.

D. Recruitment, Screening, and Selection

The award recipient will be responsible for the following activities for the recruitment of teacher/educator applicants for both FY 2019and FY 2020:

1) Develop a selection process for U.S. teachers/educators including online application forms for both programs.

2) Develop a comprehensive recruitment strategy and materials designed to reach educators in public, charter, and private schools throughout the United States, particularly those in under-resourced urban and rural areas.

3) Receive, track, and reply to written and telephone inquiries and requests for information or applications from U.S. educators and school administrators. Respond to applicants’ questions about the application process, and notify applicants of missing documentation.

4) Offer webinars or other support where applicable to provide assistance to applicants in completing the application, particularly applicants from groups traditionally under-represented.

5) Develop a strategy for working with school and district administrators to garner their support for teachers to obtain leave, ideally with at least partial pay and benefits, to participate in the program.

6) Review applications for technical eligibility.

7) Convene review panels and/or independent advisory committees where appropriate in consultation with the Bureau.

8) Prepare nomination memoranda for the FFSB, U.S. embassies, and Fulbright commissions, summarizing the competition and highlighting top-ranked nominees.

Competition summaries should include a report on the applicant pool, number and quality of applications, and distribution of applications by state and field of instruction.

9) Notify applicants of decisions regarding their applications.

E. Medical Reports

The award recipient should distribute and process medical reports for selected participants. The award recipient should ensure that all forms are complete at the time of submission. If required, the award https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance recipient should then submit forms for the U.S. teachers to a medical reviewer to be identified by the

Bureau.

F. Health Benefits and Insurance

The award recipient must enroll participants in the Bureau's health benefits program and/or an insurance policy approved by the Bureau. The award recipient must provide assistance to participants regarding medical coverage issues. The health coverage program provides the required level of accident and sickness, repatriation of remains, and medical evacuation insurance coverage for participants while on the exchange, and the Bureau will provide the cooperating organization with the necessary instructions and forms for the participants to complete prior to travel. The award recipient will assist in presenting claims to the program administrator and consult with the Bureau on participant health issues that may affect successful program completion. Where possible, accommodations should be made for participants with chronic health conditions or other disabilities, including planning for additional funding to support such cases. Please note that the Bureau's current requirements for health benefits programs are described in the

PSI. If and when additional information becomes available about other alternative health insurance policies for Bureau exchange participants, the program office will share that information with the cooperating organization(s).

The award recipient should require all semester research exchange participants to purchase medical evacuation insurance for family members who accompany them for any part of their exchange program.

Dependents that do not have health insurance coverage for the host country should also purchase a policy.

G. Participant Orientation

1) All U.S. participants should receive pre-departure information, including the terms and conditions of their awards, housing, what to pack, personal budgeting considerations, and other critical issues.

Orientations and materials provided via webinar or online platform are encouraged.

2) The award recipient should organize a group orientation in Washington, D.C., at the beginning of the

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Semester Research program. The orientation should include a session on cross-cultural communication, overviews of the host country educational system for U.S.

educators traveling overseas, thorough discussions of the goals and objectives of the program including support in refining the inquiry project and meetings with representatives of the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs. Consultants or a partner college of education (see below) should be involved in planning and conducting these orientations. A virtual orientation may be provided for the Short Term

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program.

H. Support Services

The award recipient should:

1) Provide travel arrangements from the United States overseas and back, as well as domestic travel arrangements as needed, for U.S. participants.

2) Provide foreign language screening for U.S. applicants, where appropriate.

3) Disburse U.S. participants' and dependents’ maintenance allowances.

4) Distribute end-of-program certificates of completion to U.S. participants.

7) Facilitate arrangements for classroom access abroad when needed for the U.S. teachers on the

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching programs.

I. Participant Program Monitoring

In their proposals, applicants should:

1) Discuss how the participants' progress in achieving program goals and objectives will be monitored

(e.g. surveys, interviews, work plans).

2) Describe the monitoring to ensure safety and security, and support services they will provide to the participants, including procedures for managing emergency situations.

