title viii nofo fy14.docx

U.S. State Department

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Notice of Funding Opportunity:

Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)

Announcement Type: New Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: EE-ERT-15-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 19.300

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 20, 2015

SUMMARY:

The U.S. State Department, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach, invites organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administration of research and training programs to apply for funding to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students, and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) that: 1) support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia; 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. government; and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals. All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge, expertise, and national capability. The program also aims to support outreach and build relationships with the academic and nonprofit communities. Intelligence Community analysts and State Department policy makers benefit from engagement with outside elements to explore new ideas and perspectives and create new knowledge and research.

To achieve these goals, the State Department conducts an open, merit-based competition to award federal grants. Under the terms of these federal assistance awards, grantee organizations conduct competitions for students, scholars, and specialists. The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to inform potential applicant organizations of programmatic, procedural, and FY 14 funded information for the Title VIII grant competition.

We request that applicants read the entire announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Outreach. Proposals to fund projects that are not national in scope and/or do not involve open, merit-based recruitment of participants will not be considered.

Mission Statements:

U.S. State Department – To create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

Bureau of Intelligence and Research – To ensure that intelligence informs wise foreign policy decisions and effectively supports U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union - To develop and maintain high-quality research and training programs critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs.

Definitions:

For the purposes of this NOFO, the following terms are defined below.

Applicant: an eligible U.S.-based public or private nonprofit organization/educational institution submitting a proposal to the State Department for funding consideration under this NOFO.

Grantee Organization: an applicant organization that is awarded a State Department grant.

End-User: an eligible individual identified by a grantee organization to receive a Title VIII-sponsored fellowship to conduct research and/or receive training.

icPORT: the Title VIII database for collecting and storing program data including statistics, products, and artifacts. This database exists solely for the purposes of academic outreach.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

AUTHORITY:

Grant making authority for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) is contained in the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983, as amended (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508).

PURPOSE:

Congress determined that independently verified factual knowledge about the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia is critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs. Congress further concluded that providing a stable and dedicated source of financial support for Title VIII functions supplementing other federal, state, local, regional, and private sector funding is critical to maintaining this important research and training on a long-term, national scale.

The development and maintenance of U.S. expertise on these regions depends upon a national capability for advanced research by highly trained specialists with in-country experience. These specialists are a national resource available for service in and out of government.

In order to guarantee the existence of that knowledge and the capability to sustain it, certain essential functions are necessary, including:

a. graduate training;

b. advanced research;

c. public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings;

d. contact and collaboration among government and private specialists; and

e. American specialists’ firsthand experience of the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including on-site advanced training and research to the extent practicable.

OBJECTIVES:

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to achieve the following objectives:

· Support U.S. citizen participants only;

· Support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia through language training and/or comprehensive research opportunities for Title VIII fellows;

· Provide critical on-site support and access to local resources for Title VIII fellows at all levels, but especially younger scholars conducting research on foreign policy relevant topics and/or engaging in language training (in-country);

· Bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. government by encouraging Title VIII fellows to pursue careers, internships, or short-term sabbaticals throughout their fellowships and careers;

· Assist State Department efforts to raise awareness of the Title VIII program through comprehensive outreach and reporting by:

· Using the Department’s standard data themes in icPORT;

· Promoting participants’ experiences and research findings through presentations and briefings in the United States;

· Disseminating final research results within the academic and government policy communities; and

· Communicating regularly with the State Department (through formal quarterly programmatic and financial reporting and monthly updates).

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

SCOPE OF WORK:

All applicants must include a “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW). The SOW will be a stand-alone single-page document. The SOW shall be a list in outline form of the specific program components proposed, with a brief (1-2 sentence description) of each component and which of the aforementioned OBJECTIVE(S) it addresses. The SOW must include anticipated results in terms of outputs and outcomes.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Type of Award: New Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2014

Approximate Total Funding: Approximately $1.5 million

Estimated Number of Awards: 1-10

Approximate Average Award: Awards depend upon the availability of funding, scope of work, number of proposed fellowships, and volume of activities

Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 2015

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants:

Applications may be submitted by U.S.-based nonprofit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3), or by educational institutions. Only one proposal may be submitted by any organization.

