rfgp 2013 cls program (final).docx

Billing Code: 4710-05 Department of State [Public Notice] Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: FY 2013 Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreements Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/A/E-13-01-OY-B Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.408 Key Dates:

Application Deadline: May 25, 2012

Executive Summary: The Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for two or more assistance awards for the 2013 Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) for Intensive Summer Institutes, which provide foreign language instruction overseas for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. Public and private non-profit organizations, or consortia of such organizations, meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3), may submit proposals to cooperate with the Bureau in the administration and implementation of one or both of the two components available under this competition. Each component requires a separate proposal submission.

It is the Bureau’s intent to award two or more cooperative agreements (one base year plus two option years) for an estimated total amount of $30 million. Please see section II Award Information below for additional details.

The program will be divided into two components.

Component A: Participant Recruitment and Selection:

The first component of this competition is for recruitment and selection of all U.S. participants for the CLS Program summer institutes worldwide. While the CLS Program is active in multiple countries, it is important that a single worldwide program identity be maintained. Therefore, applicant organizations applying to administer programs for two or more language groups are required to submit a separate proposal for this component, demonstrating the capacity to conduct a nationwide participant recruitment and selection process for all language institutes. Only one organization will be selected to administer the participant recruitment and selection process.

Component B: Administration and Implementation of Institutes:

The second component is for the administration and implementation of seven- to ten-week summer institutes overseas for participants in countries where Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish and Urdu are widely spoken.

Pending the availability of funds, it is anticipated that the total amount of funding available for all FY 2013 administrative and program costs to support both program components A and B, including all language groupings, outlined below will be $10,000,000. Applicant organizations applying to administer two or more language groups must submit a separate proposal not exceeding $350,000 for the recruitment and selection of all participants (Component A). Applicant organizations may submit proposals requesting funds not exceeding $9,650,000 to implement the CLS institutes between June and August 2013 (Component B).

Average participant costs per language group under Component B should not exceed $15,000.

Eligible organizations or consortia may submit proposals for the administration and implementation of one or more of the following language groupings:

· Arabic language institutes in the Near East and North Africa region for not less than a total of 190 advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

· Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean language institutes in the East Asia and Pacific region for not less than a total of 200 beginning (Korean and Indonesian only), advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

· Azerbaijani, Russian and Turkish language institutes in the Europe region for not less than a total of 75 beginning (Azerbaijani and Turkish only), advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

· Persian and Indic (Bangla, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu) language institutes in the South Central Asia region for not less than a total of 135 beginning (Indic languages only), advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

See section on “Country and Language Information” under “Administration and Implementation of Institutes” for additional information and a description of language levels.

These summer institutes should offer U.S. undergraduate and graduate students structured classroom instruction, as well as less formal interactive learning opportunities through a comprehensive exchange experience that primarily emphasizes language learning. Proposals from applicant organizations should demonstrate the development of new institutional language-teaching capacity overseas for these summer institutes and not propose enrolling participants in programs already in existence. This program is designed to also develop additional overseas language study opportunities for U.S. students.

I. Funding Opportunity Description:

Authority:

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.

Purpose:

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is supporting the participation of U.S. undergraduate and graduate students in intensive, substantive foreign language study to dramatically increase the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical foreign languages.

Foreign language skills are essential to engaging foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical world regions, to promote understanding, convey respect for other cultures, and encourage reform. These skills are also fundamental to the economic competitiveness and security interests of the nation.

The goals of the CLS Program are:

· To develop a cadre of Americans with advanced linguistic skills and related cultural understanding who are able to advance international dialogue, and compete effectively in the global economy;

· To improve the ability of Americans to engage with the people of other countries in the language of the partner country; and

· To develop additional overseas critical language study capacity for U.S. students.

In order to achieve these goals, the Bureau supports programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to gain and improve language proficiency in Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish and Urdu. ECA plans to issue a single award for recruitment and selection of all participants and one or more awards for the administration of CLS Program summer institutes. Organizations with expertise in one or more of the indicated languages may also seek partners in the other languages to submit a single proposal as a consortium.

Consortia submitting proposals must designate a lead institution to receive the award. The lead organization must submit a signed and dated consortium agreement (or letter of intent) with the proposal.

Other notes: The organization must inform the ECA program officer of its progress at each stage of the project's implementation in a timely fashion.

