[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5247-5250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1790]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


1995 Central and Eastern European Graduate Fellowships

ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for an assistance award. American public or private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 501(c)(3) may apply to administer the FY 1995 Central and 
Eastern European Graduate Fellowships. Only organizations with at least 
four years of experience in international exchange activities are 
eligible to apply. Preference will be given to organizations that have 
placement experience at the graduate level and/or mid-career 
professionals and a demonstrated ability to conduct academic exchange 
programs in Central and Eastern Europe. Organizations are invited to 
submit a proposal with a budget not to exceed $1,850,000 to conduct the 
final selection (from a pool of applicants), placement, and monitoring 
of 40 Fellows from the following countries: Albania (4), Bulgaria (4), 
Croatia (2), Hungary (7), Macedonia (2), Poland (12), Romania (5), and 
Slovenia (4). Participants will be enrolled in two-year degree 
programs, or in one-year non-degree professional development programs 
(except for the one-year degree programs in law) at accredited U.S. 
academic institutions for study at the Masters' level in the fields of 
business administration, education administration, economics, law, 
public policy, communication/journalism and public administration.

    Please note: This program is not intended to support PhD 
studies.

    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 the other countries of the world.''
    The funding authority for the program cited above is provided 
through the Support for East European Democracies Act (SEED). 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/AEE-95-09.

DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, March 1, 
1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on March 1, 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:
Ms. Effie Wingate or Mr. Steve Lebens, European Branch, Academic 
Exchanges Division, E/AEE Room 246, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547. Telephone: (202) 205-0525, Fax: 
(202) 260-7985, Internet: [email protected] to request a Solicitation 
Package. The package 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, Ms. Effie Wingate, on all inquiries and 
correspondences. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the European 
Branch or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, 
the European Branch may not discuss this competition in any way with 
applicants until the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package and send one original and nine copies of the 
completed applications, including required forms, to: U.S. Information 
Agency, Ref.: E/AEE-95-09, 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 FY 1995 Central and Eastern European Graduate Fellowships 
(CEEGF) will fund 40 Fellowships allocated as follows: Albania 4, 
Bulgaria 4, Croatia 2, Hungary 7, Macedonia 2, Poland 12, Romania 5, 
and Slovenia 4. Proposals must adhere to the stated country 
allocations. The goal of the CEEGF program is to provide an opportunity 
for selected university graduates and young professionals from the 
aforementioned eight European countries to participate in quality 
graduate study programs in the fields of business administration, 
education administration, economics, law, public policy, communication/
journalism, and public administration at accredited universities 
throughout the United States. Fellowships will be awarded for one-year, 
non-degree professional development programs, except for one-year 
degree programs in law, or for two two-year degree granting programs. 
Program enhancements such as a Washington workshop, re-entry 
[[Page 5248]] institute, professional enrichment activities, alumni 
networking, etc. are encouraged. Internships of up to six months for 
Fellows in one-year programs and up to three months for Fellows in two-
year programs are recommended. USIA's goal for 1995 is to award the 
greater number of Fellowships for two-year degree programs, and to 
attain equitable representation among the seven eligible fields while 
achieving wide distribution among the U.S. host universities. 
Clustering of Fellows should be avoided with no more than three Fellows 
at one university.
    The Central and Eastern European Graduate Fellowships program will 
not support PhD programs.

Guidelines

    For 1995, program advertisement and participant recruitment will be 
the responsibility of the United States Information Service (USIS) 
Posts and/or the Fulbright Commissions. USIS Posts and/or Commissions 
will screen applications for eligibility, arrange for testing where 
possible, conduct personal interviews, and compile a dossier on each 
qualified applicant. Each USIS Post and/or Commission will compile a 
pool of applicants to be forwarded to the administering organization(s) 
for the final selection. The duration of the program should be for two 
academic years, 1995-96 and 1996-97. The program may not begin before 
March 1, 1995, and must be completed by December 31, 1997.
    Applicants are asked to develop a program plan to conduct the final 
selection, placement, monitoring and follow-on activities. Proposals 
should address and discuss in detail the following areas:
    1. Final selection: describe in detail the process for the final 
selection of Fellows, including method of reviewing pool of 
applications, specific details about the applicant review committee(s), 
if relevant, and notification to selectees and non-selectees.
    2. Placement of Fellows: describe criteria for selecting host-
universities and measures to ensure participants academic and cultural 
needs are met.
    3. Notification: describe plans for notifying applicants who have 
been selected for an award, including timely confirmation of placement, 
scheduling of pre-departure orientation, and logistics of all travel 
arrangements.
    4. Special programs: describe provisions for ESL or pre-academic 
programs, if necessary;
    5. Orientation: describe plans for pre-departure, post arrival and/
or pre-academic orientation programs.
    6. Enrichment activities: describe arrangements for cultural and 
professional development activities, internships, and other program 
enhancements including recommendations for Washington workshop and/or 
re-entry institute.
    7. Monitoring/evaluation/tracking: describe methodologies for on-
going monitoring and evaluation and adjustment of program accordingly. 
Mechanisms for alumni networking and alumni tracking should also be 
detailed.
    8. Personnel: proposals should include curriculum vitae of 
personnel assigned to administer the CEEGF program.

