[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 231 (Friday, December 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61729-61732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29286]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institute for the Study of the United States: Focus on 
American Literature

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of the U.S. of 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 for the Summer Institute for the Study of the 
United States: Focus on American Literature. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 
26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to develop a six-week graduate-level 
program designed for a group of 18 foreign university educators from 
around the world, in order to deepen their understanding of U.S. 
society, culture, values and institutions, using American literature as 
the central vehicle, and to give them further grounding in American 
literature and American studies, so that textbooks, curricular 
materials, and courses in foreign universities will benefit.
    USIA is seeking detailed proposals from colleges, universities, 
consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-for-profit 
academic organizations that have an established reputation in American 
literature and/or American studies and related sub-disciplines, and 
that can demonstrate expertise in conducting graduate-level programs 
for foreign educators. Applicant institutions must have a minimum of 
four years' experience in conducting international exchange programs. 
The project director or one of the key program staff responsible for 
the academic program must have an advanced degree in American 
literature, American studies, or a related discipline. Staff escorts 
traveling under the USIA cooperative agreement support must be U.S. 
citizens with demonstrated qualifications for this service.

[[Page 61730]]

    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 as 
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.''
    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.
    Announcements Name and Number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and 
reference number E/AAS-96-02.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, January 29, 
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked January 29, 1996 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposal submissions 
arrive by the deadline. Tentative program dates are June 29 to August 
9, 1996. Participants will likely be booked to arrive in the U.S. on or 
about June 28, and depart on August 10, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, applicants should contact: U.S. 
Information Agency, Office of Academic Programs, Branch of the Study of 
the United States, E/AAS, room 256, 301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20547, Attn: Program Officer Richard Taylor; telephone number (202) 
619-4557; fax number (202) 619-6790; internet address [email protected]. 
Please specify USIA Program Officer Richard Taylor on all inquiries and 
correspondence. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the office listed 
above or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, 
USIA staff may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants 
until after the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.
    To Download a Solicitation Package via Internet: The Solicitation 
Package may be downloaded form USIA's website at http://www.usia.gov, 
or from the Internet Gopher at gopher.usia.gov, under ``New RFPs on 
Educational and Cultural Exchanges.''
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
RFP and the complete Solicitation Package. The original and 14 copies 
of the complete application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, 
Ref.: E/AAS-96-02, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, room 326, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Diversity Guidelines: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing 
legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character, and 
should be balanced and representative of the diversity and broad range 
of responsible views present in American political, social, and 
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to 
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program 
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review 
criteria under the ``Support for Diversity'' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    The Summer Institute for the Study of the U.S.: Focus on American 
Literature is intended to provide foreign university teachers of 
American literature and/or American studies with opportunities to 
deepen their understanding of the U.S., especially its society, 
culture, values and institutions, past and present, through an in-depth 
examination of American literature. It is intended to encourage and 
support their efforts to improve the quality of teaching and curricular 
materials about the United States at universities abroad.
    The program should be six weeks in length, including a residency 
segment at a U.S. college or university campus (a minimum of four weeks 
in length), and a study tour segment (a maximum of two weeks in length, 
including visits to one or two other regions of the U.S.). If desired, 
and if and only if it is supportive of the academic program content, 
the program can conclude with a visit to Washington, D.C. (including a 
program debriefing at USIA).
    The program should offer participants a specially-designed series 
of lectures, presentations, discussions, and site visits, each related 
to a central program theme in American studies and/or American 
literature.

Institute Objectives

--To present an intensive, academically stimulating program that 
presents a multi-dimensional view of the United States, using American 
literature as the main vehicle, through an integrated series of 
lectures, readings, interactive discussions, research and independent 
study opportunities, and site visits.
--To deepen participants' understanding U.S. society, culture, values 
and institutions, in both a historical and contemporary sense;
--And, to enhance teaching about the U.S., and of American literature 
in particular, in foreign universities by making appropriate scholarly 
resources, pedagogical materials, and ideas available to participants. 
Participants should return home with an ability to communicate a deeper 
and more informed view of the U.S. to students and colleagues.

