[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