Academic Exchange Programs - Special Academic Exchange Programs (19.011)

Program

19.011 Academic Exchange Programs - Special Academic Exchange Programs

Federal Agency

Agency: U.S. Department of State
Office: Bureau Of Educational And Cultural Affairs

Authorization

The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256.

Program Number

19.011

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

As authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange programs, including the exchange of scholars, researchers, professionals, students, and educators. 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, while building international knowledge and capacity among Americans. The purpose of Special Academic Exchange Programs is to provide targeted support for U.S. and foreign students who may not otherwise have the resources to pursue international exchange opportunities or who are in fields directly relevant to identified needs in their countries.

Types of Assistance

Cooperative Agreements; Project Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

Special Academic Exchange Programs support participants in undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree professional development programs. Special Academic Exchange Programs target underserved populations from the developing world or strategically important areas. These programs provide selected participants with the opportunity to participate in exchanges and develop international competencies and skills, which allow them to serve as leaders in their professions and communities. Funding for these programs supports nonprofit organizations to plan activities, recruit and select participants, and administer and monitor international exchange programs.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduates with financial need for study abroad, including students from diverse backgrounds and students going to non-traditional study abroad destinations.

The Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program provides fellowships for Master's level study in the United States in selected fields to young and mid-career individuals in order to foster democratization and the transition to market economies in Eurasia.

The Junior Faculty Development Program provides university faculty in the early stages of their careers opportunities to upgrade their knowledge of the subjects they teach, and to maintain on-going contacts between their home and host institutions.

The United States--South Pacific Scholarship Program provides educational opportunities for academically talented individuals from South Pacific countries to pursue bachelor's and master's degree study at U.S. institutions in fields that are directly relevant to development needs in the Pacific region.

The Timor Leste Scholarship is a scholarship program open to Timorese who meet specific selection criteria. The objective of the program is to identify and support the education of academically talented Timorese who are in the future expected to assume leadership roles in Timor-Leste.

Special Academic Programs include several other academic exchange initiatives in which the U.S. Congress has particular interest.

Please refer to the grants.gov or Federal Register announcement for further information.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

None

Beneficiary Eligibility

None

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. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application 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 Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Announcements are made on the grants.gov website and in the Federal Register for organizations meeting eligibility requirements. Announcements are made throughout the fiscal year and are posted to the Department of State's website: http://exchanges.state.gov/grants/open2.html.
The application procedures are described in the grants.gov and Federal Register announcements.

Award Procedure

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.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 60 to 90 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

As stated in the Grants.gov and Federal Register 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 and Federal Register announcements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Through the Department's central financial management database.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

As stated in the Grants.gov and Federal Register announcements. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. As stated in the Grants.gov and Federal Register announcements. As stated in the Grants.gov and Federal Register 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.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is breaking the ceiling on minority participation in study abroad and contributing to the record high number of Americans studying abroad through its support of talented, financially disadvantaged undergraduate students. Since the program�s inception, nearly 5,000 Gilman Scholarships have been awarded to Americans for study in more than 100 countries, who represent more than 500 U.S. colleges and universities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In 2008-2009, 1,226 Gilman Scholars studied in 74 countries, many in locations outside the traditional study abroad destinations.

The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program confers fellowships in the fields of business administration, economics, education, environmental policy and management, international affairs, journalism/mass communications, law, library and information science, public administration, public health and public policy. One hundred and forty fellowships were awarded for the 2007-2008 academic year. Numerous Muskie Alumni have returned to serve in positions of leadership in their home countries.

The Junior Faculty Development Program awards approximately 70 scholarships annually for participants from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Alumni return to develop course work, introduce new teaching methodologies, and share experiences with their colleagues.

The United States--South Pacific Scholarship Program has supported more than 66 South Pacific Islanders since the program�s inception in 1995. Under the Timor Leste Scholarship Program, more than 40 East Timorese students have received scholarships since the program began 2000. Many alumni of these two programs have returned home to important posts in cabinets of the new Timor-Leste government, in South Pacific government entities, at prominent NGOs, with United Nations programs, and at academic institutions. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

19-0201-0-1-154.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $38,395,000; FY 09 est $33,602,000; FY 10 est $0 - FY2010 estimate not available.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

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/.

Related Programs

19.400 Educational Exchange_Graduate Students

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Roz Swenson 301 4th Street, SW
SA-44, Washington, District of Columbia 20547 Email: fulbright@state.gov Phone: 202-453-8534

Web Site Address

http://exchanges.state.gov/academicexchanges/index.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

As stated in the Grants.gov and Federal Register announcements.