[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-22872]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 15, 1994]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

U.S.-NIS Summer Language Teacher Exchange Program

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division, 
European Branch of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an 
assistance award program. Public and non-profit organizations meeting 
the provisions described in IRS regulation 501(c)(3) may apply to 
develop a summer 1995 language teacher exchange program for in-service 
professionals from the United States and selected countries in the New 
Independent States (NIS). The goal of the U.S.-NIS Summer Language 
Teacher Exchange Program is to improve and promote the teaching of 
American English and culture in the NIS, and the teaching of the 
diverse languages and cultures of the NIS countries in the United 
States. USIA expects to award grants to one or two organizations to 
conduct an intensive summer language enhancement program of five to 
twelve weeks in duration through academic course work, seminars, 
workshops, and practica, for up to 40 language teachers in each 
direction. USIA will give preference to proposals that exchange 
participants, to the extent feasible, from all twelve eligible 
countries in the NIS. Combined project awards to U.S. organizations 
will not exceed $240,000. These exchanges are subject to the 
availability of funding for Fiscal Year 1995.
    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.''

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title (U.S.-NIS Summer 
Language Teacher Exchange Program) and reference number E/AEE-95-06.

DATES: Deadline for proposals: One original and nine copies must be 
received at the U.S. Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time 
on Friday, October 21, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor 
will documents postmarked on October 21, 1994 but received at a later 
date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that 
proposals are received by the above deadline.

DURATION: The exchange of participants for the U.S.-NIS Summer Language 
Teacher Exchange Program should be a minimum of five weeks in duration, 
but should not exceed a maximum of twelve weeks. It is expected that 
the program will occur during the summer of 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Academic Programs, Academic 
Exchanges Division, European Branch, E/AEE, Room 246, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 619-
5341, fax (202) 260-7985, internet [email protected], to request an 
Application 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 the USIA Program Officer Rhonda E. Boris on all inquiries and 
correspondence. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of 
Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division, European Branch or 
submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, USIA 
officers may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants 
until after the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Application Package and send the original and nine copies of the 
completed application to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-95-06 
Summer Language Teacher Exchange Program, Office of Grants Management, 
E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street SW., 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.
    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.

Overview

    The U.S. Information Agency offers support for programs which bring 
citizens from the NIS who are English language instructors to the U.S., 
and bring U.S. citizens who are language instructors in one or more of 
the languages and cultures of the following eligible countries: 
Armenia, Azerbaijan,* Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and 
Uzbekistan, to the NIS for advanced language study and teaching 
enhancement. Grantees should demonstrate an effort to recruit from all 
eligible countries as feasible. Programs must be two-way. While it is 
desirable to place American teachers of NIS languages in as many NIS 
countries as possible, USIA does not require strict reciprocity of 
placements. However, USIA does expect participants to be placed as a 
group or in subgroups at one or more locations. Participants are 
expected to study and travel as a group or in subgroups.
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    *Please note: Programs with Azerbaijan are subject to 
restrictions of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act: Employees of 
the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its instrumentalities are 
excluded from participation and no U.S. participant overseas may 
work for the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its 
instrumentalities. In addition, the Government of Azerbaijan and/or 
its instrumentalities will have no control in the actual selection 
of the participants.
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    For NIS participants, the study program must focus on American 
English. For U.S. participants, the study program must focus on NIS 
languages such as Armenian, Azeri, Byelorussian, Georgian, Kazakh, 
Kyrgyz, Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, or other related Altaic, Slavic, and 
Uralic languages, and integrate area studies into course work where 
feasible. Programs must provide a professional development component 
for American and NIS language instructors. Programs in the U.S. are 
expected to be conducted in English. Programs in the NIS are expected 
to be conducted in the native or instructional language of the specific 
host country.
    Applications should provide a detailed description of the type of 
language and teaching instruction, citing academic course work that 
enhances the knowledge and skills of the NIS and U.S. participants. 
Courses offered may include, but are not limited to, foreign language 
teaching methodologies, techniques, and principles, skills building, 
materials review and development, creative uses of technology in the 
foreign language classroom, American English and NIS languages for 
specific purposes (e.g., business, law, social sciences), techniques in 
testing and evaluation, and training teacher trainers. Applications 
should also provide a detailed description of area studies and cultural 
components, and cite opportunities for professional development for the 
American and NIS language instructors. All participants, when they 
return home, are expected to share with colleagues and students the 
knowledge, teaching techniques, and professional resources gained 
during the U.S.-NIS Summer Language Teacher Exchange Program.

