[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 202 (Thursday, October 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54261-54263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26642]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Summer Institutes for the Study of the United States
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals (RFP).
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SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of the U.S. of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for three (3) assistance awards. 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
implement one of the following three six-week post-graduate level
programs designed for multinational groups of 18 experienced foreign
university educators:
1. Summer Institute on the U.S. Political System
1. Summer Institute on the U.S. Economy
1. Summer Institute on U.S. Society
The Programs are intended to provide participants with a deeper
understanding of American life and institutions, past and present, in
order to improve courses and teaching about the U.S. abroad.
Participants will have had few prior opportunities to formally study or
visit the U.S., and most will be coming from institutions that are just
beginning to introduce the study of the U.S. into the curriculum.
Tentative program dates are June 28 to August 8, 1997.
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 the
institute subject field, and that can demonstrate expertise in
conducting post-graduate 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 a discipline directly related to the subject field
of the institute. Staff escorts traveling under the USIA cooperative
agreement support must be U.S. citizens
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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 REFERENCE NUMBER: All communications with USIA
concerning this announcement should refer to the following titles and
reference numbers:
1. Summer Institute on the U.S. Political System (E/AAS-97-03)
2. Summer Institute on the U.S. Economy (E/AAS-97-04)
3. Summer Institute on U.S. Society (E/AAS-97-05)
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S.
Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C. time on Friday,
December 20, 1996. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will
documents postmarked December 20, 1996 but received at a later date. It
is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposal
submissions arrive by the deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request a Solicitation Package containing more detailed award
criteria, required application forms, and standard guidelines for
preparing proposals (including specific information on budget
preparation), applicants should contact: U.S. Information Agency,
Office of Academic Programs, Branch for the Study of the United States,
E/AAS--Room 252, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547,
Attention: William Bate, Telephone number: (202) 619-4557, Fax number:
(202) 619-6790, Internet address: [email protected].
Please specify USIA Officer William Bate 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 entire
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://
www.usia.gov/ or from the Internet Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov.
Under the heading ``International Exchanges/Training,'' select
``Request for Proposals (RFPs).''
Please read ``About the following RFPs'' before downloading.
SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: (insert
appropriate reference number from above, e.g., E/AAS-97-xx), Office of
Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20547.
Applicants should 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.
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 and Objectives
The Summer Institutes for the Study of the United States are
intended to provide foreign university faculty with opportunities to
deepen their understanding of the United States--its society,
institutions, culture and values, past and present--in order to improve
the quality of courses and teaching about the U.S. abroad.
The institute should be designed as an intensive, academically
stimulating program that presents a multidimensional view of the United
States through an integrated series of lectures, readings, discussions,
research and independent study opportunities, faculty mentoring, and
site visits.
Programs should be six weeks in length, including a residency
segment at a U.S. college or university campus of at least four weeks
in length, and a study tour segment of up to two weeks in length,
including visits to one or more regions of the U.S.
Program Description
Program 1--Summer Institute on the U.S. Political System (E/AAS-97-03)
The purpose of this Institute is to introduce participants to the
American political system through an examination of the history of
American political thought, the American Constitutional structure, and
the principal institutions and processes of American government at all
levels.
Program 2--Summer Institute on the U.S. Economy (E/AAS-97-04)
This Institute is intended for foreign economists who are teaching
at universities in countries undergoing rapid economic change. Its
purpose is to acquaint participants with the basic structure,
organization and institutions of the U.S. economy and how that economy
functions within the context of a democratic political order and a
pluralistic society.
Program 3--Summer Institute on U.S. Society (E/AAS 97-05)
This Institute seeks to provide visiting scholars with an
opportunity to deepen their knowledge of U.S. society and culture
through an in-depth examination of some of the major issues and debates
in contemporary American society. Such an Institute will necessarily be
multi-disciplinary in its approach, illuminating and integrating the
historical, political, and economic, as well as the social, dimensions
of the issues in question.
Program Dates: Tentative program dates are June 28 to August 8,
1997. Based on these dates, participants would be booked to arrive in
the U.S. on or about June 27, and depart on August 9, 1997. USIA is
willing to consider adjustment of these program dates, based on the
needs of the host institution. However, the institute must be 42
program days in length, and should take place sometime between June 21
and August 30, 1997.
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Participants
The program should be designed for a total of 18 highly-motivated
and experienced foreign university faculty who are seeking ways to
include aspects of American civilization in their teaching and
professional work, but who will have had relatively few opportunities
to pursue formal study of the United States. Many will come from
countries where access to information, books or courses on the U.S. is
relatively limited. In most cases, participants will not have had any
significant U.S. travel or study experience. They will be drawn from
all regions of the world and will be fluent in English.
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, structure and content of the institute program is
entirely the responsibility of the organizers. However, given the
multiple possibilities for the successful design of such a program,
organizers are expected to submit proposals that articulate in concrete
detail how they intend to organize and implement the institute.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further details on
program design and implementation, as well as additional information on
all other requirements.
Proposed Budget
Unless special circumstances warrant, based on a group of 18
participants, the total USIA-funded budget (program and administrative)
should not exceed $162,000, and USIA-funded administrative costs as
defined in the budget details section of the solicitation package
should not exceed $48,500. Justifications for any costs above these
amounts must be clearly indicated in the proposal submission. Any
grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years of
experience in conducting international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000. Applicant proposals should try to maximize cost-
sharing in all facets of the program and to stimulate U.S. private
sector, including foundation and corporate, support. Applicants must
submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program.
The Agency reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program, and
availability of U.S. government 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 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, a well as the USIA Geographic Area
Offices. 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. 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 debates within the subject disciplines of each institute.
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 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, and allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: October 10, 1996.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-26642 Filed 10-16-96; 8:45 am]
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