[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 96 (Thursday, May 18, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26766-26770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12174]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


College and University Affiliations Program (CUAP): Application 
Notice for Fiscal Year 1996

ACTION: Notice; Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award program. 
Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply 
to develop a partnership with foreign institution(s) of higher 
education in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Proposed 
projects must be eligible in terms of country(ies)/regions and academic 
disciplines or themes as described in the section entitled 
``Guidelines'' below. Participating institutions exchange faculty and 
staff for a combination of teaching, lecturing, curriculum development, 
faculty development, collaborative research, and outreach for periods 
of one month or longer.
    The program awards grants up to $120,000 for a three-year period to 
defray the cost of travel and per diem with an allowance for 
educational materials and project administration. Subject to the 
availability of funding, a minimum of two grants will be awarded for 
each of the six geographic regions described below (Africa; American 
Republics; East Asia and Pacific; East/Central Europe and the New 
Independent States; North Africa, Near East, and South Asia; and 
Western Europe). The award of grants for North American trilateral 
projects (described below) will be subject to the final program budget.
    Overall grant making and funding 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 Fulbright-Hays Act.
    Projects must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA Projects are subject to the 
availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the College and University 
Affiliations Program and reference number E/ASU-96-01.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Thursday, November 
9, 1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on November 9, 1995, but received on a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure compliance with the 
deadline.
    Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about July 1, 
1996.
    Duration: July 1, 1996-June 30, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of Academic Programs; Advising, Teaching, and Specialized 
Programs Division; College and University Affiliations Program (CUAP), 
(E/ASU), Room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-1433, e-
mail: [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 
Ms. Sue Borja on all inquiries and correspondence. Prospective 
applicants should read the complete Federal Register announcement 
before addressing inquiries to the College and University Affiliations 
Program staff or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, the College and University Affiliations Program staff 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. The original and 10 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU-96-
01, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants must also submit to E/XE the ``Executive Summary'', 
``Proposal'', and ``Budget'' sections (in no more than three files) of 
each proposal on a 3\1/2\'' diskette, formatted for DOS. This material 
should be provided in ASCII text (DOS) format with a maximum line 
length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit these files electronically 
to USIS posts overseas for their review, with the goal of reducing 
processing time for grants to a minimum. Please also ensure that the 
disc is free of viruses.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing 
legislation, programs must maintain a nonpolitical 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 Agency encourages proposals from eligible Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities, the members of the Hispanic Association of 
Colleges and Universities, and other institutions in the U.S. with at 
least 25% minority (Native American or Native Alaskan; Asian American 
or Pacific Islander; African American or Black Non-Hispanic; or 
Hispanic) student enrollment.

Overview

Objectives

    The CUAP's short-term goal is to provide partial funding of 
linkages between U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education 
featuring faculty and staff exchanges for the purpose of teaching, 
lecturing, faculty development, curriculum development, collaborative 
research, and outreach.
    The program's long-term goals are to:
    (1) Advance mutual understanding between the U.S. and other 
countries or regions by supporting linkages which provide true 
reciprocity and significant mutual benefit.
    (2) Diversify and expand international educational exchanges by:
     Ensuring a widespread geographic distribution of grants 
throughout the U.S. and abroad;
     Targeting academic disciplines and countries/regions which 
are not otherwise significantly represented in privately funded 
exchanges;
     Increasing the participation of two-year/community 
colleges, small four-year schools, and schools with significant (over 
25%) minority student enrollments; and
     Complementing the individual lectureships, research and 
graduate study fellowships, and training programs available under 
Fulbright and other Agency auspices.
    (3) Foster post-secondary institutional academic development by 
supporting linkages which promise to develop expertise and advance 
scholarship and teaching. [[Page 26768]] 
    (4) Encourage U.S. government/private sector cooperation by 
supporting linkages which provide significant cost sharing from both 
the U.S. and foreign partner(s).
    (5) Encourage long-term impact on all partner institutions by 
supporting linkages which promise sustainability beyond the three-year 
grant term.
    (6) Further U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting linkages 
which correspond to the Agency's geographic and thematic programming 
priorities.