Participants

    The program should be designed for a total of 18 highly-motivated 
foreign university educators, including teachers, administrators, 
department chairs, curriculum developers and textbook writers, who are 
interested in using American literature as a means to further the 
understanding of the U.S. in their home institutions and countries. 
They will have demonstrated a willingness and ability to include 
American literature and aspects of American civilization in their 
teaching and professional work.
    Participants will be drawn from all regions of the world, and will 
be fluent in the English language.
    Participants will be nominated by U.S. Information Service posts 
abroad, and selected by the staff of USIA's Branch of the Study of the 
United States in Washington, D.C. USIA will cover all international 
travel costs directly.

Guidelines

    The conception and structure of the institute program is entirely 
the responsibility of the organizers. However, as the possibilities are 
quite numerous for the design of a program focusing on aspects of U.S. 
society, culture, values and institutions, as seen through literature, 
an overarching institute theme should be chosen to 

[[Page 61731]]
focus the content and scope of the program. The best proposals will 
clearly articulate the overall institute theme, essential topics and 
sub-topics being covered, and will discuss the means by which the 
program content will be communicated to participants. Proposals should 
also provide bibliographies of texts and materials to be used in the 
program.
    While literature must be the main program vehicle for helping the 
participants develop a deeper understanding of U.S. civilization, past 
and present, the program may also be enriched by the occasional 
engagement of other disciplines and sub-disciplines that make up 
American studies (e.g. history, political science, economics, 
geography, sociology, demography, etc.). The program should provide 
participants with a clearer understanding of the diversity, complexity, 
and unity of U.S. life and society.
    At the outset, the program should review the recent history and 
current status of American literature as an academic discipline, 
surveying major schools of interpretation and examining the current 
debates within American literature and literary studies generally. The 
program should also explore how American literature has informed and 
been informed by the interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary 
approaches to the study of the U.S. represented by the field of 
American Studies. The program itself should include a balanced mix of 
traditional and contemporary approaches for examining the institute 
theme.
    It is extremely important that the institute organizers devise a 
way to integrate all aspects of the program. Assigned readings, 
lectures, discussions, and field trips should relate to and further 
illuminate the central institute theme, and contribute to a better 
understanding of the U.S.
    The institute should not simply replicate an existing lecture 
course or a graduate seminar. Rather, through a combination of 
lectures, presentations, discussions, and site visits, it should be 
designed to facilitate the development of a collegial atmosphere in 
which faculty and participants discuss relevant texts, issues, and 
concepts.
    The equivalent of one day a week should be available to 
participants to pursue individual research interests, curriculum 
development projects, or to do assigned readings. Participants should 
be paired with faculty mentors to guide them in their research, and 
assist them in adjustment to the U.S. academic environment.
    The program should also provide access to leading American scholars 
and scholarly resources (libraries, archives, databases, etc.). An 
essential element of the program is the exposure to an accumulation of 
teaching ideas and scholarly resources, including primary texts, 
supplementary works, and curricular materials (including Internet 
resources and training). The Summer Institute should facilitate 
participants' acquisition of the maximum amount of such materials to 
take back to their home countries, to be used in the development of new 
courses and programs, and the improvement of existing ones.
    The program should ideally bring in outside presenters 
(representatives from academia, community organizations, media, 
government) in addition to the core faculty of the host institution. 
Presenters must be fully briefed about the institute, its goals, 
general themes and content, readings, and especially the background and 
needs of the participants themselves. Information about presenters and 
how they will be utilized should be included in the proposal 
submission.
    A residential program of a minimum of four weeks on a college/
university campus is mandatory. The program should include an 
integrated study tour segment to one or two other regions of the 
country of up to two weeks in length. If appropriate, and if it 
contributes to the academic program content, a visit to Washington, 
D.C. at the conclusion of the program can be included. If this visit is 
arranged, it should include a half-day session at the United States 
Information Agency for a grantee debriefing session. The selected 
grantee organization would be asked to consult closely with USIA in the 
planning of the Washington itinerary, if included in the proposal. The 
study tour segment must be directly supportive of the academic program 
content. Day trips to various locations (historical sites, classrooms, 
community centers) are also encouraged if such trips will further 
enhance understanding of the U.S. and enrich the participants' 
experience.
    Details of the academic residency and tour programs may be modified 
in consultation with USIA's Branch for the Study of the U.S. following 
the grant award.
    The selected grant organization will be responsible for most 
arrangements associated with this program. This includes the 
organization and implementation of all presentations and program 
activities, arrangement of all domestic travel, lodging, subsistence, 
airport reception and ground transportation for participants, 
orientation and briefing of participants, preparation of any necessary 
support materials (including a pre-program mailing to participants), 
and working with program presenters to achieve maximum program 
coordination and effectiveness.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further details on 
program design and implementation.