Technical Eligibility:

Technically eligible submissions are those that: 1) INR receives (via Grantsolutions.gov or Grants.gov) prior to the deadline established in this solicitation; 2) follow all instructions contained herein, including those relating to formatting and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in this document.

Applications must be received by the due date indicated in this solicitation (see “Application Deadline”). Those applications that do not meet the technical eligibility requirements stated above or received after the due date will be considered ineligible.

IV. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submission Instructions:

All applications must be submitted via www.grantsolutions.gov OR www.grants.gov by 5:00pm p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. INR will not accept proposals submitted via email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, or couriers unless the applicant has contacted INR in advance and received approval to do so. Please note that once the NOFO deadline has passed, State Department staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate the electronic application process early, and to submit proposals before the due date. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications to www.grantsolutions.gov or www.grants.gov.

All applicants submit the following documents online:

A. Standard Forms:

1. SF 424 - Application for Federal Assistance Award

2. SF 424A - Budget

3. SF 424B – Assurances

4. SF LLL – Lobbying Form (if applicable)

B. All Applicants MUST upload the following documents as separate attachments: Proposal Documents:

1. Single-page Scope of Work (includes all proposed program components and links each of these to the specific Title VIII goal(s) it addresses. It should also include expected outputs, outcomes, and indicators of success).

2. Single-page Executive Summary.

3. Narrative (Not to exceed 20 pages with the following specifications: 12pt. font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, one-sided).

4. Budget (see VIII, Technical Format for details). Applicants are required to submit a budget overview and a detailed budget. Recipients of previous awards shall submit a six-column budget. First time applicants and organizations that have not received an assistance award from the INR during the previous three years, shall submit a four-column budget.

5. Budget Notes (referenced by line item number and line item descriptor).

6. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable.

7. Most recent Single or A-133 Audit, other audit.

8. Addenda - Additional Documents as Needed.

Applications Submitted Through GrantSolutions (www.grantsolutions.gov) Applicants are highly encouraged to submit applications via www.grantsolutions.gov.

Organizations using www.grantsolutions.gov for the first time must register on the www.grantsolutions.gov site to create a New Applicant account and should do this as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with www.grantsolutions.gov, click the “Login to GrantSolutions” button on the homepage and then the “REGISTER” button in the First Time Users section. Select the appropriate registration method and complete the “Applicant Registration” application form. Organizations that have previously used www.grantsolutions.gov do not need to register again. If an organization that has previously used www.grantsolutions.gov is not able to access the system, please contact Customer Support for help: help@grantsolutions.gov or call 1-866-577-0771 or 1-202-401-5282.

Applicants who are selected for foreign assistance funding will be required to have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Although registration is not required prior to submitting an application via www.grantsolutions.gov, we ask all interested applicants to register their organization at SAM.gov as soon as possible to avoid future delays. Organizations who have used SAM.gov previously should note that in order to maintain an active registration, users must log into their SAM.gov account at least once every 13 months (395 days) and must update their registration annually. If your account has become inactive, please reactivate your account at the time of your application.

Electronic applications submitted via www.grantsolutions.gov must contain the SF-424 online forms (completed) and any additional documents specified in the application kit. Applicants should wait until the upload for those additional documents shows the status as “Successful” before moving to the next part of the application kit.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, the GrantSolutions system will provide the applicant with a confirmation page indicating the date and time (Eastern Standard Time) of the electronic application submission as well as an official Application Number. This confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final application submission. Please print this page for your records.

For assistance with www.grantsolutions.gov please contact the Grants Center of Excellence (CoE) Customer Support at help@grantsolutions.gov or call 1-866-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or 1-202-401-5282. Customer Support is available 8 AM – 6 PM EST, Monday – Friday, except federal holidays.

