[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17848-17850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8520]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
North-South Center External Research Grant Program
ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The United States Information Agency's Bureau of Education and
Cultural Affairs invites applications from eligible institutions under
the auspices of the North-South Center's 1995 Research Grant Program.
The North-South Center is located at the University of Miami and is
funded largely through a Congressional appropriation managed by the
United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs. The Center's Research Grant Programs support select research
activities which are of importance to the people and governments of the
Western Hemisphere. Through grant awards, the Center brings together
human and technical resources to address major themes relevant to
policy-making in the region.
Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the
grant awarded to the North-South Center by the United States
Information Agency. The mission of the North-South Center is to promote
better relations and serve as a people of the hemisphere.
The purposes of the External Research Grant Program are to support
scholarship in various fields of research among institutions throughout
the hemisphere, stimulate discussion of policy-relevant issues, and
promote scholarship from which policy solutions may derive. Since 1991,
approximately 150 External Research Grants have been awarded involving
over 300 institutions throughout the hemisphere.
Short-term Field Research Grant Program on Migration and Refugee
Issues: In response to increasing migration pressures in the region,
the North-South Center seeks to further the state of understanding of
the social, political, and economic impulses for and consequences of
migration. Research initiatives concerning this theme can be
investigated from a variety of disciplinary perspectives from within
the social sciences and other relevant fields. Research proposals will
be accepted from various disciplines to conduct research projects or
field research which investigates contemporary issues in relation to
themes such as the following: The formation, functioning, and
consequences of transnational communities; the processes of return
migration resulting from political reconciliation and democratization;
the consequences of neoliberal economic reforms on international
migration and return migration; new migratory currents within the
Americas; and demographic changes brought about by migration.
ANNOUNCEMENT NAME: All communications with the North-South Center
concerning this announcement should refer to the title of Research
Grant Program on Migration and Refugee Issues.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: The External Research Grant Program requires
that one original and nineteen (19) copies of final proposal, written
in English, be received at the Office of Grant Programs, North-South
Center by 5 p.m. Miami time on Friday, May 12, 1995. Please conserve
paper by making copies double-sided. Documents sent by facsimile will
not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked on May 12, 1995 but
received on a later date. It is the responsibility of each grant
applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the above deadlines.
Project activities should begin no earlier than July 1, 1995 and should
run no longer than December 31, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Grant Programs Office
where an applicant can obtain the application package, which contains
submission deadlines. Draft and final proposals will be accepted only
in the format requested in the application package and only until May
12, 1995. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the North-South Center will
not inform the applicant on the status of his/her application--except
to acknowledge its receipt--until after the Center's proposal review
process has been completed.
Organizations/institutions/individuals should contact the Office of
Grant Programs at the address listed below or by telephone at (305)
284-8951, facsimile (305) 284-6370, or electronic mail
escott@umiami.ir.miami.edu to request a detailed application packet.
Application packets include award criteria not mentioned in this
announcement, all necessary forms, and guidelines for preparing
proposals, including specific budget preparation information.
ADDRESSES: Twenty (20) complete proposals written in English should be
received by the May 12, 1995 deadline addressed to: Mary Uebersax,
Director of Grant Programs, North-South Center, 1500 Monza Avenue,
Coral Gables, FL 33146-3027.
The ensure timely delivery, a reliable courier should be used to
envoy the project proposals. The Center will not reimburse the cost of
such delivery.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposals from all parts of the world,
except where prohibited by U.S. law that are consistent with the
mission of the North-South Center and are of sound intellectual
justification will be considered. Funding will not be authorized for
any private for-profit institutions, profit-oriented individuals'
initiatives, projects of a proprietary nature, or for projects of a
partisan political nature. The applicant should be the project's
principal investigator and should have completed advanced degrees and
be affiliated with an institution. Pre-doctoral scholars are eligible
to compete for the Program. [[Page 17849]] However, pre-doctoral
scholars must currently be affiliated with an institution of higher
learning and have the support of their research advisor or department
chair to conduct the proposed research project. The Center and its
External Grant Review Panel will not use political tests or political
qualifications and will not discriminate in any manner whatsoever in
selecting grantees.
Pursuant to the authorizing legislation of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
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 race,
gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and
physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to
the advancement of this principle.
The recipient organization will be responsible for arrangements
associated with the program. These include organization a coherent
progression of activities, providing international and domestic travel
arrangements for all participants, making lodging and local
transportation arrangements for visitors, orienting and debriefing
participants, preparing any necessary support material, and working
with host institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program
effectiveness.
