[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4689]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 3, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

NIS Linkage Program (NISLP)

agency: United States Information Agency.

action: Notice; request for proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United 
States Information Agency announces a program of support for 
institutional linkages between universities and colleges in the United 
States and Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. The 
purpose of this college and university linkages program is to foster 
curriculum development and teaching methodologies, and to modernize the 
administrative structure at institutions of higher education in these 
countries.

dates: Deadline for proposals: Proposals must be received at the 
Academy for Educational Development by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on 
May 2, 1994. Proposals received by the Academy after this deadline will 
not be eligible for consideration. Faxed documents will not be 
accepted, nor will documents postmarked on May 2, 1994 but received at 
a later date. It is the responsibility of grant applicants to ensure 
that their proposal is received by the above deadline. Grants should 
begin no later than October 1, 1994.

addresses: Three originals, containing tabs A-U (see ``Application 
Checklist'' in program guidelines packet), and 10 copies, containing 
tabs A-D of the proposal are to be submitted by the deadline to: USIA 
NIS Linkage Program, c/o The Academy for Educational Development, 1875 
Connecticut Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20009-1202.

for further information contact: For general information and requests 
for application packets, which include all necessary forms and 
guidelines for preparing budgets, contact Mr. Chris Dwyer or Ms. 
Deborah Trent at (202) 619-5289 (tel), or (202) 401-1433 (fax), or 
write to the following address: Specialized Programs Unit (E/ASU), 
Attention: USIA/NIS Linkage Program, Office of Academic Programs, rm. 
349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    The NIS Linkage Program is authorized under the Freedom Support Act 
of 1992. Funding for this program is contingent upon receipt of FY 94 
Foreign Operations Appropriation Bill funds. USIA administers annual 
university affiliations programs under the authority of the Mutual 
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256 
(Fulbright-Hays Act). The Agency seeks to support at least one linkage 
each in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and up to three 
linkages in Ukraine. Grants will be awarded for a period of two (2) 
years beginning October 1, 1994.
    The NIS Linkage Program is separate from USIA's College and 
University Partnerships Program for the Russian Federation, the 
University Affiliations Program and the University Development Program 
in Business Management, announced annually in this publication. 
However, the Agency strives to achieve institutional and geographic 
diversity across all four linkage programs. Institutions planning to 
submit proposals for more than one competition should note that USIA 
will not fund the same project activities more than once.
    The NIS Linkage Program is limited to the following specific 
academic disciplines: (1) Law; (2) business/economics; (3) education/
continuing education/educational reform; (4) government/public policy/
public administration; and (5) communications/journalism. Proposals 
should focus on curriculum, faculty, and staff development in one of 
these eligible disciplines. Administrative reform at the foreign 
partner institution should also be a program component.
    Proposals must involve the development of new academic programs or 
the building and/or restructuring of an existing program. Feasibility 
studies to plan linkages will not be considered.
    Participating institutions must exchange faculty and/or staff 
members for teaching/lecturing and consulting for periods of not less 
than one month. Each year at least one U.S. participant should be in 
residence at the foreign partner institution for one semester to serve 
in a coordinating role. E-mail communication should be established as 
part of the exchange.
    Other activities which serve the purpose of this program include: 
Team teaching; visits by faculty to update academic and professional 
skills, observe teaching techniques and strengthen subject area 
expertise; expansion of library holdings; textbook development; 
development of audio-visual instructional materials; distance learning; 
the translation or reprinting of U.S. texts and other materials; and 
community outreach in conjunction with curriculum development. 
Institutional partners may include current MA, MS or PhD students in 
the exchange.
    USIA will strive to achieve broad institutional and geographic 
diversity in awarding the grants. Participating institutions in the 
U.S. and relevant countries must maintain their faculty and staff on 
salary and benefits (with the sole exception of personnel assigned 
overseas for three or more consecutive months; see ``Allowable 
Costs'').
    U.S. institutions are responsible for the submission of proposals 
and must collaborate with their foreign partners in planning and 
preparing proposals. U.S. and foreign partner institutions are 
encouraged to consult about the proposed project with U.S. Information 
Service (USIS) offices in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and 
Ukraine. Preference will be given to proposals which demonstrate 
evidence of previous relations with the proposed foreign partner 
institution(s).
    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 20 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data needed, and completing 
and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding 
this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 
information, including suggestions for reducing this administrative 
burden, to USIA Clearance Officer, M/ADD, room 624, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; and to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Washington, DC 20503. (Information collection involved in this 
program has been cleared by OMB Approval Number 3116-0179, expiration 
date 12/31/95.)
    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.