Applications Submitted Through www.grants.gov Applicants who do not submit applications via www.grantsolutions.gov may submit via www.grants.gov. However, please note that application submission via www.grantsolutions.gov is highly encouraged. If applicants experience difficulty submitting an application via www.grants.gov, they should try www.grantsolutions.gov.

Both a valid Unique Indentifier Number (DUNS) number and a SAM.gov registration are required prior to submitting an application via www.grants.gov.

Organizations should verify that they have a Unique Identified Number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a Unique Identified Number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Please register with SAM.gov as soon as possible. Applicants who are selected for foreign assistance funding will be required to have an active registration in SAM.gov. Applicants are responsible to ensure their SAM.gov accounts are active. Inactive accounts may be activated using steps stated above. Instructions on how to register with SAM.gov are also available at: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp.

Electronic applications submitted via www.grants.gov must contain the online SF-424 forms and any additional required documents. Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission on www.grants.gov, the applicant will receive an email confirmation that the application has been successfully submitted and is in the process of verification. The applicant will then receive another email confirming that the application has been verified. Both emails are provided by www.grants.gov to verify that an application was received. Please print these emails for your records.

For assistance with www.grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.

Application Deadline:

All applications must be submitted on or before Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Applications submitted after 5:00 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration. Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. Faxed proposals will not be accepted at any time. Late applications will not be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered on time.

V. PROGRAM INFORMATION:

INR seeks proposals that clearly and succinctly outline plans to implement graduate, postdoctoral, and teaching fellowships for advanced training and research programs on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border studies. The proposed program must:

a. align with the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES above;

b. respond to the RATING CRITERIA listed below;

c. outline clearly the plan to disseminate program information and solicit applications;

d. discuss and demonstrate the applicant’s process of identifying, vetting and awarding fellowships to qualified end-users who are best suited to achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES; and

e. outline the plan to disseminate research, data, and findings on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border areas to best achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES.

Funding Shall:

a. support U.S. citizen participants only;

b. provide fellowship and research support for U.S. specialists on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border areas to conduct advanced research, with particular emphasis on the use of quantitative data on those countries;

c. support analytic exchanges such as seminars, conferences, and other similar workshops to facilitate collaboration between government and private specialists on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and cross-border issues;

d. facilitate access for U.S. specialists to research institutes, personnel, archives, documentation, and other research and training resources located in Eastern Europe and Eurasia;

e. support training in the languages of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and relevant cross-border languages. Such support should include grants to individuals to pursue training and to summer language institutes operated by institutions of higher education. Preference shall be given for critical language studies and, as appropriate, studies of other languages of strategic importance across the regions; and

f. support other research and training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia not otherwise described in this section if tied to the program purpose, including outreach efforts to student populations in order to promote and sustain the field. Per the Title VIII legislation, funding may only support graduate level and advanced study/research. Applicants may cost-share undergraduate students and include them in outreach events.

Funding Shall Not:

a. support journals, newsletters, and other periodical publications;

b. support technical research in fields such as mathematics;

c. support undergraduate students; or

d. support non-U.S. citizen participants, scholars, students, and specialists.

Scope:

Research and Training programs related to the following countries are eligible for funding under this NOFO: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Travel to certain countries may be subject to restrictions due to unforeseen world events, statutory restrictions, U.S. embassy requirements, or general security concerns.

Areas of Focus:

a. Country-Specific Issues: Issues related to U.S. foreign-policy priorities within specific countries are eligible topics of research. Focus of research should be on gaining greater understanding of the barriers to achieving a Europe whole, free, and at peace. Issues of particular interest include: European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Russian government misinformation/propaganda, separatism, corruption, energy security, and authoritarianism/democratization.

b. Transnational Issues: Issues that are not bound by national borders are eligible topics for research. The requirements here are two-fold - at least one of the Title VIII countries listed above is included in the research and that said research is relevant to U.S. foreign policy. Issues of particular interest include: regional political/economic integration, transnational corruption, foreign fighters, violent extremism, cyber security, and transnational narcotics issues.

