[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 159 (Thursday, August 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42943-42945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20421]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Office of Citizens Exchange; NIS Secondary School Initiative; 
Secondary School Linkage Program

ACTION: Notice; Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Division of the NIS Secondary 
School Initiative, of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an 
assistance award to conduct exchanges through the multiple secondary 
school linkage program with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, 
Ukraine, Uzbekistan. Public or private non-profit organizations meeting 
the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) (3)-1 apply 
either to enhance/expand existing linkages or to develop new school 
linkage programs. All submissions must contain a Student exchange 
component AND an Educator (teacher and/or administrator) exchange 
component. For previous school link grant recipients, a minimum of 
twenty-five percent of the proposed linkages must not have been 
previously supported by USIA. USIA grant funds may not be used for 
student or teacher exchanges located in the cities of Moscow or St. 
Petersburg, Russia. The maximum grant award will be $800,000.
     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 was originally 
provided through the FREEDOM Support Act of 1992. Grants awarded by the 
solicitation are subject to the availability of funding for the Fiscal 
Year 1996 program. Programs and projects must conform with Agency 
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-96-14.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, November 
17, 1995. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked November 17 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline. Subject to the availability of funding grants 
will be awarded February 1, 1996 for programs to begin after June 1, 
1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
NIS Secondary School Division, E/PY, Room 320, U.S. Information Agency, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone: (202) 619-6299; 
Fax: (202) 619-5311; 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 
questions or concerns regarding the solicitation, contact USIA Program 
Officer Naomi Feigenbaum. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before addressing inquiries to 
the USIA or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, representatives of USIA and the Division of NIS Secondary 
School Initiative may not discuss this competition in any way with 
applicants until after the Bureau proposal review process has been 
completed.

SUBMISSIONS: 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/P-96-14 
Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette, 
formatted for DOS. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIA posts overseas for their review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for 
the Agency's grants review process.

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: (Background, Objectives)

    The short-term goal of the school linkage program is to provide 
partial funding for linkages between U.S. and NIS schools featuring 
student and educator exchanges for the purpose of collaborative 
substantive projects. Grant funded exchanges must have a thematic focus 
and have tangible outcomes (e.g. educational materials). The long term 
goals are to:
    (1) to advance mutual understanding between the U.S. and the NIS;
    (2) develop lasting institutional ties between U.S. and NIS schools 
and communities;
    (3) promote U.S. government/private sector cooperation by 
supporting linkages which hold promise for sustainability beyond the 
grant term and serve the needs and interests of the schools.
    The linkages between networks of secondary schools in the U.S. with 
networks of schools in the NIS must establish ties between the schools 
in the network through two sets of exchange programs (1) the exchange 
of secondary school educators between the U.S. and NIS countries; (2) 
the exchange of secondary school students, from 14 to 18 years of age, 
between the U.S. and participating NIS countries.

Guidelines

    USIA funding may not be used to supplant existing private sector 
funding. Applicants must indicate how activities have been funded in 
the past and how the activities will be expanded with assistance from 
USIA. The U.S. recipient of the grant is responsible for recruiting/
selecting/organizing a minimum of three U.S. secondary schools to form 
the U.S. network, strengthening an existing working 

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relationship with an organization or agency of government in the NIS 
responsible for a network of schools there, and linking the two 
networks through substantive exchange activities.
    Partnerships should have an existence beyond the scope of this 
initiative; that is, there should be an inherent reason for their 
linkage apart from the availability of grant funds. Competitive 
proposals will demonstrate the linkage and the types of activities 
(follow-on) to continue after the grant has expired. An ideal project 
builds upon previous contacts and interaction between the proposed 
networks to help ensure a solid foundation for the linkage. The U.S. 
school should collaborate with the NIS school in planning and 
preparation.
    Proposals should support a working relationship that will produce 
something tangible, necessary and of lasting value to both sides, 
beyond the confines of the exchange. The proposal should specify up 
front what the measurable results of the program will be. Proposal must 
include a statement of goals and objectives prepared by school 
representatives for each separate school linkage.
    When planning the project, U.S. and NIS schools 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 in the appropriate 
country.
    The U.S. recipient of the grant will: design the overall plan that 
integrates the two components of the linkage, ensure quality control 
for all program elements, manage all travel arrangements, logistics, 
passports, visas, etc., provide competent and informed escorts for 
student groups, and disburse and account for grant funds.
    Recipients of the assistance award are responsible for ensuring the 
selection of exchange participants who are most suited for the program. 
Participants (both Educators and Students) from the U.S. and NIS 
countries should represent a diversity of backgrounds to give greater 
understanding to the culture and society as a whole. Selection of 
individual participants from the U.S. and NIS in the exchange 
components of the program must be merit-based; the proposal should 
describe the mechanisms used for participant selection.
    Applicants should be familiar with the ``General Provisions'' of J-
1 visa regulations. The Agency will process the IAP-66 forms for travel 
to the U.S. Basic health and accident insurance coverage of exchange 
participants while they are on exchange will be covered by USIA. Those 
organizations wishing to use other types of insurance coverage must 
provide a satisfactory justification as to why their coverage is more 
effective. Please refer to the Program Objectives, Goals, and 
Implementation section of the Solicitation Package for greater detail 
regarding the design of the component parts as well as other program 
information.

Proposed Budget

    Awards may not exceed $800,000. Applicants must submit a 
comprehensive budget for the entire program. There must be a summary 
budget as well as a break-down reflecting both the administrative 
budget and the program budget. All program costs should clearly 
indicate whether they cover U.S. and NIS participants. The cost per NIS 
student, NIS educator, U.S. student, U.S. educator should be listed 
separately. Cost-sharing is strongly encouraged and will be viewed 
favorably in weighing the merits of the proposal.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with fewer than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Please refer to the POGI and Proposal Submission Instructions 
sections of the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and 
format 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 also will be 
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the pertinent USIA 
area office and the USIA post overseas, where appropriate. Proposals 
may 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 (particularly in academic/educational aspects), 
precision, and relevance to the stated goals of the program.
    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 individual and institutional 
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. Track 
record will be evaluated by achievement of stated goals and impact on 
schools in the U.S. and NIS.
    8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) that ensures that 
USIA-supported programs are not isolated events. Proposal should 
demonstrate how activity will contribute to institution-building in the 
NIS.
    9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program, both as the activities unfold and at the end. THEY SHOULD 
INCLUDE GOALS FOR EACH SCHOOL LINKAGE AND HOW THEIR ATTAINMENT WILL BE 
MEASURED. USIA recommends that the proposal include a draft survey 
questionnaire or other technique plus description of a methodology for 
use in linking outcomes to original project objectives for each school 
linkage. Award-receiving organizations/institutions will be expected to 
submit reports on each separate linkage.

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    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 
participant contributions, other private sector support as well as 
institutional direct funding contributions.
    12. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects will 
be reviewed by USIA's geographic area desk officer and overseas 
officers to assess the relevance to program need, potential impact, and 
significance in the partner country(ies).
    13. Selection Process: Proposals should provide a specific plan to 
ensure a selection based on merit and should include detailed criteria 
for selection of U.S. and NIS teacher and administrator as well as U.S. 
and NIS student participants.

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 Agency reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program. 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 April 1, 1996. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: August 14, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-20421 Filed 8-16-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M