[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17848-17850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8520]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


North-South Center External Research Grant Program

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The United States Information Agency's Bureau of Education and 
Cultural Affairs invites applications from eligible institutions under 
the auspices of the North-South Center's 1995 Research Grant Program. 
The North-South Center is located at the University of Miami and is 
funded largely through a Congressional appropriation managed by the 
United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs. The Center's Research Grant Programs support select research 
activities which are of importance to the people and governments of the 
Western Hemisphere. Through grant awards, the Center brings together 
human and technical resources to address major themes relevant to 
policy-making in the region.
    Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the 
grant awarded to the North-South Center by the United States 
Information Agency. The mission of the North-South Center is to promote 
better relations and serve as a people of the hemisphere.
    The purposes of the External Research Grant Program are to support 
scholarship in various fields of research among institutions throughout 
the hemisphere, stimulate discussion of policy-relevant issues, and 
promote scholarship from which policy solutions may derive. Since 1991, 
approximately 150 External Research Grants have been awarded involving 
over 300 institutions throughout the hemisphere.
    Short-term Field Research Grant Program on Migration and Refugee 
Issues: In response to increasing migration pressures in the region, 
the North-South Center seeks to further the state of understanding of 
the social, political, and economic impulses for and consequences of 
migration. Research initiatives concerning this theme can be 
investigated from a variety of disciplinary perspectives from within 
the social sciences and other relevant fields. Research proposals will 
be accepted from various disciplines to conduct research projects or 
field research which investigates contemporary issues in relation to 
themes such as the following: The formation, functioning, and 
consequences of transnational communities; the processes of return 
migration resulting from political reconciliation and democratization; 
the consequences of neoliberal economic reforms on international 
migration and return migration; new migratory currents within the 
Americas; and demographic changes brought about by migration.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME: All communications with the North-South Center 
concerning this announcement should refer to the title of Research 
Grant Program on Migration and Refugee Issues.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: The External Research Grant Program requires 
that one original and nineteen (19) copies of final proposal, written 
in English, be received at the Office of Grant Programs, North-South 
Center by 5 p.m. Miami time on Friday, May 12, 1995. Please conserve 
paper by making copies double-sided. Documents sent by facsimile will 
not be accepted, nor will documents postmarked on May 12, 1995 but 
received on a later date. It is the responsibility of each grant 
applicant to ensure that proposals are received by the above deadlines. 
Project activities should begin no earlier than July 1, 1995 and should 
run no longer than December 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register 
announcement before addressing inquiries to the Grant Programs Office 
where an applicant can obtain the application package, which contains 
submission deadlines. Draft and final proposals will be accepted only 
in the format requested in the application package and only until May 
12, 1995. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the North-South Center will 
not inform the applicant on the status of his/her application--except 
to acknowledge its receipt--until after the Center's proposal review 
process has been completed.
    Organizations/institutions/individuals should contact the Office of 
Grant Programs at the address listed below or by telephone at (305) 
284-8951, facsimile (305) 284-6370, or electronic mail 
[email protected] to request a detailed application packet. 
Application packets include award criteria not mentioned in this 
announcement, all necessary forms, and guidelines for preparing 
proposals, including specific budget preparation information.

ADDRESSES: Twenty (20) complete proposals written in English should be 
received by the May 12, 1995 deadline addressed to: Mary Uebersax, 
Director of Grant Programs, North-South Center, 1500 Monza Avenue, 
Coral Gables, FL 33146-3027.
    The ensure timely delivery, a reliable courier should be used to 
envoy the project proposals. The Center will not reimburse the cost of 
such delivery.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposals from all parts of the world, 
except where prohibited by U.S. law that are consistent with the 
mission of the North-South Center and are of sound intellectual 
justification will be considered. Funding will not be authorized for 
any private for-profit institutions, profit-oriented individuals' 
initiatives, projects of a proprietary nature, or for projects of a 
partisan political nature. The applicant should be the project's 
principal investigator and should have completed advanced degrees and 
be affiliated with an institution. Pre-doctoral scholars are eligible 
to compete for the Program. [[Page 17849]] However, pre-doctoral 
scholars must currently be affiliated with an institution of higher 
learning and have the support of their research advisor or department 
chair to conduct the proposed research project. The Center and its 
External Grant Review Panel will not use political tests or political 
qualifications and will not discriminate in any manner whatsoever in 
selecting grantees.
    Pursuant to the authorizing legislation of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
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.
    The recipient organization will be responsible for arrangements 
associated with the program. These include organization 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.