c. Cross-Regional Issues: Proposals that incorporate a focus on “Cross-Regional Issues” are also eligible. Research under this theme shall include at least one of the Title VIII countries and deal with policy-relevant questions relative to their shared historical, ethnic, linguistic, religious, political, economic, and cultural ties with such countries as Afghanistan, China, Iran, the Koreas, and Turkey. Proposals focusing on Central Asian regional economic integration with South Asia are also a priority.

d. Critical Language Support: In support of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), Title VIII funds the study and mastery of critical foreign languages. For the Russian language, funding may be used to support intermediate and advanced level language study for U.S. post-bachelor students who demonstrate their intention to pursue graduate study in a Title VIII-related field.

e. Promoting Federal Service for Title VIII Grant Recipients: The Title VIII Program does not require a federal service commitment for individuals receiving funding (end-users); however, the Advisory Committee (see Section VI, below) urges grantees to encourage end-users to pursue U.S. government career opportunities, internships, or short-term sabbaticals after completing their fellowships, and to otherwise bring their research to the service of the U.S. government.

End-User Pool: Applicants should address how diverse and underserved students and scholars, (particularly those in Military Institutions and Postsecondary Minority Institutions), will be reached.

Funding Acknowledgement and Information Dissemination: All end-users (Title VIII-supported scholars) must be made aware of the funding source as well as the PURPOSE of this program. For purposes of academic outreach only, INR will capture and report on information on participant study (i.e. papers, themes, language training). Intelligence Community analysts and policy staff engage with outside academic elements to explore new ideas, perspectives, knowledge and research. Grantee organizations are directed to specifically cite the Title VIII program and to acknowledge the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research as the funding source. The Department allows grantee organizations to use their own judgment in cases where publicly acknowledging the funding source could hamper research efforts or jeopardize end-users’ personal safety.

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

Review Process: The State Department will review all proposals for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein. The Program Office, a State Department grant review panel, and the Advisory Committee for the Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (the Advisory Committee) will review all eligible proposals. The State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser or other Department elements also may review proposals. The final decision to recommend an applicant for funding is at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research. Final signatory authority for grants resides with the State Department’s Grants Officers.

Title VIII, as amended (codified at 22 U.S.C. 4501-4508) established within the State Department the Advisory Committee, which is composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Education, the Librarian of Congress, the President of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (formerly the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies), and the President of the Association of American Universities. The Secretary of State shall be the Chair. The Advisory Committee recommends grant policies to achieve the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of this program. The Advisory Committee gives the highest priority to national organizations with demonstrated expertise in conducting research and training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and in disseminating the results of such research. In making its recommendations, the Advisory Committee emphasizes the development of stable, long-term research and training programs.

Review Criteria: The review panels described above will evaluate the technically eligible applications according to the following criteria. These are the main REVIEW CRITERIA that the applicant must individually and explicitly address in the proposal. INR strongly suggests that the applicant structure its proposal so that in addition to the SCOPE of WORK mentioned above, each REVIEW CRITERION has its own discrete section within the proposal. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation.

(1) Overall Quality of the Program Idea: Proposals must respond to the PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES and guidelines provided in this NOFO. Competitive applications will exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the State Department, INR, and Title VIII missions; the legislation supporting the Title VIII Program; and the academic outreach initiatives of the Intelligence Community.

(2) Program Plan: Applicants shall state the proposed program goals clearly and link them directly to the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES above. They must address any national gaps in knowledge for particular fields and/or regions and how the proposed program will narrow those gaps; provide a calendar or timeline of major program activities; and clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of partner and sub-grantee organizations. Applicants must clearly address the plan to work with the Office of Outreach to engage Intelligence Community analysts and State Department policy staff (this is separate and in addition to the reporting mechanisms and research distribution described in (6) below).

End-users and Alumni - Proposals must include a plan outlining alumni outreach/follow-on and engagement. Proposed programs should strengthen long-term collaboration, 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 engage Title VIII alumni once fellowships are complete. Grantee organization(s) must outline how alumni/follow-on activities will be sustained after the grant period.

