NOFO PSI_3-24.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Proposal Submission Instructions Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Updated: March 14, 2024

U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Proposal Submission Instructions

Guidelines & information for applying to all Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements is as follows:

I. Eligibility Requirements and General Guidelines

ECA welcomes applications in response to its NOFOs from U.S. public or private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions outlined in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

A. Technical Eligibility

To be considered technically eligible, proposals must:

1. Be submitted to ECA via grants.gov following the submission and deadline requirements specified in the solicitation.

2. Adhere to all instructions in the solicitation documents, including required formatting and completeness.

3. Follow any guidelines stated in the solicitation and accompanying documents.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all submitted documents in the application package are complete, accurate, and current. ECA strongly encourages all applicants, especially first-time applicants, to submit applications well before the due date to ensure receipt and completeness.

B. Proposal Formatting Requirements

Applicants should adhere to the following formatting guidelines when preparing proposals in response to ECA NOFOs.

1. Use 8 ½” x 11” paper format.

2. Ensure the Executive Summary and Proposal Narrative are double spaced.

3. Number all pages, including proposal narrative, budget, and attachments.

C. Proposal Elements:

1. Required – Applicants must include the following elements in your proposal:

a. Completed SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance.”

b. Completed SF-424A “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs.”

c. Executive Summary (One page).

d. Proposal Narrative (Not to exceed 20 pages, unless indicated otherwise in the

NOFO).

e. Complete budget per section III below, inclusive of a budget (SF-424A), detailed budget, and budget narrative.

f. SF-424B, “Assurances – Non-construction Programs,” if applicable. This form is only required for organizations if its representations and certifications have not been completed in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). If an organization is exempt from registering in SAM.gov, then it would still need to provide the form as part of its application.

g. Additional attachments, as required by your specific organization or proposal.

Such as the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), form 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities (only required for organizations that engage in lobbying activities), etc.

h. If applicable and especially for organizations that do not have a current award with

ECA, additional information about the applicant organization. See I.D. Applicant

Organizations for further information.

2. Additional: (may be required or optional, as indicated in the NOFO)

a. Calendar of activities/itinerary, if applicable

b. Resumes and CVs (If included do not exceed two pages each)

c. Letters of endorsement or commitment

Important Note for Grants.gov Submissions:

In order to apply for a grant through Grants.gov you and/or your organization must complete the

Grants.gov registration process. The registration process for an organization can take as long as four weeks. So please register early! Visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html for registration information.

Proposals submitted through Grants.gov must be submitted in any combination of the following formats: Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), ASCII Text, Joint Photographic Experts Group

(JPEG) images, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word.

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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

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

D. Applicant Organizations

Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-

Hays Act) ECA awards grants and cooperative agreements to U.S. public or private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code (IRS) section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

If your organization is a U.S. nonprofit meeting the provisions of a 501(c)3 which has not received an ECA grant or cooperative agreement in the past three years or obtained nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as a part of your application, such as proof of 501(c)(3) status as determined by the IRS or an authorizing tribal resolution. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the process.

If your organization does not have an open award with ECA at the time of application submit as attachments to the application all of the following:

1. one copy of their Charter OR Articles of Incorporation;

2. a list of the current Board of Directors; and

3. current financial statements.

ECA may request additional documentation beyond that list to verify your organization status.

All applicants must include the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation) in their application. Provide this information in one of the following ways:

1. For those filing IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ, must include a copy of relevant portions of thie form.

2. For those not filing IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ, submit the information in the format of your choice.

II. Fiscal Planning Guidelines

A. Audits

Proposals must include the cost of an audit that complies with the requirements of the Office of

Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 Subpart F Single Audit Requirements and https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for

Federal Awards.

The audit costs shall be identified separately for each of the:

1. Audit of the basic financial statements.

2. Supplemental reports and schedules required by OMB Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 Subpart F

Single Audit Requirements and 600.

B. Conferences

ECA does not support proposals limited to conferences or seminars organized as plenary sessions, major speakers, and panels with a passive audience. ECA supports conferences only insofar as they are a minor part of a project with greater duration and scope which is receiving ECA funding.

C. Cost Sharing

ECA encourages cost-sharing, which may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. The recipient of an assistance award must maintain written records to support all allowable costs which are claimed as its contribution to cost participation, 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 in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600 and should be described in the proposal. In the event the recipient does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in the recipient’s budget, ECA’s contribution may be reduced in like proportion.