Guidelines

    The ideal and most competitive proposal is reciprocal with mutual 
goals and benefits for all partner institutions. While the goals and 
benefits should be mutual, they do not need to be identical for each 
partner institution or precisely balanced among partner institutions. 
One-way, technical assistance projects are not acceptable.
    The ideal and most competitive proposal includes a series of year-
round, faculty and staff exchange visits involving a well-reasoned 
combination of teaching, lecturing, faculty development, curriculum 
development, collaborative research, and outreach. These activities 
must address and support stated project goals, develop expertise, and 
advance scholarship and teaching. These activities may vary in emphasis 
within the project. For example, collaborative research may play a 
lesser role than curriculum development. Library support and 
development should be included if deemed critical to the success and 
sustainability of the project.
    Exchange visits must be for a minimum of one month, with the 
exception of planning visits, which may be for a shorter period. A 
competitive proposal includes a minimum of one, quarter or semester-
long visit each year from each of the U.S. and the foreign partner(s). 
Projects with multiple visits one quarter or semester in length will be 
more competitive. Visits by the U.S. and foreign project coordinators 
as well as other key exchanges should be identified and justified in 
the proposal narrative.
    An ideal project builds upon previous contacts and interaction 
between the proposed partners, such as individual faculty or student 
exchanges, to help ensure a solid foundation for the linkage. 
Acceptable proposals must either establish new institutional 
affiliations or innovate existing partnerships and must not merely 
extend projects previously funded by the College and University 
Affiliations Program (formerly the ``University Affiliations 
Program''), other USIA or U.S. government linkage programs, or other, 
similar linkage programs. Proposals for feasibility studies to plan 
affiliations will not be considered.
    An ideal and most competitive proposal provides significant 
institutional support and cost sharing from both the U.S. and foreign 
institution(s) and promises sustainability beyond the grant term.
    The U.S. institution(s) should collaborate with the foreign 
partner(s) in planning and preparation. When planning the project, U.S. 
and foreign institutions are strongly encouraged to consult with the 
Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO) or Public Affairs Officer (PAO) at the 
appropriate U.S. Information Service (USIS) office at the U.S. Embassy 
or U.S. Consulate and with the Fulbright Commission, where one exists, 
in the appropriate country.

U.S. Partner and Participant Eligibility

    In the U.S., participation in the program is open to accredited 
two- and four-year colleges and universities, including graduate 
schools. Applications from consortia of U.S. colleges and universities 
are eligible. The lead U.S. institution is responsible for submitting 
the application and each application from a consortium must be 
submitted by a member institution with stated authority to represent 
the consortium. Participants representing the U.S. institution who are 
traveling under USIA grant funds must be U.S. citizens.

Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility

    Overseas, participation is open to recognized, degree-granting 
institutions of post-secondary education and internationally recognized 
and highly regarded independent research institutes. Participants 
representing the foreign institutions must be citizens, nationals, or 
permanent residents of the country of the foreign partner and be 
qualified to hold a valid passport. In the case of a partnership with 
an institution in one of the New Independent States (NIS), foreign 
participants with citizenship in any of the NIS are eligible.

Ineligibility

    A proposal will be deemed technically ineligible if:
    (1) It does not fully adhere to the guidelines established herein 
and in the Solicitation Package;
    (2) It is not received by the deadline;
    (3) The length of the proposed project is less than three years;
    (4) It is not submitted by the U.S. partner;
    (5) One of the partner institutions is ineligible;
    (6) The foreign geographic location is ineligible;
    (7) The project involves a partnership with more than one country 
with the exception of trilateral projects under the APEC theme within 
East Asia and North America (U.S./Canada/Mexico) trilateral projects;
    (8) The academic discipline/theme is ineligible.
    (9) The budget exceeds $120,000 for the three-year project.

Eligible Countries/Regions and Academic Disciplines

    The competition is limited to selected countries/regions and 
certain academic disciplines or themes which represent USIA's 
geographic and thematic priorities for the College and University 
Affiliations Program.
    A proposal may include more than one eligible academic discipline 
or theme but should be justified in the proposal narrative. Please 
note: American studies includes the fields of American History and 
Civilization, Literature, Social Sciences, and Art.
    The program invites proposals for bilateral projects only, 
involving the U.S. and one foreign country with the following 
exceptions:
     Proposals submitted for trilateral projects under the APEC 
(Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) theme described below under the 
East Asia and Pacific section.
     Proposals submitted for trilateral projects linking U.S., 
Canadian, and Mexican institution(s) described below under the North 
American trilateral exchanges section.

