[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: 94-14694]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Freedom Support Act--Youth With Disabilities
ACTION: Request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: The United States Information Agency (USIA) invites
applications from U.S. educational, cultural and other not-for-profit
institutions to provide materials, training and facilitative support on
programming for youth with disabilities for USIA grantee organizations
administering international exchanges. This program is sponsored under
the Secondary School Exchange Initiative as originally authorized under
the Freedom Support Act of 1992. Funding for this program is subject to
the availability of a Congressional authorization and appropriation.
DATES: Deadlines for proposals: All copies of proposals for grants
under this request must be received at the U.S. Information Agency in
Washington, DC, by 5 PM EST, on September 30, 1994.
Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked
by 30 September but received at a later date. It is the responsibility
of each grant applicant to ensure that its proposal is received by the
above deadline. Grant funding should be available after 1 February,
1995 for a grant program beginning in May, 1995.
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: This announcement number is E/P-95-04. Please
refer to this number in all correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.
ADDRESSES: The original, 3 fully tabbed copies and 10 copies (Tabs A-D)
of the completed application, including required forms, should be
submitted in the format described in the Bureau's application package
and mailed to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref: E/P-95-04, Grants
Management, E/XE, 301 4th Street rm. 336, Washington, DC 20547.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations/institutions
should contact Robert Persiko, Secondary School Initiative, E/PY, rm.
314 (202) 619-6299; Fax (202) 619-5311, to request detailed application
packets, which include award criteria additional to this announcement,
all necessary forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals, including
specific preparation information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. Overall authority for NIS
Secondary School exchanges is contained in the Freedom Support Act
(Pub. L. 102-391).
Overview
Grant funding is intended to assist one organization over a one-
year period to provide training, materials and facilitative support
about programming of people with disabilities for organizations funded
by the NIS Secondary School Initiative. The purpose of the training is
to promote access to Initiative programs for youth with disabilities.
Materials should support the training and supplement this goal where
training is unfeasible. Facilitative support should foster connections
between secondary school exchange organizations in the US with
organizations serving persons with disabilities; also promote links
with similar organizations in the following countries with
organizations recruiting students for NIS-US exchange programs:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kryrgyzstan,
Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. This
grant is not intended to sponsor the actual exchange of students.
Students selected for exchanges under the NIS Secondary School
Initiative are aged 14 to 17 years old. Proposals should focus on
increasing access to exchange opportunities by participants within this
age range.
A maximum of one grant will be awarded for this project.
Guidelines
The components of this program and their respective purposes are:
(1) Training
To enlighten organizations that recruit, select, place and educate
students supported under the Freedom Support Act Secondary School
Exchange Program about the importance of integration of participants
with disabilities into their programs; to train these organizations in
the logistics of handling the needs of a participant with a disability
and provide supporting materials needed for training; to provide
materials needed for continued training within organizations.
(2) Materials
To provide reference materials for organizations which do not
participant in the above-mentioned training; to compile information
about accessible educational facilities abroad, and;
(3) Facilitative Assistance
To facilitate connections between organizations to the NIS which
provide support for persons with disabilities and the organizations
which recruit, select and place students participating in NIS-US
exchange programs; to facilitate connections between organizations in
the US that provide support for persons with disabilities and
organizations in the US which recruit, select, and place students
participating in US-NIS exchange programs.
The following factors should be considered in preparing proposals.
--The Secondary School Initiative funds programs administered by over
50 different organizations in the United States. It is anticipated that
this training will involve many, but not all, of these organizations.
The final number of trainees is subject to the availability of funding.
Budgets should outline both general costs associated with development
of training and materials and specific costs for these services on a
per-organization basis.
--Interested organizations must submit a proposal to administer all
components of this program.
--Proposals under the facilitative assistance component of this program
must demonstrate the organization's connections to U.S. and NIS based
organizations in support of people with disabilities.
Proposals should include a description of the process your
organization would use to train organizations about the need to
integrate persons with disabilities in programs and the type of
logistical education necessary to facilitate integration.
The grantee organization should describe the process by which the
information about accessible educational facilities in the NIS will be
gathered, organized and distributed.
The grantee organizations should also demonstrate a plan for
connecting US based organizations in support of disabled persons and US
organizations administering grant money for student exchange. In
addition, the organization should describe a culturally-sensitive plan
for linking NIS organizations in support of persons with disabilities
to secondary school exchange organizations.
Proposed Budget
Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget. Details
are available in the application packet. Organizations should be
familiar with OMB circulars A110, A122, and A133 on cost accounting
principles.
Cost sharing is encouraged. Cost sharing may be in the form of
allowable direct or indirect costs. The recipient must maintain written
records to support all allowable costs which are claimed as being its
contribution to cost participation, as well as costs to be paid by the
federal government. Such records are subject to audit.
The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind
contributions must be in accordance with OMB circular A110, Attachment
E. Cost sharing and Matching should be described in the proposal. In
the event the organization does not provide the minimum amount of cost
sharing as stipulated in the recipient's budget, the Agency's
contribution will be reduced in proportion to the participant's
contribution.
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 established herein and in the
application packet. 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. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Agency's Office
of General Counsel.
Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Associate Director
of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Final technical authority to grant awards resides with the Agency's
Office of Contracts.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the following criteria:
1. Quality of the Program Idea
Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, rigor, and
relevance to Agency mission and adherence to the criteria and
conditions described above and in application packet guidelines.
2. Reasonable, Feasible, and Flexible Objectives
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet
the program's purposes as outlined in this RFP.
3. Multiplier Effect
Proposals should demonstrate how the programs will encourage
continuation of the training objectives beyond the training period and
beyond the training population.
4. Cost Effectiveness
The overhead and administrative components of grants, as well as
salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other
items should be necessary and appropriate.
5. Institutional Capacity and Track Record
The organization should have demonstrated experience in the aspects
of the program which they propose to administer. Proposals benefit by
displaying a record of successful programs, including responsible
fiscal management and full compliance with past Agency grants.
6. Follow-Up Activities
Proposals should present a plan to track the effectiveness of the
training on following year exchange programs.
7. Evaluation Plan
Proposals should provide a plan for evaluation of the program by
the grantee institution.
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. Final award cannot be made until the funds
have been fully appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed
through internal USIA procedures.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of the results of the review
process on or about 15 December 1993. Awarded grants will be subject to
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: June 11, 1994.
Barry Fulton,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14694 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