D. Negotiated Indirect Cost-rate (NICRA)

An organization with an audited indirect cost rate negotiated with a cognizant federal government agency other than U.S. Department of State should include a copy of the cost-rate agreement as an addendum to the budget. An applicant must indicate in the proposal budget how the rate is applied. Please refer to OMB Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600 for further information.

E. Healthcare Coverage

ECA provides healthcare coverage or pays health insurance premiums for exchange participants funded by ECA. Such coverage is for international and U.S. participants in a variety of exchange-of-persons programs and must be in compliance with current insurance provisions of the Exchange

Visitor Program regulations found at 22 CFR § 62.14. This coverage is subject to specific limitations and exclusions. In addition, this coverage is not intended to replace any healthcare plan or insurance policy a participant may already have and is secondary to any primary coverage that a participant may carry. The intent is to supplement existing coverage and to help ensure that a participant’s basic health is protected in a foreign country.

If the applicant/program organizer will not be using ECA’s healthcare coverage, it should budget

(under program costs per participant) for a policy, plan, or contract that includes medical benefits, medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains coverage. Such policy, plan, or contract must comply with the Exchange Visitor Programs Regulations, specifically 22 CFR § 62.14. The period of required healthcare coverage is those periods of actual participation in ECA-funded exchange activities. The period of coverage does not necessarily coincide with the duration of the funded project.

The minimum coverage provided to all current and new exchange visitors and accompanying spouses and dependents on J visas under 22 CFR § 62.14 must include all of the following:

1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness.

2. Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000.

3. Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of an exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000.

4. Deductibles not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

Exchange Visitor Program designated sponsors “must inform all exchange visitors that they, and any accompanying spouse and dependent(s), also may be subject to the requirements of the

Affordable Care Act.”

Spouses and dependents of exchange participants are not eligible for coverage under ECA’s own healthcare coverage program for exchanges; spouses and dependents must secure their own healthcare coverage (such as insurance) consistent with the requirements in 2 CFR § 62.14 for the duration of the program, to include medical benefits, medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains as listed above.

F. Travel

The options an assistance award recipient has for arranging U.S. domestic travel for participants are: (a) to use own travel agent, or (b) through the Travel Management Center (TMC) at Carlson-

Wagonlit Government Travel (1-866-654-5593 or http://www.cwgt.com). Under the TMC method, however, travel costs must be a minimum of $20,000 to utilize this option. ECA does not make the travel funds directly available to the recipient organization, but rather sets aside the funds in the assistance award to be accounted for separately as expenses are incurred and liquidated. In order to ensure the set-aside for this purpose not be exceeded, the recipient organization must closely http://www.cwgt.com/ monitor the travel costs and advise the ECA program officer if more (or less) funds are needed than originally anticipated. Detailed instruction on use of the TMC will be provided when the grant/cooperative agreement is awarded. Recipient staff and consultants are not allowed to use

TMC. Note: Preferred travel option must be indicated in your proposal narrative.

G. Taxes

Recipients under ECA-funded projects are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants. Because of the complexity of current tax laws regarding scholarship and fellowship income, it is strongly recommended that recipients consult with tax counsel regarding such compliance.

III. Budget Guidelines

Recipients must submit the following sections to form a complete budget submission. Each is described in detail below:

1. Budget, following the directions in III.A.1 below.

2. A Detailed Budget that provides detailed information on all costs, including specific calculations showing how the totals were derived, following the directions in III.B below.

3. A Budget Narrative that provides any additional information or explanations regarding the budget, as described in III.C below.

Your budget submission will not be considered technically complete unless it contains all three sections.

If you revise your budget during any negotiation, you must also provide revised budget summaries

(Form 424A) in addition to revised line item budgets.

A.Standard Form 424A

Recipients must submit the required Standard Form 424A (Budget Information - Non-Construction

Programs). This form is designed to assist in budget planning. Instructions for this form can be downloaded from: http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/open-grant-solicitations/completing-solicitation-package.

Please ensure the information that is requested below is entered into the SF-424A.

1. Section A, Budget Summary, requires the applicant to break out costs by Federal and Non-

Federal (i.e., Cost Share) Expenses, as in the example below. Please break these costs into

“Participant support costs” and “Non-participant support costs” via the Grant Program http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/open-grant-solicitations/completing-solicitation-package http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/open-grant-solicitations/completing-solicitation-package

Function designation, as in the table below.