All recipients of INR grants or cooperative agreements (hereafter referred to as "grantee organization(s)") will be expected to provide regular updates on alumni/follow-on activities throughout the grant period. Proposals should also include plans to include alumni in recruitment and orientation programming for future participants.

When appropriate to achieve program goals, INR expects that the grantee organizations will undertake outreach and follow-on activities that have a strong multiplier effect. When appropriate, proposals should detail how the grantee organization will recruit prospective participants and how it will engage with participants and alumni through ongoing and/or recurring activities.

Grantee organizations must provide INR with regular updates on alumni activities and follow-up in the required program reports throughout the grant period. Proposals must specifically acknowledge a commitment to this effort. Please consult with the Title VIII program manager for additional guidance.

(3) Institutional Capacity: Competitive proposals will reflect the applicant’s expertise and knowledge in managing federal grants and in conducting national competitive award programs. Personnel and selection committees should have the appropriate level of expertise to achieve the proposed program’s goals. Highly competitive committees will include representatives from the academic community as well as experts in the fields of U.S. foreign policy and national security. This will ensure both the academic quality and the policy relevance of the research and training programs. Reviewers may also consider letters of support, resumes, annual reports, and other documents housed in the appendices that directly support the proposal.

(4) Cost-Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Competitive proposals will ensure that administrative costs in the proposal budget are reasonable and relative to the scope of the proposed program; all other items deemed necessary and appropriate must be justified in the Budget Notes. Although there is no minimum or maximum cost share percentage required for this competition, INR encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in supporting 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, the applicant must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as contributions, 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 2 CFR 200. In the event an applicant does not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, the Department’s contribution may be reduced in direct proportion.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to maximize cost sharing, including in-kind assistance, through contributions from the applicant, partner organizations, and other private sector support. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult 2 CFR 200 to ensure that proposed cost shares are allowable under the applicable cost principles. “Applicant Cost-Sharing” and “Third Party Cost Sharing” should be included as separate columns in the budget request; the respective budget line items that reflect cost sharing under these categories must be explained in the Budget Notes.

(5) Monitoring: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate and monitor students, scholars and alumni along with overall program successes and challenges. Describing methods for linking outputs and outcomes to program PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES is required. Proposals that include sample monitoring instruments in the appendices will be deemed more competitive.

Program Monitoring includes Participant Monitoring, which focuses specifically on ensuring end-users are adequately supported throughout the course of their fellowship. Proposals must include a plan to monitor and report on the program’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. INR strongly recommends that the proposal include a draft instrument or other technique, plus a description of the methodology that will be used to link outcomes to the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. INR expects that the grantee will track participants and be able to respond to key monitoring questions throughout the life of the grant, particularly on program outputs and outcomes.

Successful monitoring depends heavily on setting clear milestones and benchmarks that will help the applicant achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. The monitoring plan should include a description of how and when the applicant intends to measure the outputs and outcomes. The applicant should also show how the project’s SOW links to the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES described in this NOFO.

Overall, the quality of the monitoring plan will be judged on how well it specifies anticipated successes and challenges. Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing the findings of their monitoring efforts to the State Department in their regular program reports. Grantees must retain all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years after the grant has closed. The data must be provided to INR upon request.

(6) Evaluation: Applicants must include in their proposals a plan for evaluating their success in achieving the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES. Proposed evaluation mechanisms should be able to track progress during the program (e.g., on a per-participant and per-activity basis) and, at the end of the program, to assess the cumulative effect of all aspects of the proposed program (e.g., activities, committee selection, etc.) over which the grantee had control. Evaluations may be in any form, however, methodologies that exhibit a high level of precision in quantitative measurements will be considered more competitive.

Proposals from national organizations involving language instruction programs should provide information on programs supported in the past year, including: indications of progress that Title VIII-funded participants achieved; criteria for evaluation, including levels of instruction, degrees of intensiveness, facilities, and methods for measuring language proficiency (including pre-and post-testing); instructors' qualifications; and budget information showing estimated costs per student.

Plans should address the appropriate timing of data collection for each output and eventual outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes.

