[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 240 (Thursday, December 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30573]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 15, 1994]


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


UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

Central American Program of Undergraduate Scholarships--CAMPUS X

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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

SUMMARY: The American Republics Programs Branch of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for an assistance award. Public or private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 
501(c)(3) may apply to host groups of Central American undergraduate 
students for English language training and the final two years of their 
undergraduate studies. USIA anticipates awarding five or six grants 
under this competition in the tenth Central American Program of 
Undergraduate Scholarships (CAMPUS).
    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 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 other countries of the world.''
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA projects and 
programs are subject to the availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/AEL-94-01.

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, April 7, 
1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on April 7, 1995 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
American Republics Programs Branch, E/AEL, Room 314, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, tel: 202-619-
5365, fax: 202-401-1720, Internet: [email protected] 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 Officer Debra Shetler on all inquiries and 
correspondences. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the American 
Republics Programs Branch or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP 
deadline has passed, the American Republics Programs Branch 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 only complete applications to: U.S. 
Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEL-95-01, Office of Grants management, E/
XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 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 objectives of the program are to improve the range and quality 
of educational alternatives for talented young Central Americans of 
limited financial means, to match educational opportunities with 
regional needs, and to build lasting links between the U.S. and Central 
America.

Guidelines

    Approximately 63 upper division transfer students from Belize, 
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama will 
be sponsored for up to 30 months of U.S. study toward a bachelor's 
degree, including intensive English language training and undergraduate 
academic coursework. In selecting student grantees, the Agency will 
seek those who, by prior academic preparation and performance, are 
likely to succeed in rigorous U.S. college courses.
    USIA will award grants to five or six accredited U.S. colleges and 
universities to host nationally diverse groups of 10-14 student 
participants.
    Applicant institutions should pledge administrative and faculty 
commitment, as well as instructional and counseling support, to 
implement an extensive range of educational and cultural program 
elements and to assist students in achieving academic and personal 
success.

Student Selection

    A joint private sector-USIA team will review students' 
applications, conduct interviews, and consider test scores, 
transcripts, transferable credits, prospective class standing, 
linguistic aptitude, and all other factors relevant to students' 
likelihood of achieving academic success and earning a degree within 
the time limits of the program. The team will recommend the selection 
and placement of candidates to USIA; final selection is subject to 
review by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Admission and Credit Transfer

    Once student participants are identified, the application dossiers 
will be sent to the prospective host institution, which will have a 
specified time in which to review student qualifications and confirm 
admission.

Project Director's Workshop

    USIA will hold a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. in October 
1995 for university Project Directors or Project Administrators/
Coordinators. Project issues and policies will be discussed with USIA 
staff.

Plenary Arrival Orientation Program

    USIA will conduct an orientation program for the students in 
January 1996 (the actual dates to be determined in accordance with the 
selected universities' academic calendars), in Miami, Florida.

II. The Program

Intensive English Language Program

    Institutions shall provide intensive English as a Second Language 
programs responsive to widely varying levels of individual ability and 
rates of progress to enable the students to achieve adequate English 
fluency to enter regular academic courses in the fall of 1996.

Nature and Level of Academic Program

    CAMPUS students will enroll at each U.S. host institution as 
undergraduates seeking (unless otherwise specified) to earn a 
bachelor's degree during the scholarship period. As they will have 
completed at least two years of college-level study at Central American 
institutions, CAMPUS students should in many ways be considered upper 
division (third and fourth year) students.

Academic Program--Guidance and Monitoring

    Host institutions are expected to ensure that CAMPUS students are 
enrolled in a substantive undergraduate study program throughout the 
duration of the scholarship. If careful assessment of a participant's 
prior studies suggests that a bachelor's degree can be earned before 
the program expiration date, that participant will be expected to 
return home immediately after graduation. Conversely, if careful 
assessment while the student is pursuing studies in the U.S. suggests 
that a bachelor's degree cannot be earned within the scholarship 
period, USIA will work with the host institution to determine an 
appropriate course of action.

Academic Program--Fields of Study

    Institutional grantees must offer academic programs in three or 
more of the following fields of study: Business Administration, 
Communications, Education, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and 
Information Sciences.
    The proposal should include a list of all the major fields of study 
and the specialization offered in which, based on the institution's 
previous experience with Central American students and the standards of 
the departments involved, the students should have a reasonable 
expectation of attaining a degree in the specializations offered.

Special Programs and Services

    The special needs of the CAMPUS X participants group should be 
addressed in orientation programs focusing on social and cultural 
adaptations, introduction to preparation for U.S. scholarly traditions 
and classroom methodology, ongoing intercultural counseling, 
appropriate undergraduate coursework, and intellectual, cultural, and 
social enhancement activities, e.g. attending a play, concert, lecture, 
sports event, or other community or cultural activities, are encouraged 
and should be offered during the entire length of the program. To the 
extent possible, faculty members or local citizens with relevant 
expertise should prepare and/or accompany the students for each 
activity.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
program specific guidelines in the Solicitation Package for further 
details.

Proposed Budget

    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. 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.
    Provide a three-column outline showing funds requested from USIA, 
contributions by the applicant institution or other sources, and total 
expenditures on major line items (tuition, maintenance, cultural 
activities, administration, etc.) for a group of ten (10) students. 
Provide a separate and comparable cost per additional student budget 
outline and explanation for USIA's use in the event your proposal is 
funded and your institution is asked to host more than 10 students.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

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 
Solicitation Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA Office of 
American Republics 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 grant awards 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 Agency mission.
    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 establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity.
    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 
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 insures that 
USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be 
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is 
concluded or quarterly, whichever 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. 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 country(ies).
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 needs of the program may require the 
award to be reduced, revised, or increased. 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 on or about July 7, 1995. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: December 7, 1994.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-30573 Filed 12-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M