[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5995-5998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2358]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Request for Proposals
PROGRAM TITLE: Creative Arts Exchange Program.
SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges within the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for an assistance award. Public and
private non-profit organizations that demonstrate disciplinary
expertise in the arts and humanities and meet the provisions described
in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3) may apply to develop international
projects for visual and/or performing artists, educators and arts
administrators. These projects will consist of residencies and programs
in which selected participants from the United States and other
countries work, learn or create together. An overarching goal of this
program is to foster on-going sustainable linkages and partnerships
between arts organizations or institutions in the U.S. and other
countries. Participant exchanges and residencies offer benefits to
artists and arts administrators as well as their sponsoring
organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on projects that
closely relate art and culture to furthering public understanding and
awareness of global issues and social concerns and/or projects that
utilize the arts to promote solutions to societal problems. Interested
applicants are invited to request and read the complete Solicitation
Package before submitting their proposals. Proposed projects must be
eligible in terms of countries/localities and disciplines as described
in the section entitled ``Eligibility'' below.
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. The package consists
of a Federal Register Request For Proposals (RFP); a statement
outlining the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI); and
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). 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 announcement's title and reference number
E/P-98-29.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Thursday, April
2, 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: Project timetables should assume a
funding date no earlier than July 15, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Program Officer Jill Johansen in the
Cultural Programs Section, Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/PY, Room 568,
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547,
telephone: (202) 205-2209, fax: (202) 619-5311, Internet:
jjohanse@u to request a Solicitation Package containing more
detailed award information. Please request 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 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 Jill Johansen on all inquiries
and correspondence. 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 three (3) copies of the full
package plus (11) eleven additional copies of Tabs A-E of your proposal
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-98-29, 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
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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:
Overview
The Creative Arts Exchanges Program within the Office of Citizen
Exchanges works with U.S. non-profit organizations to develop
cooperative international group projects that provide opportunities for
American and foreign participants to work together and increase their
understanding of each other's cultural and artistic life and
traditions. Proposed projects should include a substantive and integral
role for USIA's colleagues stationed at United States Information
Service [USIS] posts overseas. Our posts carry out activities that
support USIA's mission to increase mutual understanding between the
United States and other countries and to promote international
cooperation in education and cultural fields. USIS post officers have
access to and in-depth knowledge of the arts communities where they are
stationed. Their active participation in creative arts exchange
projects increases the success and viability of our programs.
We seek proposals from U.S. organizations that have disciplinary
expertise in the arts and humanities as well as broad outreach and
networking capabilities into American arts and cultural activities
nationwide. International projects in the United States or overseas may
involve arts administrators, playwrights, theater directors, arts
managers, experts on copyright protection for artists, choreographers,
film makers, cultural tourism specialists, visual artists, writers and
poets. Arts administration programs can include topics such as
fundraising, community outreach, volunterism, arts management,
development and organizational structure. Cultural tourism projects can
include topics such as the role of the arts in economic development,
marketing, audience and program development, art preservation and
cultural patrimony.
Visual and performing arts projects should demonstrate a
relationship to societal and/or global concerns such as: conflict
resolution, global cooperation, energy conservation and environmental
management, the role of women in society, teaching tolerance and race
relations. Proposals including performances and/or small exhibitions
need to demonstrate that the performance or exhibition is integral to
the creative process. Projects in which exhibitions and/or performances
are the sole program activity will not be supported under this
competition.
Organizations interested in museum/curatorial projects should
contact the American Association of Museums [AAM] International
Partnerships Among Museums [IPAM] Program at: 1575 Eye Street, NW.,
Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005; telephone [202] 289-1818; FAX: [202]
289-6578. We will not accept direct applications from museums for
international projects.
Guidelines
Proposed projects should involve the following components:
1. An international exchange of professionals in the fields listed
above;
2. The development of institutional linkages between American
organizations and their counterparts in other countries;
3. Travel of participants to or from the United States, preferably
in both directions;
4. Assurances of quality, fairness, balance and openness in the
selection of project participants;
5. Residencies that provide substantive learning opportunities for
participants.
Drafts of all printed materials developed for this program using
USIA funds should be submitted to the Agency for review and approval.
USIA must receive a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable right
to reproduce, publish or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes,
and to authorize others to do so. Funded projects must acknowledge USIA
sponsorship in all printed project materials and official project
documents.
Special Conditions and Exclusions
1. USIS posts should be given the option of nominating foreign
program participants. Final participant selection decisions will be
made by the grantee organization in consultation with USIS posts.