3) Indicate the frequency of anticipated communication with the participants.

4) Discuss mechanisms to assess the quality of program activities.

J. Alumni Tracking and Follow-On Activities

Alumni activities are an important part of the Teacher Exchange Program. Alumni programming through small grants, listservs, electronic platforms, social networking, workshops, webinars, and professional development events magnifies and extends the benefits of the program. Applicant organizations should outline how they will organize and financially support alumni activities for FY 2019 participants as well as for alumni from all prior year programs, including the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange program. The FY 2019 award recipient will need to work closely with the FY 2018 and prior year award recipients to ensure alumni from prior years are integrated into alumni activities. Alumni tracking is critical for the evaluation of the program and for the implementation of effective follow-on programs.

Applicant organizations should describe how long-term links with alumni will be established, how alumni success stories will be collected, how program impact can be measured, and how contact information will be maintained in databases and reported upon.

Follow on activities may include but are not limited to convening teachers, administrators, educators and other stakeholders for professional development meetings or workshops related to U.S. State Department foreign policy priorities.

At the direction of the Teacher Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X), the recipient organization(s) may create openly accessible online teaching and learning tools which may include, but are not limited to Massive Open Online

Courses (MOOCs), webinars, communities of practice, digital libraries, and other virtual methods of learning.

All statistical information gathered and compiled by the award recipient(s) on the program participants and alumni should be transferable upon request to the alumni database maintained at ECA.

K. Reporting and Fiscal Management

1) The recipient organization should submit quarterly financial and program reports for each program within Component A.

2) The recipient organization should provide impact statements to ECA every month and on an ad hoc basis about the teachers and alumni programs, including their participation in school and community activities as well as their achievements during and after the program.

L. In consultation with ECA, prepare Congressional Notification letters to Senators and

Representatives for U.S. participants who reside or teach in their home districts.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

Responsibilities of the award recipient for the administration of Teacher Exchange Program Component

A: Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for U.S. teachers pending the availability of FY

2019 funds, approximately $1,750,000 total (approximately $1,350,000 for the semester research and component and approximately $400,000 for the short-term program component).

Approximately 35 U.S. Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program participants will take part in a semester-long (3-6-month-long) research program between September 2019 and July 2020 in countries or regions that may include Botswana, Colombia, Finland, Greece, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and the

Palestinian Territories. ECA reserves the right to add or remove countries and regions depending on

Bureau and Mission priorities.

Approximately 25 U.S. teachers will participate in the short-term 2-6 week program in countries or regions that may include Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Kuwait, Mexico, the Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, or Vietnam. ECA reserves the right to add or remove countries and regions depending on Bureau and Mission priorities.

The programs will be coordinated with Fulbright commissions, Public Affairs Sections of U.S.

embassies, and/or Ministries of Education in the participating countries.

In addition to the items noted in Section I above, proposal narratives should describe specific strategies for administering both components of the program as noted below.

As part of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Semester Research Program, applicant organizations should describe how they plan to:

1.) Develop a comprehensive recruitment strategy and materials designed to reach educators in public, charter, and private schools throughout the United States, particularly those in under-resourced urban, suburban, and rural areas.

2.) Prepare nomination memoranda for the FFSB and highlighting top-ranked nominees.

Competition summaries should include a report on the applicant pool, number and quality of applications, and distribution of applications by geographic region and field of instruction.

3.) Work with individual U.S. teachers and their school and district administrators to help them get permission to take leave--ideally at least partially paid--or sabbaticals.

4.) In consultation with the Bureau, arrange for independent advisory committees to review U.S.

teacher applications and recommend the strongest for selection by the FFSB.

5.) Provide, in coordination with ECA, dossiers of finalists to partner organizations overseas for placement in appropriate universities, colleges of education, research centers, or educational non-profit organizations to facilitate individual projects or study.