2. CFR 200.75 defines “participant support costs” as direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.

BUDGET INFORMATION – Non-Construction Programs (OMB Approval

No.4040-0006)

Section A: Budget Summary:

Table A1: Estimated Unobligated Funds

Grant Program Function

Assistance Listing (formerly

CFDA)

Number

Federal Non- Federal

Total

Participant support costs

Non-participant

Table A2: New or Revised Budget

Grant Program Function

Assistance Listing (formerly

CFDA)

Number

Federal Non- Federal

Total

Participant

Non-participant

3. Section B, Budget Categories, requires the applicant to break out costs by Federal and Non-

Federal Expenses for all OMB Object Class Categories as listed in the SF-424A form.

Section B: Budget Categories:

Table B1: Grant Program Function or Activity

Object Class Categories

Federal Non- Federal

Total

Personnel

Fringe Benefits

See the

SF-424A

for additional line items

4. Section C, Non-Federal Resources, requires the applicant to break out costs by type of Cost

Share (from the applicant or from other sources such as subrecipients).

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

Expenses.

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

B.Detailed Budget

Include in your proposal a line-item budget, which breaks out costs under each of the nine main categories of the SF-424A Section B: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Construction, Other Direct Costs, and Indirect Costs. The budget must be responsive to the solicitation guidelines and as accurately as possible reflect costs associated with program activities outlined in the proposal. A well-prepared detailed budget will provide the information needed to complete the SF-424A.

The following table provides examples of specific budget categories and line items. Note that the table should not be interpreted as a list of all allowable costs, and that not all of the costs included below relate to all ECA programs. Please refer to the NOFO to determine which costs are authorized for your specific program.

You are urged to be as detailed and specific as possible in your detailed/line item budget, adding line items if needed. For each line, please include a breakdown of unit cost and unit number so it is clear how a total amount in each line is calculated.

Budget submission tips for standard budget categories

Personnel Costs

The salaries and wages for all of the recipient organization staff working on the project. The budget narrative should indicate the base salary and time each person will spend on the project. The budget detail and narrative should also include any method used to arrive at the requested amount.

Fringe Benefits

Fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by employers to their employees as compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages. Fringe benefits include, but are not limited to, the costs of leave (vacation, family-related, sick, or military), employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefit plans. These costs may be derived from historical costs or calculated as a percentage of salaries and wages. If the costs are calculated as a percentage of salaries and wages, this percentage will need to be justified by the entity’s written internal policy or documented on r Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

Travel

The budget should indicate who will travel, where, and why. This category may be organized into several subcategories, such as staff, participants, and interpreters. This category includes international airfare, in-country travel overseas, domestic travel in the United States, and group ground transportation (bus rental, etc.). It should include estimated air fare (or other mode of transportation), accommodations, meals and incidental expenses, baggage allowance, and other costs such as conference fees, visa expenses, and immunizations.

All international travel that originates or terminates in the United States, as well as U.S. domestic flights must comply with the Fly America Act. Domestic U.S. government per diem rates may be found at https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates and foreign per diem rates at https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.

Equipment Costs

Equipment costs are > $5,000 per unit costs. Equipment costs are not common in ECA awards but are sometimes necessary for specialized equipment.

https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

Equipment costs require prior approval by the grants officer. If approved by the grants officer equipment does require additional financial reporting throughout the life of the award.

Supplies

Supplies are $5,000 or less per unit price.

For example, 5 computers purchased for $1,000 each should be listed under supplies.

Contractual

This category includes both contracts and subawards. The contracts or subawards must be necessary for the award, and the applicant must have the capability and internal policies to manage subawards. The applicant should include the budget breakdown for any proposed subawards or contracts for review.

A contract is for the purpose of obtaining goods and services for the applicant’s own use and creates a procurement relationship. A consulting agreement with a consultant or contractor is generally considered a contract.

A subaward is provided to a subrecipient to carry out a portion of the Federal award. A beneficiary of a program is not considered a subrecipient. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the prime recipient entity considers a contract.