Africa (AF)
    Eligibility is open to the following sub-Saharan African countries: 
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, South 
Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. Eligible academic disciplines are 
the social sciences and humanities and those disciplines which focus on 
the themes of rule of law and democratic institution building: law, 
political science/government/public policy/public administration, 
economics/business, journalism/communications, and education.

American Republics (AR)

    Eligibility is open to the following countries and academic 
disciplines: Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, 
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, and Trinidad. Eligible academic 
disciplines are American studies, historic/cultural 
[[Page 26769]] heritage preservation, public administration, 
environmental studies, and sustainable development.

East Asia and Pacific (EA)

    Eligibility is open to the following countries and academic 
disciplines: Hong Kong (American studies, area studies, humanities, and 
social sciences), Mongolia (American studies, political science, and 
social sciences); Papua New Guinea (education, environmental studies, 
and social sciences); and Thailand (American studies, economics, and 
sustainable development).

APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Exchanges

    Trilateral projects linking an institution in the U.S. with 
institutions in two other APEC member economies in the East Asia and 
Pacific region are also eligible. The eligible APEC members are: 
Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, 
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, 
and Chinese Taipei.
    Trilateral APEC proposals must address issues concerned with 
regional economic growth and development that envision a community of 
Asia Pacific economies. Proposals must have a regional emphasis that 
focuses on one or more of the following academic disciplines: economics 
(emphasis on international economics/trade and investment flows), 
business administration (emphasis on marketing and international 
business), and the environment (emphasis on sustained growth and the 
environment).

East/Central Europe and the New Independent States (EEN)

    Eligibility is open to the following countries and academic 
disciplines: Romania (American studies, environmental studies, urban 
planning, civic education); Russia excluding institutions in Moscow and 
St. Petersburg (American studies, environmental studies, educational 
administration, public administration, library science); Ukraine (law, 
American studies, environmental studies, library science); Belarus 
(agricultural economics, environmental studies, educational 
administration, information sciences); Uzbekistan (public 
administration, environmental studies, agricultural economics); and 
Moldova (public administration, market economics, law).

North Africa, Near East, and South Asia (NEA)

    Eligibility is open to the following countries/regions and academic 
disciplines: Jordan (Civic Administration), Syria (Social Sciences), 
Pakistan (American/area studies), and the West Bank/Gaza (public 
administration).

Western Europe (WEU)

    Eligibility is limited to institutions located in the following 
geographically or culturally distinct regions in Western Europe: 
eastern Germany, Northern Ireland, the Basque region of Spain, northern 
Greece (Macedonia), and southwest Turkey (Izmir). Eligible academic 
disciplines are American studies and political science.

North America Trilateral Exchanges

    Eligibility is open to trilateral projects linking institution(s) 
in the U.S. with institution(s) in Canada and Mexico. Eligible academic 
disciplines are the arts, humanities, comparative education and 
culture, business, trade, economics, and environmental studies.

Visa Requirements

    Programs must comply with J-1 exchange visitor visa regulations. 
Please refer to program specific guidelines in the Solicitation Package 
(POGI) for further details.

Tax Requirements

    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.

Health Insurance Requirements

    The grant recipient is responsible for enrolling exchange 
participants in a health and accident insurance plan that meets the 
basic requirements of the J-1 Visa. Insurance costs for only the 
foreign exchange participants are an allowable expense under this 
program. Please refer to program specific guidelines in the 
Solicitation Package (POGI) for further details.
Travel

    The assistance award recipient must arrange all travel through 
their own travel agent.

Proposed Budget

    No funding award will exceed a total of $120,000 for the three-year 
grant term. Support for direct administrative costs associated with 
grant activities will not exceed 20% of the total grant amount. All 
indirect costs are unallowable.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive, line-item budget for the 
entire project. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown, 
by year, reflecting both the administrative budget and the program 
budget. Please refer to the Solicitation Package (POGI) for complete 
formatting instructions rather than the generic budget format detailed 
in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI).

