[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46683-46685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22192]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Program Title NIS Secondary School Initiative; Inbound Academic
Year Placement
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The NIS Secondary School Initiative Division, Office of
Citizen Exchanges, of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an
assistance award program. Public and private non-profit organizations
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1
may apply to place high school students between the ages of 15 and 17
from the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union in
homestays and schools for the 1996/97 academic year. Organizations will
be responsible for orienting students at the local level and for
monitoring them during their time in the U.S.
Overall grant-making authority for this program 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 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 number of grant awards in
this competition will likely be 15-20. All grants are subject to the
availability of funds in Fiscal Year 1996.
Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package.
ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number
E/P-96-12. This is a request for proposals only for the activities
described above. Requests for proposals in support of other youth
exchange programs with the NIS are being published separately.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, October
19, 1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents
postmarked October 19 but received at a later date. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received
by the above deadline. Notification of awards will be announced after
January 8, 1996. Grant funds should be available by April 1, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Division for the Secondary School
Initiative, E/PY, Room 314, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202/619-6299; fax: 202/619-5311;
Internet: daronson@usia.gov, to request a Solicitation Package, which
includes more detailed award criteria, all application forms, and
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for
preparation of the proposal budget. Please specify USIA Program
Specialist Diana Aronson on all inquiries and correspondence.
Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Division for the NIS
Secondary School Initiative or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP
deadline has passed, Agency representatives may not discuss this
competition in any way with applicants until after 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 complete
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-96-
12, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing
legislation, programs must maintain a non-political
[[Page 46684]]
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.
Organizations are encouraged to seek diverse communities and host
families in which to place students. Orientation programming should
include information on diversity issues as part of American culture and
should touch on current laws that mandate equal treatment of all people
regardless of race, gender, national origin, or disabling condition.
Overview
Academic year 1996-97 will be the fourth year of the program, which
is part of the NIS Secondary School Initiative. It was originally
funded under the FREEDOM Support Act of 1992, and in fiscal year 1996
will be funded out of the USIA appropriation for educational and
cultural exchanges. The goals of the program are to: promote mutual
understanding between the people of the NIS and the U.S.; instill in
the participants democratic values and provide experience living in a
democracy; establish a critical mass of young people in the NIS capable
of transforming their societies.
Purpose
To place approximately 1,200 pre-selected high school students from
the 12 New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union in the
United States to study and live for one academic year. To place
students in qualified, well-motivated host families and welcoming
schools. To enable the students to attain a broad view of the society
and culture of the U.S. and to share their cultures with Americans.
Guidelines
Three organizations have been awarded grants to perform the
following functions: recruitment and selection of students; assistance
in documentation and preparation of IAP 66 forms; preparation of cross-
cultural materials; pre-departure and arrival orientation;
international travel from home to the host community and return;
ongoing communication with natural parents; tracking of all students
during their stay in the U.S. and provision of data to USIA; and
ongoing follow-up with alumni following their return to the NIS.
Separate grants will be awarded for a one-week mid-year Washington DC
civics education program for all students and for intensive English
training for those students who need to improve their English before
going to their host communities. The announcements of the competitions
for these grants are being published separately.
Organizations chosen under this competition are responsible for the
following: Recruitment, selection, and orientation of host families;
school placement; local orientation; specialized training of local
staff and volunteers to work with NIS students; preparation and
dissemination of materials to students pertaining to the placement
organization; program enhancement activities; supervision and
monitoring of students, trouble-shooting, and periodic reporting on
their progress; communication with the organizations conducting other
program components, when appropriate; evaluation of the students'
performance and the success of the organization in achieving program
goals; and re-entry training to prepare students for readjustment to
their native culture.
Applicants may request a grant for the placement of at least 20
students. There is no ceiling on the number of students who may be
placed by one organization. It is anticipated that 15 to 20 grants will
be awarded for this component of the program. Placements will be spread
all across the U.S. Students may be clustered in one or more regions or
dispersed. If dispersed, applicants should demonstrate that local
staffing and training of local staff is adequate to ensure their
competence in supervising and counseling students from the NIS. Please
refer to the Guidelines for Proposals--available on request from the
address listed above--for details on essential program elements and
permissible costs.
Programming begins at the point that the complete applications on
selected finalists are delivered to the placement organizations,
approximately on April 1, 1996. Participants arrive in their host
communities in the month of August and remain for 10 to 11 months until
their departure during the period mid-June to early July 1997.
Eligibility
Private legally incorporated not-for-profit--IRS-designated
501(c)(3)--organizations and public institutions are eligible for
consideration under this competition. Organizations with less than four
years experience conducting youth exchange programs will be eligible
for grants not to exceed $60,000.
Participants
Finalists are secondary school students aged 15-17 who have been
tested, interviewed and thoroughly screened in an elaborate, merit-
based process. Some may be completing their studies in their home
schools in May of 1996. Applicants are referred to the Guidelines for
Proposals for additional details on student selection criteria.
Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements
Participants will travel on J-1 visas issued by USIA using a
government program number. Organizations must comply with all pertinent
J-1 visa regulations in carrying out their responsibilities.
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. Applicants should
submit the health and accident insurance plans they intend to use for
students on this program. USIA will compare the plan with the Agency
plan and make a determination of which will be applicable.
Materials
Drafts of all printed materials developed specifically for this
program paid for with grant funds should be submitted to the Agency for
review and approval. All official documents should highlight the U.S.
government's role as program sponsor and funding source. The USIA will
determine the disposition of the copyrights on any materials so funded.
Proposed Budget
Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on
guidelines in the Solicitation Package. Applicants must submit a
comprehensive budget for the entire program. There must be a summary
budget as well as a breakdown reflecting both the administrative budget
and the program budget. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for
complete formatting instructions and for allowable costs. For better
understanding or further clarification, applicants may provide separate
sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity in
order to facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
Review Process
The 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
[[Page 46685]]
and in the Solicitation Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded
to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals
will also be reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as USIA's
East European and NIS Area Office and the USIA post overseas, where
appropriate. Proposals may also 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 idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to USIA's mission to
promote mutual understanding.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described
above.
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 of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants and host families, program venue, and program evaluation)
and program content (orientation and wrap-on sessions, programs
meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).
5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to carry out the
responsibilities listed above.
6. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful administration of exchange programs,
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.
7. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
both the performance of the students and the grantee organization's
success in achieving the goals of the program as outlined above. USIA
recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or
other evaluation technique plus description of a methodology to use.
Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be expected to submit
quarterly reports.
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.
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. Final awards cannot be made until funds have
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal
USIA procedures.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of the results of the review
process after January 8. Awards made will be subject to periodic
reporting and evaluation requirements.
Dated: September 1, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-22192 Filed 9-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
