[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 198 (Thursday, October 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53270-53272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26082]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Exchanges and Training Program With Russia, Ukraine and
Uzbekistan
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division, of
the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural
Affairs, announces a competitive institutional grants program. Public
or private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in
26 CFR 1.501(c)(3) may apply to develop training programs for Russia,
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Diminished resources have forced USIA to limit
the scope of this announcement; regrettably, proposals for other NIS
countries will not be considered. Grant awards are subject to
availability of funds.
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.'' The funding authority
for the program cited above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act
and the Freedom Support Act.
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.
ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number
E/PN-97-10.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, December
2, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked December 2, 1996 but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia
Eurasia Division, E/PN, Room 220, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, tel: 202-260-6230, fax: 202-619-
4350, to request a Solicitation Package, which includes: proposal and
budget guidelines and all application forms. Please specify USIA
Program Coordinator Cassandra Barber on all inquiries and
correspondence. Ms. Barber may also be reached at the following e-mail
address: cbarber@usia.gov. Interested applicants should read the
complete Federal Register announcement before making inquiries to the
Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division, or submitting
their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the Office of
Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division may not discuss this
competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau proposal
review process has been completed.
SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow instructions given in the
Solicitation Package and send an original and ten copies of completed
applications to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/PN-97-10, Office of
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20547.
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.
Content of Proposals
Overview: USIA is interested in proposals that encourage the growth
of democratic institutions in Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Exchange
and training programs supported by institutional grants should operate
at two levels: they should enhance institutional relationships; and
they should offer practical and comparative information to individuals
to assist them with their professional responsibilities. Strong
proposals usually have the following characteristics: an existing
partner relationship between an American organization and a host-
country institution; proven track record of conducting program
activity; cost-sharing from American or in-country sources, including
donations of air fares, hotel and housing costs; experienced staff with
language facility; and a clear, convincing plan showing how permanent
results will be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the
grant. USIA wants to see tangible forms of time and money contributed
to the project by the prospective grantee institution, as well as
funding from third party sources.
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Unless otherwise specified below, project activity may include:
internships; study tours; short-term training; consultations; and
extended, intensive workshops taking place in the United States or in
Russia, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan. Proposals should reflect the authors'
understanding of the political, economic, and social environment in
which the program activity will take place.
We encourage applicants to design programs for non-English
speakers. Programs can take place in the United States or in Russia,
Ukraine or Uzbekistan. We want single country programs, not programs
that mix Russian, Ukrainian, and Uzbek participants. USIA is interested
in proposals whose designs take into account the need for ongoing
sharing of information and training beyond the period of USIA grant
support. Examples include: ``train the trainers'' models; support for
training centers in Russia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan; plans to create
professional networks or professional associations to share
information.
Note: While this competition may fund American universities to
work with counterpart universities or institutions in Russia,
Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, it is not intended to be a university
linkage program. Such programs are funded by USIA's Office of
Academic Programs (E/A). Proposals whose purpose is to exchange
faculty or otherwise support direct academic links should be
submitted under E/A's RFP for the College and University
Affiliations Programs (CUAP).
USIA will give priority to proposals that respond to the following
specific topics for Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. While proposals
for other programs will be considered, reduced program budgets will
limit funding opportunities.
For Russia
USIA is interested in proposals for training programs for Russians
in specific areas:
--Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights. Although Russia has
enacted legislation committing itself to meeting the TRIP amendment
standards of the World Trade Organization, the practical steps to
implement and enforce its new criminal statutes have yet to be
realized. Judges, law enforcement officials, lawyers, procurators and
the Russian business community are uninformed and to a certain extent
uninterested in the implications of the new laws. USIA is interested in
proposals that: (1) assist the Russian legal community to examine how
an IPR case would be handled within the Russian court system; (2)
expose Russian legal experts and others associated with IPR issues
(such as officials of state copyright agencies) to the practical side
of enforcement of IPR in the United States; (3) establish specialized
training for judges who will try IPR cases; (4) contain a public
education dimension effort to reach Russians who will have to deal with
IPR issues professionally. Proposals submitted to USIA should take care
to complement, not duplicate, projects funded in this subject area by
other U.S. Government agencies and international institutions.
--US-based Internships for Russian Journalists and Media Managers. USIA
is interested in proposals for journalistic training and management for
Russian regional media organizations (Moscow and St. Petersburg are
excluded). Journalistic training in basic skills and concepts could
include: effective writing, investigative reporting, objectivity, the
clear labeling of editorials and opinion pieces, intellectual property
issues and ethics. Media management training (both print and
electronic) should focus on management of media as a business:
management techniques, desk top publishing, advertising, marketing,
distribution, personnel, public relations, and the financial benefits
and pitfalls of journalistic advocacy. USIS Moscow will coordinate
selection of journalists with the grantee organization. Preference will
be given to long-term internships for English speakers. The US program
should be a practical, hands-on experience in an American media
organization, not an academic course of study.