In general, the quality of an evaluation plan depends on how well it specifies intended outcomes, clearly defines outcome measurement techniques, identifies timing of outcome measurement, and clearly describes data collection strategies for each outcome (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups). Evaluation plans that deal with all levels of outcomes will be deemed more competitive.

Grantee Organizations must include the results of ongoing evaluation plans in their quarterly reports, with the final report summarizing the overall program success. Recipients must maintain all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years following submission of the final report on the grant.

(7) Reporting: Recipients will be required to submit quarterly financial and programmatic reports for each active and open grant to Grantsolutions.gov.

Any organization awarded a Title VIII grant shall use Grantsolutions to manage, and report on financial and programmatic progress. The programmatic reports will be uploaded to Grantsolutions, while Financial Status Reports (FSR), Standard Form 425 will be uploaded to BOTH the Payment Management System (PMS) and Grantsolutions.

Recipients also must submit quarterly electronic data reports on Title VIII statistics, products, and artifacts to ic-PORT. This database exists solely for the purpose of facilitating academic outreach. This section of the proposal should address the recipient’s willingness and ability to collect and submit timely and accurate data reports and which mechanisms exist within the organization to do so. ic-PORT data reports shall include (but are not limited to):

a. information on all products produced under a specific grant; i.e., research, language training, events, etc;

b. product identifiers such as theme, country, region, and location/host of study;

End-user names and home organizations should be the only information identifying the participant. Grantee organizations are responsible for acquiring the necessary permissions to input this information to ic-PORT. These permissions should be incorporated into the terms and conditions of end-user fellowship agreements/contracts. Grantee organizations are also responsible for contacting participants in order to set up outreach and dissemination activities. Grantee organizations should ensure that end-users applying for funding describe their proposal/work using the State Department’s standard data themes (these will be provided to selected Grantee Organizations), and should ascertain whether the end-users are seeking funding or have been awarded funding from another Title VIII grantee organization (past or present).

Finally, when categorizing research products and artifacts grantees should consult the Foreign Assistance Standardized Program Structure and Definitions, which can be found by pasting the following address into your web browser: (http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/141836.pdf).

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION:

Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated, and committed through internal State Department procedures. Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Office of Acquisitions Management (AQM) Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing documents between the recipient and the U.S. government. An authorized Grants Officer will sign the FAA and send it electronically to the recipient’s responsible officer identified in the SF 424.

The Title VIII Advisory Committee will notify all applicants of the review results at a Public Meeting. INR will notify electronically any applicant that cannot attend the Public Meeting.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Prior to submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications that will apply to this award to ensure they will be able to comply.

Applicants should also be familiar and compliant with the OMB circular that will apply to this cooperative agreement: OMB Uniform Guidance: Cost Principles, Audit, and Administrative Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, Parts 200 and 600).

Terms and Conditions for the Administration of Title VIII grant agreements include the following:

The terms and conditions are available on the State Department’s procurement website at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/

Reporting Requirements: Successful applicants must provide AQM and INR with the following reports:

The Recipient, at a minimum, shall provide both AQM and INR with financial, progress, and final reports. All reports must be uploaded through GrantSolutions.gov, and all reports must be written in English. Please note that all substantiating documentation supporting reporting and collected data, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the State Department upon request.

i. Financial Reports The Recipient is required to submit quarterly financial reports throughout the project period, using Form FFR SF-425, the Federal Financial Report form, as well as forms suggested by the Grants Officer Representative. Form FFR (SF-425) can be found on OMB’s website here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/ and will be filed on the Payment Management System website, then uploaded into Grantsolutions.gov. Financial reports are due 30 days after the end of each fiscal year quarter.

ii. Progress Reporting The grantee is required to submit quarterly program progress reports using page one of Form SF-PPR Performance Progress Report, which can be found at OMB’s website http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms as well as forms suggested by the Grants Officer Representative (GOR). Progress reports are due 30 days after the end of the quarterly reporting.

iii. Final Report The final report will be due no later than ninety (90) days after completion or termination of all project activities. The final report shall include the following elements: executive summary, successes, outcomes, how the project has increased science capacity in the regions selected and addressed the other goals of the project, and a final financial report. This one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to the public via OMB's USAspending.gov website.

