[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 240 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64243-64246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30025]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Study of the United States Summer Institute; Focus on U.S. 
Society

AGENCY: United States Information Agency.

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 Study of the United States Summer 
Institute: Focus on U.S. Society. Public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26CFR 
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, 
and values by examining key social institutions in the United States, 

[[Page 64244]]
and to give participants further grounding in American studies, so that 
textbooks, curricular materials, and course sin foreign universities 
will benefit.
    USIA is seeking detailed proposals form colleges, universities, 
consortia of college sand universities, and other not-for-profit 
academic organizations that have an established reputation in American 
studies and related sub-disciplines, and that can demonstrate expertise 
in conducting graduate-level programs for foreign educators. Applciant 
institutions must have a minimum of four years of 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 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.
    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.''
    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/AAS-96-08.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C. time on Friday, 
February 9, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will 
documents postmarked February 9, 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 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., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, Attn: Program 
Officer Ilaya Rome; telephone number (202) 619-4557; fax number (202) 
619-6790; internet address [email protected]. Please specify USIA Program 
Officer Illaya Rome 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 from 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 13 copies of 
the complete application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, 
Ref.: E/AAS-96-08, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th 
Street, S.w., Washington, D.C. 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 Study of the U.S. Summer 
Institute: Focus on U.S. Society is intended to provide foreign 
university teachers of social studies and/or American studies with 
opportunities to deepen their understanding of the U.S., especially its 
society, culture, and values, past and present, through an in-depth 
examination of key social institutions. It is intended to encourage and 
support participants' 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 at least one but no more than two other regions of 
the U.S.). The program should offer participants a specially-designed 
series of lectures, presentations, discussions, and site visits, each 
related to the central program theme.

Institute Objectives

--To conduct an intensive, academically rigorous program that presents 
an in-depth view of the evolution and current role of key U.S. social 
institutions;
--To offer a multi-dimensional view of contemporary U.S. society that 
will enable participants to better understand the nature of American 
social structure, social change, and cultural values; and
--To enhance teaching about the United States 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 
better informed and more thoughtful picture of the U.S. to students and 
colleagues, thus contributing to broad-based foundation that supports 
future study, research, and teaching about the United States.
    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 have expressed interest in enhancing the understanding of 
the U.S. in their home countries and institutions. Participants will be 
experienced in fields of social sciences and in the teaching of courses 
where there is significant U.S. content involved. 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 

[[Page 64245]]
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 program is entirely the 
responsibility of the organizers. However, as the possibilities are 
enormously broad for the design of a program focusing on aspects of 
institutions in U.S. society, an overarching theme for the Institute 
should be chosen to focus the content and scope of the program. The 
best proposals will clearly articulate the overall Institute theme, 
essential topics and sub-topics to be covered, and the means 
(activities, schedule) 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.

Contents

    At the outset, the program should review the recent history and 
current status of the field of social science as an academic 
discipline, surveying major schools of interpretation and examining any 
current debates pertinent to the overall theme. The program should also 
explore how social sciences have 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.
    The program should ideally bring in outside presenters 
(representatives from academia, community and volunteer 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 narrative.
    The program may also be enrich 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.

Design

    A residential program of a minimum of four weeks on a college/
university campus is mandatory. The program should also include or 
integrated study tour segment of up to two weeks (it must be directly 
supportive of the academic program content) to one or two other regions 
of the country. If a visit to Washington, D.C. makes programmatic 
sense, applicants are encouraged to arrange such a visit which should 
include a half-day session at the United States Information Agency. The 
selected grantee organization will be asked to consult closely with 
USIA in the planning of the Washington itinerary. 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.
    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.
    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.
    Details of the academic and tour programs may be modified in 
consultation with USIA's Branch for the Study of the U.S. following the 
grant award.

Resources

    The program should provide access to leading American scholars and 
scholarly resources (libraries, archives, databases, computer labs, 
etc.). An essential element of the program is the exposure to and 
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.

Additional Responsibilities

    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 and post-program mailings 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 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: USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals 

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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 also be reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well 
as the USIA geographic 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 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. 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 tour 
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 proposal 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 availability of funding. Final awards cannot be made 
until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed 
through internal USIA procedures.

NOTIFICATION: All applications 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: December 5, 1995.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-30025 Filed 12-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M