[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 115 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14691]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Exchanges With the Baltic
Countries, the New Independent States, and Central and Eastern Europe
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals (RFP).
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SUMMARY: The United States Information Agency (USIA) invites
applications from U.S. educational, cultural, and other not-for-profit
organizations to conduct exchanges of college students with Albania,
Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, the Republic of Slovakia, Romania, the
Russian Federation, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and
Uzbekistan. These exchanges represent part of the activities of the
Presidents' University Student Exchange (the 1000-1000 Student
Exchange) and the Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange Program and are
subject to the availability of funding. Interested applicants are urged
to read the complete Federal Register announcement before addressing
inquiries to the Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges
Division, European Branch or submitting their proposals. After the RFP
deadline, the European Branch may not discuss this competition in any
way with applicants until the final decisions are made.
Support is offered for three categories of exchange programs:
Category A: The Presidents' University Student Exchange Program
(the 1000-1000 Student Exchange) with Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus,
Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the
Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan;
Category B: The Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange with Armenia,
Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan; and,
Category C: The Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange with Albania,
Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, the
Republic of Slovakia, Romania, and Slovenia.
*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. In addition, the Government of
Azerbaijan and/or its instrumentalities will have no control in the
actual selection of participants.
Each category has separate conditions and requirements, which are
stated in this announcement. Organizations may compete in one, two or
three of the categories, but must submit a separate proposal and budget
for each category. If an institution submits proposals in more than one
category which appear to be identical or nearly identical in content,
the Agency reserves the right to consider only one of the proposals.
Organizations applying under any or all categories must follow the
requirements stipulated in this RFP, the application guidelines, and
any additional material specific to a given category. Failure to do so
may result in a proposal being deemed technically ineligible. Programs
and projects must conform with all Agency requirements and guidelines,
and are subject to final review by a USIA grants officer. Proposals
must be for study programs for which academic credit is given. While
programs may include internships, the focus of projects should be
classroom work or research. Programs designed specifically for foreign
participants to teach their native language or area studies in American
institutions are ineligible for support.
Eligible Applicants: Applications under Categories A, B or C for
substantive academic exchanges will be accepted from accredited,
degree-granting U.S. universities or colleges, including two-year
community colleges, university systems, and not-for-profit
organizations engaged in international educational exchange programs.
DATES: Deadline for proposals: September 28, 1994. All copies of
proposals for Categories A, B and C must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on September 28, 1994.
Faxed documents will not be accepted nor will documents postmarked on
September 28, 1994, but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each grant applicant to ensure that its proposals are
received by the appropriate deadline. No funds may be expended until
the grant agreement is signed with USIA's Office of Contracts.
Announcement Number: E/AEE-95-01. Applications submitted under this
RFP must indicate the appropriate program name, category, and the
above-referenced number. This announcement number must also appear in
any correspondence concerning this application.
ADDRESSES: The original and nine (9) complete copies of the
application, including required forms, should be addressed as follows:
U.S. Information Agency,
Reference:-------------------------------------------------------------
(Program Title)
Category---------------------------------------------------------------
(A, B or C)
Announcement number: E/AEE-95-01, Office of Grants Management, E/XE
Room 336, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Effie Wingate or Mr. Ted Kniker,
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW., European Branch, Academic
Exchanges Division, E/AEE Room 246, Washington, DC 20547; telephone
(202) 205-0525. To request detailed application packages, which include
award criteria additional to this announcement, all necessary forms,
formats, guidelines for preparing proposals, and for other technical
information please call (202) 619-5341. The application package will be
mailed to you via regular mail. USIA will not fax the application
packet or send it via express mail, nor will USIA staff accept requests
to send application packets via express carriers using non-USIA account
numbers.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overall authority for these exchanges is
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,
as amended, Public Law 87-256 (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 people
of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges; 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 other countries of the world.''
Programs shall also ``maintain their scholarly integrity and shall meet
the highest standards of academic excellence or artistic achievement.''
Pursuant to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 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. It should be noted that a greater
emphasis is being placed on promoting diversity in Bureau programs.
Diversity should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass
differences including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, religion,
geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical challenges.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this
principle throughout the proposed program and within their own
operations.