Construction Costs

Generally N/A for ECA awards

Other Direct Costs

These will vary according to each program. Please refer to the specific solicitation for more information on what costs may be required or allowable for this program. Some examples of costs in this category include:

• Orientation: honorarium, preparation of materials, printing, and copying

• Healthcare Coverage: In general, participants are covered by the Bureau’s healthcare coverage as described in Section II.E above, but additional or alternate healthcare options may be proposed (but must adhere to federal regulations detailed in Section II.E).

Refer to the solicitation package for clarification on the healthcare requirements for this program

• Scholarships/Tuition: The applicant must identify costs when the proposal requests support for academic scholarships or tuition.

• Participant Stipends

• Small grant projects (may be put in contracts)

• Monitoring and evaluation costs, including data collection, analysis, and reporting costs

• Other Program Costs: These will vary depending on the nature of the project. Examples include academic fees, cultural allowances, book allowances, photocopying, postage, telephone/fax, or printing. The inclusion of each must be justified. See the NOFO or letter of solicitation and POGI (if applicable) for additional program-specific information on costs.

Total Direct Costs

A sum of all of the above

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs, often called overhead, or facilities and administrative costs, may only be charged to a

Federal award when:

• The applicant has a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) from a

Federal agency; or

• The applicant elects to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs

(MTDC), which is allowable if the organization does not have a current agreement.

Indirect costs are not considered participant expenses when calculating the participant support costs in the summary budgets.

Total Costs

Direct + Indirect

C. Budget Narrative

In addition to the Detailed Budget, recipients must include a Budget Narrative. The Budget

Narrative should elaborate on the Detailed Budget, not simply repeat with words what is stated numerically in the budget. The narrative is the place to communicate to ECA any information that might not be readily apparent in the budget. The narrative should be used to help explain reasonableness of costs. For example, in the Budget Narrative you could:

1. Explain how the expense relates to meeting program goals and objectives.

2. Explain differences in fares among travelers on the same routes (e.g., a staff member traveling for three weeks whose fare is higher than that of staff member traveling for four months).

3. Explain why the number of participants traveling to a program event is different than the number of participants on the program (e.g., fewer participants are traveling to the workshop because they reside in the same location where the workshop will be held).

4. Indicate the costs used in calculating the indirect cost (base x indirect rate) – for example:

salaries only, modified direct costs, or all direct costs, etc. This must match the defined base in the NICRA. If using the 10% de minimis rate, use the Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR Part 200.

5. Elaborate on differences in staff salaries and benefits (e.g., if a program is multi-year, explain any changes in staffing patterns from one year to the next).

6. Explain any lump sum costs and how the costs were estimated.

7. Describe any additional private sector or leveraged funds that are anticipated but not included in the budget as formal cost share.

D. Important Information on the Budget and Expenses

1. Expenses may be cost-shared. Cost sharing by the applicant organization should be clearly stated in the budget as the applicant’s contribution and explained in the budget narrative.

2. Preference is given to applicants proposing to waive or substantially cost share indirect expenses in order to utilize the highest possible proportion of funds for direct participant support costs.

ECA generally DOES NOT PAY FOR THE FOLLOWING, although exceptions might be possible at the discretion of, and with prior written approval from, a warranted Grants Officer.

a. Publication of materials for distribution within the United States.

b. Administration of a program that will make a profit.

c. Expenses incurred before or after the specified dates of the award.

d. Projects designed to advocate policy views or positions of foreign governments or views of a particular political faction.

e. Entertainment costs unless there is a programmatic purpose (See 2 CFR 200.438

Entertainment Costs).

f. Contingency funds to cover unexpected costs, including salary increases, increased airfares, other inflationary factors unless the amounts are estimated using broadly accepted cost estimating methodologies, specified in the budget documentation of the award. (See 2 CFR 200.433 Contingency Provisions.)

g. Fundraising.

IV. Other Guidelines and Requirements

A. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) and Freedom and Democracy Guidelines

Pursuant to ECA’s authorizing legislation, “diversity” should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, geographic location, education, income, socio-economic status, and other diversity dimensions, that may hinder inclusion.

Proposals should demonstrate how diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will enhance the program’s goals and objectives and the participants’ exchange experience. Proposals should demonstrate how the program will further engage diverse and underserved communities.

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. Please refer to the

“Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” review criterion of the solicitation document and to the information below for specific suggestions on incorporating DEIA into the proposal.

