[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 76 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16971-16974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9361]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

Foreign Language and Area Studies--U.S. Students and Scholars; 
Request for Proposals

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. Public and 
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1 may apply to develop and administer 
programs in

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cooperation with USIA that will assist U.S. citizens who are graduate 
students and postdoctoral scholars in North African, Middle Eastern and 
South Asian studies. Activities permitted under this program include 
foreign language training, foreign area studies and foreign area 
research for periods ranging from two to twenty-four months abroad.
    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 is provided 
through the Near and Middle East Research and Training Act (Pub. L. 
102-138 section 228 as amended by Pub. L. 103-236 section 233).
    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.
    For the purpose of this program, the geographic area refers to the 
region consisting of countries and peoples covered by the Bureau of 
Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State as 
of October 1991, and Turkey.
    Current eligible locales for overseas research are: Mauritania, 
Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Syria, 
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, 
Qatar, Yemen, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
    Funding of proposals for the above places is subject to official 
security and/or travel restrictions.
    NMERTA grantees are required to provide proof of insurance to the 
grant-making organizations before fellowship funds can be released. 
Health and accident, MEDEVAC and repatriation insurance is recommended.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/AEN-96-01.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, May 31, 
1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked May 31, 1996 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline. Grants should begin no earlier than September 1, 
1996 and no later than September 31, 1996 and end no later than 24 
months thereafter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Spann or John Sedlins in the North Africa, Middle East and 
South Asia Branch, E/AEN, Room 212, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone number (202) 619-5368, fax 
number (202) 205-2466, Internet address [email protected] or 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package continuing 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://gopher.usia.gov. Select 
``Education and Cultural Exchanges'', then select ``Current Request for 
Proposals (RFPs).'' Please read ``About the Following RFPs'' before 
beginning to download.
    Please specify USIA Program Assistant Patricia Spann 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 nine copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEN-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 
``Proposed 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 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.

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

    Pursuant to the Agency's authorizing legislation, (the Fulbright-
Hays Act, Pub. L. 87-256), programs must maintain a non-political 
character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of 
American political, social and cultural life.
    Support is offered in two categories. Organizations may address one 
or both categories, but must submit a separate proposal for each 
category. Special emphasis will be given to the social sciences and 
humanities.
    Category A--Pre-doctoral students. Organizations that are awarded 
funding shall solicit and receive applications from U.S.-citizen, 
graduate students nationwide who seek to conduct overseas study and 
research in the eligible locales listed above. Eligible fields of study 
and research shall be open to students of all disciplines with a new or 
established interest in topics requiring study or research in the 
geographic area(s). Eligibility shall be restricted to applicants who 
have a baccalaureate degree and who are already enrolled in graduate-
level academic programs.
    Category B--Postdoctoral scholars. Organizations that are awarded 
funding shall solicit and receive applications from U.S.-citizen, 
postdoctoral scholars nationwide who seek to conduct overseas study and 
research in the eligible locales listed above. Eligible fields of study 
and research shall be open to students of all disciplines with a new or 
established interest in topics requiring study or research in the 
geographic area(s). Eligibility shall be

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restricted to applicants who have a Ph.D. and who have postdoctoral 
college or university teaching experience.

Guidelines

    In preparing a proposal, organizations should address the subjects 
of program design and scheduling, as well as program administration. At 
a minimum, a successful proposal should clearly cover publicity, 
selection process, orientation for participants, and logistical and 
scheduling measures. A basic plan for post-program follow-up and 
evaluation should also be included. The proposal must be typewritten, 
double-spaced and may not exceed twenty (20) pages including budget 
attachments.

Proposed Budget

    Awards will not exceed $200,000. 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 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.
    Budget guidelines apply to both category A and B described above.
    Allowable costs for the program include, but are not limited to, 
the following:
    (1) Roundtrip international travel via an American flag carrier;
    (2) Domestic travel;
    (3) Maintenance and per diem;
    (4) Academic program costs (e.g. book allowance);
    (5) Orientation costs (speaker honoraria are not to exceed $150 per 
day per speaker);
    (6) Cultural enrichment costs (e.g. admissions, tickets, etc.);
    (7) USA-based administration costs (e.g. advertisement, recruitment 
and selection costs).
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Administrative costs are not to exceed 20 percent of the requested 
budget. Cost-sharing is encouraged.

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 program office, as well as the appropriate 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 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. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
    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 institutional and individual 
linkages.
    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 (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) 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 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.
    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. Successful applicants will be 
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is 
concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
    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(ies).

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 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.


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    Dated: April 6, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-9361 Filed 4-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M