[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52075-52077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25451]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice No. 2441]
Bureau of Intelligence and Research; Discretionary Grant
Programs: Application Notice Establishing Closing Date for Transmittal
of Certain Fiscal Year 1997 Applications
AGENCY: The Department of State invites applications from national
organizations with interest and expertise in conducing research and
training to serve as intermediaries administering national competitive
programs concerning the countries of Eastern Europe and the independent
states of the former Soviet Union. The grants will be awarded through
an open, national competition among applicant organizations.
Authority for this Program for Research and Training on Eastern
Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union is
contained in the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of
1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended).
SUMMARY: The purpose of this application notice is to inform potential
applicant organizations of fiscal and programmatic information and
closing dates for transmittal of applications for awards in Fiscal Year
1997 under a program administered by the Department of State.
ORGANIZATION OF NOTICE: This notice contains three parts. Part I lists
the closing date covered by this notice. Part II consists of a
statement of purpose and priorities of the program. Part III provides
the fiscal data for the program.
Part I
Closing Date for Transmittal of Applications
An application for an award must be mailed or hand-delivered by
January 17, 1997.
Applications Delivered by Mail
An application sent by mail must be addressed to Kenneth E.
Roberts, Executive Director, Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern
Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, INR/RES,
Room 6841, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC
20520-6510.
An applicant must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the
following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
center.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Department of
State.
If any application is sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the
Department of State does not accept either of the following as proof of
mailing: (1) A private metered postmark, or (2) a mail receipt that is
not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
An applicant should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an
applicant should check with the local post office.
An applicant is encouraged to use registered or at least first
class mail. Late applications will not be considered and will be
returned to the applicant.
Applications Delivered by Hand
An application that is hand delivered must be taken to Kenneth E.
Roberts, Executive Director, Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern
Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, INR/RES,
Room 6841, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC. Please phone first
((202) 736-4572) to ensure access to the building.
The Advisory Committee staff will accept hand-delivered
applications between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST daily, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
An application that is hand delivered will not be accepted after
4:00 p.m. on the closing date.
Part II
Program Information
In the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983
the Congress declared that independently verified factual knowledge
about the countries of that area is ``of utmost importance for the
national security of the United States, for the furtherance of our
national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and for the
prudent management of our domestic affairs.'' Congress also declared
that the development and maintenance of such knowledge and expertise
``depends upon the national capability for advanced research by highly
trained and experienced specialists, available for service in and out
of Government.'' The program provides financial support for advanced
research, training and other related functions on the countries of the
region. By strengthening and sustaining in the United States a cadre of
experts on Eastern Europe and the independent states of the former
Soviet Union, the program contributes to the overall objectives of the
FREEDOM Support and SEED programs.
The full purpose of the Act and the eligibility requirements are
set forth in
[[Page 52076]]
Pub. L. 98-164, 97 Stat. 1047-50, as amended. The countries include
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia,
Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia,
Croatia, Serbia (including Kosovo and Montenegro), and the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The Act establishes an Advisory Committee to recommend grant
polices and recipients. The Secretary of State, after consultation with
the Advisory Committee, approves policies and makes final determination
on awards.
Applications for funding under the Act are invited from U.S.
organizations prepared to conduct competitive programs on the
independent states of the former Soviet Union and the countries of
Eastern Europe and related fields. Applying organizations or
institutions should have the capability to conduct competitive award
programs that are national in scope. Programs of this nature are those
that make awards which are based upon an open, nationwide competitive,
incorporating peer group review mechanisms. Individual end-users of
these funds--those to whom the applicant organizations or institutions
propose to make awards--must be at the graduate or post-doctoral
levels, and must have demonstrated a likely career commitment to the
study of Eastern Europe and/or the independent states of the former
Soviet Union.