For Russia and Ukraine
--Staff Exchange between the United States Congress and the Russian
Parliament (Duma) and Federal Assembly and the Ukrainian Parliament
(Rada).USIA is interested in proposals from American organizations to
provide organizational support in Washington, DC for an annual exchange
of congressional and parliamentary staff between the US and Russia and
between the US and Ukraine, based on the Congress-Bundestag model
developed by Germany and the US. The program would provide an annual
opportunity for two congressional staff delegation visits to Russia and
Ukraine and one delegation visit each for Russian and Ukraine. Each
delegation would number 5-10 staff members who would have a chance to
observe and learn about the workings of the other's political
institutions and convey the views of members on both sides on issues of
mutual concern. Russians and Ukrainians will be programmed separately
(i.e., no mixed groups). The length of each exchange would be
approximately two weeks. The organization selected to administer the
program would be responsible for all logistics in the United States for
visiting groups (travel arrangements, accommodations, interpreters,
local transportation), as well as appointments and meetings with local
media, business, academic and media representatives. The organization
would also be responsible for facilitating the outbound travel of US
congressional staff delegations to Ukraine and Russia.
Selection of Participants
(1) US Congressional Staff. The program will be announced in the
Congressional Record. Staffers should have a demonstrable interest in
Russian or Ukraine, but they need not be working in the field of
foreign affairs. A review committee will be convened by USIA to select
the participants, which in subsequent years of the program would
include alumni of the exchange. Participants must be willing to host a
group of staffers from Russia or Ukraine for two weeks, assist in
arranging meetings and facilitating a visit to the home district of a
member.
(2) Duma and Rada Staff Members. Participants must be current staff
members of the State Duma or Rada. USIS offices in Moscow and Kyiv will
work with the Duma and Rada to select participants.
For Ukraine
--Constitutional Project. Ukraine recently enacted a new constitution.
USIA is particularly interested in proposals to support the new
Constitutional Court in Ukraine, which was created under the new
constitution. Priority will be given to proposals that establish a
dialogue with policy makers, government officials, and educators on the
meaning of a constitutional form of government and its practical
ramifications for governing at national and local levels. USIA
encourages proposals for organizations to develop specific materials in
Ukrainian and conduct in-country seminars in partnership with Ukrainian
institutions to promote public understanding of the new constitution
and its implications for Ukrainian society. These efforts would be
closely coordinated with the U.S.
[[Page 53272]]
mission in Kyiv which has made this a top priority.
For Uzbekistan
--Exchanges and Training for Working Journalists. Priority
consideration will go to proposals for working journalists,
particularly those covering economic issues. Acquisition of news
gathering and reporting skills should be emphasized, along with other
important skills such as effective writing, investigative reporting,
objectivity, the clear labeling editorials and opinion pieces,
intellectual property issues and ethics. US-based practical internships
for journalists with a working knowledge of English are encouraged.
Selection of Participants
Proposals should describe clearly the type of persons who will
participate in the program as well as the process by which participants
will be selected. We recommend that programs with internships in the US
include letters of commitment from host institutions, even if
tentative. In the selection of foreign participants, USIA and USIS
posts abroad retain the right to nominate all participants and to
accept or deny participants recommended by grantee institutions.
However, grantee institutions are often asked by USIA to suggest names
of potential participants. Priority will be given to foreign
participants who have not previously traveled to the United States.
Visa Regulations
Foreign participants on programs sponsored by the Office of Citizen
Exchanges are granted J-1 Exchange Visitor visas by the American
Embassy in the sending country.
Proposal Budget
Please refer to the Budget Guidelines in the Program Submission
Instructions for complete information.
Applicants must submit a detailed line item budget based on the
specific instructions in the Program and Budget Guidelines sections of
the Instructions. Proposals for less than $80,000 will receive
preference. Programs with strong cost-sharing will be given priority.
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
Review Process
USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be considered ineligible if
they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the
Proposal Submission Instructions. Eligible proposals will be forwarded
to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals
will also be reviewed by USIA's Office of East European and NIS Affairs
and USIA posts in Moscow, Kyiv, and Tashkent. 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 Associate
Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs, USIA. Final technical
authority for grant awards 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.
1. Program Planning and Ability To Achieve Objectives
Program objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and
should reflect the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the
region. Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this
announcement and should relate to the current conditions in each of the
countries. They should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed work
plan should explain step by step how objectives will be achieved,
including a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance of
seminars, presentations, consulting, internships, and itineraries
should be spelled out in detail. Responsibilities of in-country
partners should be clearly described.
2. Institutional Capability
Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate
and appropriate to achieve the project's goals. The narrative should
demonstrate proven ability to handle logistics. Proposal should reflect
the institution's expertise in the subject area and knowledge of the
conditions pertaining to it in Russia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan.
3. Cost Effectiveness
Overhead and administrative costs for the proposal, including
salaries, honoraria, and subcontracts for services, should be kept low.
While this announcement does not proscribe a rigid ratio of
administrative to program costs, in general, priority will be given to
proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) per
cent of the total requested from USIA. Proposals should show cost-
sharing, both contributions from the applicant and from other sources.
4. Support of Diversity
Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to
promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity throughout the
program.
5. Project Evaluation
USIA is results-oriented. Proposals must include a plan and
methodology to evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities
unfold and at the end of the program. USIA recommends that the proposal
include a draft survey questionnaire and/or plan for use of another
measurement technique (such as a focus group) to link outcomes to
original project objectives. Award-receiving organizations/institutions
will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project
component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
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 funding. Final awards cannot be
made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and
committed through internal USIA procedures.
Notification
Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation
requirements.
Dated: October 4, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-26082 Filed 10-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
