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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

19.411:  Educational Exchange: NIS Secondary School Initiative

Objectives:  American organizations are awarded grants to foster interaction between young people from the U.S. and the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union to promote mutual understanding; to integrate the people of the NIS into the global citizenry by assisting young people of the NIS countries in building an open society and by promoting democratic values; and to build sustainable partnerships between American and NIS schools and institutions.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

19.411 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Organizations must have 4 years of experience in exchanges to qualify for grants of more than $60,000. For the grants to place and monitor FLEX participants, experience conducting academic year high school exchanges is required. The organizations providing administration and recruitment/selection in the NIS must have a structure that encompasses the 12 NIS countries. For the School Linkage Program, applicant organizations must have a minimum network of three US and three NIS schools and experience conducting exchanges with the NIS. Schools may only receive Bureau grant support for 3 years of exchange activity.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  There are certain selection criteria (e.g., age, language ability) for participating students for the FLEX program; application is through a merit-based open competition. On the School Linkage Program, selection criteria vary depending on the demands of the project, but the age range for students is 14 to 18-1/2.

Credentials/Documentation:  See applicant eligibility.

19.411 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  For the FLEX Program, an open competition for the administration components is conducted every 3 years; for placement grants, either an open competition or a limited solicitation is used each year. For the School Linkage Program, an open competition is conducted each year if sufficient funding is available to warrant a competition. For open competitions, the request for proposals is published in the Federal Register. For limited solicitations, letters inviting proposals are issued to organizations deemed qualified to administer the program.

Award Procedure:  Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and are based on the advice of a panel of reviewers and various State Department offices. Final technical authority resides with the Grants Division.

Deadlines:  Deadlines for submission of proposals are established in the request for proposals or letters of solicitation. Most solicitations are offered in the fall with proposals due by the end of the calendar year.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Decisions are generally made within three months of the submission of proposals, subject to the availability and timing of funding.

Appeals:  None.

Renewals:  Renewal grants for some aspects of the FLEX program are possible.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Programmatic planning, objectives, and quality; organization capacity and track record; support for diversity; cost-effectiveness; project evaluation plan; value to US-partner country relations; multiplier effect.

Examples of Funded Projects:  A list of grantee organizations is available from the program office.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  Grants for the FLEX program placement vary depending on the number of students (FY 99 range was 20 to 170). School Linkage grants for FY 99 were in the range of $50,000 to $200,000; average $100,000.

19.411 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 19.410 Educational Exchange: Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange.

19.411 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

19.411 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  FY 99 $12,735,000; FY 00 est $14,800,000; and FY 01 est $15,000,000.

Budget Account Number:  19-0201-0-1-154.

Authorization:  Public Law 87-256, as amended; 22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Regulations governing exchange visitor (J-1) programs for high school students. Guidelines for grants are distributed in conjunction with the request for proposals/letter of solicitation.

19.411 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington DC 20547. Phone: (202) 619-6299; Fax (202) 619-5311.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

19.411 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Some cost-sharing is desirable but there is no minimum percentage.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Grants are generally awarded for an 18-month period for the FLEX Program; School Linkage grants may be awarded for a 2-year period.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Grants are awarded to American private non-profit organizations and public institutions for two major programs: (1) the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), which provides high school students from the NIS a full scholarship to live for one academic year with an American host family and attend a school; and (2) partial support for thematic exchanges of students and educators between American schools and their partners in the NIS. Grants support the costs of travel, stipends, insurance, enhancement activities, orientation, selection, administration, and follow-on activities for alumni.

19.411 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Quarterly program and financial reports are required.

Audits:  Recipients must comply with the Single Audit Act and OMB Circular No. A-133, which require annual audits of recipients that expend Federal funds equal to or in excess of an amount specified by OMB which is currently set at $300,000.

Records:  As prescribed by grant terms.