Application Notice (All Categories)
Please be advised: Proposals submitted by the same institution
under Categories A, B, and C for this or previous years' competitions
may not be duplicative or identical. If an organization submits more
than one proposal, each proposal must sponsor different students and
employ separate budgets. If organizations have been funded under
previous competitions, the new proposal(s) may not be identically
written to previous submissions, but should include the most recent
program information. Proposals not adhering to these restrictions will
be deemed technically ineligible and will not be reviewed for funding.
Organizations applying for exchanges with the New Independent States
are encouraged to submit only under one category, A or B.
General Requirements (All Categories)
(1) Institutional Commitment
Proposals must include documentation of institutional support for
the proposed program in the form of signed letters of endorsement from
the U.S. and foreign institutions' directors, or in the form of a
signed agreement by the same persons. Letters of endorsement must
describe each institution's or organization's commitment and make
specific reference to the proposed program and each institution's
activities in support of that program. Documentation of support from
governmental ministries or academies will be acceptable when
appropriate, replacing individual documentation from each foreign
educational institution involved. Applicants must submit this
documentation as part of the completed application. Applying
institutions are expected to make their own arrangements with the
appropriate foreign institutions.
(2) Orientation Programs
Participating students should be provided with a substantive and
comprehensive orientation to the country where they will be studying,
and proposals should describe these programs, including cost, in
detail.
(3) Visas
All foreign participants must be sponsored under an Exchange
Visitor Program on a J visa. Programs must comply with J visa
regulations and should reference this adherence in the proposal
narrative. Applicants should demonstrate tax regulation adherence in
the proposal narrative and budget notes.
(4) Taxes
Administration of the grant awards must be in compliance with
reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, or local
taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax
regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
(5) Participant Tracking
Proposals should provide a plan showing how organizations will
track participants after their return to their home countries upon
completion of the program. Organizations should chart the progress of
the program's alumni in their academic and professional careers and
establish a system for distributing periodic updates of such
information among both current participants and alumni of the program.
(6) Budget
All organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget, the
details and format of which are contained in the application package.
The Agency reserves the right to increase, decrease or revise proposal
budgets in accordance with the needs of the program. Grant-funded items
of expenditure may include, but are not limited to, the following
categories:
Program Costs
--Round trip travel to and from their home city to international point
of departure (if applicable);
--International Travel (via American flag carrier);
--Domestic travel to and from host institution;
--Excursionary travel and lodging for cultural enrichment (not to
exceed $200.00 per participant);
--Maintenance and per diem;
--Academic program costs (e.g. tuition, book allowance);
--ESL training (if necessary);
--Travel and maintenance costs for accompanying faculty or resident
directors; for no more than one program supervisor per ten students;
--Participant recruitment costs;
--Orientation costs (speaker honoraria are not to exceed $150 per day
per speaker);
--Cultural enrichment expenses (admissions, tickets, etc., limited to
$150 per participant);
--Medical insurance for participants (participants are covered by the
Agency's self-insurance policy when USIA is funding over fifty percent
of the total cost of the projects);
--Withholding for taxes; and
--Visa fees.
Administrative Costs--Not To Exceed 20% of the Requested Budget
--Salaries and benefits;
--Communications (e.g. fax, telephone, postage);
--Office Supplies;
--Administration of tax withholding and reporting as required by
Federal, State and local authorities and in accordance with relevant
tax treaties; recipient organization should demonstrate tax regulation
adherence in the proposal narrative and budget;
--Other Direct Costs;
--All Indirect Costs.
Please note: It is required that requested administrative funds,
including indirect costs and administrative expenses for
orientation, not exceed 20 percent of the total amount requested
from USIA; administrative expenses should be cost-shared.
Applications should demonstrate substantial cost-sharing (dollar
and in-kind) in both program and administrative expenses, including
tuition waivers and overseas partner contributions. (See the
accompanying guidelines for complete cost-sharing and auditing
requirements.)