Additional Information

    Confirmation letters from U.S. co-sponsors noting their intention 
to participate in the program will enhance a proposal. Proposals 
incorporating participant/observer site visits will be more competitive 
if letters committing prospective host institutions to support these 
efforts are provided.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Visas will be 
issued by USIS posts abroad. USIA insurance will be provided to all 
participants, unless otherwise indicated in the proposal submission. 
Grantee organization will be responsible for enrolling participants in 
the chosen insurance plan. Please indicate in the proposal if host 
institutions have any special tax withholding requirements on 
participant or staff escort stipends or allowances.

Proposed Budget

    Total USIA-funded budget award may not exceed $157,000. USIA-funded 
administrative costs should be as low as possible and should not exceed 
$47,000. The U.S. recipient should try to maximize cost-sharing in all 
facets of the program and to stimulate U.S. private sector (foundation 
and corporate) support. 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. 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. 
Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for complete 
budget guidelines and formatting instructions for the institute 
program.

Review Process

    The 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 


[[Page 61732]]
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be 
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA Area 
Offices 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 assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) resides with the USIA grant 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. Overall Quality: Proposals should exhibit originality and 
substance, consonant with the highest standards of American teaching 
and scholarship. Program design should reflect the main currents as 
well as the contemporary debates within the discipline.
    2. Program Planning: Proposals should demonstrate careful planning. 
The organization and structure of the Institute should be clearly 
delineated and be fully responsive to all program objectives. The 
travel component should be an integral and substantive part of the 
program, reinforcing and complementing its academic segment.
    3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel, including faculty 
and administrative staff as well as outside presenters, should be fully 
qualified to achieve the project's goals. Library and media resources 
should be accessible to participants; housing, transportation and other 
logistical arrangements should be fully adequate to the needs of 
participants and should be conducive to a collegial atmosphere.
    4. Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's 
commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity 
throughout the program. This can be accomplished through documentation, 
such as a written statement, summarizing past and/or on-going 
activities and efforts that further the principle of diversity within 
the organization and its activities. Program activities that address 
this issue should be highlighted.
    5. Experience: The proposal should demonstrate an institutional 
record of successful exchange program activity, indicating the 
experience that the organization and its professional staff have had in 
working with foreign educators.
    6. Evaluation and Follow-up: The proposal should include a plan for 
evaluating activities during the Institute and at its conclusion. 
Proposals should comment on provisions made for follow-up with returned 
grantees as a means of establishing longer-term individual and 
institutional linkages.
    7. Administration and Management: The proposals should indicate 
evidence of continuous on-site administrative and managerial capacity 
as well as the means by which program activities will be implemented.
    8. Cost Effectiveness: The proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through direct institutional contributions, in-kind support, and other 
private sector support. Overhead and administrative components of the 
proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as 
possible.

    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 and the 
availability of funding. 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:
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-29286 Filed 11-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M