As indicated above, all award recipients must provide quarterly electronic data reports on Title VIII statistics, products, and artifacts via ic-PORT.

All reports must be uploaded to Grantsolutions.gov. The AQM Grants Officer and INR Program Manager listed in the final assistance award document may request copies of uploaded reports.

VIII. TECHNICAL FORMAT, BUDGET REQUIREMENTS, AND REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATIONS:

As stated above, applicants must submit proposals using Grantsolutions.gov or Grants.gov.

Technical Format:

1. Mandatory Standard Forms: Provide completed SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance,” SF-424A “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs,” and SF-424B, “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs;” SF-LLL (if applicable);

2. Provide double-spaced Scope of Work, Executive Summary and Proposal Narrative;

3. Provide proposal budget per NOFO guidelines (see below);

4. Number each proposal component/element, (i.e., Proposal Narrative, Budget, Budget Narrative and other supporting materials);

5. Format all proposal components for printing on 8 ½” x 11” paper.

6. Include other attachments as addenda if necessary.

Budget Requirements:

1. Standard Form 424A - Recipients must submit the Standard Form 424A (Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs). This is a standard form designed to assist in budget planning. Instructions for this form can be found at http://www.grants.gov/assets/Forms/InstructionsSF424A.pdf.

Recipients must also submit the following:

· a budget summary;

· a line-by-line budget that provides detailed information on all program and administrative costs, including specific calculations showing how the totals were derived; and

· a budget narrative to provide any additional information or explanations regarding the budget.

When completing the Budget Information section of the Standard Form 424A, break out costs according to Program Function. Program Function should be interpreted as General Program Costs and Administrative Costs. General Program Costs are costs incurred in direct support of the program, for example, travel, honoraria, consultant fees, tuition, etc. Administrative costs are generally limited to staff salaries (including direct program staff and more general organizational support staff), fringe benefits, office supplies, rent, and indirect costs.

a. Section A, Budget Summary, requires the applicant to break out the General Program, and Administrative costs by Federal and Non-Federal (cost-share) Expenses, as in the example below.

BUDGET INFORMATION – Non-Construction Programs OMB Approval No.0348-0044

SECTION A – BUDGET SUMMARY

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (b)

Grant Program Function (a) New or Revised Budget Estimated Unobligated Funds

Total (g)

Non-Federal (f)

Federal (e)

Non-Federal (d) Federal (c)

1. Program

2. Administrative

Section B, Budget Categories, requires the applicant to break out these costs by Federal and Non-Federal Expenses, across “Object Class Categories” as in the example below.

SECTION B - BUDGET CATEGORIES

(5)

See SF 424A for additional line items.

b. Section C, Non-Federal Resources, requires the applicant to break out General Program, Participant, and Administrative costs by types of Cost-share, whether from the applicant or from other sources.

c. 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.

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

2. Budget Overview – In addition to the SF 424A referenced above, applicants must include a budget outlining total program and administrative costs as well as overall total project cost, following the template below. Participant numbers and costs per participant are to be included as well.

Cost Sharing Total

PROGRAM COSTS

Program costs per participant

ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

Administrative costs per participant

TOTAL COSTS

Approx. costs per participant Approx. number of participants: ___________

3. Detailed Budget –Include a line-item budget, which breaks out costs under each of the nine main categories of the SF424A: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Construction, Other, and Indirect. The budget must be responsive to the solicitation guidelines and as accurately as possible reflect costs associated with program activities outlined in the proposal.