Guidelines

Language Qualifications

    Participants should have sufficient fluency in the native or 
instructional language of the host country to be able to pursue 
university-level study. Participants should be able to converse in the 
language of the host country without the aid of interpreters.

Institutional Commitment

    Proposals must include documentation of institutional support for 
the proposed program in the form of signed letters of endorsement from 
the U.S. and NIS partner institutions' directors, or in the form of a 
signed agreement between by the same persons. Letters of endorsement 
must describe each institution's or organization's commitment and make 
specific reference to the proposed program and each institution's 
activities in support of that program. Documentation of support from 
government ministries or academies will be acceptable when appropriate, 
replacing individual documentation from each foreign educational 
institution involved. Applicants must submit this documentation as part 
of the complete application; letters and agreements will not be 
accepted if sent separately to USIA. Applying institutions are expected 
to make their own arrangements with appropriate foreign institutions.

Proposal Narrative

    The proposal narrative describing the program must conform to the 
Guidelines dated June 1994 and must include any subgrants to be issued. 
The narrative must also describe in detail the abilities of the 
participating organizations to adapt to the changing exchanges 
environments in the countries eligible for participation in this 
program. The proposal should also detail the program activities in each 
country, including the courses offered, course syllabi, proposed 
reading/materials list, curriculum vitae of instructors, and how the 
courses related to the enhancement of participants' language and 
teaching skills. Proposals should describe host sites and provide a 
thorough justification for the selection of the host sites.

Participant Selection

    The proposal must include detailed descriptions of the selection 
processes for both American and NIS participants. Participants must be 
citizens of the U.S. or one of the countries of the NIS and must be 
high school teachers or college-level faculty currently involved in the 
instruction of the language to be studied. U.S. and NIS participants 
must be recruited nationally. Priority will be given to proposals that 
demonstrate the widest geographic representation of participant 
recruitment. Preference will be given to projects in which participants 
are recruited through open, merit-based competition.

Orientation/Debriefing Programs

    Participants should be provided with a substantive and 
comprehensive orientation to the country of their visit. Proposals 
should describe these orientation programs, including costs, in detail. 
The Office of Academic Programs, Academic Exchanges Division, European 
Branch strongly encourages applicants to develop orientation materials 
which include, but are not limited to, an outline of the exchange 
program with suggested goals and objectives, relevant background 
information, and information about U.S. institutions and individuals 
involved in the exchange. At the conclusion of the program, applicants 
are encouraged to organize an activity in which the participants meet 
to consider how they can best apply, upon return to their home 
countries, the knowledge and skills gained during the exchange program.

Logistics

    Applicants will be responsible for most arrangements associated 
with this exchange program. These include organizing a coherent 
progression of activities, providing international and domestic travel 
arrangements for all participants, making lodging and local 
transportation arrangements for visitors, orienting and debriefing 
participants, preparing any necessary support material, and working 
with host institutions and individuals to achieve maximum program 
effectiveness.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    Programs must comply with J visa regulations and should reference 
this adherence in the proposal narrative. Program participants must 
carry the requisite level of health and accident insurance. Applicants 
may budget for insurance expenses and are responsible for ensuring that 
participants have adequate insurance coverage. Please refer to program 
specific guidelines in the Application Package for further details. 
Proposals must comply with reporting and withholding regulations for 
federal, state, and local taxes as applicable. Applicants should 
demonstrate tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and 
budget notes.

