[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 81 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18465-18467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10239]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program
ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchange Programs
Division, European Programs Branch of 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 meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR
1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to administer the recruitment, selection,
placement, monitoring, evaluation, and follow-on activities for the
Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program. Organizations with less than four
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs are
not eligible for this competition.
The Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program selects outstanding
citizens of the New Independent States (NIS) and the Baltics to receive
scholarships for Master's-level study and professional development in
the United States in the fields of business administration, economics,
law, and public administration. Fellowships are awarded to qualified
young and mid-career individuals who are citizens of Armenia,
Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,
Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, or Uzbekistan. Interested organizations should read the
complete Federal Register announcement and request a Solicitation
Package from USIA prior to preparing a proposal.
*Please note: Programs with Azerbaijan are subject to
restrictions of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act: Employees of
the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its instrumentalities are
excluded from participation, and no U.S. participant overseas may
work for the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its
instrumentalities. In addition, the Government of Azerbaijan or any
of its instrumentalities will have no control in the actual
selection of participants.
Edmund S. Muskie Fellows enroll in graduate degree, certificate,
and non-degree programs lasting one-to-two academic years. It is
estimated that approximately 100-130 Fellows will participate in the
1997 program.
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. 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/AEE-97-01.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Thursday, June
20, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked June 20, 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: The Office of Academic Programs,
European Programs Branch, E/AEE, Room 246, U.S. Information Agency, 301
4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, (P)202-205-0525, (F)202-260-
7985, (E-Mail) [email protected] to request a Solicitation 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. Select ``Education and
Cultural Exchanges'', then select ``Current Request for Proposals
(RFPs).'' Please read ``About the Following RFPs'' before beginning to
download.
Please specify USIA Program Officer/Specialist Laura Shane on all
inquiries and correspondence. Interested
[[Page 18466]]
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 14 copies of the application
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-97-01, 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 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 Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program is designed to foster
democratization and the transition to market economies in the former
Soviet Union and Baltic States though intensive academic and
professional training. Since the program's inception in fiscal year
1992, over 650 Fellowships have been awarded. The academic component of
the program begins in the fall semester of the year of award and
follows the normal one- or two-year academic cycle. Fellows take part
in eight- to twelve-week internships during the summer following the
first academic year. While Fellows are closely assisted in their
internship search by host institutions, sponsoring organizations, and
USIA, the primary responsibility for securing appropriate internships
remains with the Fellows. Fellows placed in one-year graduate programs
return home at the conclusion of their internship. Fellows placed in
two-year graduate programs return to their academic placement following
the internship. The Muskie Program is not intended as a precursor to
doctoral studies in the United States. At the end of their designated
academic and internship programs, Fellows are required to return to
their home countries.
The Muskie Program includes the fields of business administration,
economics, law, and public administration. USIA anticipates that the
fields of mass communications/journalism, education administration,
library and information science, and public policy may be added to the
1997 Muskie Program. Therefore, organizations should address their
abilities to administer the program in these fields as well as the four
original Muskie fields.
In the past, the Muskie Program has been administered consortially
by four organizations, working in close partnership for all phases of
the program. It is anticipated that decreases in program funding will
necessitate that the number of organizations administering the Muskie
Program be reduced. Applicant organizations may apply to administer the
program individually or via a consortial arrangement as long as one
organization is designated as the recipient of the grant. Organizations
may also indicate in their proposals a plan to work cooperatively with
one or more applicant organizations. However, organizations must also
clearly state their individual capabilities.
Proposing organizations must demonstrate the ability to administer
all aspects of the Muskie program--advertisement, recruitment,
selection, placement, orientation. Fellow monitoring and support,
financial management, evaluation, follow-on, and alumni tracking and
programming. Applicant organizations should demonstrate the ability to
recruit and select a diverse pool of candidates from various geographic
regions within the NIS and Baltics. Additionally, organizations will be
asked to assist in the recruitment and selection of appropriate host
institutions from throughout the United States for pre-academic, ESL,
and academic programs. Administering organizations will act as the
principal liaison with Muskie host institutions. Additionally,
organizations should demonstrate the ability to work with private
sector organizations in the United States, NIS and Baltics to
facilitate to Fellows' professional development and post-program re-
entry. Further details on specific program responsibilities can be
found in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI)
Statement which is part of the formal Solicitation Package available
from USIA.
Awards will begin on or about October 1, 1996, and will be
approximately three years in duration. Initial recruitment and
selection activities will be performed by the current administering
organizations.
Guidelines
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for
further details.
The level of funding for fiscal year 1997 is uncertain; proposal
budgets should not exceed $5 million.
Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on
the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. There must be a
summary budget as well as a break-down reflecting both the
administrative budget and the program budget. Organizations whose
proposals include an administrative budget that is less than 20% of the
grant amount requested from USIA will be given preference. Detailed
guidance on budget preparation is included in the Project Objectives,
Goals and Implementation (POGI) statement. Please refer to the complete
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 Office of Eastern
Europe and NIS Affairs 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.
[[Page 18467]]
Review Criteria
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 program plan: Proposed programs should include
academic rigor, thorough conception or project, demonstration of
meeting participant needs, contributions to understanding the partner
country, proposed alumni activities, specific details of recruitment,
selection and monitoring processes, a thorough evaluation plan,
proposed follow-on, and relevance to USIA's mission.
(2.) Program planning and institutional capacity: A detailed agenda
and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and
logistical capacity. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the
institution and its staff will meet the program objectives and plan.
(3.) Track record: Relevant USIA and outside assessments of the
organization's experience with international exchanges;
(4.) Multiplier effect/impact: The impact of the exchange activity
on the wider community and on the development of continuing ties, as
well as the contribution of the proposed activity in promoting mutual
understanding will be evaluated.
(5.) Value of U.S.-partner country relations: The assessment by
USIA's geographic area office of the need, potential impact, and
significance of the project with the partner countries.
(6.) Cost-effectiveness: A key measure of cost-effectiveness is the
unit cost to the Agency. This is the total request of USIA monies
divided by the number of fellow-months (number of fellows multiplied by
the number of program months). 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.
(7.) Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
(8.) Diversity and pluralism: Preference will be given to proposals
that demonstrate efforts to provide for the participation of students
with a variety of major disciplines, from diverse regions, and of
different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, to the extent feasible
for the applicant institutions. The Agency will seek to achieve maximum
geographic diversity in recruitment, selection and placement of
participants through its award of grants.
(9.) Follow-on activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity which insures that USIA-supported programs
are not isolated events. Proposals should include a plan for alumni
tracking and coordination that demonstrates the willingness to provide
data to and coordinate tracking with USIA and USIS Posts overseas.
(10.) Project evaluation: Proposals should provide a plan for
evaluation by the grantee institution to determine the success of the
project. Special attention should be given to measuring long-term
program effectiveness.
Notice
The terms and conditions published kin 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: April 19, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-10239 Filed 4-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
