[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 224 (Thursday, November 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62118-62120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30525]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
NIS College and University Partnerships Program
ACTION: Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for an assistance award program.
Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions meeting the
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to
develop a partnership with (a) foreign institution(s) of higher
education from the New Independent States in specified fields.
Proposed projects must be eligible in terms of countries/localities
and disciplines as described in the section entitled ``Eligibility''
below.
Participating institutions exchange faculty and administrators for
a combination of teaching, lecturing, faculty and curriculum
development, collaborative research, and outreach, for periods ranging
from one week (for planning visits) to an academic year. The FY 98
program will also support the establishment and maintenance of Internet
and/or e-mail communication facilities as well as interactive distance
learning programs at foreign partner institutions. Applicants may
propose
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other project activities not listed above that are consistent with the
goals and activities of the NIS College and University Partnerships
Program.
Please note that USIA's NIS College and University Partnership
Program (NISCUPP) is intended exclusively for college and university
partnerships throughout the NIS in the following fields: law, business/
economics, education, public administration/public policy/government/
urban and regional economic development, journalism/communications. The
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the
International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) have issued a request
for proposals to strengthen existing partnerships between U.S. and
Russian organizations--the Sustaining Partnerships into the Next
Century (SPAN) program.
In order to effectively distribute assistance funding and avoid
duplication of efforts, colleges and universities interested in
applying for partnerships in the fields listed above should apply for
funding under USIA's NISCUPP program. Colleges and universities
interested in other fields, and all other relevant partnerships, should
apply to the SPAN program administered by USAID and IREX. USIA and
USAID missions will jointly review proposals from colleges and
universities.
The program awards up to $300,000 for a three-year period to defray
the cost of travel and per diem with an allowance for educational
materials and some aspects of project administration. Grants awarded to
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
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 for Russia and
Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992
(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 RFP should refer to
the NIS College and University Partnerships Program and reference
number E/ASU-98-07.
Deadline for Proposals
All copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency by 5
p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, February 23, 1998. Faxed
documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked by the
due date but received at a later date will not be accepted.
Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about June 30,
1998.
Duration: June 30, 1998-May 31, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Academic Programs; Advising
Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division; Specialized Programs Unit,
(E/ASU) room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone: (202) 619-4126, fax: (202) 401-1433,
internet: jcebra@usia.gov to request a Solicitation Package containing
more detailed award criteria; all application forms; and guidelines for
preparing proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the
proposal budget.
To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet: The entire
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all information before
downloading.
To Receive a Solicitation Package via Fax on Demand: The entire
Solicitation Package may be received via the Bureau's ``Grants
Information Fax on Demand System'', which is accessed by calling 202/
401-7616. Please request a ``Catalog'' of available documents and order
numbers when first entering the system.
Please specify USIA Program Officer Jonathan Cebra 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 completion 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/ASU-98-07, Office of Grants
Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
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 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.
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy 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. Public
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy'', USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should account for
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Guidelines
The NIS College and University Partnership Program is limited to
the following specific academic disciplines:
(1) Law;
(2) Business/economic/trade;
(3) Education/continuing education/civic education/educational
reform;
[[Page 62120]]
(4) Government/public policy/public administration/urban and
regional economic development; and
(5) Journalism/communications.
Proposals must focus on curriculum, faculty, and staff development
in one or more of these eligible disciplines. Administrative reform at
the foreign partner should also be a project component. Proposals in
the field of economic development should focus on utilizing university
resources to conduct educational outreach which will promote trade and
investment in the region.
Projects should involve the development of new academic programs or
the building and/or restructuring of an existing program or programs,
and should promote higher education's role in the transition to market
economies and open democratic systems. Feasibility studies to plan
partnerships will not be considered.
Whenever feasible, participants should make their training and
personnel resources, as well as results of their collaborative
research, available to government, NGOs, and business.
Participating institutions should exchange faculty and/or staff
members for teaching/lecturing and consulting. At least once, one U.S.
participant should be in residence at the foreign partner institution
for one semester to serve in a coordinating role.
U.S. institutions are responsible for the submission of proposals
and should collaborate with their foreign partners in planning and
preparing proposals. U.S. and foreign partner institutions are
encouraged to consult about the proposed project with USIA E/ASU staff
in Washington, D.C. Preference will be given to proposals which
demonstrate evidence of previous relations with the foreign partner
institution(s).
Guidelines
U.S. Partner and Participant Eligibility
In the U.S., participation in the program is open to accredited
two- and four-year colleges and universities, including graduate
schools. Applications from consortia of U.S. colleges and universities
are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may include relevant non-
governmental organizations, non-profit service or professional
organizations. The lead U.S. institution in the consortium is
responsible for submitting the application and each application from a
consortium must document the lead school's stated authority to
represent the consortium. Participants representing the U.S.
institution who are traveling under USIA grant funds must be faculty,
staff, or advanced graduate students from the participating
institution(s) and must be U.S. citizens.
Foreign Partner and Participating Eligibility
Overseas, participation is open to recognized, degree-granting
institutions of post-secondary education, which may include
internationally recognized and established independent research
institutes. Secondary foreign partners may include relevant
governmental and non-governmental organizations, non-profit service or
professional organizations. Participants representing the foreign
institutions must be faculty, staff or advanced students of the partner
institution, and be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the
country of the foreign partner, and be qualified to hold a valid
passport and U.S. J-1 visa.
Foreign partners from the following countries are eligible:
Armenia.
Azerbaijan--foreign partners must be independent institutions;
state universities are not eligible.
Belarus--foreign partners must be independent institutions; state
universities are not eligible.
Georgia.
Kazakstan.
Kyrgyzstan.
Moldova.
Russia--preference will be given to proposals which: (1) designate
partner institutions outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg; (2)
designate partner institutions in regions which have been identified by
the U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on Economic and Technical Cooperation
for Regional Investment Initiatives. Khabarovsk kraj and Sakhalin
oblast have been designated for a Regional Investment Initiative.
Samara oblast has also been designated for a Regional Investment
Initiative.
Tajikistan.
Turkmenistan.
Ukraine.
Uzbekistan.
Partnerships including a secondary foreign partner from a non-NIS
country in Europe are eligible; however, with the exception noted
below, USIA will not cover overseas non-NIS partner institution costs.
In order to promote regional cooperation, limited funds may be
budgeted for the exchange, as part of this partnership agreement, of
faculty between NIS institutions and institutions of higher learning in
Central and Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romnai, Serbia and Montenegro,
Slovakia, Slovenia).
Ineligibility
A proposal will be deemed technically ineligible if:
(1) It does not fully adhere to the guidelines established herein
and in the Solicitation Package;
(2) It is not received by the deadline;
(3) It is not submitted by the U.S. partner;
(4) One of the partner institutions is ineligible;
(5) The academic discipline(s) is/are not listed as eligible in the
RFP, herein;
(6) The amount requested of USIA exceeds $300,000 for the three-
year project.
Please refer to program-specific guidelines (POGI) in the
Solicitation Package for further details.
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
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: November 14, 1997.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-30525 Filed 11-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
