SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor has identified the following issues as priorities. Projects that address these issues may receive a higher priority, but DRL is open to innovative programming ideas on other issues that meet our general criteria:

1. Empowerment of Muslim women, including projects that promote capacity building and/or networks of women or women's organizations, especially as they relate to human-rights;

2. Addressing the problem of disenfranchised youth and the need to reach out to this group to prevent growth of extremism;

3. Political reform programs that would entail support for conducting free and fair elections, issues of good governance and corruption;

4. Independent media and access to a diversity of sources of information;

5. Judicial systems, especially in the context of Shari'a;

6. Promotion of the compatibility of democracy with Islam; and

7. Civil society and increasing political participation.

Project Criteria

• Project implementation should begin no earlier than March 2004.
• Projects should not exceed two years in duration. Shorter projects with more immediate outcomes may receive preference.
• Project activity should take place abroad. U.S.-based or exchange projects are strongly discouraged.
• Projects that have a strong academic or research focus will not be highly considered. DRL will not fund health, technology, environmental, or scientific projects unless they have an explicit democracy, human rights, or rule of law component.
• Projects should include a follow-on plan that extends beyond the grant period ensuring that Bureau-supported programs are not isolated events.

In order to avoid the duplication of activities and programs, proposals should also indicate knowledge of similar projects being conducted in the regions and how the submitted proposal will complement them.

Applicant/Organization Criteria

Organizations applying for a grant should meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. non-profit organization meeting the provisions described inInternal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Applicant must submit proof of its non-profit status in the application at the time of submission.
• Have demonstrated experience administering successful projects in the regions in which it is proposing to administer a project.
• Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with in-country organization(s).
• Organizations that have not previously received and successfully administered U.S. government grant funds will be subject to additional scrutiny before an award can be granted.

Note:

Organizations are welcome to submit more than one proposal, but should know that DRL wishes to reach out to as many different organizations as possible with its limited funds.

Budget Guidelines

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

Deadline for Proposals

All proposals must be received at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor by 5 p.m. eastern standard time (e.s.t.) on Thursday, November 13, 2003. Please refer to the PSI for specific delivery instructions.

Review Process

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them for eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the PSI. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements.

Review Criteria

Eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. Further explanation of these criteria is included in the PSI. These criteria are not rank- ( printed page 59675) ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation: Quality of the program idea; program planning and ability to achieve program objectives; multiplier effect/impact; institution's record/ability/capacity; cost-effectiveness.

68 FR 59674