[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19658-19660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10817]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
United States Information Agency Regional Scholar Exchange
Program With the New Independent States; Freedom Support Act
Fellowships in Contemporary Issues
ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division,
European Programs Branch of the United States Information Agency's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for two assistance awards. Public and private non-profit
organizations with at least four years of experience in conducting
international exchange programs with the New Independent States and
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1
may apply to develop and administer one or both of the following two
categories of academic exchange programs:
Category A: USIA Regional Scholar Exchange Program with the New
Independent States for approximately 60 to 70 pre-doctoral and/or post-
doctoral scholars, researchers, and university faculty in the social
sciences and humanities who are citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan*,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and for
approximately 10 pre- and/or post-doctoral scholars, researchers, and
university faculty in the social sciences and humanities who are
citizens of the United States.
Category B: FREEDOM Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary Issues
for approximately 60 to 70 highly qualified policymakers, public,
private, and third sector professionals, and scholars with advanced
degrees--Kandidat preferred--who are citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan*,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and who
are professionally engaged in the building of democracy, free markets,
and a civil society in their countries in the post-Soviet era.
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 the
restrictions of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992:
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.
The goals and objectives of both the USIA Regional Scholar Exchange
Program with the NIS and the FREEDOM Support Act Fellowships in
Contemporary Issues are to empower outstanding citizens of the
countries of the NIS and U.S. to: (1) Obtain access to the resource
materials and specialists of the host country so that they can conduct
the specific research proposed in their applications; (2) Deliver
lectures, make presentations, and write articles, books, policy papers,
reports, and/or produce other materials that advance the state of
knowledge and practice in their fields in their home countries and
institutions; (3) Promote long-term collaborative research projects and
cooperation between U.S. and NIS scholars and practitioners.
For both categories, participants from the NIS must demonstrate a
high level of fluency in written and spoken English at a level
appropriate to achieve the goals and objectives of the program.
Participants from the U.S. must demonstrate a high level of fluency in
written and spoken Russian and/or another language of the NIS in order
to conduct research at NIS host institutions. Escort interpreters will
not be provided, nor funded by USIA.
Both categories are open, merit-based competitions that must be
conducted nationally in the home countries of the applicants and all
applicants must be working or studying in their home countries at the
time of application and selection. The fellowship periods for both
categories must be for a minimum of three months (or the equivalent of
one academic semester), but must not exceed a maximum of eight months
(or the equivalent of one academic year). For both categories, all
participants must be affiliated with universities, research institutes,
or other organizations in the host country which have specialists and
resources in the field of the fellows' research. All participants must
be matched with a host advisor who serves as a research mentor and
guides their professional development during the fellowship. Applicants
who have participated in a USIA-funded academic exchange program after
June 1994 are not eligible to receive fellowships in either category.
Each category has separate conditions and requirements which are
stated in this announcement and detailed in the full Solicitation
Package. Organizations may apply for an assistance award for one or
both categories, but must submit a separate proposal and budget for
each category. Organizations that apply for assistance awards in both
categories are strongly encouraged to craft each proposal and budget in
an innovative way that maximizes resources, streamlines program and
administrative operations, and achieves economies of scale for the
program and administrative activities, practices, and procedures which
are common to both categories.
Organizations which wish to work in partnership on one or both
categories may apply as a consortia, but must submit one proposal and
one budget for each category. All proposals from consortia must
identify a lead organization and cite the specific duties,
responsibilities, division of labor, and budget for all members of the
consortia as well as subcontracts from a lead organization to each
member of the consortia.
USIA anticipates awarding one assistance award for each category
cited in this announcement. Grants awarded to organizations through
this competition must begin no earlier than August 1, 1996 and must be
completed by July 31, 1998. USIA expects that NIS participants will
begin their U.S. programs as a group in late January 1997 and in late
August 1997. However, in instances when it is feasible and advisable,
some NIS participants may begin their U.S. programs at other
appropriate times during the grant period. USIA expects that U.S.
participants will begin their NIS programs at various and appropriate
times in 1997 and 1998. At the end of their fellowships, all
participants are required to return to their home countries so that
they can begin to apply the knowledge, skills, and insights gained as a
result of their academic exchange experience.
Overall grantmaking authority for the USIA Regional Scholar
Exchange Program for the New Independent States 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
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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 Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange
Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended. Programs shall also
maintain their scholarly integrity and shall meet the highest standards
of academic excellence. . . .
Overall grantmaking authority for the FREEDOM Support Act
Fellowships in Contemporary Issues is made possible through legislation
sponsored by the U.S. Congress and incorporated in the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act of FY 1993. The legislation was established
to assist the economic and democratic development of the New
Independent States of the former Soviet Union. The funding authority
for the program cited above is provided through the 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. USIA reserves the
right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance
with the needs of the programs.
ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number
E/AEE-04.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Thursday, June 13,
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked June 13, 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,
Division of Academic Exchanges, European Programs Branch, E/AEE, Room
246, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547; telephone number (202) 205-0525; fax (202) 260-7985; Internet
address rboris @usia.gov 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 budgets.
TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation
Package may be download 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 Rhonda E. Boris 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 ten copies of the application
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-96-04, Office
of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington,
DC 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: For both categories, U.S. organizations will
be required to: advertise, announce, and explain the program to target
audiences in the U.S. and NIS; recruit a large, diverse group of
qualified applicants from each eligible country; select finalists via
merit-based open competition that incorporates peer group review
mechanisms; affiliate participants with diverse host institutions and
place participants with host advisors who are knowledgeable about the
participants' field of research; arrange program logistics in a timely
and effective manner, track and monitor participants; develop alumni
and other follow on activities; evaluate programs for short-term and
long-term evidence of effectiveness and in support of the requirements
of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA); and
conduct other required program activities and operations.
Organizations are required to plan and implement all program
activities and operations in close coordination with USIA in Washington
and USIS posts in the NIS. Further details about specific program
requirements and additional information can be found in the Project
Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) Statement which are part
of the full Solicitation Package.
Guidelines
Visa/Health Insurance/Tax Requirements: Programs must comply with
J-1 visa regulations. Exchange program regulations require that all J
visa holders carry health and accident insurance. Please refer to the
guidelines 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. Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax regulation
adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
Proposed Budget
For Category A: FY 1996 USIA funding is anticipated at $1,000,000.
For Category B: FY 1996 FREEDOM Support Act funding is anticipated
at $960.000.
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. It is required that
requested administrative funds, including indirect costs and
administrative expenses, not exceed 20 percent of the grant amount
requested from USIA. Preference will be given to organizations whose
administrative cost request is below 20 percent.
Administrative and program expenses should be cost-shared to
maximize all available program resources from the private sector, host
institutions, and applicant organization.
Allowable costs for each category include the following:
(1) General Program Costs (program materials; advertising and
outreach; recruitment travel and per diem in the NIS; application
review and/or selection
[[Page 19660]]
committee; finalist interviews in the NIS; group program orientation
for NIS participants, listserv; on-line journal, alumni data base,
alumni activities for NIS participants, follow on e-mail/Internet
assistance for selected NIS participants);
(2) Participant Program Costs (visas; roundtrip travel to and from
home city to host institution via American flag carrier; monthly
maintenance (based on average MMR); stipend; professional development
for NIS participants; participant taxes)
(3) Administrative Costs (staff salaries and benefits;
communications, facilities (U.S. and NIS), office supplies audit, and
indirect costs).
Please refer to the full 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 East
European and NIS Affairs and the USIA post 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.
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 the Program Plan
Proposals should include academic rigor and scholarly excellence,
thorough conception of program, demonstration of meeting participants'
needs, contributions to understanding the partner country, specific
details of recruitment, selection, affiliation, placement, professional
development, and monitoring processes, proposed alumni activities,
alumni tracking, and follow on activities, qualifications and expertise
of program staff and participants, and relevance of program plan to
USIA's mission and U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives in the NIS.
2. Program Planning and Organizational Capacity
A detailed work plan and timeline should demonstrate the
organization's logistical and administrative capacity to implement the
program. Proposals must demonstrate how the organization and its staff
will meet the program's objectives and work plan. Proposed personnel
and organizational resources should be adequate and appropriate to
implement the program requirements and achieve program objectives.
3. Organization's Track Record
Relevant USIA and outside assessments of the organization's
experience in developing, implementing, administering, and evaluating
scholarly research exchanges with the NIS, 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.
4. Multiplier Effect/Impact
Proposed programs must demonstrate an impact on the wider community
of scholars, students, policymakers, opinion-leaders, and public,
private, and third sector professionals and organizations through the
sharing of information and the establishment of long-term institutional
and individual linkages among U.S. and NIS scholars and practitioners.
5. Cost-Effectiveness
A key measure of cost-effectiveness is USIA's cost per participant.
This is the total funds requested from USIA divided by the number of
participant-months (number of participants 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.
6. Cost-Sharing
Preference will be given to outstanding proposals that also seek to
maximize cost-sharing through other private sector support as well as
institutional direct funding contributions.
7. 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
country.
8. Support of Diversity and Pluralism
Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of the Bureau's
policy on diversity through the recruitment, selection, affiliation,
and placement of participants, to the extent feasible for the applicant
organizations.
9. Alumni and Follow-On Activities
Proposals should provide a plan for alumni and other follow on
activities (without USIA support) which ensures that USIA supported
programs are not isolated events.
10. Program Evaluation
Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the program in ways
that support the requirements of the Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993. An evaluation plan and draft survey questionnaire or other
technique plus a description of a methodology to be used to link
outcomes to original project objectives is required as well as a
comprehensive plan to track participants before, during, and after
their fellowships. Organizations will be expected to submit
intermediate programmatic and financial reports after each project
component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
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: April 25, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-10817 Filed 5-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
