[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2330-2333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-896]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institute for Russian Social Scientists on Approaches to 
Political Science as a Scholarly Discipline

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of 
the Office of Academic Programs in the United States Information 
Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open 
competition for an assistance award to develop a program for a Summer 
Institute for Russian Social Scientists on Approaches to Political 
Science as a Scholarly Discipline. Public and private nonprofit 
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 10 Russian university professors who are 
currently teaching courses in political science. The purpose of the 
Institute is to enhance the participants' ability to teach political 
science at their home institutions by engaging the participants in a 
multi-faceted discussion of the discipline of political science as 
currently practiced in the United States.
    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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 Freedom Support Act (FSA). Programs and projects must 
conform with agency 

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requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA 
projects and programs are subject to the availability of funds.

    Announcement Title and Numbers: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and 
reference number E/AS-96-01.

    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Monday, March 25, 
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked March 25, but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline. Tentative approximate program dates are August 
5, 1996 through September 16, 1996. In order to assure adequate time 
for the host institution to make program arrangements and send pre-
program materials to grantees, USIA will make every effort to award the 
approved cooperative agreement by April 26, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Academic Programs, 
Advising, Teaching and Specialized Programs Division, E/AS, Room 349, 
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
telephone number 202/619-6038; fax number 202/619-6970; internet 
address [email protected], to request an Application Package containing 
more detailed award criteria, required application forms, and standard 
guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for 
preparation of the proposal budget.

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.''
    Please specify USIA Program Specialist Sherry Hayman on all 
inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or 
submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Agency staff 
may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until 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 application 
should be sent to:

U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AS-96-01, Office of Grants Management, 
E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 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 USIS Moscow for its review, with the goal 
of reducing the time it takes to obtain comments for the Agency's 
grants review process.

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 of 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 purpose of the Summer Institute for Russian Social Scientists 
on Approaches to Political Science as a Scholarly Discipline is to 
engage the Russian participants in a discussion of current 
methodologies and issues for teaching and research in political 
science.
    Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the issues 
confronting Russian social scientists and universities; expertise in 
the teaching and practice of political science in U.S. higher 
education, including graduate education; and knowledge of current 
trends and controversies in the field. Proposals should be creative in 
suggesting strategies for engaging the participants in the examination 
of the foundation and structure of the American political system; 
Western political traditions and the development of democratic 
political institutions; political philosophy; comparative politics; and 
an introduction to empirical research methods. Close attention should 
be paid to providing source materials, bibliographies and computer 
resources that can be utilized in the classroom in Russia.
    The Institute should be six weeks in length and should take place 
on a U.S. college or university campus where participants will have 
access to libraries and computer networks as well as an opportunity to 
become acquainted with university teaching practices in the U.S. At the 
beginning of the program the participants should receive an initial 
orientation to the U.S. and to American university life in addition to 
an introduction to current trends in political science as an academic 
discipline. The program should provide the participants with 
opportunities to explore these issues with U.S. scholars and to observe 
political science classes that are in session. The program should focus 
on engaging the participants in active ways that will aid them in 
designing new approaches to their own teaching and research. The 
institute should foster a collegial atmosphere in which institute 
faculty and participants discuss relevant texts, issues and concepts 
and should be structured to require participants to make presentations, 
write reports, and prepare drafts.
    At the conclusion of the Institute each participant should be 
required to present a report on his or her thoughts about how to adapt 
the approaches and interests of U.S. political scientists to teaching 
and research in Russia.

Objective

    The Institute should enable the participants to apply a wide range 
of curricular materials, scholarly approaches, teaching techniques, 
information about the internet, and other resources to their classrooms 
in Russia.

Participants

    The program should be designed for ten Russian university 
professors who are currently teaching courses in political science but 
who, despite significant knowledge of Western political and historical 
traditions, are less familiar with current approaches to political 
science in the U.S. The participants will be nominated by the United 
States Information Service (USIS) in Moscow and will have a high level 
of fluency in English.

Guidelines

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

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Additional Information

    Confirmation letters from U.S. co-sponsors noting their intention 
to participate in the program will enhance a proposal. Proposals 
incorporating participation/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. Please refer to 
program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for 
further details. 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

    Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget for the 
entire program based on the specific guidance in the Solicitation 
Package. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown 
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. The total 
USIA-funded budget award will not exceed $125,000. USIA-funded 
administrative costs may not exceed 30% of the total. The recipient 
organization should try to maximize cost-sharing and to stimulate U.S. 
private sector support.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    The program should include a book budget for participants to use in 
purchasing books and teaching materials which they will need to develop 
new courses and to improve existing ones.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Books, teaching materials and computer software
    (2) Mailing allowances
    (3) Travel and per diem
    (4) Salaries, fringe benefits
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting 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 will be 
reviewed by the Agency contracts office, as well as the USIA NIS and 
East European Area Office and the USIS office in Moscow. 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 in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality and substance and should demonstrate familiarity with 
current issues in the field of political science as a scholarly 
discipline in the U.S.
    2. Program planning: A detailed agenda and a relevant work plan 
should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. 
The agenda and work 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. Area expertise and awareness of the issues and problems of social 
science in Russia should be exhibited.
    4. Miltiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen 
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
connections.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration and program 
content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource 
materials and follow-up activities).
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the 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.
    8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) which ensures that 
USIA-supported programs are not isolated events.
    9. 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. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended.
    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 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.
    12. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects 
should receive positive assessments by USIA's geographic area desk and 
overseas officers of program need, potential impact, and significance 
in the partner country.

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 funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 

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    Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.

    Dated: January 17, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-896 Filed 1-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M