Additional Criteria for Category A
President's University Student Exchange Program (the 1000-1000 Student
Exchange) With the Baltic Countries and the New Independent States
Grant funding under this category is intended to enhance and expand
the scope of U.S. academic exchanges with undergraduate and graduate
students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. For
accident year 1995-96 the intention is to exchange 1,000 students in
each direction. Priority will be given to applications from
international exchange organizations and consortia of universities that
have a demonstrated ability to exchange students from multiple
countries in the former USSR. Preference will then be given to
applications from single institutions for programs outside the Russian
Federation. For projects in the Russian Federation, preference will be
given to applications involving multiple foreign partner institutions,
especially outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Both existing and new
projects are eligible.
(1) Awards
Project awards to U.S. organizations will be made in a wide range
of amounts. The Agency reserves the right to reduce, revise or increase
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program. For
organizations with less than four years of experience in international
exchange activities, grants will be limited to a maximum of $60,000,
and proposed budgets should not exceed this amount.
(2) Participants
Participants must be citizens either of the U.S. or of the host
country. Undergraduate students are defined as students who have not
received their baccalaureates prior to participation in this program.
Graduate students for this program should be studying at the equivalent
of the Master's degree level. Doctoral candidates are not eligible.
Students in all academic fields are eligible; students of agricultural
are especially encouraged to apply (please note special conditions for
agricultural programs below). Projects that include graduate students
must delineate between the number of graduate and undergraduate
participants, separately describe the academic programs, and include
for each a separate line item in the budget. All projects must include
undergraduate students. It is important that the selection process
ensure equal opportunities for both male and female students.
(3) Language Qualifications
Students should have sufficient fluency in the institutional
language of the host country to be able to pursue university study in
that language and to be able to converse with the citizens of the
country without the aid of interpreters. Generally, the equivalent of
two years of college-level study is considered the minimum.
(4) Duration
Applications will be accepted for projects with durations of at
least eight weeks to no more than one year, including programs lasting
an academic quarter, trimester, or semester. Exchanges of less than
eight weeks duration or more than one year will be considered
technically ineligible. Although grant awards may begin earlier, the
actual exchange of participants may not begin before February 1, 1995,
and must be completed by December 31, 1996. Programs for exchanges in
subsequent academic years will be considered technically eligible.
(5) Preference Factors
a. Preference will be given to proposals in which incoming students
study in the U.S. for a full academic year.
b. Preference will be given to programs that reflect wide
geographic distributions in recruitment of participants.
c. Preference will be given to programs that recruit foreign and
U.S. participants through merit-based, open competition.
(6) Reciprocity
Proposals should be reciprocal, but not necessarily equal in
numbers. In cases where political or practical circumstances do not
allow for the placement of U.S. students, one-way programs will be
considered. The proposal should provide detailed information on the
activities in both the U.S. and the partner country.
(7) Internships
While programs may include internships, the focus of projects
should be classroom work or research. If internships are included in
the exchange experience, students should have completed at least one
semester of classroom work. The duration of the internship should not
exceed the duration of the classroom work. Institutions are encouraged
to grant academic credit for the internship experience.
(8) Special Allowances for Agriculture Programs
In order to give added encouragement to the participation of
students of agriculture as provided for in the bilateral agreement,
language standards may be modified for participating students of
agriculture. Programs including agriculture students need not exchange
agriculture students in both directions.
Additional Criteria for Categories B and C
Category B: Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange With the Baltic Countries
and the New Independent States
Grant funding is intended to enhance and expand the scope of
academic exchanges with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan for
undergraduate students under the age of 26. Participants must be
citizens either of the U.S. or of the host country. Programs designed
specifically for foreign participants to teach their native language or
area studies in American institutions are ineligible for support.
Priority for Category B
For FY 1995 priority will be given to applications from community
colleges, two-year colleges, non-profit organizations working
specifically with community colleges and/or two-year colleges, and
institutions that have not received funding under this program in
previous competitions.
Category C: Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange With Central and Eastern
Europe
Grant funding under this category is intended to enhance and expand
the scope of academic exchanges with Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the
Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, the Republic of Slovakia,
Romania, and Slovenia for undergraduate students under the age of 26.
Participants must be citizens either of the U.S. or of the partner
country. Programs designed specifically for foreign participants to
teach their native language or area of studies in American institutions
are ineligible for support.