Allowable Costs

    (1) International, economy-class airfare for participants. Travel 
must be on U.S. flag carriers wherever such routes exist.
    (2) Domestic, economy-class travel to other academic institutions, 
libraries for research, and conferences while in the host country, 
which are directly related to the project.
    (3) Per diem for lodging, meals, and incidentals.
    (4) Educational materials, excluding computer hardware, not to 
exceed $12,000 for three years.
    (5) One planning trip for one participant per partner institution.
    (6) Health insurance for foreign participants only, while on 
project-related travel to the U.S. Please note: Health insurance is 
compulsory for all U.S. and foreign participants.

Unallowable Costs

    (1) Expenses for student exchanges.
    (2) Travel and per diem for dependents.
    (3) Any costs for non-U.S. citizens or nationals from U.S. 
institutions, or citizens of other than the host country representing 
foreign institutions (except for the New Independent States as stated 
in the eligibility section above).
    (4) Indirect costs.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines.

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 outside 
academic panels and Agency officers for advisory review. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the Agency contracts office. proposals 
will also be reviewed by the appropriate regional 
[[Page 26770]] office, i.e., the USIA Office of African Affairs (AF), 
Office of American Republics Affairs (AR), Office of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs (EA), Office of East European and Canadian Affairs 
(WEU) and the Office of North African, Near Eastern, and South Asian 
Affairs (NEA) and relevant USIA 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 assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) resides with the USIA contracts 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 proposal evaluation:

Academic Review Criteria

    Proposals are reviewed by independent academic peer panels, with 
geographic and disciplinary expertise, which make comments and 
recommendations to the Agency based on the following criteria:
    (1) Reasonable and feasible project objectives which are clearly 
related to the project plan and activities.
    (2) Appropriate and feasible project plans and a detailed schedule 
which must include a well-reasoned combination of useful and 
appropriate teaching, lecturing, faculty development, curriculum 
development, collaborative research, and outreach. Activities should be 
clearly related to the project objectives, but not necessarily equally 
emphasized within the proposal.
    (3) Inclusion of exchange visits of a length which will further the 
project goals and activities. Visits of one month or less are kept to a 
minimum (except planning visits); visits of one academic quarter or 
semester are strongly preferred.
    (4) Promise of the development of expertise and the advancement of 
scholarship and teaching in the eligible academic disciplines or 
themes.
    (5) Quality of exchange participants' academic credentials, skills, 
and experience relative to the goals and activities of the project plan 
(e.g., language skills).
    (6) Institutional resources adequate and appropriate to achieve the 
project's goals. Relevant factors are: the match between partners; the 
financial and political stability of the institutions; and availability 
of a critical mass of faculty willing and able to participate.
    (7) Evidence of strong institutional commitment by all 
participating institutions, including demonstration of relevant and 
successful prior interactions between institutions and an indication of 
collaborative proposal planning.
    (8) Evidence of a strong commitment to internationalization by 
participating institutions (i.e., developing other international 
projects and/or building upon past international activities).
    (9) An effective evaluation plan which defines and articulates a 
list of anticipated outcomes clearly related to the project goals and 
activities and procedures for on-going monitoring ad mid-term 
corrective action.

Agency Review Criteria

    (1) Clear indication that the proposal seeks to establish a truly 
reciprocal and mutually beneficial institutional affiliation overseas 
or to innovate an existing affiliation. The benefits do not have to be 
the same for each partner or precisely balanced, but must be 
essentially mutual.
    (2) Positive assessment of program need, feasibility, and potential 
impact by the relevant USIA post overseas.
    (3) Academic quality, reflected in the academic review panel's 
comments and recommendations.
    (4) Institutional and geographic diversity of the U.S. and overseas 
institutions (i.e., racial, ethnic, and gender composition of student 
enrollments; small underrepresented institutions, two-year/community 
colleges, and institutions in underrepresented geographic locations).
    (5) The promise of sustainability and long-term impact which should 
be reflected in a plan for continued, non-U.S. government support and 
follow-on activities.
    (6) Cost effectiveness (i.e., competitive cost sharing, sufficient 
number of participant exchanges relative to the project goals and 
plan).
    (7) Institutional track record and ability. The Agency will 
consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated 
potential of new applicants.

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 fully appropriated by Congress and allocated and 
committed through internal USIA procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or about July 1, 1996. Awards will be subject to periodic 
reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: May 11, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-12174 Filed 5-17-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M