6.) Offer teachers an online preparatory course and/or individual coaching for participants in the semester research program to help prepare for programs in their host countries and provide them robust support both in advance of and during their time on the program with specific attention to supporting them in conducting culturally sensitive inquiry research projects. This support can be offered by professionals (consultants, staff from a college of education, or other professionals) with significant experience assisting teachers prepare to work or conduct action research abroad or in communities other than their own in the United States.

7.) Conducting a two-to-three day substantive orientation meeting in Washington D.C. to help them to prepare for their programs, to refine their individual program objectives, and to discuss living and working in the host country.

8.) Working with international partners to support U.S. teachers to ensure that their program includes the following components

a) Auditing of two graduate level and/or language courses relevant to their professional goals including their individual projects;

b) A faculty advisor for each participant to guide him/her through the completion of the individual project;

c) A placement in local schools that supports the teachers’ professional goals including those related to the individual research project;

d) Additional training as necessary in areas such as technology, research methodology and cross-cultural adaptation;

e) Opportunities to share their own professional expertise and information about the U.S.

education system with local teachers and students;

f) Appropriate housing, meal and transportation options;

g) Additional activities to support and enhance the program, including attendance at conferences or other professional development activities in the host country or region.

9. Arranging for payment of honoraria to university advisors.

As part of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program, applicant organizations should describe how they plan to:

1.) Work with ECA and U.S. embassies or Fulbright commissions in fall 2018 to develop projects at local host institutions (schools, non-governmental organizations, ministries of education or other education organizations) for which U.S. teachers can appropriately provide expertise.

2.) Conduct an outreach campaign to reach a diverse group of accomplished U.S. teachers with expertise in the project areas. Conduct a review and selection process that identifies the strongest educators to carry out specific projects and provide dossiers of these finalists to embassies, commissions, and host organizations overseas for review before final selection.

3.) Arrange for panels of educational professionals to review applications and recommend the strongest for selection by the FFSB. The competition summary should include a report on the applicant pool, number and quality of applications, and distribution of applications by geographic region and field of instruction.

4.) Conduct a comprehensive virtual orientation.

5.) Support participants before and during the program in developing their skills as culturally responsive consultants to the host institutions.

6.) Work with international partners such as embassies, Fulbright commissions, Ministries of

Education, etc., on travel, housing, meals, and other logistical and program details to support

U.S. teachers and ensure a successful experience.

For both the semester research and the short-term models of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching program, please describe how you will assist U.S. teachers (and international colleagues where appropriate) in working together to share best practices and resources throughout the program including by using an online platform. Describe how you will engage participants in designing activities that support their learning individually and together. Explain your strategies to engage alumni in the online community so they can continue working together and support current participants.

Alumni should also be invited to collaborate in applying for small grants to develop products or deliverables, such as articles, presentations, white papers, or policy briefs that draw on their collective knowledge and expertise. Such products should be shared widely in order for the teachers’ findings to reach a broader audience, including educators and policy makers.

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.

Applicants are encouraged to propose creative, cross-cutting initiatives within and between program components.

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.

Program Narrative

Executive Summary (One page)

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)

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: Identify partner organizations (both in the U.S. and overseas) for the programs, their roles, and the applicant organization's reasons for including them.

3. Recruitment, Screening and Selection: Describe how the applicant organization will recruit and evaluate applicants for U.S. teacher programs.

4. Program Activities: Describe in sufficient detail the major components of the services to be provided, including planning, publicity, placement, orientation, pre-academic programs, professional meetings/workshops, cultural program, participant monitoring.

5. Project Management

6. Work Plan/Time Frame: Outline the phases of planning and implementation for the entire grant period.

7. Evaluation plan: Include a plan describing how success in meeting the stated goals of each program will be measured and reported. ECA requests that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or outline of other techniques to be used to evaluate the impact of the programs.

8. Follow-on activities.

Additional Information to be Submitted

Detailed Budget

- Please submit a separate program and administrative budget for the two programs within Component A. Please submit comprehensive six-column line item budgets for program and administrative costs, the details and format of which are contained in the NOFO and the PSI. In addition, applicants must submit a comprehensive budget narrative demonstrating how costs were derived.