(1) Language Qualification
It is desirable, but not required, that exchange students have
sufficient fluency in the language of the country to be visited for the
pursuit of university study in the language and to converse with
citizens of the country without the aid of interpreters. Generally, the
equivalent of two years of college-level language study is considered
the minimum. The two-year language minimum will be waived for community
colleges, two-year colleges, and non-profit organizations working
specifically with community colleges and/or two-year colleges in order
to encourage their participation.
(2) Duration
Applications will be accepted for projects with duration of at
least eight weeks including programs lasting one academic quarter,
trimester, semester or a full year. Projects of less than eight weeks
duration will be considered technically ineligible. Grants generally
will be made for exchanges occurring within a 12-month period, but
requests for two-year programs will be considered. Proposals for two-
year programs should submit one budget that covers the entire two-year
period. The total award (one-or two-year) may not exceed $80,000.
(3) Reciprocity
It is desirable, but not required, that programs are reciprocal and
the number of U.S. and foreign participants be nearly equal. The
proposal should provide detailed information on the activities in both
the U.S. and the partner country.
(4) Awards
Project awards will be made in a wide range of amounts up to
$80,000. The Agency reserves the right to reduce, revise or increase
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program. For
organizations with less than four years of experience in international
exchange activities, grants will be limited to a maximum of $60,000 and
proposed budgets should not exceed this amount. All organizations must
submit a comprehensive line item budget, the details and format of
which are contained in the application packet.
(5) Preference Factors
a. Preference will be given to programs in which U.S. participants
will have had a minimum of two years of relevant language study.
b. Preference will be given to proposals in which incoming students
study in the U.S. for a full academic year.
c. Preference will be given to reciprocal exchanges.
Review Process (All Categories)
USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them
for technical eligibility.
Please note: Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not
fully adhere to the guidelines established herein and in the
Application Package, including the Guidelines for Preparing
Proposals.
Eligible Proposals
Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA officers for
advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be reviewed by the
appropriate geographic area office, and the budget and contracts
office. Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Associate
Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical
authority for grant awards resides with USIA's grants officer.
Review Criteria (All Categories)
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the following criteria:
a. Quality of Program Plan
Academic rigor, thorough conception of project, demonstration of
meeting student needs, contributions to understanding the partner
country, proposed follow-up, and qualifications of program staff and
participants.
b. Feasibility of the Program Plan
Capacity of the organization to conduct the exchange. Proposals
should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program
objectives and plan.
c. Track Record
Revelant Agency and outside assessments of the organization's
experience with international exchanges; for organizations that have
not worked with USIA before, the demonstrated potential to achieve
program goals will be evaluated.
d. 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.
e. 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.
f. Cost-Effectiveness
Greatest return on each grant dollar. 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 exchangees (people moved). The
Agency also reviews the ratio of cost-sharing exhibited. Cost-sharing
through other financial support as well as institutional direct and in
kind funding contributions is strongly encouraged.
g. Diversity and Pluralism (for Student Programs)
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.
h. Adherence of Proposed Activities
To the criteria and conditions described above.
i. Institutional Commitment
Demonstrated by financial and other support to the program,
including the provision for adequate and appropriate personnel and
institutional resources to achieve the program goals.
j. Follow-on Activities
Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity
(without USIA support) which insures that USIA-supported programs are
not isolated events.
k. Evaluation Plan
Proposals should provide a plan for evaluation by the grantee
institution to determine the success of the project.
1. Geographic Diversity
The Agency will seek to achieve maximum geographic diversity in
selection and placement of participants through its award of grants.
Application Disclaimer (All Categories)
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 this request for proposals does not constitute an
award commitment on the part of the government. Final award cannot be
made until funds have been fully appropriated by Congress, allocated
and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Notification
All applicants for Categories A, B, and C will be notified in
writing of the results of the review process on or about February 1,
1995. All funded proposals will be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements.
Options for Renewal (All Categories)
Subject to the availability of funding for FY 1995 and the
satisfactory performance of grant programs, USIA may invite grantee
organizations to submit proposals for renewals of awards.
Dated: June 11, 1994.
Barry Fulton,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14691 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