Guidelines

Eligibility

    In the U.S., participation in the program is open to two-year and 
four-year colleges and universities, including community colleges and 
graduate schools. Consortia of universities and/or community colleges, 
individually or as systems, are also eligible. The Agency encourages 
proposals from eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
and other institutions in the U.S. with at least 25% minority (Native 
American or Native Alaskan; Asian-American or Pacific Islander; 
African-American (or Black, non-hispanic); and Hispanic) student 
enrollment.
    Participating U.S. institutions must be accredited by one of the 
following regional accrediting bodies: Middle States Association of 
Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges, 
Inc.; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest 
Association of Schools and Colleges; Southern Association of Colleges 
and Schools; or Western Association of Schools and Colleges. 
Institutions recognized only by national or state institutional 
accrediting bodies are not eligible. U.S. universities and colleges 
applying under this program may collaborate with U.S. scholarly, 
professional, or international educational associations, foundations 
and organizations.
    Overseas, participation is limited to recognized degree-granting 
institutions of higher education and internationally recognized or 
highly regarded independent research institutes. For proposals 
including a U.S. consortium, submission may be made by a member 
institution with authority to represent the consortium.
    Participants representing U.S. institutions and traveling under 
USIA grant support must be U.S. citizens.
    Participants representing foreign institutions must be citizens, 
nationals, or permanent residents of the country where the foreign 
institution is located. All foreign participant exchangees and programs 
must be in compliance with J-1 visa regulations. The proposal must note 
whether USIA has granted the U.S. institution authority to issue IAP-66 
forms necessary to obtain J-1 visas.

Proposed Budget

    A comprehensive line item budget must be submitted with the 
proposal by the deadline. Funds requested from the Agency must not 
exceed $300,000. Grants awarded to institutions with less than four 
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will 
be limited to $60,000. Specific guidelines for budget preparation are 
available in the application packet.
    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 
Recipient 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 Recipient's contribution.
    The recipient's proposal shall include the cost of an audit that:
    1. Complies with the requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits 
of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Institutions;
    2. Complies with the requirements of American Institute of 
Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 
92-9; and
    3. Includes review by the recipient's independent auditor of a 
recipient-prepared supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate 
computation, if such a rate is being proposed.
    The audit costs shall be identified separately for:
    1. Preparation of basic financial statements and other accounting 
services; and
    2. Preparation of the supplemental reports and schedules required 
by OMB Circular No. A-133, AICPA SOP 92-9, and the review of the 
supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate computation.

Allowable Costs

--Travel: International and domestic (via American flag carriers). May 
include one planning trip with one participant per institution.
--Per diem and maintenance, including Lodging, meals and incidental 
expenses.
--Salaries and benefits for faculty assigned overseas for three or more 
consecutive months, not to exceed 20 percent of the total amount 
requested from USIA. USIA strongly encourages cost-sharing in this 
category and requires that salaries and benefits of all other faculty 
and staff participating in the project be maintained.
--Membership in U.S. professional associations and fees for attendance 
at professional conferences in the U.S. for foreign participants.
--Educational materials, including but not limited to: The translation 
and publication of instructional materials, collections to be placed in 
foreign partner institution libraries, hardware and software necessary 
to establish e-mail communication, and other computer equipment as 
needed. These costs may not exceed 25% of the total requested grant 
amount.
--Medical insurance for foreign participants during U.S. visits. 
Medical insurance is mandatory for all participants in J-1 visa 
exchange programs.
--Student exchanges: Travel, per diem/maintenance, memberships and 
conferences (foreign students only), educational materials, medical 
insurance, and other project costs for MA, MS or PhD student exchanges. 
Exchanges may include a maximum of four foreign students and two U.S. 
students per year.
--Other project costs, limited to: Interpreters, which may include 
graduate or PhD students; out-of-house administrative support in the 
foreign partner country; office supplies; and communications expenses 
(i.e., telephone, facsimile, postage and delivery). The above costs may 
not exceed 10% of the total amount requested from USIA.