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

As with other exchange programs, the Bureau is committed to containment of costs consistent with overall program objectives and sound management.

The total administrative costs funded by the Bureau must be reasonable and appropriate.

Cooperative Agreement-funded expenditures may include, but are not limited to, the categories below. Applicants are encouraged to note in their program budgets/narratives areas in which economies beyond the Bureau allowable costs can be achieved.

- Allowable Costs:

a) Allowable administrative costs include items such as:

-- Staff salaries and benefits

-- Staff travel and per diem

-- Rent and facilities

-- Furniture and equipment

-- Meetings and conferences

-- Communication costs

-- Network charges

-- Indirect costs

-- Single Audit costs under Subpart F of the OMB Guidance 2 CFR Parts

200 and 600

b) Allowable program costs to be funded by the Cooperative Agreement include items such as:

-- Publicity, orientation materials, pre-departure orientation, orientation and related expenses

-- Medical review of health forms

-- Costs for peer review/selection/interview committees

-- Visa fees, as needed, for U.S. participants going overseas

-- Health Care Insurance fees and medical costs (Bureau must approve in advance)

-- Website/on-line applications/database management

-- Virtual exchanges and online courses

-- Per diem, travel for participants as needed

-- Pre-academic training costs: program, per diem and travel for participants

-- Professional meeting costs: program, per diem and travel for participants

-- Tuition and fees and other university costs, as applicable

-- Maintenance allowances for teachers. Allowances should be sufficient to enable participants to meet the costs of lodging, food, clothing and incidental purchases throughout the period of the cooperative agreement in the location where the participants will be residing.

-- Funds to support reasonable accommodation for participants with disabilities

-- Maintenance allowances and tuition allowances for dependents, if applicable

-- Insurance premium costs, if applicable

-- Educational materials including books or computer allowance

-- Teacher support costs: fingerprinting, certification, training, medical expenses, housing, transportation, and salary support, and substitute costs

-- Funding for mentors and faculty advisors

-- International travel conforming to the Fly America Act

--Alumni programming such as professional development opportunities, small grant awards, technology platforms, workshops, webinars, virtual exchanges

-- Multiplier activities such as workshops or professional development for educators, convenings, on-line workshops, Massive Open Online Courses

(MOOCs), open educational resources (OERs), mobile technology, or social media and other mediums for alumni, administrators and other educators to collaborate.

Please note the following guidelines:

1. Supply a detailed plan, justification, and costs for essential domestic and international travel for award recipient staff.

2. Provide a list of staff to administer the FY 2019 Fulbright Distinguished

Awards in Teaching Semester Research and Short-Term Programs, including the amounts of time, salary and benefits attributable to each program.

3. Delineate other direct costs, e.g., postage, telephone, reproduction, etc.

4. Provide a detailed explanation of administrative overhead (what elements of the budget it is based upon and how it is calculated).

- Aspects of Program Administration and Calendar of activities

- Resumes

Resumes of all program staff should be included in the submission.

No resume should exceed two pages.

- References

Instead of Letters of Endorsement, ECA will use past performance as an indicator of an applicant's ability to successfully perform the work under the Institutional Capacity review criterion. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Please also include between three and five references who may be called upon to discuss recently completed or ongoing work performed in carrying out exchange programs.

At a minimum, the applicant must provide the following information for each reference:

-- Name of the reference organization

-- Project name

-- Project description

-- Performance period of the contract/grant/cooperative agreement

-- Amount of the contract/grant/cooperative agreement

-- Technical contact person and telephone number for the referenced organization

-- Administrative contact person and telephone number for the referenced organization

ECA may contact representatives from the organizations cited in the examples to obtain information on the applicant's past performance. ECA may also obtain past performance information from sources other than those identified by the applicant.

- First Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable.

- 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, call Betsy Devlin-

Foltz, Senior Program Officer, at (202) 632-6334, at Teacher Exchange Branch;

Fax: (202) 632-9479; email: Devlin-FoltzEA@state.gov.