Component A: Participant Recruitment and Selection An applicant organization applying for two or more language groups must submit a separate proposal to conduct a nationwide competition for participants, which includes recruiting, screening, and selecting U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students for the program. Funding requested in a proposal for this element should not exceed $350,000.

Recruitment:

Applicant organizations for Component A should propose a comprehensive outreach plan to publicize and recruit for the program at U.S. colleges and universities nationwide. Special attention should be paid to the recruitment of eligible students from Minority-Serving Institutions and community colleges. Applicant organizations should propose ideas to ensure diversity of participation. Information about the overall CLS Program and specific institutes, along with all accompanying application materials, should be posted online on a dedicated CLS website.

The Bureau requests that student applicants use an online application system. An alternate paper-based application should also be provided for candidates unable to apply online. These paper-based applications, however, must be entered into the online system by recipient organization program staff. All application materials should be available in a sortable, searchable, electronically accessible database format that can be easily shared with the Bureau upon request.

Selection:

Selected participants should show strong evidence of ability to succeed in an intensive, demanding language study program and should represent the diversity of the United States. Diversity may include, but is not restricted to, geographic location, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and physical abilities. Selected students should also represent diversity of institutional type and fields of study, a balance between genders, and a balance between undergraduate and graduate students. Preference should be given to candidates with no previous study overseas. Selected students should be 18 years old and have completed at least their first year of undergraduate study by the summer of 2013. Selected students should demonstrate the intention and ability to continue their language study beyond the grant project period and apply their critical language skills later in their professional careers. The students' language skills at the start of the institute should meet the requirements for each language outlined in Component B.

ECA will approve the selection plan for candidates, as well as the selection of both finalists and alternates for the program.

Applicant organizations should propose a selection process that meets the criteria outlined above.

Publicity:

The proposal must describe how the CLS Program will be publicized to media outlets, including print, online, and broadcast, to reach the widest possible audience of qualified students. The applicant organization should also describe the response to and management of a significant volume of queries and applications. The recipient organization will also work closely with ECA to publicize the achievements of the students attending these institutes. The applicant organization should provide information on successful media outreach campaigns it has conducted in the past. Please refer to POGI guidelines for additional guidance.

Other notes: All materials and correspondence related to this program will state that it is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. ECA will retain copyright use of and be allowed to distribute materials related to this program as it sees fit.

Component B: Administration and Implementation of Institutes Through the CLS Program institutes, U.S. undergraduate and graduate students will spend seven to ten weeks on programs abroad in the summer of 2013. The CLS Program should provide intensive language instruction in a classroom setting, and should also provide language-learning opportunities through immersion in the cultural, social, and educational life of the host country. The program should enhance the participants' knowledge of the host country's history, culture, and political system as this knowledge supports language learning. Language study must be the primary focus of the program.

Applicant organizations should submit a proposal for administration of one or more of the language groups. Funding requested in proposals for the administration of all language groups should not exceed $9,650,000. Average participant costs per language group should not exceed $15,000.

Expected Program Results:

· Participants will demonstrate a substantive, measurable increase in language proficiency (verified through testing).

· Participants will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the host country's society, institutions, and culture.

· Alumni will continue their foreign language study, apply their linguistic skills in their chosen career fields, and/or participate in other exchanges where the language they have studied is spoken.

· Host country capacity for language study by U.S. students will be increased through teacher training and other means.

Capacity of Administering Organization:

U.S. applicant organizations or consortia must have the necessary capacity in the host country or countries to implement the program either through their own offices or partner institutions. Organizations may demonstrate their direct expertise, or they may partner with other organizations to best respond to the requirements outlined in this RFGP. Organizations that opt to work with sub-award arrangements should clearly outline all duties and responsibilities of the partner organization, preferably in the form of sub-award agreements and accompanying budgets.

Organizations or consortia applying for this award must demonstrate their capacity for conducting projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) provision of foreign language instruction programs and provision of educational and cultural activities as outlined in this document; (2) language level-appropriate programming for the target audience; and (3) experience in conducting programs in the proposed host country or countries. Applicant organizations must present a proposal that clearly indicates the building of new and increased institutional language study capacity overseas for these summer institutes.

Planning Meeting:

The recipient organization(s) will be responsible for convening a planning meeting for its institute directors and relevant ECA staff. This planning meeting should occur in Washington, DC in early 2013 and be planned in close consultation with ECA and any other recipient organizations.