Proposed Budget

    USIA will make one or two project awards to U.S. organizations in a 
wide range of amounts, but combined awards will not exceed $240,000, 
which includes program and administrative costs.
    USIA reserves the right to reduce, revise or increase proposal 
budgets in accordance with the needs of the program. For organizations 
with less than four years of experience in international exchange 
activities, grants will be limited to a maximum of $60,000, and 
proposed budgets should not exceed this amount.
    All organizations must submit a comprehensive, all-inclusive line 
item budget, the details and format of which are contained in the 
application packet. The budget should list separate sub-budgets for 
each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to 
facilitate USIA decisions on funding. The budget must also list all 
sources of support for the program in fiscal year 1995, including both 
cash and in-kind contributions.

Allowable Costs

    Allowable costs for the program may include, but are not limited 
to, the following categories:

Program Costs

--International travel (via American flag carrier);
--Domestic travel;
--Excursionary travel and lodging for cultural enrichment (not to 
exceed $200 per participant);
--Maintenance and per diem;
--Academic program costs (tuition, book allowance);
--Travel and partial maintenance costs for supervisors or resident 
directors, for no more than one program supervisor per twenty 
participants;
--Orientation costs (speaker honoraria are not to exceed $150 per day 
per speaker);
--Cultural enrichment expenses (admissions, tickets, etc.; limited to 
$150 per participant);
--Medical insurance for participants (participants are covered by the 
Agency's self-insurance policy when USIA is funding over fifty per cent 
of the total cost of the project); and
--Taxes and visa fees.

Administrative Costs

    (Not to exceed 20% of the requested budget.)

--Salaries and benefits;
--Communications (e.g., fax, telephone, e-mail, postage);
--Office supplies;
--Administration of tax withholding and reporting as required by 
Federal, State and local authorities and in accordance with relevant 
tax treaties;
--Other direct costs; and
--Indirect costs.

*Please Note: It is required that requested administrative funds, 
including indirect costs, not exceed 20 percent of the total amount 
requested from USIA; administrative expenses should be cost-shared. 
(See the accompanying guidelines for complete cost-sharing and 
auditing requirements.)

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 application package, including the Guidelines for Preparing 
Proposals. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of USIA 
officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be 
reviewed by the budget and contracts offices, as well as the USIA 
Office of NIS and East European Affairs. Proposals may also be reviewed 
by the Agency'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 assistance resides with USIA's grants officer.

REVIEW CRITERIA: Technically eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the following criteria:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit academic 
rigor and excellence, thorough conception of project, demonstration of 
meeting participants' needs, contributions to understanding the partner 
country, proposed follow-up, and qualifications of program staff and 
participants.
    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. 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.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen 
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information, and the establishment of long-term institutional and 
individual linkages.
    5. Value of U.S.-partner country relations: Proposed program should 
receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and 
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance 
of the project with the partner country (ies).
    6. Institutional capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    7. Institution's record/ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirement 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 insures that 
USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    9. Program evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. USIA recommends that the proposal include a draft survey 
questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology to 
use to link outcomes to original project objectives. Award-receiving 
organizations/institutions will be expected to submit intermediate 
reports after each project component is concluded or quarterly, which 
ever is less frequent.
    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: Proposals should demonstrate the 
applicant's 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 organization and 
their activities. Preference will be given to proposals that 
demonstrate efforts to include participants from diverse regions, and 
of different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, to the extent 
feasible for the applicant institutions.

Preference Factor

    Preference will be given to proposals that:
    1. Demonstrate the widest geographic representation through 
participant recruitment;
    2. Include an area studies component;
    3. Include a thorough orientation component for all participants;
    4. Provide for an approximately equal number of American and NIS 
participants; and
    5. Recruit participants through open, merit-based competition.

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 this request for proposals does not constitute an 
award commitment on the part of the government. The needs of the 
program may require the award to be reduced, revised, or increased. 
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 in writing of the results of the 
review process on or about December 1, 1994. Awards made will be 
subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: September 12, 1994.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-22872 Filed 9-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M