[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 76 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16969-16971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9597]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Curriculm Consultants Exchange Program with the New Independent
States
ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchange Programs
Division, European Programs Branch of the United States Information
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for an assistance award program. Applications from U.S.
educational, cultural, and other nonprofit organizations meeting the
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply
for assistance to exchange qualified educators or advanced graduate
students from the United States, Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus,
Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation,
Ukraine and Uzbekistan for up to one academic year for the purposes of
curriculum consultations and development in the fields of the
humanities and social sciences.
*Please note: Programs with Azerbaijan are subject to
restrictions of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act: Employees of
the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its instrumentalities are
excluded from participation, and no U.S. participant
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overseas may work for the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its
instrumentalities. In addition, the Government of Azerbaijan or any
of its instrumentalities will have no control in the actual
selection of participants.
The administering organization for the Curriculum Consultants
Exchange Program will be responsible for recruiting, selecting,
placing, monitoring and evaluating participants. Applicants should have
the capability to recruit foreign participants from and place U.S.
participants in all NIS countries It is expected that USIA funding will
contribute to the exchange, but not entirely support it. Due to
budgetary considerations, and to encourage broad participation, on the
cost per participant to USIA will weigh heavily in the consideration of
organizational applications.
PROGRAM DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at
the U.S. Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on
Friday, May 31, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will
documents postmarked May 31, 1996 but received at a later date. It is
the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are
received by the above deadline.
DURATION: Preference for the duration of Curriculum Consultant
Exchanges is one academic semester, but proposals up to one academic
year will also be considered. Programs may not start before August 31,
1996. It is estimated that the majority of programs will begin Spring
semester, 1997, with a minimal number of placements in Fall semester,
1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the Office of Academic
Programs, Academic Exchange Programs Division, European Programs
Branch, E/AEE Room 246, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, (202) 205-0525, (202) 260-7985 (fax), to request
a Solicitation Package, which includes more detailed award criteria,
all applications forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals,
including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget.
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The Solicitation Package maybe downloaded from USIA's website at
http://www/usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher://
gopher.usia.gov. Select ``Education and Cultural Exchanges'', then
select ``Current Request for Proposals (RFPs).'' Please read ``About
the Following RFPs'' before beginning to download.
Please specify the Curriculum Consultants Exchange Program--E/AEE,
on all inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read
the complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or
submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Agency staff
may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until after
the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.
Program Authorization
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States
and the other countries of the world.''
Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA projects and
programs are subject to the availability of funds.
Submissions
Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation
Package. The original and 7 copies of the application, as well as a
disk submission (outlined below) should be sent to U.S. Information
Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-96-05, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326,
301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.
Disk Submission: Applicants must also submit to E/XE the
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of each
proposal on a 3.5'' diskette, formatted for DOS. This material must be
provided in ASCII text (DOS) format with a maximum line length of 65
characters. USIA will transmit these files electronically to USIS posts
overseas for their review, with the goal of reducing the time it takes
to get posts' comments for the Agency's grants review process.
Announcement Name and Number
All communications with USIA concerning this announcement should
refer to the above title and reference number E/AEE-96-05.
Diversity Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' and `Geographic Diversity'
sections for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the
total proposal. Please note that in order to increase the geographical
and ethnic diversity of the Curriculum Consultants Exchange Program,
not more than ten percent of the total participants exchanged can be
from or placed in Moscow or St. Petersburg.
Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements: Programs must comply with J-1 visa
regulations. Please refer to program specific guidelines in the
Solicitation Package for further details. Administration of the program
must be in compliance with reporting and withholding regulations for
federal, state, and local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations
should demonstrate tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative
and budget.
Proposed Budget
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on
the budget guidelines in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI).
Budget award may not exceed $250,000. The Agency reserves the right to
reduce, increase or revise programs and budgets in accordance with the
needs of the program. It is required that requested administrative
funds not exceed twenty percent of the total amount requested,
including administrative expenses for orientation. Cost-sharing and
matching are expected from the administering organization and should be
detailed in the proposed budget. Host and sponsor institutions are
strongly encouraged to provide cost-sharing toward stipends and/or room
and board expenses so that more may participate. Cost-sharing may also
be in the form of direct program and participant costs.
The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind
contributions must be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110 (Revised),
Subpart C.23. Grants will
[[Page 16971]]
only be awarded to eligible organizations with four years or more
experience in conducting international exchange programs.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a break-down
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete formatting
instructions. For better understanding or further clarification,
applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component,
phase, location, or activity in order to facilitate USIA decisions on
funding.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) International travel (via American flag carrier);
(2) Domestic travel for foreign participants only;
(3) Travel and lodging for academic or professional meetings (not
to exceed $700 per participant);
(4) Stipend/Maintenance costs;
(5) Housing;
(6) Materials allowance/curriculum translation (not
interpretation);
(7) Orientation costs;
(8) Insurance;
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines.
Review Process
USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they
do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the
Solicitation Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be
reviewed by the program office, the appropriate geographic area office,
the USIA post overseas, and the budget and contracts office. Proposals
may also be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other
Agency elements. Funding decisions are at the discretion of the USIA
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative
agreements) resides with the USIA grants officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea--Proposals should reflect academic
rigor and excellence, thorough conception of project, demonstration of
meeting participants' needs, contributions to partner country, proposed
follow-up, and qualifications of program staff and participants.
2. Program planning--Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described
above.
3. Ability to achieve program objectives--Objectives should be
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the organization will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
4. Multiplier effect/impact--Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
5. Support of diversity--Proposals should demonstrate the
substantive support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and
relevant features should be cited in both program administration
(selection of participants, program venue and program evaluation) and
program content (orientation, program meetings, resource materials and
follow-up activities). Proposals should demonstrate organizational
capacity to recruit from and place program participants in areas
outside Moscow and St. Petersburg and countries in the NIS outside the
Russian Federation.
6. Organizational capacity--Proposed personnel and organizational
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
7. Organization's record/ability--Proposals should demonstrate an
organizational record of successful exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Agency grants as determined by USIA's Office of
Contracts. The Agency will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
8. Follow-on activities--Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) which insures that
USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
9. Project evaluation--Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives is recommended. Award-receiving organizations/
institutions will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each
project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less
frequent.
10. Cost-effectiveness--The overhead and administrative components
of the proposal, including salaries, should be kept as low as possible.
All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
11. Cost-sharing--Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private sector support as well as organizational direct funding
contributions.
12. Value to U.S.-partner country relations--Proposed programs
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country(ies).
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on
the part of the Government. The Agency reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: April 12, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-9597 Filed 4-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M