FY21 SUSI SecEd NOFO.pdf

Department of State

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO): FY 2021 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators

Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0007782 Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) Number: 19.401

Key Dates/Application Deadline: May 17, 2021

Executive Summary: The Study of the U.S. Branch (ECA/A/E/USS), Office of

Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), invites proposal submissions from accredited U.S. post-secondary education institutions

(community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) and other U.S.

public and private non-profit organizations (see Section C. Eligibility Information) for the design and implementation of three Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators to take place over the course of five weeks in summer 2022. See details in section A.4.

Program Administration.

The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators should provide multinational groups of experienced secondary-level educators with a deeper understanding of U.S.

society, education, culture, values, and institutions. Two of the Institutes will be for teachers; one Institute will be for secondary-level education administrators and other educational professionals, including, but not limited to, curriculum developers, ministry of education officials, teacher trainers, and textbook writers. Each Institute should have a four-week academic residency at a U.S. academic institution and a one-week integrated study tour that will expose the foreign secondary educators to another region of the

United States. Each Institute will host 20 participants, for a total of 60 foreign secondary educators across all three Institutes. More Information on the Institutes can be found in section A.3. Institutes.

The award recipient will be responsible for planning, overseeing, and implementing the program including the administration of all three Institutes and the oversight and management of performance of all subaward recipients under the award. Applicants may submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process. The awarding of the non-competitive continuations in FY 2022 and FY 2023 is contingent on the availability of funding and successful performance.

It is ECA’s intent to award one (1) cooperative agreement (one base year plus two non-competitive continuations) for an estimated total amount of $3,150,000, pending the availability of funds and successful performance. Please see section B. Federal Award

Information below for additional details. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets, participant numbers, the number of Institutes, Institute themes, and Institute formats based on program needs and the availability of U.S.

government funding.

A. Program Description:

Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the

Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the Government of the United

States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world." The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.

A.1. Purpose: Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators are intensive academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign secondary-level educators

(administrators, curriculum developers, education ministry officials, teachers, teacher trainers, and textbook writers) the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S.

society, education, culture, and institutions. The ultimate goal is to promote the development and improvement of courses and teaching about the United States at secondary schools and teacher training institutions abroad.

A.2. Overview: The Institutes for Secondary Educators should be approximately five weeks in length; participants should spend four weeks in an academic residency at an accredited U.S. university or college campus and one week on an educational study tour to a different region of the United States.

Each Institute should be designed as an intensive, academically rigorous seminar for an experienced group of educators from abroad. Institutes should be organized through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar discussions, regional travel, school visits and site visits. Institutes should be structured in a way that exposes participants to U.S.

pedagogical philosophies and teaching practices. The study tour and site visits in the

U.S. host community should provide opportunities to observe and participate in varied aspects of American life as they relate to the Institute topic and to discuss lessons learned in the academic program. Institutes should foster an inclusive environment by incorporating speakers from diverse backgrounds and encouraging open and collaborative discussions.

In addition, all Institutes should foster ECA’s mission to promote mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and other countries. Thus, the programs should include robust opportunities for participants to meet Americans from a variety of backgrounds, and to interact with their U.S. peers, and to engage with appropriate student and civic groups to share their experiences and life in their home communities. Please see the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document for more information.

ECA’s goal is to resume in-person exchanges for SUSI beginning in summer 2022. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel and university operations, it is unclear when current travel restrictions and health advisories will change. As such, proposals should include language to demonstrate maximum flexibility, creativity, and a rapid response capability for program planning and administration. Applicants should also address the steps taken to ensure continuity of services should the current situation continue for an extended period of time. The applicant should present innovative options for virtual activities to augment, and/or substitute for, in-person engagement with all program stakeholders, if exchange travel continues to not be possible.

