Exchange-English Language Fellow Program (19.421)

Program

19.421 Exchange-English Language Fellow Program

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

19.421

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 � 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 English Language Programs is to support the participation of U.S. English language educators in exchanges overseas, and the participation of underserved foreign students and teachers of English as a foreign language in English study courses and professional development, and international exchanges.

Types of Assistance

Cooperative Agreements

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funding is provided to non-profit organizations to support their work in designing and administering programs as well as coordinating program logistics for U.S. English language educators and underserved foreign students and teachers of English as a foreign language as participants in study and professional development and international exchanges. Funding to those organizations supports activities such as publicity and recruitment, screening of applications, communication with recipients, payment of stipends, and the provision of enrichment activities.

The English Access Microscholarship Program provides scholarships for in-country English language instruction for foreign, disadvantaged 14- to 18-year olds in selected countries overseas in all world regions. Programs give provide international participants two years of after school and summer intensive English language programming and increase their understanding of American culture and values, with an emphasis on democratic principles and civic engagement. Workshops also are planned and conducted in the U.S. for a selected number of these participants to provide an immersion experience in English study and American culture.

The English Language Fellow Program provides U.S. educators in the area of Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL) or a closely related field such as Applied Linguistics with ten-month overseas assignments to carry out projects with host-country ministries of education, universities, teacher-training institutions, NGOs, binational centers, and other English language teaching institutions. Please refer to the grants.gov or Federal Register announcement for further information.

Funding also supports cooperative agreements to provide targeted English as a Foreign Language, and English Language Teaching and materials development activities.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Individuals with the following qualifications: (1) United States citizenship. (2) Senior Fellows much have a Master's degree or higher in TESL/TEFL, Applied Linguistics or a closely related field and have previous overseas teaching experience. (3) Fellows much have received a Master's degree in TESL/TEFL within the last seven years.

Beneficiary Eligibility

U.S. citizens who are willing to teach for 10 months overseas according to the needs of the overseas host institution as requested by a U.S. embassy.

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: Since its inception in 2004, approximately 44,000 students in over 50 countries have been enrolled in the English Access Microscholarship Program. Of those, more than 22,000 Access students are currently studying English under the Program.

In fiscal year 2008, the English Language Fellow Program awarded over 100 individual grants to qualified educators of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to teach in 75 countries. The program enables fellows to share their expertise, hone their skills, gain international experience and learn about other cultures. 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 $23,944,000; FY 09 est $15,090,000; 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

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Rebecca Smoak Office of English Language Programs
301 4th Street, S.W.,SA-44, Washington, District of Columbia 20547 Email: english@state.gov Phone: (202) 53-8859

Web Site Address

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

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

As stated in Grants.gov and Federal Register announcements.