The following table provides examples of specific budget categories and line items. The table should not be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all allowable costs.

a. Please refer to the previous NOFO sections to determine which costs are authorized.

b. Applicants are urged to be detailed and specific, adding line items if needed.

c. If the applicant has received a Title VIII grant from the State Department in the previous three years, include the costs related to the most recent prior-year award in the first (shaded) column and the percent increase or decrease in each line item from the prior fiscal year in the sixth column.

d. Identify administrative costs with an asterisk (*) next to the appropriate line items. Please ensure that the totals match the Administrative totals provided on the SF424A and in the budget summary.

e. Detail third party cost sharing in the budget narrative.

f. Note that line item VI Contractual captures sub-recipient organizations (also known as sub-grantees). These “subs” are other organizations with which the applicant contracts to perform key functions of a proposed program. An example of this would be an applicant organization contracting another organization to conduct recruitment and selection of a research fellowship competition. Contractual IS NOT INTENDED to capture fellowships to Title VIII end-users. These costs are captured under line item VIII Other Direct Costs.

Requested State Budget

Cost Sharing

FY 2013

3rd Party Cost Sharing

[Col. 2 - Col. 1]

I. SALARIES *

Indicate each position or individual (Base salary x % of time x # of months)

II. FRINGE BENEFITS *

(Base fringe % of salaries from above)

III. TRAVEL

1. Staff Travel Costs and Per Diem Identify multiple locations and break out costs accordingly

Round Trip Airfare (fare x # of people)

Per Diem (rate x # of days x # of people)

2. Participant Travel Costs and Per Diem (or residency costs) Identify multiple locations and break out costs accordingly

a. Round Trip Airfare (fare x # of people)

b. Per Diem (rate x # of days x # of people)

3.

4.

3. Ground Transportation (rate x # of people or # of buses x daily rate, etc.). Staff or Participant airport transfers upon arrival and departure, bus or van rentals, taxis, etc.

4. Other Travel Costs (e.g. baggage allowance, visas, immunizations etc.). Provide breakdown

IV. EQUIPMENT

Equipment is defined as having a per unit cost of $5,000 and a service life of more than one year. If the item meets these criteria then all federal procurement policies and procedures must be followed. If an item does not meet these criteria it is considered a supply. Title VIII awards do not generally support the purchase of equipment

V. SUPPLIES *

Provide line item breakdown for each supply category

VI. CONTRACTUAL

Each Sub-award must be listed separately with a detailed line item budget submitted for each. If indirect costs are charged on a sub-award include that sub-recipient’s NICRA. Organizations claiming indirect costs should have an established Negotiated Indirect Rate Agreement (NICRA). If a sub-recipient does not have a NICRA, indirect costs may not exceed 10%.

1. Sub-Recipient Name Attach sub-award detailed budget

a. Salaries

b. Fringe etc.

2. Add as many lines as necessary

VII. CONSTRUCTION

Title VIII does not fund Construction

VIII. OTHER DIRECT COSTS

All other costs that do not fit into the categories listed above. Indicate with an asterisk (*) which costs are administrative.

1. Participant (End-User) Application, Review and Selection

2. Fellowships (Research or Language) Indicate for which category you are requesting funding.

3. Workshops or Seminars

4. Alumni Outreach

5. Communication* Provide line item breakdown for each communication category such as postage, telephone calls, faxes, etc.

6. Photocopying * Provide cost breakdown

7. Audit Costs * Include A-133 audit costs directly associated with the Title VIII program.

IX. Indirect Costs Provide a copy of the most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement (NICRA) ________ % If an organization does not have a NICRA, indirect cost may not exceed 10%.

TOTAL COSTS

Proposal Requirements:

1. Mandatory Standard Forms: SF 424 - Application for Federal Assistance Award (the the authorized representative on the SF 424 must be the same person who will accept a Title VIII award on behalf of the grantee organization; please contact the INR program manager with questions); SF 424A - Budget, SF 424B – Assurances; and (if applicable), SF LLL – Lobbying Form;

2. Scope of Work: Single Page. This document is not a narrative. It must be in outline form and capture all proposed work to be funded by Title VIII. This includes each proposed program component with a brief statement that links each component to the corresponding Title VIII goal it supports. SOWs that contain quantitative estimates of expected outputs, outcomes and indicators of success for each component will be considered more competitive;

3. Executive Summary: Single Page. This document is a narrative that summarizes the proposal.