A.3. Institutes: The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators will provide multinational groups of 20 experienced secondary-level school educators with a deeper understanding of past and present U.S. society, education, and culture. The three

Institutes should be organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. society and should have a strong contemporary component. Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, program content should be imaginatively integrated in order to elucidate the history and evolution of U.S.

educational institutions and values, broadly defined. The program should also serve to illuminate contemporary political, social, civic, and economic issues in U.S. society including but not limited to the climate crisis, racial justice, economic prosperity and opportunity, public health, and revitalizing democracy and human rights. Two of the

Institutes will be for teachers; one Institute will be for secondary education school administrators and other educational professionals. The Institutes tailored for teachers should focus primarily on providing teachers with content and materials to develop high school level curricula about the United States rather than teaching methods and pedagogy. All Institutes should take place at one or more accredited U.S. university and college campuses. Each Institute will host 20 participants. One award of up to

$1,050,000 in the FY 2021 base year of funding will support these three Institutes.

A.4. Program Administration: ECA is seeking detailed proposals from accredited U.S.

post-secondary higher education institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) and other U.S. public and private non-profit academic organizations meeting the eligibility requirements outlined below.

ECA intends to issue one cooperative agreement for the design, oversight, and implementation of all three Institutes for Secondary Educators. The recipient may choose to conduct one Institute, and provide and monitor sub-awards to two host institutions to conduct the other two Institutes. Alternatively, the recipient may choose to provide and monitor three sub-awards (one for each Institute) to three host institutions. Each host institution should only implement one Institute. The recipient may not conduct more than one Institute.

All proposals should demonstrate thematic expertise as well as any regional expertise, if applicable. Participating countries will represent all world regions and will be determined by ECA, in coordination with Fulbright Commissions and the Public Affairs

Sections at U.S. embassies abroad.

A.5. Program Guidelines: The award recipient is responsible for the conception, structure, and monitoring of all aspects of the Institutes and follow-on activities.

Proposals must provide a detailed and comprehensive narrative describing the goals of the entire project, as well as the objectives of each Institute. The proposal must also include a sample academic syllabus and calendar demonstrating how the proposed components relate to the overall theme of the Institute and entire project. For the

Institutes, the proposal should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to recruit host colleges, universities, or non-profit organizations that reflect regional and other diversity, including public, private, urban, rural, minority serving institutions, and community colleges.

Institutes must take place on a U.S. college or university campus.

Overall, proposals will be reviewed on the basis of their responsiveness to NOFO criteria listed in Section E.1. Review Criteria. The POGI provides program-specific guidelines that all proposals must address fully.

A.6. Substantial Involvement: In a cooperative agreement, the Study of the U.S.

Branch (ECA/A/E/USS) is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. The Branch may request that the award recipient make modifications to the academic residency and/or educational travel components of the program. The award recipient will be required to obtain approval of significant program changes in advance of their implementation. These activities and the roles and responsibilities of the

Department and the recipient are outlined in the POGI.

Proposal narratives should include a brief commitment to implement the program for the base year plus two additional non-competitive continuations, pending successful performance and the availability of funds. The narrative should focus on details specific to the implementation of the base year program, with the understanding that the program design, duration, and participant numbers would be similar when/if the subsequent two non-competitive continuation years are exercised. ECA will perform an annual performance evaluation/review to determine if a non-competitive continuation will be exercised. Satisfactory performance and the availability of funds is a condition of continued administration of the program and execution of all non-competitive continuations.

B. Federal Award Information:

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

ECA’s level of involvement in this program is listed under A. Program Description.

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2021 base year, $1,050,000; FY 2022 Non-Competitive

Continuation year-one, $1,050,000, pending successful performance and the availability of funds; FY 2023 Non-Competitive Continuation year-two, $1,050,000, pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Total Funding: $3,150,000. This figure represents the funding for the base year plus two non-competitive continuation years, pending successful performance and the availability of funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: One.

Approximate Average Award: $1,050,000 for FY 2021 base year (or $3,150,000 for the base year plus two Non-Competitive Continuation years).

Floor of Award Range: None.

Ceiling of Award Range: $1,050,000 for FY 2021 base year (or $3,150,000 for the base year plus two non-competitive continuation years).

Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2021.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2025. This date reflects the anticipated duration of the award – one base year plus two non-competitive continuation years.

