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Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs - Special Professional and Cultural Programs
ECA programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world.
Educational and cultural engagement is premised on the knowledge that mutual understanding, the development of future leaders, and the benefits of education programs influence societies and affect official decision-making almost everywhere in the world today.
ECA programs inform, engage, and influence participants across strategic sectors of society - including young people, women, teachers, scholars, journalists, and other professionals - increasing the number of foreign individuals who have first-hand experience with Americans and with the values of freedom, representative government, rule of law, economic choice, and individual dignity.
The purpose of the Special Professional and Cultural Programs is to carry out Congressionally-directed initiatives that support professional and youth exchanges between the United States and select countries through grants to American non-profit, non-governmental institutions and organizations, including community organizations, professional associations, and universities.
The Department of State strives to create a more secure, democratic and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2012: The Ngwang Choephel Fellows Program provides general support to non-governmental organizations located outside of China which promote activities that preserve cultural traditions and enhance sustainable development and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities in China. There were approximately 5 U.S. participants, and approximately 30 non-U.S. participants in FY 2012. Fiscal Year 2013: No Current Data Available. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Funding is provided to eligible non-profit organizations, colleges and universities to support their work in designing and administering programs as well as coordinating program logistics.
Funding to those organizations supports activities such as publicity and recruitment, screening of participant applications, communication with participants, domestic and international travel, payment of stipends and program benefits, and the provision of enrichment activities.
Special Professional and Cultural Programs constitute a range of professional and youth exchange initiatives in which the U. S. Congress has particular interest.
The programs are designed to promote U. S. interests in designated countries around the world by developing mutual understanding of key issues and promoting long-lasting ties between the United States and those countries.
Programs are designed to promote good governance, civil society and civic responsibility, educational reform, conflict prevention and management, trade, leadership, cultural diversity and heritage, and educational reform, as well as other topics through people-to-people exchanges.
Please refer to the grants.gov for further information.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-Hays Act) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S.
Department of State awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational and cultural public or private nonprofit foundations or institutions.
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).
Organizations must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
Please refer to the grants.gov announcement for further eligibility criteria.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Beneficiaries include recipient organizations, educational institutions, other non-government organizations (NGOs) that meet the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3), as well as sponsored participants, and the American people and the people of participating countries who interact with the international participants.
Credentials/Documentation
Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-Hays Act) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational and cultural public or private nonprofit foundations or institutions. 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). Organizations must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please refer to the grants.gov or Federal Register announcement for further eligibility criteria. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Announcements are made on the grants.gov website for organizations meeting eligibility requirements. Announcements are made throughout the fiscal year and are posted to the Department of State"s website: http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding. The application procedures are described in the grants.gov announcements.
Award Procedures
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Bureau s Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The FAA will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the recipient s responsible officer identified in the application.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
From 60 to 90 days.
Appeals
Not Applicable.
Renewals
As stated in the Grants.gov announcements.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
As stated in the Grants.gov announcements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance is awarded/released through the Department"s central financial management database.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Financial and Program Reporting requirements are described in the Grants.gov announcement.
announcements.
Cash reports are not applicable.
Progress reports are not applicable.
As stated in the Grants.gov announcements.
As stated in the Grants.gov announcements.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. The Recipient must comply with the OMB audit requirements. For all DOS awards, regardless of business type, the Recipients are subject to the audit requirements found in OMB audit requirements. In addition, the Recipients are subject to the audit requirements found in the Single Audit Act of 1984, 31 U.S.C. 7501-7507. Please refer to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for Domestic Financial Assistance Awards (http://fa.statebuy.state.gov ) for additional guidance.
Records
The Recipients must maintain financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to an award for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. Please refer to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for Domestic Financial Assistance Awards (http://fa.statebuy.state.gov ) for additional guidance.
Financial Information
Account Identification
19-0201-0-1-154.
Obigations
(Project Grants) FY 12 $7,036,952; FY 13 est $6,685,104; and FY 14 est $6,685,104
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$119,000 to $1,045,800.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
As stated in the grants.gov and Federal Register announcements. In addition,
organizations should be familiar with OMB Circulars A-110 (Revised) (Uniform
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher
Education, Hospitals and Other Nonprofit Organizations), A-122/A-21 (Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations; Indirect Costs), and A-133/A-128 (Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Organizations) on cost accounting principles. For a copy of the OMB circulars cited, please contact Government Publications or download from http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Sheila Casey Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Office of Citizen Exchange Programs
2200 C Street, NW
SA-05, Rm. 3B14, Washington, District of Columbia 20037 Email: caseysd@state.gov Phone: 202-632-6070
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
As stated in Grants.gov announcements.
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