Applications sought in this competition among organizations or
institutions are those that would contribute to the development of a
stable, long-term, national program of unclassified, advanced research
and training on the countries of Eastern Europe and/or the independent
states of the former Soviet Union by proposing:
(1) National programs which award contracts or grants to American
institutions of higher education or not-for-profit corporations in
support of post-doctoral or equivalent level research projects, such
contracts or grants to contain shared-cost provisions;
(2) National programs which offer graduate, post-doctoral and
teaching fellowships for advanced training on the countries of Eastern
Europe and the independent states of the Former Soviet Union, and in
related studies, including training in the languages of the region,
with such training to be conducted on a shared-cost basis, at American
institutions of higher education;
(3) National programs which provide fellowships and other support
for American specialists enabling them to conduct advanced research on
the countries of Eastern Europe and the independent states of the
former Soviet Union, and in related studies; and those which facilitate
research collaboration between Government and private specialists in
these areas;
(4) National programs which provide advanced training and research
on a reciprocal basis in the countries of Eastern Europe and the
independent states of the former Soviet Union by facilitating access
for American specialists to research facilities and resources in those
countries;
(5) National programs which facilitate the public dissemination of
research methods, data and findings; and those which propose to
strengthen the national capability for advanced research or training on
the countries of Eastern Europe and the independent states of the
former Soviet Union in ways not specified above.
Note: The Advisory Committee will not consider applications from
individuals to further their own training or research, or from
institutions or organizations whose proposals are not for
competitive award programs that are national in scope as defined
above.
Support for specific activities will be guided by the following
policies:
--Publications. Funds awarded in this competition should not be used to
subsidize journals, newsletters and other periodical publications
except in special circumstances, in which cases the funds should be
supplied through peer-review organizations with national competitive
programs.
--Conferences. Proposals for conferences, like those for research
projects and training programs, should be assessed according to their
relative contribution to the advancement of knowledge and to the
professional development of cadres in the fields. Therefore, requests
for conference funding should be directed to one or more of the
national peer-review organizations receiving program funds, with
proposed conferences being evaluated competitively against research,
fellowship or other proposals for achieving the purposes of the grant.
--Library Activities. Funds may be used for certain library activities
which clearly strengthen research and training on the countries of
Eastern Europe and the independent states of the former Soviet Union
and benefit the fields as a whole. Such programs must make awards based
upon open, nationwide competition, incorporating peer group review
mechanisms. Funds may not be used for activities such as modernization,
acquisition, or preservation. Modest, cost-effective proposals to
facilitate research, by eliminating serious cataloging backlogs or
otherwise improving access to research materials, will be considered.
--Language Support. The Advisory Committee encourages attention to the
non-Russian languages of the independent states of the former Soviet
Union and the less commonly taught languages of the East European
countries. Support provided for Russian language instruction/study
normally will be only for advanced level. Applicants proposing to offer
language instruction are encouraged to apply to a national program as
described above which has appropriate peer group review mechanisms.
--Support for Non-Americans. The purpose of the program is to build and
sustain U.S. expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and the
independent states of the former Soviet Union. Therefore, the Advisory
Committee has determined that highest priority for support always
should go to American specialists (i.e., U.S. citizens or permanent
residents). Support for such activities as long-term research
fellowships, i.e., nine months or longer, should be restricted solely
to American scholars. Support for short-term activities also should be
restricted to Americans, except in special instances where the
participation of a non-American scholar has clear and demonstrable
benefits to the American scholarly community. In such special
instances, the applicant must justify the expenditure.
--Support for Transitions. The Advisory Committee encourages support
for activities which, while building expertise among U.S. specialists
on the region, also may promote fundamental goals of U.S. assistance
programs such as helping establish market economies and promoting
democratic governance and civil societies.
In making its recommendations, the Committee will seek to encourage
a coherent, long-term, and stable effort directed toward developing and
maintaining a national capability on the countries of Eastern Europe
and the independent states of the former Soviet Union. Program
proposals can be for the conduct of any of the functions enumerated,
but in making its
[[Page 52077]]
recommendations, the Committee will be concerned to develop a balanced
national effort which will ensure attention to all the countries of the
area. Legislation requires and this announcement indicates under
Program Information of this section that in certain cases grantee
organizations must include shared-cost provisions in their arrangements
with end-users. Cost-sharing is encouraged, whenever feasible, in all
programs.
Part III
Availabe Funds
Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds. Funding may
be available at a level up to $5.0 million. The precise level of
funding will not be known until legislative action is complete. In
Fiscal Year 1996, the Congress appropriated to the program $5.0 million
from the Agency for International Development budget.