Additional Information: A cooperative agreement will be awarded for a period of 12 months (base year) with Non-Competitive Continuations for a second and third period of

12 and 18 months, respectively, to ensure adequate time for post-Institute follow-on activities. ECA will notify the recipient of its intention to exercise or not to exercise a

Non-Competitive Continuation at least 90 days in advance of expiration of the current year after an internal evaluation of the recipient’s performance. The decision to exercise a Non-Competitive Continuation will depend both on the satisfactory performance of the recipient and the availability of funds.

C. Eligibility Information:

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

All applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in SAM.gov (see additional information about this requirement in D.3a. and D.3c.

below).

C.2. Other Eligibility Requirements:

a.) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making one cooperative agreement, in an amount of

$1,050,000 per year to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.

b.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the following or they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process. It is ECA’s intent to award one (1) cooperative agreement to one applicant organization to administer a total of three (3) Institutes under this competition. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets, participant numbers, the number of Institutes, Institute themes and

Institute formats, based on program needs and the availability of U.S. government funding.

c.) Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal in this competition. If more than one proposal is received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the review process. Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document.

C.3. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost sharing required for this competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR

Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution may be reduced in like proportion.

D. Application and Submission Information:

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

D.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please contact Tania

Jazynka, Program Officer, the Study of the U.S. Branch, ECA/A/E/USS, SA-5, Fourth

Floor, U.S. Department of State, 2200 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, JazynkaT@state.gov, (202) 230-9898, to request a Solicitation Package.

The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document, which consists of required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.

It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria, and budget instructions tailored to this competition. ECA/A/E/USS also provides a sample budget in Microsoft Excel format. You may request that template in editable format by contacting Program Officer

Tania Jazynka at JazynkaT@state.gov.

Please specify Tania Jazynka and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement on all inquiries and correspondence.

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

Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding or from the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

D.2a. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all instructions in the

Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under

D.3o. “Application Deadline and Method of Submission” section below.

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

Identifier (UEI) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S.

Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a UEI number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a UEI number, access http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your UEI (Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF – 424 which is part of the formal application package. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI (DUNS) number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

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

D.3c. Required Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM): All federal award applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to submit a proposal in response to an open competition on Grants.gov.

mailto:JazynkaT@state.gov mailto:JazynkaT@state.gov https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.dnb.com/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

All federal award recipients must maintain a current registration in the SAM database.

Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting is completed on any issued award.

Recipients must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted. There is no cost associated with registering or updating SAM.gov accounts.

Failure to register in SAM.gov will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.

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

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

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

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

(see 41 U.S.C. 2313) and accessible through SAM.gov. If an Applicant is currently in

FAPIIS, they can comment on any information about its organization that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

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

Department of State’s SAMS Domestic by accessing https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com and clicking the “create an account” link.

SAMS Domestic is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS).

Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously used

SAMS Domestic as a U.S. Department of State award recipient do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact the ILMS Help

Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-888-313-ILMS

(4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/

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

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

D.3f. Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa: The Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients and sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.

The award recipient will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.

A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://j1visa.state.gov or from:

Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division

U.S. Department of State

SA-4E (Bldg. 3)

2430 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

D.3g. Diversity, Freedom, and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of political, social and cultural life in the

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

DIVERSITY, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY section in the “Proposal Submission

Instructions” document for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

mailto:ECA_SAMSDomestic@state.gov http://j1visa.state.gov/

Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy," the

Bureau "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries." Public Law 106 -

113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

D.3h. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Please Note: The Bureau plans to add standardized indicators and corresponding data collection questions for performance monitoring during the period of performance of this award. Therefore, proposed performance monitoring plans and data collection instruments should be flexible enough to incorporate those once established. Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program.

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

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation plan should include a description of your project’s objectives, your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are "smart"

(specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this NOFO.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program output and outcomes. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount.

Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.

We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the NOFO (listed here in increasing order of importance):

1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.

2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive

(subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

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

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

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

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it

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

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

D.3i. Virtual Exchange Component: ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage appropriate mobile and/or online technologies to maintain engagement among exchange participants, encourage project collaboration and widen participation in the overall project to a broader audience. ECA strongly encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or after the physical exchange.