Funding Limitations

    The maximum award for this program is $20,000. Support will include 
international travel expenses, domestic transportation, limited living 
expenses, and research and pre-publication expenses.
    The grant awards should not be used in lieu of salary or to support 
projects which could be funded by private foundations or government. In 
addition, applicants are encouraged to seek supplemental funding for 
projects.
    Successful projects will be funded by means of a cost reimbursement 
subcontract agreement between the North-South Center, the University of 
Miami, and the applicant's institution. All current policies and 
requirements that govern federal research grants will be applied to the 
grant award.

Guidelines

    The Center gives priority to projects involving the collaboration 
of institutions in more than one country. The Program provides funding 
for projects that demonstrate a clear analytical focus, a solid method 
to achieve research goals in a timely manner, and relevance to 
contemporary policy. Research activities should generate a product of 
enduring value such as a publication or a series of publications.
    Proposals must be structured in accordance with the instructions 
contained in the application package. Confirmation letters from U.S. 
and foreign co-sponsors noting their intention to participate in the 
program will enhance a proposal.
Proposed Budget

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line-item budget for which 
specific details are available in the application packet. The Center 
does not pay for indirect costs or costs that are not directly related 
to the specific project being funded. No support will be given for the 
purchase or lease of capital equipment (e.g., facsimile machines, 
computers), or other related infrastructural costs. Some degree of 
institutional support should be reflected in the proposed project 
budget. It is not permissible to request support in lieu of 
responsibilities for university course instruction.

Review Process

    Grants made through the North-South Center External Research Grant 
Program are awarded through a competitive review process. The Grant 
Programs Office will acknowledge receipt of all proposals, and the 
Center's Executive Staff will review every proposal for eligibility, 
completeness, and competitiveness. Outside reviewers with expertise in 
a particular subject area may be called upon to provide critique on 
proposals. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully 
adhere to the guidelines established herein and in the application 
packet. All eligible and complete proposals will be submitted to the 
Center's Grant Review Panel, comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of 
distinguished experts from major university centers for Latin American 
and Caribbean Studies as well as Latin America specialists from the 
non-academic international community.

Review Criteria

    Applications which meet the aforementioned technical requirements 
will be competitively reviewed according to the following criteria:
    1. Contribution to the field of study: Proposals should demonstrate 
a distinct theoretical, political, or applied academic significance to 
the stated subject area. The outcome of the research endeavor should be 
useful and applicable to the academic, government, and policy making 
and/or governmental sectors.
    2. Research cohesiveness and quality: Clearly defined research 
hypotheses, including the specific questions which will be asked 
through this investigation, and an explanation of the means of testing 
and evaluating the research objectives should be provided. A detailed 
research agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive 
rigor and a logistical capacity to implement the work plan. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.
    3. Clarity and focus: Proposals should illustrate that the research 
has been sufficiently developed prior to the request for funding, to 
ensure that its aims are clear and specific. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate the process by which the applicant will meet the program's 
objectives and research plan.
    4. Concrete and lasting impact of the investigation: Proposed 
programs should strengthen enduring mutual understanding, including 
maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term 
institutional and individual linkages. Proposals should provide a plan 
for continued follow-up activity which insures that the Center's 
supported programs are not isolated events. Effective dissemination of 
the project's results should be planned to reach the widest possible 
and most relevant audience.
    5. Potential: Proposals should demonstrate the potential for 
fostering cooperation and understanding among peoples of the region. 
Research output should provide clear and sound analysis of or tools for 
policy making.
    6. Applicant's ``track record'': Applicants should demonstrate a 
history of successful programs, including responsible fiscal management 
and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past research 
grants, where applicable. The Center will consider the past performance 
of prior grantees and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    7. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity throughout the program.
    8. 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 
[[Page 17850]] component and a final report at the conclusion. Grantees 
must be willing to comply with evaluation requirements of the granting 
institution.
    9. Cost-effectiveness: The administrative components of grants 
should be kept as low as possible. All other research costs should be 
necessary, appropriate, and justified in the budget narrative.
    10. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through 
other private support as well as direct funding contributions (such as 
full-time salaries) from the home institutions.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in the RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any North-South Center or United States Information 
Agency representative. Explanatory information provided by USIA or the 
North-South Center that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. This RFP combined with the application packet which is 
obtainable by calling the North-South Center, constitutes the entire 
terms and conditions for application to this grant program. Issuance of 
the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the 
Center. Programs and projects must conform with the Center's 
requirement and guidelines outlined in the Application Packet. The 
Center's project and programs are subject to the availability of funds. 
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been made available 
through the U.S. Government's appropriation and contracting process and 
allocated and committed through internal North-South Center and 
University of Miami procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified in writing of the results of the 
review process. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and 
evaluation requirements.

    Dated: March 13, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Education and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-8520 Filed 4-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M