The planning meeting is intended to develop common elements and consistency of standards across all CLS Program institutes. Among the agenda items will be presentations by each recipient organization of their preliminary plans for the proposed institute(s), especially contact hours of language instruction. Planned cultural activities that include language-learning components should also be presented. Issues related to student placement, testing, and evaluation should also be discussed. The recipient organization for Component A will also present on the recruitment and selection of all participants.

Institute Information:

Each seven- to ten-week overseas summer institute for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students should focus on language study and should include four to six hours per day of formal and informal language training. Formal classroom language instruction should be no less than a total of 20 hours per week. The recipient organization(s) should provide multiple levels (beginning to advanced) of language instruction. While teaching conversational vocabulary will be necessary to help students function in their immersion setting, classes should also provide formal instruction in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, as well as covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing, including non-Roman alphabets.

The institutes should also include a secondary cultural immersion component designed to reinforce language learning through planned activities designed to teach participants about community life and the culture and history of the host country. The program activities should enhance the participants' understanding of contemporary society, culture, media, political institutions, ethnic diversity, history, and environment of the host country. All these activities should incorporate a language-learning component.

The institutes should strive to foster community-engaged language learners. While health and safety concerns must be considered, applicant organizations should propose innovative ideas for participants to be engaged in the host community to the extent possible while using the targeted language.

Staff from the recipient organization(s) should be physically present and available to support the participants throughout the institute.

Country and Language Information:

The Bureau reserves the right to make changes in eligible countries, languages, or numbers of proposed participants by language, based on safety and security or other concerns. The final slate of all institute locations is subject to approval by ECA.

Near East and North Africa Region

For Arabic language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 190 participants in the Arabic language institutes. Arabic language instruction should be available for three levels of students: advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At least 120 of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced levels while the rest should receive advanced beginning level instruction.

Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Classroom instruction should emphasize Modern Standard Arabic with class time devoted also to colloquial Arabic, as appropriate. Students should also gain knowledge of colloquial Arabic through informal study and through interaction with their host community.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in a country or countries in North Africa, the Middle East, or the Gulf region, with the exception of Algeria, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. Applicant organizations should not plan to place students in the West Bank or Gaza. Each institute should host no more than 30 students.

East Asia and Pacific Region

For Chinese language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 120 participants in the Chinese language institutes. Chinese language instruction should be available for two levels of students: intermediate and advanced.

Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of CLS institute. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Chinese instruction should be in Mandarin only. Teaching materials used in the program should be available in both simplified and traditional character versions. The Hanyu pinyin romanization system should be used.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) for study. Each institute should host no more than 30 students.

For Indonesian language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 30 participants in the Indonesian language institutes. Indonesian language instruction should be available for four levels of students: beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At least twelve of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced level while the rest should receive instruction at the beginning or advanced beginning levels.

No prior study of the language is required for participants at the beginning level. Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years. The proposed institute should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Indonesia.

For Japanese language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 25 participants in the Japanese language institutes. Japanese language instruction should be available for two levels of students: intermediate and advanced.

Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the CLS institute. The proposed institute should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Japan. The location of the institute(s) should be in a city other than Tokyo in order to maximize language-learning immersion opportunities.

For Korean language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 25 participants in the Korean language institutes. Korean language instruction should be available for four levels of students: beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At least twelve of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced level while the rest should receive instruction at the beginning or advanced beginning levels.

No prior study of the language is required for participants at the beginning level. Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

The Hangeul alphabet system should be used. Students should also be introduced to NAKL.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in South Korea. Location of the institutes should be in a city other than Seoul in order to maximize language-learning immersion opportunities.

Europe Region

For Azerbaijani language institute:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of five participants in the Azerbaijani language institute. Azerbaijani language instruction should be available for four levels of students: beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced.

No prior study of the language is required for participants at the beginning level. Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. Students who have studied Turkish formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program may also be considered. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received, with a potential bridge course for Turkish speakers who wish to learn Azerbaijani.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Azerbaijan.

For Russian language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 30 participants in the Russian language institutes. Russian language instruction should be available for two levels of students: intermediate and advanced.

Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Russia. Location of the institutes should be in a city other than Moscow or St. Petersburg in order to maximize language-learning immersion opportunities.

For Turkish language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 40 participants in the Turkish language institutes. Turkish language instruction should be available for four levels of students: beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At least 20 of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced level while the rest should receive instruction at the beginning or advanced beginning levels.

No prior study of the language is required for participants at the beginning level. Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Turkey. Location of the institutes should be in a city other than Istanbul in order to maximize language-learning immersion opportunities. Each institute should host no more than 20 students.

