[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 198 (Thursday, October 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53270-53272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26082]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

Exchanges and Training Program With Russia, Ukraine and 
Uzbekistan

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division, of 
the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural 
Affairs, announces a competitive institutional grants program. Public 
or private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
26 CFR 1.501(c)(3) may apply to develop training programs for Russia, 
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Diminished resources have forced USIA to limit 
the scope of this announcement; regrettably, proposals for other NIS 
countries will not be considered. Grant awards are subject to 
availability of funds.
    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 Fulbright-Hays Act 
and the Freedom Support Act.
    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 TITLE AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/PN-97-10.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, December 
2, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked December 2, 1996 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia 
Eurasia Division, E/PN, Room 220, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, tel: 202-260-6230, fax: 202-619-
4350, to request a Solicitation Package, which includes: proposal and 
budget guidelines and all application forms. Please specify USIA 
Program Coordinator Cassandra Barber on all inquiries and 
correspondence. Ms. Barber may also be reached at the following e-mail 
address: [email protected]. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before making inquiries to the 
Office of Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division, or submitting 
their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, Russia/Eurasia Division may not discuss this 
competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau proposal 
review process has been completed.

SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow instructions given in the 
Solicitation Package and send an original and ten copies of completed 
applications to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/PN-97-10, Office of 
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 336, 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 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.

Content of Proposals

    Overview: USIA is interested in proposals that encourage the growth 
of democratic institutions in Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Exchange 
and training programs supported by institutional grants should operate 
at two levels: they should enhance institutional relationships; and 
they should offer practical and comparative information to individuals 
to assist them with their professional responsibilities. Strong 
proposals usually have the following characteristics: an existing 
partner relationship between an American organization and a host-
country institution; proven track record of conducting program 
activity; cost-sharing from American or in-country sources, including 
donations of air fares, hotel and housing costs; experienced staff with 
language facility; and a clear, convincing plan showing how permanent 
results will be accomplished as a result of the activity funded by the 
grant. USIA wants to see tangible forms of time and money contributed 
to the project by the prospective grantee institution, as well as 
funding from third party sources.

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    Unless otherwise specified below, project activity may include: 
internships; study tours; short-term training; consultations; and 
extended, intensive workshops taking place in the United States or in 
Russia, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan. Proposals should reflect the authors' 
understanding of the political, economic, and social environment in 
which the program activity will take place.
    We encourage applicants to design programs for non-English 
speakers. Programs can take place in the United States or in Russia, 
Ukraine or Uzbekistan. We want single country programs, not programs 
that mix Russian, Ukrainian, and Uzbek participants. USIA is interested 
in proposals whose designs take into account the need for ongoing 
sharing of information and training beyond the period of USIA grant 
support. Examples include: ``train the trainers'' models; support for 
training centers in Russia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan; plans to create 
professional networks or professional associations to share 
information.

    Note: While this competition may fund American universities to 
work with counterpart universities or institutions in Russia, 
Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, it is not intended to be a university 
linkage program. Such programs are funded by USIA's Office of 
Academic Programs (E/A). Proposals whose purpose is to exchange 
faculty or otherwise support direct academic links should be 
submitted under E/A's RFP for the College and University 
Affiliations Programs (CUAP).

    USIA will give priority to proposals that respond to the following 
specific topics for Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. While proposals 
for other programs will be considered, reduced program budgets will 
limit funding opportunities.

For Russia

    USIA is interested in proposals for training programs for Russians 
in specific areas:

--Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights. Although Russia has 
enacted legislation committing itself to meeting the TRIP amendment 
standards of the World Trade Organization, the practical steps to 
implement and enforce its new criminal statutes have yet to be 
realized. Judges, law enforcement officials, lawyers, procurators and 
the Russian business community are uninformed and to a certain extent 
uninterested in the implications of the new laws. USIA is interested in 
proposals that: (1) assist the Russian legal community to examine how 
an IPR case would be handled within the Russian court system; (2) 
expose Russian legal experts and others associated with IPR issues 
(such as officials of state copyright agencies) to the practical side 
of enforcement of IPR in the United States; (3) establish specialized 
training for judges who will try IPR cases; (4) contain a public 
education dimension effort to reach Russians who will have to deal with 
IPR issues professionally. Proposals submitted to USIA should take care 
to complement, not duplicate, projects funded in this subject area by 
other U.S. Government agencies and international institutions.
--US-based Internships for Russian Journalists and Media Managers. USIA 
is interested in proposals for journalistic training and management for 
Russian regional media organizations (Moscow and St. Petersburg are 
excluded). Journalistic training in basic skills and concepts could 
include: effective writing, investigative reporting, objectivity, the 
clear labeling of editorials and opinion pieces, intellectual property 
issues and ethics. Media management training (both print and 
electronic) should focus on management of media as a business: 
management techniques, desk top publishing, advertising, marketing, 
distribution, personnel, public relations, and the financial benefits 
and pitfalls of journalistic advocacy. USIS Moscow will coordinate 
selection of journalists with the grantee organization. Preference will 
be given to long-term internships for English speakers. The US program 
should be a practical, hands-on experience in an American media 
organization, not an academic course of study.

