[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: 94-14510]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

International Educational and Cultural Activities Discretionary 
Grant Program

ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for an assistance award program. Public or private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 501 (c) (3) may apply to develop projects that link their 
international exchange interests with counterpart institutions/groups 
in ways supportive of the aims of the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs.
    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, 
Public Law 87-256, 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.'' Programs and projects must 
conform with Agency requirements and guidelines outlined in the 
Application Package. USIA projects and programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.
    Interested applications should read the complete Federal Register 
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, the Office of Citizen Exchanges may not discuss this 
competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau program 
and project review process has been completed.

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: All communications concerning this announcement 
should refer to the Fall Discretionary Grant Program. The announcement 
number is E/P-95-1. Please refer to title and number in all 
correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.

DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, September 
16, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on September 16, 1994, but received at a later date. It is 
the responsibility of each grant applicant to ensure that proposals are 
received by the above deadline. This action is effective from the 
publication date of this notice through September 16, 1994, for 
projects where activities will begin between January 1, 1995 and June 
30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations/institutions 
must contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/PL, room 216, United 
States Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
(202) 619-5326, to request detailed application packets, which include 
award criteria, all application forms; and guidelines for preparing 
proposals, include specific criteria for preparation of the proposal 
budget. Please specify the USIA Program Officer Laverne Johnson on all 
inquiries and correspondences.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instruction given in the 
Application Package and send only complete applications to: U.S. 
Information Agency, REF: E/P-95-1 Fall Discretionary Grant Competition, 
Grants Management Division (E/XS), 301 4th Street, SW., room 336, 
Washington, DC 20547.

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. ``Diversity'' should be 
interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including 
but not limited to race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-
economic status, and physical challenges, Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.
    Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges works with U.S. private 
sector non-profit organizations on cooperative international group 
projects that introduce American and foreign participants to each 
others' social, economic, and political structures; and international 
interests. The Office supports international projects in the United 
States or overseas involving leaders or potential leaders in the 
following fields and professions: Urban planners, jurists, specialized 
journalists (specialists in economics, business, political analysis, 
international affairs), business professionals, NGO leaders, 
environmental specialists, parliamentarians, educators, economics 
planning, and other government officials.
    Guidelines: Applicants should carefully note the following 
restrictions/recommendations for proposals in specific geographical 
areas:
    The Newly Independent States: USIA and other agencies of the U.S. 
government have numerous programs in the countries of the NIS (Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, 
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). As such, the amount 
of funds for that part of the world in this competition will be 
extremely limited. Proposals which would normally be considered for 
other USIA grant competitions will not be accepted. E/P encourages 
organizations to seek clarification on these points before presenting a 
proposal.
    Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Baltics (EU): Projects are 
encouraged involving Western Europe. Due to the fact that the office 
has or is in the process of conducting specific competitions in Eastern 
Europe and the Baltics, we will not accept proposals for youth exchange 
programs or for programs in the following thematic areas: public 
administration, business management, independent media development, 
journalism training, and local government administration and municipal 
management. Priority will be given to projects relating to conflict 
resolution, tolerance, and diversity.
    East Asia and the Pacific (EA): Priority consideration will be 
given to the following: (1) Projects for journalists (print or 
electronic). Priorities are projects for Hong Kong and Singapore 
combined or for Thailand on press freedom, the press/government 
relationship, and the role of a free press in society. Other projects 
for journalists include regional/subregional projects that focus on 
APEC-related economic and trade issues and policies or regional/
subregional projects that focus on security issues. The projects may 
consist of but are not limited to workshops, site tours, seminars and 
discussions and internships. (2) Projects concerned with the 
strengthening of democracy in Cambodia, with priority given to projects 
that focus on education and representative government. (3) Projects 
concerned with the organization, management, and administration of 
citizen action groups or other non-governmental organizations in the 
Peoples' Republic of China and Southeast Asian countries. Priority will 
be given to subject areas, such as grass roots democracy, the 
environment, and human rights.
    American Republics (AR): Priority will be given to projects in the 
following areas: Good governance, public administration, 
decentralization of government, judicial reform, and the protection/
promotion of minority and indigenous rights.
    Africa (AF): While proposals in all fields are encouraged, emphasis 
will be given to proposals which focus on strengthening democratic 
institutions. Proposals involving South Africa are encouraged.
    North Africa, Near East and South Asia (NEA): Priority will be 
given to projects which promote democratization, economic reform, free 
markets, tolerance and pluralism, conflict resolution, and Israeli and 
Palestinian understanding. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly 
encourages the coordination of activities with respected universities, 
professional associations, and major cultural institutions in the U.S. 
and abroad, but particularly in the U.S. Projects should be 
intellectual and cultural, not technical. Vocational training (an 
occupation other than one requiring a baccalaureate or higher academic 
degree; i.e., clerical work, auto maintenance, etc. and other 
occupations requiring less than two years of higher education) and 
technical training (special and practical knowledge of a mechanical or 
a scientific subject which enhances mechanical, narrowly scientific, or 
semi-skilled capabilities) are ineligible for support. In addition, 
scholarship programs are ineligible for support.
    The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or 
seminars (i.e., one to fourteen-day programs with plenary sessions, 
main speakers, panels, and a passive audience). It will support 
conferences only insofar as they are part of a larger project in 
duration and scope which is receiving USIA funding from this 
competition. USIA-supported projects may include internships; study 
tours; short-term, non-technical training; and extended, intensive 
workshops taking place in the United States or overseas.
    The themes addressed in exchange programs must be of long-term 
importance rather than focused exclusively on current events or short-
term issues. In every case, a substantial rationale must be presented 
as part of the proposal, one that clearly indicates the distinctive and 
important contribution of the overall project, including where 
applicable the expected yield of any associated conference.
    No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to 
conferences or conference-type seminars overseas; neither is funding 
available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine 
professional association meetings in the United States.
    Projects that duplicate what is routinely carried out by private 
sector and/or public sector operations will not be considered. The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly recommends that applicants consult 
with host country USIS post, prior to submitting proposals.