The Department legally cannot commit funds that may be appropriated
in subsequent fiscal years. Thus multi-year projects cannot received
assured funding unless such funding is supplied out of a single year's
appropriation. Grant agreements may permit the expenditure from a
particular year's grant to be made from 12 to 18 months after the
grant's effective date.
Applications
Applications must be prepared and submitted in 20 copies in the
form of a statement, the narrative part of which should not exceed 20
double-spaced pages. This must be accompanied by a one-page executive
summary, a budget, and vitae of key professional staff. Proposers may
append other information they consider essential, although bulky
submissions are discouraged and run the risk of not being reviewed
fully. The one-page summary and budget should precede the narrative in
the proposal.
Proposed programs should be described fully, including benefits for
the fields. All applicants should provide detailed information about
their plans for peer evaluation and review procedures and estimates of
the types and amount of anticipated awards.
Applicants who have received a grant from this program in the
previous competition should provide detailed information on the peer
evaluation and review procedures followed, and awards made, including
where applicable, names/affiliations of recipients, and amounts and
types of awards. If an applicant received support prior to the last
competition, a summary of those awards also should be included.
Descriptions of all competitive award programs should specify both
past and anticipated applicant-to-award ratios.
Proposals from national organizations involving language
instruction programs should provide for those programs supported in the
past year information on the criteria for evaluation, including levels
of instruction, degrees of intensiveness, facilities, methods for
measuring language proficiency (including pre- and post-testing),
instructors' qualifications, and budget information showing estimated
costs per student.
A description of affirmative action policies and practices must be
included in the application.
Applications should include certifications of compliance with the
provisions of: (1) The Drug-Free Workplace Act (Pub. L. 100-690), in
accordance with Appendix C of 22 CFR part 137, Subpart F; and (2)
section 319 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 101-121), in accordance with Appendix A of
22 CFR part 138, New Restrictions on Lobbying Activities.
Budget
Since funds provided by AID would come separately from its East
Europe (including the Baltic states) and New Independent States
programs, proposals must indicate how the requested funds will be
distributed by region, country (to the extent possible), and activity.
Subsequently, grant recipients must report expenditures by region,
country, and activity.
Applicants should familiarize themselves with Department of State
grant regulations contained in 22 CFR part 145, ``Grants and
Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations,'' OMB Circular A-110,
``Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education * * *
Uniform Administrative Requirements,'' and OMB Circular A-133, ``Audits
of Institutions of Higher Learning and Other Non-Profit Institutions''
and indicate or provide the following information:
(1) Whether the organization falls under OMB Circular No. A-21,
``Cost Principles for Educational Institutions,'' or OMB Circular No.
A-122, ``Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations;''
(2) A detailed program budget indicating direct expenses by program
element, by region (the independent states of the former Soviet Union
or Eastern Europe), indirect costs, and the total amount requested. NB:
Indirect costs are limited to 10 percent of total direct program costs.
Applicants requesting funds to supplement a program having other
sources of support should submit a current budget for the total program
and an estimated future budget for it showing how specific lines in the
budget would be affected by the allocation of requested grant funds.
Other funding sources and amounts, when known, should be identified.
(3) The applicant's cost-sharing proposal, if applicable,
containing appropriate details and cross references to the requested
budget;
(4) The organization's most recent audit report (the most recent
U.S. Government audit report if available) and the name, address, and
point of contact of the audit agency.
All payments will be made to grant recipients through the
Department of State.
Technical Review
The Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern Europe and the
Independent States of the Former Soviet Union will evaluate
applications on the basis of the following criteria:
(1) Responsiveness to the substantive provisions set forth above in
Part II, Program Information (45 points);
(2) The professional qualifications of the applicant's key
personnel and their experience conducting national competitive award
programs of the type the applicant proposes on the countries of Eastern
Europe and the independent states of the former Soviet Union (35
points); and
(3) Budget presentation and cost effectiveness (20 points).
Further Information
For further information, contact Kenneth E. Roberts, Executive
Director, Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern Europe and the
Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, INR/RES, Room 6841, U.S.
Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520-6510.
Telephone: (202) 736-4572 or 736-4386; fax: (202) 736-4851.
Dated: September 24, 1996.
Kenneth E. Roberts,
Executive Director, Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern Europe
and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union.
[FR Doc. 96-25451 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-32-M