South Central Asia Region

For Indic language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 95 participants in the Indic language institutes. Instruction should be available for each of these Indic languages: Bangla, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. For these language institutes, not less than 13 students should learn Bangla, not less than 34 Hindi, not less than 13 Punjabi, and not less than 35 Urdu. All Indic language instruction should be available for four levels of students: beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Overall, at least 50 of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced level while the rest should receive instruction at the beginning or advanced beginning levels.

No prior study of the language is required for participants at the beginning level. Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in Bangladesh (Bangla) and India (Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu).

For Persian language institutes:

Applicant organizations should describe plans for not less than a total of 40 participants in the Persian language institute(s). Persian language instruction should be available for three levels of students: advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced. At least 20 of the participants should receive instruction at the intermediate/advanced levels while the rest should receive advanced beginning level instruction.

Participants at the advanced-beginning level will have already studied the language formally for at least one year by the start of the CLS institute. Participants at the intermediate/advanced levels will have already studied the language formally for at least two years by the start of the summer program. The proposed institutes should make explicit accommodation for learners of varying skill levels.

The recipient organization should devise an assessment plan for selected students in order to ensure that the appropriate levels of instruction are received.

Although the Persian institute will not be located in Iran, classroom instruction should emphasize Farsi, with class time devoted also to the local Persian dialect, as appropriate. Students should also gain knowledge of the local Persian dialect through informal study and through interaction with their host community.

Applicant organizations should plan to place students in a site outside of Iran for the study of Persian. The location must be a country in which Persian is predominantly spoken.

Orientations:

Recipient organization(s) will organize substantive, in-person, pre-departure orientations for all participants, which will focus on program policies and information, as well as health and safety. The orientations must take place in Washington, DC. Comprehensive information packets should be provided, preferably online, well in advance of the orientation to all participants. A sample of the contents of these packets should be provided under Tab E.

Recipient organization(s) must also organize substantive orientation for participants on arrival in the host country. The recipient organization(s) should work in consultation with ECA and the U.S. Embassy in the host country to arrange an in-country security briefing to be conducted by the Embassy’s Regional Security Officer.

At the end of each language program, the recipient organization(s) will organize an in-country closing workshop for the students prior to departure from their host country, which will focus on summarizing the experience, completing an evaluation, language testing, developing plans for activities at home, and preparing for re-entry.

Project Activities:

Describe in detail the major components of the program, including project planning; the host venues; orientations (U.S. and overseas); assessment and testing; language instruction; educational enrichment activities; cultural activities; participant monitoring; and logistics. The applicant organization may also propose a plan to provide academic credit to participants on successful completion of the CLS Program.

Assessment and Testing:

Standardized pre- and post-institute testing should be done to determine participants’ language proficiency and progress.

Pre- and post-testing should measure the student’s advancement in language learning. The proposed testing mechanism must be complementary to the InterAgency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. ECA will work with the recipient organization(s) to develop and implement an instrument to measure students’ increased language proficiency due to participation in this program. The data should be analyzed and reported by the recipient organization(s) to ECA for the program, disaggregated by institute.

Alumni Tracking and Follow-On Activities:

Alumni activities are an important part of ECA's academic exchange programs. Alumni programming in the form of newsletters and webinars provides critical program follow-on and maximizes and extends the benefit of the participants' program. Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional guidance on alumni outreach and follow-on engagement.

ECA maintains the State Alumni website for all of its exchange program participants. The recipient organization(s) will be responsible for maintaining a CLS presence on the State Alumni website and/or another designated State Department website.

Applicant organizations are strongly urged to outline how they will creatively organize and financially support alumni activities at a minimal cost to ECA.

ECA/A/E Involvement:

In a Cooperative Agreement, ECA/A/E is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine award monitoring. The ECA/A/E program office’s activities and responsibilities for this program are as follows:

Component A: Participant Recruitment and Selection

1) Review all print and online materials regarding the institutes before publication and dissemination.

2) Review and approve the recruitment strategy.

3) Work with the recipient organization(s) to publicize the program through various media outlets.

4) Review and approve the forms used in the CLS application.

5) Observe, but not participate in, selection committee panels.

6) Confirm final selection of principal and alternate candidates.

7) Perform an annual performance evaluation/review. Satisfactory performance is a condition of continued administration of the program and execution of all option years.