Participants

    Fellows will be drawn from a pool of applicants with a variety of 
professional and educational backgrounds. Since one of the purposes of 
the fellowships is to promote the development of professional expertise 
among the future leaders of Central Europe, grant recipients should 
ideally be in the early stages of their careers, with perhaps a few 
years of work experience, a demonstrated ability for leadership, a 
clearly expressed purpose for studying in the United States, and a 
commitment to return home at the end of their fellowships to share 
their knowledge and skills in the development of their countries. In 
every case fellows must be under the age of forty, possess the 
equivalent of a bachelors degree, and demonstrate fluency in spoken and 
written English (or the ability to attain such a level following a 
limited ESL program prior to the beginning of their studies).

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    All foreign participants must be sponsored under an Exchange 
Visitor Program on a J visa. Programs must comply with J-1 visa 
regulations and should reference this adherence in the proposal 
narrative. CEEGF Fellows must comply with the two-year home residency 
requirement as stipulated by the J-visa guidelines. It is the expressed 
intent of this program that Fellows return immediately to their home 
country following completion of the academic and professional 
components of their program. Please refer to program specific 
guidelines in the Application Package for further details.
    Administration of the program must be in compliance with reporting 
and withholding regulations for federal, state, and local taxes as 
applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate tax regulation 
adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
    Participants will be covered by USIA Health and Accident Insurance. 
The administering organization(s) will be responsible for enrolling the 
participants in the insurance program.

Cost Sharing

    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 A-110, 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.

Audits

    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.

Proposed Budget

    Applicants are invited to submit a detailed budget for a grant not 
to exceed $1,850,000. The total institutional administrative costs, 
including indirect costs, funded by USIA may not exceed $370,000 or 20% 
(twenty percent) of the total request, whichever is less.
    Proposals must include a comprehensive line item budget for the 
[[Page 5249]] entire program. There must be a summary budget as well as 
a break-down reflecting both the administrative budget and the program 
budget. Please refer to the application packet for complete formatting 
instructions.
    USIA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the proposal 
budget in accordance with the needs of the program.
    Funding for all program and administrative costs for the entire 
period of the program should be projected in the proposal. The estimate 
should list all post-recruitment costs, including participant and 
administrative costs relating to selection, pre-departure orientation, 
and expenses for the entire U.S. component of the program, including 
supervision of Fellows. Please indicate the number of one year and two 
year placements you anticipate. USIA reserves the right to increase or 
decrease the number of participants as well as the budget for the 
project.
    Medical insurance for participants will be paid directly by USIA 
and, therefore, should not be included as a line-item cost in the 
program budget. However, a modest line-item may be included for health 
insurance for universities not accepting the USIA policy.
    Grant-funded items of expenditure may include, but are not limited 
to, the following categories:

Program Expenses

--Round trip travel to and from Fellows' home city to international 
point of departure (if applicable);
--Round trip international travel (via American carrier);
--Round trip U.S. travel to and from host institution;
--Tuition, room and board for academic program;
--Maximum of eight weeks of pre-academic English language training as 
required to achieve 550 TOEFL;
--Pre-academic program costs, including, but not limited to, room and 
board, instructional fees, additional staff costs, use of facilities 
(lab rentals), field trips, special events, guest lecturers, etc.;
--``Settling-in'' allowance (e.g., necessary clothing, linens, 
toiletries, etc.);
--Educational materials (not to exceed $1,000 per academic year);
--Maintenance including university vacation periods;
--Summer internship and school break maintenance costs (not to exceed 
$1,500 per month);
--Pre-departure orientation expenses;
--Per diem for orientation and professional, academic and cultural 
enrichment (not to exceed an average of $1,500 per Fellow);
--Domestic travel and per diem for a Washington Enhancement Workshop 
(approximately $1,000 per Fellow);
--Domestic travel, maintenance, and tuition for an end of program 
institute (approximately $1,000 per Fellow);
--Withholding for taxes; and
--Visa fees.

Administrative Costs

    Administrative costs may include the following expenses:

--Staff salaries and benefits;
--Staff and academic panel travel relating to final selection and host 
campus selection;
--Staff travel for program monitoring;
--Communication costs (e.g. fax, telephone, postage, communication 
equipment, etc.);
--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: Identify by name and position the staff members of your 
organization that will be working on this program. USIA strongly 
encourages the adequate provision of personnel and resources to 
cover the administration of this program.

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 
Eurasian Affairs and the USIS posts 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: Proposals should exhibit thorough 
conception of the project, methods of meeting program and participant 
needs, and follow-on plan.
    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: Objections should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the organization 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 linkages.
    5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and organizational 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project goals.
    6. 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.
    7. 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. 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 
organization(s) will be expected to submit intermediate reports after 
each project component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less 
frequent.
    8. 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.
    9. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    10. Area expertise: Proposals should demonstrate the organization's 
expertise in Central and Eastern Europe and its experience with 
academic exchanges at the graduate level in these countries.
    11. Placement experience: Proposals should demonstrate the 
organization's ability and experience with placements at U.S. 
universities at the graduate level.
    12. Professional and academic contacts: Proposals should 
demonstrate [[Page 5250]] the organization's ability to use 
professional and academic contracts for internships, selection panels, 
etc.

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 May 1, 1995. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: January 18, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-1790 Filed 1-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M