2. Proposals involving more than one country are preferred.
However, single-country projects that have strong USIS post support and
clearly demonstrate the potential for creating and strengthening
linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also welcome.
Organizations are strongly urged to consult posts prior to submission
of any proposals, especially when considering single-country projects.
3. Proposals involving foreign organizations should identify them
and clearly define their role in the project. Letters of commitment
from these organizations should be included in the proposal package.
Prospective applicants should consult with USIS posts regarding such
organizations prior to submitting their proposals.
4. Proposals centering on films or videos must deal with the
creative aspects of film or video making. Projects may include story
development, other aspects of the creative process, or management
issues like funding and distribution. They should not include
installations, screenings, competitions, full scale film production or
distribution, or any other type of project prohibited in this
announcement.
The following types of projects are ineligible for support:
1. Projects consisting solely of vocational and technical training;
2. Scholarly programs, long-term academic study or training
programs, and student and/or faculty exchanges (Organizations
interested in programs of this nature should contact USIA's Office of
Academic Programs--202-619-6409);
3. Projects that solely consist of speaking tours, conferences,
research projects, research for project development purposes,
festivals, publications and international arts competitions;
4. Youth or youth-related activities (participants under age 25) or
projects for the exchange of amateurs or semi-professionals;
5. Study tours and observerships;
6. Projects in the fields of historical conservation and
preservation;
7. Projects for Eastern European or NIS countries other than those
specified under our geographic guidelines, which
[[Page 5997]]
are: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
USIA provides support to Sister Cities International and Partners
of the Americas. It has agreed to partially fund administrative
expenses of these organizations' national offices, but will not fund
projects arising from sister city and partner state relationships once
they are established.
Geographic Guidelines
Proposals which address themselves to various geographic regions of
the world, and allow across-the-board participation from all areas are
preferred. In addition, preferred or eligible specific geographic areas
are:
1. Africa: Proposals are especially encouraged for projects in
Africa, specifically those dealing with indigenous arts, copyright
protection for artists, arts management and efforts to develop long-
term strategies for protecting the archaeological and ethnological
cultural patrimony including, but not limited to, sustainable cultural
tourism initiatives for economic development.
2. Northern Africa, Near/Middle East and South Asia [NEA]: Region.
Proposals are also especially encouraged for the NEA Region. USIA's
preference is for performing or visual arts projects in Morocco and/or
Tunisia. These North African countries enjoy a long history of
excellent relations with the U.S. as well as rich and diverse cultures.
Projects which will demonstratively result in improved understanding of
U.S. values and strengthening civil society in one or both of these
countries will be given priority. Examples might include, but are not
limited to, projects which promote the use of theater or music to
increase environmental awareness or similar civic responsibilities.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact USIA posts in Tunis and/
or Rabat as they develop these proposals.
3. American Republics (South America, Central America and the
Caribbean): Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the
following topics listed in priority: arts administration; cultural
patrimony; cultural tourism; and ethnic and indigenous arts.
4. Western Europe and Canada: Proposals focusing on Turkey will be
given strong preference.
5. Eastern Europe and New Independent States: Proposals will only
be accepted for projects focusing on arts management and designed to
create institutional partnerships between U.S. arts organizations and
arts organizations in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
6. East Asia: Preference will be given to proposals that focus on
intellectual property protection in emerging Asian democracies.
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. Administration of the program must be in compliance
with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, and
local taxes as applicable.
Proposed Budget
Detailed budgetary requirements and guidelines are included in the
Solicitation Package. Organizations must submit a comprehensive line
item budget based on the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package.
The maximum amount for a grant reward under this competition is
$75,000. However, Creative Arts Exchange grants awarded through open
competitions are on average approximately $58,000 with many successful
proposals coming in at well below this level. Grants awarded to
eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.
Organizations submitting proposals with administrative budgets that are
significantly less than the grant amount requested from USIA and cost-
sharing that equals at least 33% of the entire project budget will be
given preference.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For
further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for
each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to
facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
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 program office, as well as the USIA Area Offices and
the USIA posts overseas, where appropriate. Proposals may 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.
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 exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
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 institution 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 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 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 program or
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-up 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
[[Page 5998]]
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. Successful
applicants 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 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(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. USIA 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.
USIA should process grants for successful proposals by mid-summer.
Dated: January 26, 1998.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-2358 Filed 2-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