Component B: Administration and Implementation of Institutes

1) Review all print and online materials regarding the institutes before publication and dissemination. This review also includes individual institute’s instructional materials, cultural activities and teacher-training plans, which must be provided to ECA at least two months in advance of the start of the institute.

2) Review and approve participant award documentation, including Terms and Conditions.

3) Work with recipient organization(s) to plan and implement participant pre-departure orientations.

4) Work with recipient organization(s) to offer standardized pre- and post-institute testing of participants’ language proficiency and progress.

5) Review project activity schedules for all institutes.

6) Monitor the progress of the recipient organization(s) at each stage of the project’s implementation through timely updates.

7) Provide Bureau-approved evaluation surveys for completion by participants before and following completion of program.

8) Provide substantive input on alumni activities and follow-up events.

9) Perform an annual performance evaluation/review. Satisfactory performance is a condition of continued administration of the program and execution of all option years.

Funding:

Award funding for Component A involving recruitment and selection will cover costs associated with this component, not exceeding $350,000 for the base year. Award funding for Component B involving administration and implementation of the institutes will support costs including testing, orientation, travel, tuition and maintenance costs, educational enhancements, cultural and social activities, health benefits coverage, alumni activities, and administrative costs. This element should not exceed $9,650,000 in total for the base year. Average participant costs per language group should not exceed $15,000.

Though not directly applicable to this program, programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the POGI and the PSI for further information.

II. Award Information:

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA’s level of involvement in this program is listed under number I above.

Fiscal Year Funds: 2013– base year; 2014 – option year-one; 2015 – option year- two, pending successful performance and availability of funds.

Approximate Total Funding: $30,000,000 This figure represents base year plus two option years, pending successful performance and availability of funds.

Approximate Number of Awards: 2 or more Ceiling of Award Range: $28,950,000 Floor of Award Range: $1,050,000 Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, the proposed start date is October 1, 2012.

Anticipated Project Completion Date: March 31, 2017 This date reflects the anticipated duration of the award – one base year plus two option years.

Additional Information: A Cooperative Agreement(s) will be awarded for a period of 18 months (base year) with options for two additional 18 month periods (option years one and two). ECA will notify the recipient of our intention to exercise or not to exercise an option year 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 option years will depend both on the satisfactory performance of the recipient and the availability of funds.

III.) Eligibility Information:

III.1. Eligible applicants:

Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds:

There is no minimum or maximum percentage 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 award 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 that 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 OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23 - Cost Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:

Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding two or more cooperative agreement awards in an amount over $130,000 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

IV.) Application and Submission Information:

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

IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package:

Please contact the Office of Academic Exchange Programs (ECA/A/E), Room 4-E06, U.S. Department of State, SA-5, 2200 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20522-0504, Telephone (202) 632-3240, Fax (202) 632-6490, E-mail: ManleyHL@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/A/E-13-01-OY-B) located at the top of this announcement when making your request.

Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained from Grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.

The Solicitation Package contains the PSI, which consists of required application forms and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.

It also contains the POGI, which provides specific information, award criteria, and budget instructions tailored to this competition.

Please specify Bureau Special Projects Officer Heidi Manley and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number located at the top of this announcement on all other inquiries and correspondence.

IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet:

The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's website at http://exchanges.state.gov/grants/open2.html, or from the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

IV.3. Content and Form of Submission:

Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under IV.3f. "Application Deadline and Methods of Submission" section below.

IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 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 DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF-424 form that is part of the formal application package.

IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget. Applicant organizations bidding on two or more language groups should submit one proposal for administration and implementation of the language institutes and a separate proposal for recruitment and selection of all participants. Each proposal should contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget.

Please refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory PSI and the POGI for additional formatting and technical requirements.

IV.3c. All federal award recipients must maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in the CCR until all program and financial activity and reporting have been completed. 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. Failure to register in the CCR will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.

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

1) 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.

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

In addition to quarterly and 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.

If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.

IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information when preparing your proposal narrative:

IV.3d.1 ADHERENCE TO ALL REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE J VISA Although not applicable to this competition, 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.

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

Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division U.S. Department of State ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th Floor 2200 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20037

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

IV.3d.2 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 American political, social, and cultural life. "Diversity" should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the 'Support for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your 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," 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.

IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation:

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. Each applicant organization must plan to use three surveys through the Bureau’s E-GOALS system, in addition to any surveys of its own. 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 RFGP.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs 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 RFGP (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, 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.