Section of Participants

    All grant proposals should clearly describe the type of persons who 
will participate in the program as well as the process by which 
participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in 
support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host 
institutions to support the internships.
    In the selection of foreign participants, USIA and USIS posts 
retain the right to nominate all participants and to accept or deny 
participants recommended by grantee institutions. However, grantee 
institutions are often asked by USIA to suggest names of potential 
participants. The grantee institution will also provide the names of 
American participants and brief (two pages) biographical data on each 
American participant to the Office of Citizen Exchanges for information 
purposes. Priority will be given to foreign participants who have not 
previously travelled to the United States.

Additional Guidance

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges offers the following additional 
guidance to prospective applicants:
    1. The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages project proposals 
involving more than one country. Pertinent rationale which links 
countries in multi-country projects should be included in the 
submission. Single-country projects that are clearly defined and 
possess the potential for creating and strengthening continuing 
linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also welcome.
    2. Proposals for bilateral programs are subject to review and 
comment by the USIS post in the relevant country, and pre-selected 
participants will also be subject to USIS post review.
    3. Bilateral programs should clearly identify the counterpart 
organization and provide evidence of the organization's participation.
    4. The Office of Citizen Exchanges will consider proposals for 
activities which take place exclusively in other countries when USIS 
posts are consulted in the design of the proposed program and in the 
choice of the most suitable venues for such programs.
    5. Office of Citizen Exchanges grants are not given to support 
projects whose focus is limited to technical or vocational subjects, or 
for research projects, for publications funding, for student and/or 
teacher/faculty exchanges, for sports and/or sports related programs. 
Nor does this office provide scholarships or support for long-term (a 
semester or more) academic studies. Competitions sponsored by other 
Bureau offices are also announced in the Federal Register.
    For projects that would begin after July 1, 1995, competition 
details will be announced in the Federal Register on or about December 
1, 1994. Inquiries concerning technical requirements are welcome prior 
to submission of applications.