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,” ECA, “shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such program 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 this goal in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

Suggested DEIA elements in ECA exchange program design may include:

1. Program Administration:

a. Applicant organizations are encouraged to promote and demonstrate diversity within their workforce, including employees, subrecipients and contractors.

b. Outreach, recruitment, selection and placement of the U.S. and foreign program participants should reflect all relevant forms of diversity as reflected in ECA’s Diversity

Statement, to the extent possible.

c. Program websites and information should be accessible and use best practices such as

508 compliance.

d. Program locations should reflect geographic diversity and, where relevant, socio-economic diversity.

e. Program plans should include an ability to provide reasonable accommodations, including budgeting for participants that will need such resources.

f. Host institutions and organizations in the United States and abroad should represent diversity, including Minority-serving Institutions (MSI’s) of Higher Education and institutions and organizations relating to people with disabilities and to people relating to other underrepresented audiences.

g. Programs should be evaluated and their success measured from a variety of perspectives, including how successful award recipient organizations are in achieving diversity as discussed in their proposal.

2. Program Content:

a. Pre-departure and/or post-arrival orientation for participants should include a session on multi-ethnicity, multiculturalism, or issues related to inclusive communities for both in-bound participants as well as out-bound participants.

b. Through seminars, workshops, meetings, consultations, and other forms of interaction

(both face-to-face and virtual), as well as in enrichment/enhancement activities, relevant issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility should be addressed either directly

(as a topic) or indirectly (through contact with a variety of individuals of diverse backgrounds).

c. Wrap-up and re-entry sessions should provide a platform to discuss issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility that were observed or explored during the program.

Where possible, additional sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion should be used to enhance or expand participants’ understanding of these issues in the United States and abroad.

d. Organizations should seek opportunities to expose participants to the fullest range of expression, viewpoints, positions and information.

e. Resource lists and research material and websites should contain a broad representation of subjects, authors and titles reflecting diversity in the United States and abroad.

f. Program follow-up, including alumni activities, should ensure mechanisms for the continual promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues.

B. ECA's Commitment to Public Private Partnerships

ECA is reaching out to the private sector to engage in collaborative public private partnerships

(PPPs) that align with ECA’s mission of building mutual understanding around the world. While there is a tremendous demand for ECA programs, meeting these demands and the challenges of the 21st century must come from collaboration between the public and private sectors. This tremendous demand, coupled with our past successes in developing PPPs, has led us to look for ways to further increase the effectiveness of our programs. We know that our educational, cultural and sports activities align strategically with the corporate social responsibility goals of corporations and the mission of many foundations.

PPP furthers the social responsibility goals of private sector philanthropy through focused investments in educational and cultural exchanges while amplifying the expanse and reach of

ECA’s programs. These programs build human potential and local capacity, highlight talent and can identify potential employees and consumers. Multinational companies are increasingly interested in human capacity building and being good global corporate citizens. Foundations have had a long track record of philanthropic work around the world.

ECA strongly encourages applicant organizations to consider developing sustainable PPPs in an effort to expand and increase the number of program participants and the overall impact and reach of ECA funded exchange programs and activities. Proposals should demonstrate a firm commitment to the advancement of PPPs in their proposal narrative and when possible, include letters of commitment from the organizations/companies with whom they are proposing to partner.

Please note: Any/all proposed partnering relationships will be vetted with ECA's Office of Private

Sector Exchanges and the Department's Office of the Legal Advisor to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

Proposal narratives should also demonstrate a willingness to coordinate closely with the program office(r) assigned to this project in collecting data and highlighting and publicizing successful PPPs that result from ECA funded awards.

C. ECA's General Policy Guidance on Alumni Outreach/Follow-on and

Engagement

Proposals must include a plan outlining alumni outreach/follow-on and engagement. Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages. Reviewers will assess ways in which proposals provide substantive plans to prepare exchange program participants for their role as active, effective alumni and how the recipient organization will continue to engage with alumni once they return home. Recipient organization(s) must outline how alumni/follow-on activities will be sustained after the performance period.

All recipients will be expected to provide regular updates on alumni/follow-on activities throughout the period of performance. Proposals should also include plans to use alumni in recruitment and orientation programming of future participants.

As a general rule, ECA discourages support of individual one-time alumni/follow-on events for most of its exchange activities but rather asks recipient organization(s) to connect alumni with local non-governmental organizations, chambers of commerce, or other private sector institutions to ensure long-term sustainability of alumni/follow-on activities. ECA encourages follow-on/alumni activities that have a strong multiplier effect and demonstrate a significant impact on organizations, groups or communities with which the alumni associates. Mentorships, internships, and job shadowing experiences are encouraged. Please refer to the actual solicitation (i.e., NOFO or letter of solicitation) for any specific additional guidance.

