[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2330-2333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-896]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Summer Institute for Russian Social Scientists on Approaches to
Political Science as a Scholarly Discipline
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of
the Office of Academic Programs in the United States Information
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for an assistance award to develop a program for a Summer
Institute for Russian Social Scientists on Approaches to Political
Science as a Scholarly Discipline. Public and private nonprofit
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR
1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to develop a six-week graduate-level program
designed for a group of 10 Russian university professors who are
currently teaching courses in political science. The purpose of the
Institute is to enhance the participants' ability to teach political
science at their home institutions by engaging the participants in a
multi-faceted discussion of the discipline of political science as
currently practiced in the United States.
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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.''
The funding authority for the program cited above is provided
through the Freedom Support Act (FSA). Programs and projects must
conform with agency
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requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA
projects and programs are subject to the availability of funds.
Announcement Title and Numbers: All communications with USIA
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and
reference number E/AS-96-01.
Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, March 25,
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked March 25, but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline. Tentative approximate program dates are August
5, 1996 through September 16, 1996. In order to assure adequate time
for the host institution to make program arrangements and send pre-
program materials to grantees, USIA will make every effort to award the
approved cooperative agreement by April 26, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs,
Advising, Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, E/AS, Room 349,
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
telephone number 202/619-6038; fax number 202/619-6970; internet
address shayman@usia.gov, to request an Application Package containing
more detailed award criteria, required application forms, and standard
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for
preparation of the proposal budget.
TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation
Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher.usia.gov, under ``New RFPs on
Educational and Cultural Exchanges.''
Please specify USIA Program Specialist Sherry Hayman 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 the
Bureau proposal review process has been completed.
Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Solicitation Package. The original and 10 copies of the application
should be sent to:
U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AS-96-01, Office of Grants Management,
E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the 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 Moscow for its review, with the goal
of reducing the time it takes to obtain comments for the Agency's
grants review process.
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' section for specific
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
The purpose of the Summer Institute for Russian Social Scientists
on Approaches to Political Science as a Scholarly Discipline is to
engage the Russian participants in a discussion of current
methodologies and issues for teaching and research in political
science.
Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the issues
confronting Russian social scientists and universities; expertise in
the teaching and practice of political science in U.S. higher
education, including graduate education; and knowledge of current
trends and controversies in the field. Proposals should be creative in
suggesting strategies for engaging the participants in the examination
of the foundation and structure of the American political system;
Western political traditions and the development of democratic
political institutions; political philosophy; comparative politics; and
an introduction to empirical research methods. Close attention should
be paid to providing source materials, bibliographies and computer
resources that can be utilized in the classroom in Russia.
The Institute should be six weeks in length and should take place
on a U.S. college or university campus where participants will have
access to libraries and computer networks as well as an opportunity to
become acquainted with university teaching practices in the U.S. At the
beginning of the program the participants should receive an initial
orientation to the U.S. and to American university life in addition to
an introduction to current trends in political science as an academic
discipline. The program should provide the participants with
opportunities to explore these issues with U.S. scholars and to observe
political science classes that are in session. The program should focus
on engaging the participants in active ways that will aid them in
designing new approaches to their own teaching and research. The
institute should foster a collegial atmosphere in which institute
faculty and participants discuss relevant texts, issues and concepts
and should be structured to require participants to make presentations,
write reports, and prepare drafts.
At the conclusion of the Institute each participant should be
required to present a report on his or her thoughts about how to adapt
the approaches and interests of U.S. political scientists to teaching
and research in Russia.
Objective
The Institute should enable the participants to apply a wide range
of curricular materials, scholarly approaches, teaching techniques,
information about the internet, and other resources to their classrooms
in Russia.
Participants
The program should be designed for ten Russian university
professors who are currently teaching courses in political science but
who, despite significant knowledge of Western political and historical
traditions, are less familiar with current approaches to political
science in the U.S. The participants will be nominated by the United
States Information Service (USIS) in Moscow and will have a high level
of fluency in English.
Guidelines
The program must comply with the J-1 visa regulations. Please refer
to program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for
further details.
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Additional Information
Confirmation letters from U.S. co-sponsors noting their intention
to participate in the program will enhance a proposal. Proposals
incorporating participation/observer site visits will be more
competitive if letters committing prospective host institutions to
support these efforts are provided.
Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for
further details. Visas will be issued by USIS posts abroad. USIA
insurance will be provided to all participants, unless otherwise
indicated in the proposal submission. Grantee organization will be
responsible for enrolling participants in the chosen insurance plan.
Please indicate in the proposal if host institutions have any special
tax withholding requirements on participant or staff escort stipends or
allowances.
Proposed Budget
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget for the
entire program based on the specific guidance in the Solicitation
Package. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. 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. The total
USIA-funded budget award will not exceed $125,000. USIA-funded
administrative costs may not exceed 30% of the total. The recipient
organization should try to maximize cost-sharing and to stimulate U.S.
private sector support.
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
The program should include a book budget for participants to use in
purchasing books and teaching materials which they will need to develop
new courses and to improve existing ones.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Books, teaching materials and computer software
(2) Mailing allowances
(3) Travel and per diem
(4) Salaries, fringe benefits
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
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 be
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA NIS and
East European Area Office and the USIS office in Moscow. 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 in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality and substance and should demonstrate familiarity with
current issues in the field of political science as a scholarly
discipline in the U.S.
2. Program planning: A detailed agenda and a relevant work plan
should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity.
The agenda and work 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 institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan. Area expertise and awareness of the issues and problems of social
science in Russia should be exhibited.
4. Miltiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
connections.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration and program
content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource
materials and follow-up activities).
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's
goals.
7. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional 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 ensures 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.
10. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components
of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, 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 institutional direct funding
contributions.
12. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country.
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 the 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
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Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: January 17, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-896 Filed 1-24-95; 8:45 am]
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