Funding

    Although no set funding limit exists, proposals for less than 
$150,000 will receive preference. Organizations with less than four 
years of successful experience in managing international exchange 
programs are limited to $60,000. Applicants are invited to provide both 
an all-inclusive budget as well as separate sub-budgets for each 
program component, phase, location, or activity in order to facilitate 
USIA decisions on funding. While an all-inclusive budget must be 
provided with each proposal, separate component budgets are optional. 
Competition for USIA funding support is keen.
    The selection of grantee institutions will depend on program 
substance, cross-cultural sensitivity, and ability to carry out the 
program successfully. Since USIA grant assistance constitutes only a 
portion of total project funding, proposals should list and provide 
evidence of other anticipated sources of financial and in-kind support.
    The Recipient must provide a minimum of 33 percent cost sharing of 
the total project cost. 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 A-110, Attachment E-Cost Sharing and 
Matching and should be described in the proposal. In the event the 
Recipient does not provide a minimum of 33 percent cost sharing, the 
Agency's contribution will be reduced in proportion to the Recipient's 
contribution. Proposals with cost sharing of less than 33 percent of 
the total project cost will be considered ineligible. 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. The 
following project costs are eligible for consideration for funding:
    1. International and domestic air fares; visas; transit costs; 
ground transportation costs.
    2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option of 
using a flat $140/day for program participants or the published U.S. 
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities 
outside the U.S., the published Federal per diem rates must be used. 
NOTE: U.S. escorting staff must use the published Federal per diem 
rates, not the flat rate.
    3. Interpreters: If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are 
provided by the U.S. State Department Language Services Division. 
Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every 
four visitors who need interpretation. USIA grants do not pay for 
foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home country. 
Grant proposal budgets should contain a flat $140/day per diem for each 
Department of State interpreter, as well as home-program-home air 
transportation of $400 per interpreter plus any U.S. travel expenses 
during the program. Salary expenses are covered centrally and should 
not be part of an applicant's proposed budget.
    4. Book and cultural allowance: Participants are entitled to and 
escorts are reimbursed a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per 
person, plus a participant book allowance of $50. U.S. staff do not get 
these benefits.
    5. Consultants. May be used to provide specialized expertise or to 
make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per 
day. Subcontracting organizations may also be used, in which case the 
written agreement between the prospective grantee and subcontractor 
should be included in the proposal.
    6. Room rental, which generally should not exceed $250 per day.
    7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, 
develop, and translate materials for participants.
    8. One working meal per project. Per capita costs may not exceed 
$5-$8 for a lunch and $14-$20 for a dinner; excluding room rental. The 
number of invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a 
factor of two to one.
    9. A return travel allowance of $70 for each participant which is 
to be used for incidental expenditures incurred during international 
travel.
    10. All USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the terms of a 
USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA 
directly to the insurance company.
    11. Other costs necessary for the effective administration of the 
program, including salaries for grant organization employees, benefits, 
and other direct and indirect costs per detailed instructions in the 
application package. Note: the 20 percent limitation of 
``administrative costs'' included in previous announcements does not 
apply to this RFP. Please refer to the Application Package for complete 
budget guidelines.

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 budget and contract offices, as well as the USIA 
geographic regional office and the USIS post overseas, where 
appropriate. Proposals may also be reviewed by the USIA's Office of 
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 grant awards resides 
with USIA's contracting officer.

Review Criteria

    USIA will consider proposals based on their conformance with the 
objectives and considerations already stated in this RFP, as well as 
the following criteria:
    1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit originality, 
substance, precision, and relevance to the Agency mission.
    2. Program Planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substance undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and 
plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposal should clearly demonstrate 
how the institution will meet the program objectives and plan.
    4. Multiplier Effect: Proposed programs should strengthen long-term 
mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and 
establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.
    5. 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.
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goal.
    7. Institution Reputation/Ability: Proposal should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful 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.
    8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) which ensures that 
USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    9. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should provide a plan for a thorough 
and objective evaluation of the program/project by the grantee 
institution.
    10. 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.
    11. Cost-Sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    12. Support of Diversity: Proposal should demonstrate the 
recipients' commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity throughout the program. This can be accomplished through 
documentation (such as a written statement or account) summarizing past 
and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of 
diversity within both their organization and their activities.

Notice

    The need of the program may require the award to reduced, revised, 
or increased. The terms and conditions published in the RFP are binding 
and may not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory 
information provided by USIA 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 the Congress, allocated and 
committed through internal USIA procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or about December 1, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: June 8, 1994.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14510 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M