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

D.3j. Communications Guidance for ECA Recipients: All ECA Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

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

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

There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.

D.3l. Key Personnel ECA recommends that the applicant identify intended key personnel positions via an asterisk (*) or other marking in the proposal budget, budget narrative, or a separate appendix. If not provided in the application, recipients must submit the names, titles, and brief biographical sketches of key personnel to the Grants Officer and GOR within 30 days of an award being issued. Additional information regarding key personnel requirements can be found in the State Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions, VI.

Recipient Responsibility and Compliance with Federal Requirements (link to:

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

D.3m. Non-Competitive Continuations: For competitions that will exercise a Non-

Competitive Continuation applicants must submit:

- the SF-424A which must include the budget request amount for the base-year of the program;

- a detailed proposal narrative and budget for the base year of funding (Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instruction Document (PSI) for general budget guidance). The narrative should also include a brief commitment to implement the program for the base year, plus two additional non-competitive continuation years, pending successful program performance and the availability of funds; and

- an abbreviated/estimated summary budget presenting the total projected administrative and program costs for the anticipated total duration of programming (base year, plus two non-competitive continuation years).

To exercise the Non-Competitive Continuation mechanism the recipient will be required to submit:

1. performance and financial reports on time;

2. a request in writing to ECA at least 30 days in receipt of the NCC invitation;

3. a summary budget that projects program expenses through the end of the current year;

4. a detailed budget outlining both administrative and program expenses for the requested non-competitive continuation year; and

5. a brief narrative to support the continuation of the award.

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/

The ECA Grants Officer and Program Officer will:

1.) Closely monitor the recipient’s performance through site visits, desk audits, mandatory performance and financial reports, consultations, and other forms of communication and dialogue before exercising additional non-competitive continuations.

(Additional details regarding monitoring and oversight of the program by ECA representatives will be provided at the time the base-year award is made.)

2.) Review and evaluate all mandatory quarterly program and financial reports;

- All program and financial reporting requirements must be current and up-to-date before the Bureau will exercise additional non-competitive continuations.

- Any/all concerns, issues, or modifications requested by the Grants Officer or

Program Officer to the original program design or method of implementation must be responded to in writing.

- The ECA Grants Officer and Program Officer will review and advise of ECA’s approval or disapproval of the response before issuing subsequent non-competitive continuations.

3.) Prior Grants Officer approval is required to utilize the remainder from an unobligated balance from a prior funding period to the subsequent funding period. If the Grants

Officer determines that some or all of the unobligated funds are not necessary to perform the program activity, the Grants Officer may decline the Recipient’s request to utilize the remainder from the unobligated balance.

The Grants Officer may, at their discretion, use the unobligated balance to reduce or offset future funding for a subsequent funding period. An unobligated balance at the end of a funding period is not sufficient justification to utilize the remainder of funds. A final determination and approval to utilize the remainder of any funds will be communicated via a cost amendment with adjustment, if any, to new obligation amounts.

i. The request to utilize the remainder from an unobligated balance must include:

a. A brief narrative why funds remain unobligated and how the unobligated funds will be used to complete the previously approved goals and objectives of the program; and,

b. A detailed budget that reflects the amount of unobligated funds to date, and anticipated expenditures in the subsequent period of performance for all cost categories under the authorized budget.

D.3n. Allowable costs for the program include the following:

Administrative Costs:

Staff salaries and benefits. Each staff person must be listed separately. Provide the percentage of time spent on the program.

Other direct expenses;

Indirect costs

Program Costs:

Institute costs including, but not limited to, honoraria for speakers, educational materials, lodging, room rental(s), welcome and farewell events, and participant admissions;

Sub-awards;

Travel costs including, but not limited to, round trip international airfare, visa travel, ground transportation, domestic travel, and other transit costs;

Per participant allowances including baggage allowance, travel allowance, book and cultural allowance, and meals and incidentals;

Follow-on activities;

Tax withholding;

Wire transfer fees;

Consultant fees;

Web hosting;

Communications (i.e., participant cell phones or sim cards);

Medical contingency;

Medical costs related to the pandemic including, but not limited to personal protective equipment (PPE), medically required quarantine (outside of medical facilities covered under ASPE);

Reasonable accommodations; and Other cost categories as necessary

D.3o. Application Deadline and Method of Submission:

Application Deadline Date: Monday, May 17, 2021

Method of Submission: Applications may only be submitted electronically through

Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available at

Grants.gov in the “Search Grants” portion of the system.