ECA expects that all recipient organization(s) will encourage and assist participants in registering for and using the International Exchange Alumni website (alumni.state.gov) at multiple points during their exchange experience, at a minimum during program orientations and pre-departure briefings as well as at the end of programs. Proposals should detail how the website will be promoted to exchange participants and how the recipient organization(s) will facilitate participant registration.

ECA expects that all recipient organization(s) will place a link to International Exchange Alumni on their own websites.

International Exchange Alumni, an interactive, dynamic and password-protected on-line global community, offers alumni a place to network; discover grants and funding opportunities; and research through access to over 20,000 international journals and newspapers.

While applicant organizations may propose the use of websites for recruitment and selection, pre-departure and re-entry efforts/activities, the Bureau will not fund or support websites and/or website activities that are duplicative or run parallel to alumni/follow-on opportunities on ECA’s International

Exchange Alumni website.

After awards have been finalized, all recipient organization(s) will be expected to work directly with the respective ECA program office, ECA’s Alumni Affairs Division and the Embassy-based alumni coordinator to provide regular updates on alumni activities, alumni follow-up and alumni participant data. Proposals should specifically acknowledge a commitment to this effort. All statistical information collected on ECA funded program participant(s) should be transferable to databases maintained by ECA.

ECA will provide general information on alumni outreach ideas that interested organizations can use in designing their alumni outreach strategies.

D. Acknowledgement of ECA’s Financial Support and Use of the

Department Seal

All recipient organizations should be prepared to state in any announcement or publicity where it is not inappropriate, that activities are assisted financially by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs of the United States Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of

1961, as amended. Recipient organizations are strongly encouraged to use the Department seal on all promotional and related materials for ECA funded programs which support the commemoration of special occasions or events, but only after first obtaining written permission from the ECA program office(r) assigned to the project.

E. Delinquent Taxes or Felony Criminal Conviction Representation

Provision

The Department is committed to the protection of limited federal assistance dollars. Recipient

Organizations should note that, in accordance with section 7073 of Division K of the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76), none of the funds provided by this Act may be used to enter into an assistance award with any organization that –

1. Was “convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency has direct knowledge of the conviction, unless the agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government”; or

2. Has any “unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency has direct knowledge of the unpaid tax liability, unless the Federal agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government”.

For the purposes of Section 7073, it is the Department of State’s policy that no award may be made to any organization covered by 1 or 2 above, unless the Office of Procurement Executive (A/OPE) has made a written determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

F. Reporting Requirements

Recipients 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/grant year; quarterly or semi-annual reports shall be due 30 days after the reporting period. (Frequency of these reports will be determined by the Grants

Officer and Program Officer). The complete report and supporting documentation must be uploaded by the Recipient as a Post Award Activity under the corresponding record for this

Cooperative Agreement/Grant in the U.S. Department of State’s

MyGrants.(https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com).

2. The Federal Financial Report (FFR SF-425/SF-425a) must be submitted through the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System (PMS). The electronic version of the FFR can be accessed at: http://www.dpm.psc.gov/. Once a financial report has been approved by the Department, the Recipient must upload the approved report to MyGrants, in the same manner specified for the programmatic reports.

Failure to comply with these reporting requirements may jeopardize the Recipient's eligibility for future Cooperative Agreements/Grants.

3. A final program and financial report no more than 120 days after the expiration or termination https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ http://www.dpm.psc.gov/ of the award.

G. Additional Resources and Guidance

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance

Organizations should be familiar 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. For a copy of the OMB Guidance cited, please contact the U.S.

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

Funding Opportunities and Frequently Asked Questions

For advice on funding opportunities and general information regarding federal assistance award opportunities please visit http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding. Frequently asked questions for programs located in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges can be located at https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/applying-grant/commonly-asked-questions.

J-Visa Requirements

22 CFR 62 – Exchange Visitor Programs http://j1visa.state.gov or for more information:

http://exchanges.state.gov.

http://www.ecfr.gov/ http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding https://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/applying-grant/commonly-asked-questions http://j1visa.state.gov/ http://exchanges.state.gov/