Funding Limitations
The maximum award for this program is $20,000. Support will include
international travel expenses, domestic transportation, limited living
expenses, and research and pre-publication expenses.
The grant awards should not be used in lieu of salary or to support
projects which could be funded by private foundations or government. In
addition, applicants are encouraged to seek supplemental funding for
projects.
Successful projects will be funded by means of a cost reimbursement
subcontract agreement between the North-South Center, the University of
Miami, and the applicant's institution. All current policies and
requirements that govern federal research grants will be applied to the
grant award.
Guidelines
The Center gives priority to projects involving the collaboration
of institutions in more than one country. The Program provides funding
for projects that demonstrate a clear analytical focus, a solid method
to achieve research goals in a timely manner, and relevance to
contemporary policy. Research activities should generate a product of
enduring value such as a publication or a series of publications.
Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions
contained in the application package. Confirmation letters from U.S.
and foreign co-sponsors noting their intention to participate in the
program will enhance a proposal.
Proposed Budget
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for which
specific details are available in the application packet. The Center
does not pay for indirect costs or costs that are not directly related
to the specific project being funded. No support will be given for the
purchase or lease of capital equipment (e.g., facsimile machines,
computers), or other related infrastructural costs. Some degree of
institutional support should be reflected in the proposed project
budget. It is not permissible to request support in lieu of
responsibilities for university course instruction.
Review Process
Grants made through the North-South Center External Research Grant
Program are awarded through a competitive review process. The Grant
Programs Office will acknowledge receipt of all proposals, and the
Center's Executive Staff will review every proposal for eligibility,
completeness, and competitiveness. Outside reviewers with expertise in
a particular subject area may be called upon to provide critique on
proposals. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully
adhere to the guidelines established herein and in the application
packet. All eligible and complete proposals will be submitted to the
Center's Grant Review Panel, comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of
distinguished experts from major university centers for Latin American
and Caribbean Studies as well as Latin America specialists from the
non-academic international community.
Review Criteria
Applications which meet the aforementioned technical requirements
will be competitively reviewed according to the following criteria:
1. Contribution to the field of study: Proposals should demonstrate
a distinct theoretical, political, or applied academic significance to
the stated subject area. The outcome of the research endeavor should be
useful and applicable to the academic, government, and policy making
and/or governmental sectors.
2. Research cohesiveness and quality: Clearly defined research
hypotheses, including the specific questions which will be asked
through this investigation, and an explanation of the means of testing
and evaluating the research objectives should be provided. A detailed
research agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive
rigor and a logistical capacity to implement the work plan. Proposed
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.
3. Clarity and focus: Proposals should illustrate that the research
has been sufficiently developed prior to the request for funding, to
ensure that its aims are clear and specific. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate the process by which the applicant will meet the program's
objectives and research plan.
4. Concrete and lasting impact of the investigation: Proposed
programs should strengthen enduring mutual understanding, including
maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term
institutional and individual linkages. Proposals should provide a plan
for continued follow-up activity which insures that the Center's
supported programs are not isolated events. Effective dissemination of
the project's results should be planned to reach the widest possible
and most relevant audience.
5. Potential: Proposals should demonstrate the potential for
fostering cooperation and understanding among peoples of the region.
Research output should provide clear and sound analysis of or tools for
policy making.
6. Applicant's ``track record'': Applicants should demonstrate a
history of successful programs, including responsible fiscal management
and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past research
grants, where applicable. The Center will consider the past performance
of prior grantees and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
7. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of
diversity throughout the program.
8. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project
[[Page 17850]] component and a final report at the conclusion. Grantees
must be willing to comply with evaluation requirements of the granting
institution.
9. Cost-effectiveness: The administrative components of grants
should be kept as low as possible. All other research costs should be
necessary, appropriate, and justified in the budget narrative.
10. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private support as well as direct funding contributions (such as
full-time salaries) from the home institutions.
Notice
The terms and conditions published in the RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any North-South Center or United States Information
Agency representative. Explanatory information provided by USIA or the
North-South Center that contradicts published language will not be
binding. This RFP combined with the application packet which is
obtainable by calling the North-South Center, constitutes the entire
terms and conditions for application to this grant program. Issuance of
the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the
Center. Programs and projects must conform with the Center's
requirement and guidelines outlined in the Application Packet. The
Center's project and programs are subject to the availability of funds.
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been made available
through the U.S. Government's appropriation and contracting process and
allocated and committed through internal North-South Center and
University of Miami procedures.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in writing of the results of the
review process. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements.
Dated: March 13, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Education and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-8520 Filed 4-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
