[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36971-36973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17366]
[[Page 36971]]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Educational Advising Program for International Students From Hong
Kong/China; Notice: Request for Proposals
SUMMARY: The Advising and Student Services Branch/Advising, Teaching
and Specialized Programs Division of the United States Information
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition to operate an educational advising center in Hong Kong/
China. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit
proposals to facilitate international educational exchange through
overseas educational advising, orientation, and information services
for international students and scholars seeking information on
opportunities in U.S. higher education. On October 1, 1999, the U.S.
Information Agency will become part of the United States Department of
State without affecting the content of this announcement or the nature
of the program described.
Program Information
Overview: An ideal program would provide a state-of-the-art
advising center dedicated to providing information, orientation, and
advice to international students in Hong Kong interested in studying in
the U.S. We also expect the Hong Kong center to serve as an information
resource to the other 48 U.S. affiliated advising centers in the
People's Republic of China on advising and other educational issues.
The centers are located at United States Information Service posts,
universities, language institutes, libraries and at Chinese Service
Centers for Scholarly Exchange. The proposal should address the
applicant's ability to do the following:
--Produce and disseminate advising information packets and materials
both on paper and electronically to advising centers in China.
--Recommend appropriate level of educational advising resource
materials supplied by the Advising and Student Services Branch (E/ASA)
to advising centers in China.
--Develop and maintain a database of centers in China.
--Provide feedback to E/ASA on site visits, consultations, training
activities, and advising needs/concerns after each site visit and upon
request from E/ASA.
--Encourage communication and networking among EICs within China.
The center should work with the Regional Educational Advising
Coordinator (REAC) to provide in-country and regional workshops and
seminars, site visits, needs assessments and consultations training for
U.S. affiliated advising center personnel in China as requested. The
REAC is responsible for conducting training workshops and needs
assessment visits to U.S. affiliated advising centers in the region.
Guidelines: We anticipate that the grant will begin October 1, 1999
and end on September 30, 2000. However a final award cannot be made
until funds have been appropriated by Congress, and allocated and
committed through internal Bureau procedures. The proposal should be
presented in three parts.
I. Applicant's Background and Overview
The first part should contain an overview of the applicant's
history and purpose. Evidence of previous experience with advising or
educational exchange of international students and scholars should be
included. The overview should indicate the total amount of funding
requested with a justification as well as a budget presentation
outlining the total project costs.
A listing of names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers of the
executive officer(s) and of the person(s) ultimately responsible for
the project, must be included in the proposal. Resumes or vitae of key
personnel must be provided. USIA also recommends the inclusion of
brochures and general information concerning the applicant, e.g.,
organizational charts, job descriptions, the names of board members (or
similar groups), the number of employees, etc.
II. Advising Center Operation and Services
The second part of the proposal should contain details on the
advising center's proposed location and hours of operations, proposed
staffing pattern (including the percentage of time each employee will
devote to advising activities and a description of their functions and
responsibilities), budget, and advising services to be provided. A
resume or brief narrative explaining the qualifications of the person
or persons who will have primary responsibility for conducting advising
and/or providing oversight of the advising center staff should be
included. The proposal should demonstrate the center's ability to
provide the following educational advising services to international
students and scholars:
1. Information and guidance on U.S. educational institutions,
systems, tuition and related costs, fields of study, specialized
training, etc.;
2. Information and research on short-term institutional training in
technical and professional fields;
3. Information on English language training programs in the U.S.;
and
4. Group and individual advising sessions, pre-departure
orientation and reentry programs, as appropriate. The applicant should
be willing to assist USIS Beijing and support educational outreach
activities by developing a network of contacts with the local offices
of the Ministry of Education, universities, U.S. government affiliated
advising centers and other appropriate institutions.
III. Provision of Resource Materials, Equipment and Training
The third part of the proposal should address the extent to which
the U.S. headquarters office will support its advising center abroad
through the provision of educational advising resource materials and
professional development activities and training.
Student access to a comprehensive university catalog collection, in
print and/or computer software programs, and an extensive collection of
current references on U.S. educational institutions and programs,
through print or computer networks, is an integral component of an
educational advising center and the applicant's ability to provide such
should be made clear in this section.
Office equipment that facilitates the processing of inquiries, such
as electronic mail, internet and facsimile machines would be regarded
as an asset to the advising function and mention of such equipment
should be made in the proposal. The Agency expects the advising center
to be equipped with audio visual aids for students' use. Videos/CD-ROMS
on U.S. study and life should complement the presentation and materials
offered at group and individual advising sessions.
Budget Guidelines
Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. Awards may not exceed $85,000. There must be a summary budget
as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program
budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program
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component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Salary and benefits;
(2) Budget for travel and per diem;
(3) Office supplies and expenses;
(4) Rent and utilities;
(5) Outreach and publicity; and
(6) Indirect costs.
The center must agree to provide accurate, free and objective
information about all accredited U.S. higher education institutions.
The center may charge for services beyond the basic level (to be
determined in consultation with the Advising and Student Services
Branch) and for the sale/rental of educational advising materials. The
proposal should provide details of cost-sharing and fundraising
strategies to supplement cost of advising services. Please refer to the
Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting
instructions.
Announcement Title and Number
All correspondence with USIA concerning this RFP should reference
the above title and number E/ASA-00-04.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTRACT: The Advising and Student Services
Branch, E/ASA, Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20547, phone: 202-619-5434, fax: 202-401-1433, to
request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains
detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget
instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please
Specify USIA Program Officer Dorothy Mora on all other inquiries and
correspondence.
Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has
passed, Agency staff may not discuss thins competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been completed.
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all information before
downloading.
To Receive a Soliciation Package Via Fax On Demand: The entire
Solicitation Package may be requested from the Bureau's Grants
Information Fax on Demand System, which is accessed by calling 202/401-
7616. The Table of Contents listing available documents and order
numbers should be the first order when entering the system.
Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the
U.S. Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on August 6,
1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents
postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by
the above deadline.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and eight copies of the application should be
sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASA-00-04, Office of Grants
Management, E/XE, Room 336, 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. These documents 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, Freedom, and Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a nonpolitical 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, soci-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. Pub. L.
104-319 provides that in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy, USIA shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries. Proposals should reflect
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)
The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been
accounted for properly.
USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust
for leap years.
Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology
website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.
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. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the
program office, as well as the USIA Office of East Asian and Pacific
Affairs and the USIA posts overseas, where appropriate. Eligible
proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA officers for advisory
review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the General
Counsel or by other Agency elements. Final funding decisions are at the
discretion of USIA's 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 idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Agency's
mission.
2. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
4. Support of diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support
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of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant features
should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities).
5. Institutional capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
6. Institution's record ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful educational advising programs,
including demonstrating responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Agency grants as
determined by USIA's Office of Contracts. Proposals should demonstrate
an ability to maintain effective relationships with USIS posts,
advising centers, and the Agency's Advising and Student Services
Branch. The Agency will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
7. 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. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives is recommended. Successful applicants will be
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is
concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
8. Cost-effectiveness: 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.
9. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
10. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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.'' The funding authority for the
program above is provided through legislation.
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 and 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: July 1, 1999.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-17366 Filed 7-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
