The fiscal year 2006 competition closed on January 11, 2006. The call for applications for fiscal year 2007 will be published in the Federal Register in November 2006.

Uses and Use Restrictions

For grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education with interest and expertise in conducting research and training programs on the independent states of the former Soviet Union and Southeast Europe.

These organizations act as intermediaries for the Federal funds by conducting their own national, open competitions to make awards at the graduate level and above to individual students, scholars or other institutions.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher education with an established track record in conducting research and training programs on the independent states of the former Soviet Union and countries of Southeast Europe.

These organizations must run national programs of: advanced research; graduate training; language training; public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings; contact and collaboration among Government and private specialists; and/or firsthand experience of the area by U.S.

specialists.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Graduate students, individual scholars, nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education active in the study of the Independent States of the former Soviet Union and countries of Southeast Europe.

Credentials/Documentation

Applications must include vitae of professional staff.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Applicants may call the program office with specific questions in responding to the call for applications.

There is no preapplication form or need for preapplication conference.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

The call for applications is published in the Federal Register. Applications must be prepared and submitted in 20 copies and on diskette in the form of a statement, the narrative part of which should not exceed 20 double-spaced pages. It must be accompanied by a one-page executive summary, a budget, and vitae of professional staff. Applications must be submitted to the program office by the competition deadline.

Award Procedures

An Advisory Committee mandated by the legislation reviews the application and rates it according to its responsiveness to the call in proposing a national, competitive program; the organization's established track record in administering a research and training program; its mechanisms for sharing the cost of the program; how it intends to advertise its program to the broad constituency of scholars; how successfully an organization targets individuals most likely to make a career commitment to the study of the region; etc. The Committee makes funding recommendations to the Deputy Secretary of State for approval.

Deadlines

Contact the program office for application deadline.

Authorization

Research and Training for Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union Act of 1983, Public Law 90-164, Title VIII, 97 Stat. 1948, as amended by Public Law 103-199.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

About 3 months following the deadline, the Advisory Committee will meet in public to evaluate applications and make funding recommendations. Assuming the program's funding is in place, the Advisory Committee will forward its recommendations to the Deputy Secretary of State who usually will act on them within one or two weeks. All applicants then are notified by mail regarding their funding status.

Appeals

Not applicable.

Renewals

Each competition is open and national; applicants are free to apply as often as they wish.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grant recipients have about 3 years to spend their awards depending upon the appropriation legislation. Grant recipients draw down on the grant as needed by requesting funds through the State Department's Program Office.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Grant recipients are required to provide quarterly Program Narrative and Cash Transaction Reports (SF-269) and Technical Performance Reports including, a breakdown of expenditures by county and a semi-annual status of obligation reports (SF-270).

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A 133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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 OMB Circular No. A-133.

Records

Grant recipients are required to keep standard accounting records for 3 years beyond the life of the grant.

Financial Information

Account Identification

72-1093-0-1-150.

Obigations

FY 07 $4,200,000; FY 08 est not available; and FY 09 est not reported.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Grants in fiscal year 2005 ranged from $100,000 to $1,107,000. Average of total awards was $568,750.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

Current and past calls for applications, and lists of grant recipients are available from the program office and at the State Department website www.state.gov/s/inr/grants.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

For program information, contact: Susie Baker, Program Officer, Title VIII Program (Program for the Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union), INR/RES, Department of State, Room 2251, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520-6510. Telephone: (202) 736-4572. FAX: (202) 736-4851.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Responsiveness to the substantive provisions set forth in the Call for Applications, Part II, Program Information; the professional qualifications of the applicant's key personnel and their experience conducting national competitive award programs of the type the applicant proposes for the study of Eastern Europe and the independent states of the former Soviet Union, and budget, and cost effectiveness.