    Note: Indirect costs are not allowable costs under the NIS 
Linkage Program.

Application Requirements

    Proposals must be submitted by the deadline and must conform to the 
eligibility requirements and academic fields identified in this 
announcement. The proposal package must include three originals, 
containing tabs A-U (see ``Application Checklist'' in the guidelines 
packet), and 10 copies containing tabs A-D, as well as all required 
documentation. Proposals must also include the following documentation:
    1. A narrative, not to exceed 20 double-spaced pages, including 
descriptions of institutions and participating academic departments or 
schools; a detailed description of the proposed linkage program, 
including names and qualifications of designated project directors; a 
statement of need for the proposed program; a detailed description of 
proposed activities, including who will travel, when, and where (a 
timetable is recommended); anticipated benefits to participating 
institutions; and a plan for institutional evaluation of the project.
    2. Documentation of institutional support for the proposed linkage, 
including signed letters of endorsement from the president, chancellor, 
or director of the U.S. and foreign institutions, making specific 
reference to the NIS Linkage Program and committing the institutions to 
maintaining exchange participants on salary and benefits during the 
exchange. A general letter of support or an agreement between the 
participating institutions without reference to the NISLP and 
maintenance of salaries and benefits will not fulfill this requirement. 
A sample letter of endorsement and commitment is included in the 
application packet.
    3. Academic resumes of participating faculty/staff from all 
involved institutions. Resumes must clearly indicate: Relevant overseas 
experience and language skills; relevant travel, publications, and 
research activities.

    Note: All pages in excess of the two-page limit will be 
discarded.

Review Process

    The NIS Linkage Program review process will be comprised of 
technical, academic, and Agency reviews. Proposals will be deemed 
technically eligible only if they adhere to the guidelines established 
herein and in the application packet. Technically eligible proposals 
will be forwarded to ad hoc panels of area and subject specialists who 
will weigh their academic merit, potential for fostering curriculum 
reform and development, and feasibility. Proposals recommended for 
funding by the ad hoc academic panels will be reviewed for relevance to 
Agency goals and the objectives of the Foreign Operations 
Appropriations Bill of 1994 by the Office of Academic Programs, the 
Office of Eastern Europe and the NIS, USIS offices and the budget and 
contracts offices. 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 contracting 
officer.

Review Criteria

Academic Review Criteria

    Proposals are reviewed by independent academic peer panels with 
geographic and disciplinary expertise which make recommendations to the 
Agency based on the following criteria:
    1. Academic merit of the proposal, as reflected by: A clear 
statement of program goals; a detailed project description; and a 
statement on how the proposed project will be implemented and 
evaluated.
    2. Probable impact of the proposed linkage in achieving the goal of 
reforming educational administration and curricula at the foreign 
partner institution.
    3. If the proposal involves an established, active linkage, 
evidence that the partners will engage in new, innovative activities.
    4. Evidence that theme(s) of proposed project fit(s) field(s) 
stated in this announcement.
    5. Feasibility of the program plan as it relates to the stated 
goals and selected topics and activities.
    6. Quality of scholarly and professional credentials/experience of 
participants in relation to the goals of the proposed exchange plan, 
including language proficiency.
    7. Appropriateness of length of exchange visits, given project 
goals.
    8. Evidence of strong institutional commitment by participating 
institutions, demonstrated in part by cost-sharing and letters of 
institutional support.
    9. Evidence of mutual advancement of cultural and political 
understanding through development of individual and institutional ties.
    10. Evidence from U.S. institutions of prior experience in the 
region and previous relations with proposed foreign partner 
institution(s).

Agency Review Criteria

    Academic review panels will recommend proposals to USIA for further 
review. Agency review will be based on:
    1. Academic quality, reflected in academic review commentary and 
recommendations.
    2. Promise of long-term impact in achieving Agency/legislative 
objectives.
    3. USIA and overseas post assessments of need and feasibility.
    4. Cost-effectiveness.
    5. Geographic and institutional diversity within the foreign 
country and among U.S. partner institutions.

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 awards cannot be made until 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 August 15, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: February 24, 1994.
David Michael Wilson,
Acting Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-4689 Filed 3-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M