D.3p. Grants.gov Registration, Application Submission, and Receipt Procedures Eligible organizations should follow the instructions available in the ‘Get Started’ portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html).

How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Applicants should read instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html required application submission deadlines. Applicants should check with appropriate staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this NOFO to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Organization applicants can find complete instructions here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

How to Submit an Application to ECA via Grants.gov

For access to complete instruction on how to apply for Notice of Funding Opportunities on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

Grants.gov Support and Submission Issues Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission issues to:

Grants.gov Customer Support

Contact Center Phone: 800 -518-4726

Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on federal holidays

Email: support@grants.gov

Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission Applicants have until 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern time on the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after the application deadline date and time will be automatically rejected by the Grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number

(GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and

Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When ECA successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgement of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Please also be mindful of any Grants.gov generated error messages that may appear during the application process as they may result in some documents not transmitting correctly.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html mailto:support@grants.gov

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

The Grants.gov website includes extensive information on all phases/aspects of the

Grants.gov process, including an extensive section on frequently asked questions, located under the "Applicant FAQs" section of the website. ECA strongly recommends that all potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov website, well in advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.

PLEASE NOTE: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant timeliness of submission or data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov. Prior to submitting applications through Grants.gov, please ensure you meet all Grants.gov system and software requirements, including Adobe software compatibility. You can verify if your version of Adobe software is compatible with

Grants.gov, by visiting https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

D.3q. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation

Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the

Public Diplomacy section overseas and State Department regional bureaus, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review.

Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other

Department elements. All awards will be assessed for risk prior to their issuance. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the U.S. Department of State's Assistant

Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

E.1. REVIEW CRITERIA

Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of Program Plan and Ability to Achieve Program Objectives:

Proposals should exhibit originality and clearly demonstrate how the Institute will meet the objectives laid out in this solicitation. A detailed staff work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Activities should be reasonable, feasible, and form a coherent and substantive program for participant exploration of the topic. Competitive proposals will clearly promote ECA’s mission: to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly and peaceful relations.

2. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of

ECA’s diversity policy. Proposals should demonstrate how diversity will be achieved in the different aspects of program design and implementation, and how diversity will enhance the program’s goals and objectives. It is important that proposals have a clearly articulated diversity plan and not simply express general support for the concept of diversity. Proposals should also indicate how reasonable accommodations for participant needs, including disability accommodations, will be implemented.

3. Project Evaluation: Proposals 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.

4. Cost-effectiveness/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. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support, as well as institutional direct funding contributions.

5. Institutional Track Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs (past exchange programs need not have been ECA funded). ECA will consider the past performance of prior recipients including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past ECA awards (grants or cooperative agreements) as determined by ECA Grants Staff. ECA will consider the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be fully qualified to achieve the project’s goals.

6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned participants as a means of establishing longer-term individual and institutional linkages. Proposals also should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity (without ECA support) ensuring that ECA supported programs are not isolated events. Please refer to the POGI for additional information on follow-on activities.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F.1. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Bureau’s Grants

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

Government. The FAA will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and transmitted to the recipient’s responsible officer as identified in the application.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this competition following the completion of the review process.

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the following: Office of Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Effective

December 26, 2014, replacing the previous circulars).

For a copy of the OMB Guidance cited, please contact the U.S. Government Publishing

Office or download from the www.ecfr.gov website.

Please reference the following websites for additional information:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm

F.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with an electronic copy of the following required reports:

1.) Performance Progress Reports (PPRs) shall be required at a minimum annually and no more frequently than quarterly. Annual reports shall be due 120 calendar days after the cooperative agreement year; quarterly or semi-annual reports shall be due 30 days after…