For Russia and Ukraine

--Staff Exchange between the United States Congress and the Russian 
Parliament (Duma) and Federal Assembly and the Ukrainian Parliament 
(Rada).USIA is interested in proposals from American organizations to 
provide organizational support in Washington, DC for an annual exchange 
of congressional and parliamentary staff between the US and Russia and 
between the US and Ukraine, based on the Congress-Bundestag model 
developed by Germany and the US. The program would provide an annual 
opportunity for two congressional staff delegation visits to Russia and 
Ukraine and one delegation visit each for Russian and Ukraine. Each 
delegation would number 5-10 staff members who would have a chance to 
observe and learn about the workings of the other's political 
institutions and convey the views of members on both sides on issues of 
mutual concern. Russians and Ukrainians will be programmed separately 
(i.e., no mixed groups). The length of each exchange would be 
approximately two weeks. The organization selected to administer the 
program would be responsible for all logistics in the United States for 
visiting groups (travel arrangements, accommodations, interpreters, 
local transportation), as well as appointments and meetings with local 
media, business, academic and media representatives. The organization 
would also be responsible for facilitating the outbound travel of US 
congressional staff delegations to Ukraine and Russia.

Selection of Participants

    (1) US Congressional Staff. The program will be announced in the 
Congressional Record. Staffers should have a demonstrable interest in 
Russian or Ukraine, but they need not be working in the field of 
foreign affairs. A review committee will be convened by USIA to select 
the participants, which in subsequent years of the program would 
include alumni of the exchange. Participants must be willing to host a 
group of staffers from Russia or Ukraine for two weeks, assist in 
arranging meetings and facilitating a visit to the home district of a 
member.
    (2) Duma and Rada Staff Members. Participants must be current staff 
members of the State Duma or Rada. USIS offices in Moscow and Kyiv will 
work with the Duma and Rada to select participants.

For Ukraine

--Constitutional Project. Ukraine recently enacted a new constitution. 
USIA is particularly interested in proposals to support the new 
Constitutional Court in Ukraine, which was created under the new 
constitution. Priority will be given to proposals that establish a 
dialogue with policy makers, government officials, and educators on the 
meaning of a constitutional form of government and its practical 
ramifications for governing at national and local levels. USIA 
encourages proposals for organizations to develop specific materials in 
Ukrainian and conduct in-country seminars in partnership with Ukrainian 
institutions to promote public understanding of the new constitution 
and its implications for Ukrainian society. These efforts would be 
closely coordinated with the U.S.

[[Page 53272]]

mission in Kyiv which has made this a top priority.

For Uzbekistan

--Exchanges and Training for Working Journalists. Priority 
consideration will go to proposals for working journalists, 
particularly those covering economic issues. Acquisition of news 
gathering and reporting skills should be emphasized, along with other 
important skills such as effective writing, investigative reporting, 
objectivity, the clear labeling editorials and opinion pieces, 
intellectual property issues and ethics. US-based practical internships 
for journalists with a working knowledge of English are encouraged.

Selection of Participants

    Proposals should describe clearly the type of persons who will 
participate in the program as well as the process by which participants 
will be selected. We recommend that programs with internships in the US 
include letters of commitment from host institutions, even if 
tentative. In the selection of foreign participants, USIA and USIS 
posts abroad retain the right to nominate all participants and to 
accept or deny participants recommended by grantee institutions. 
However, grantee institutions are often asked by USIA to suggest names 
of potential participants. Priority will be given to foreign 
participants who have not previously traveled to the United States.

Visa Regulations

    Foreign participants on programs sponsored by the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges are granted J-1 Exchange Visitor visas by the American 
Embassy in the sending country.

Proposal Budget

    Please refer to the Budget Guidelines in the Program Submission 
Instructions for complete information.
    Applicants must submit a detailed line item budget based on the 
specific instructions in the Program and Budget Guidelines sections of 
the Instructions. Proposals for less than $80,000 will receive 
preference. Programs with strong cost-sharing will be given priority.
    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.

Review Process

    USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them 
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be considered ineligible if 
they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the 
Proposal Submission Instructions. Eligible proposals will be forwarded 
to panels of USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals 
will also be reviewed by USIA's Office of East European and NIS Affairs 
and USIA posts in Moscow, Kyiv, and Tashkent. 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 Associate 
Director, Educational and Cultural Affairs, USIA. 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.

1. Program Planning and Ability To Achieve Objectives

    Program objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and 
should reflect the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the 
region. Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this 
announcement and should relate to the current conditions in each of the 
countries. They should be reasonable and attainable. A detailed work 
plan should explain step by step how objectives will be achieved, 
including a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance of 
seminars, presentations, consulting, internships, and itineraries 
should be spelled out in detail. Responsibilities of in-country 
partners should be clearly described.

2. Institutional Capability

    Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate 
and appropriate to achieve the project's goals. The narrative should 
demonstrate proven ability to handle logistics. Proposal should reflect 
the institution's expertise in the subject area and knowledge of the 
conditions pertaining to it in Russia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan.

3. Cost Effectiveness

    Overhead and administrative costs for the proposal, including 
salaries, honoraria, and subcontracts for services, should be kept low. 
While this announcement does not proscribe a rigid ratio of 
administrative to program costs, in general, priority will be given to 
proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25) per 
cent of the total requested from USIA. Proposals should show cost-
sharing, both contributions from the applicant and from other sources.

4. Support of Diversity

    Proposals should demonstrate the recipient's commitment to 
promoting the awareness and understanding of diversity throughout the 
program.

5. Project Evaluation

    USIA is results-oriented. Proposals must include a plan and 
methodology to evaluate the activity's success, both as the activities 
unfold and at the end of the program. USIA recommends that the proposal 
include a draft survey questionnaire and/or plan for use of another 
measurement technique (such as a focus group) to link outcomes to 
original project objectives. Award-receiving organizations/institutions 
will be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project 
component is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

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

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

    Dated: October 4, 1996.
Dell Pendergrast,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-26082 Filed 10-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M