[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55318-55320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28065]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Freedom Support Act Junior Faculty Development Program

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Academic Exchanges Division, European Branch 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) may apply to develop and administer a 
comprehensive faculty and curriculum development program for 82 young 
faculty from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan who will be affiliated at 
accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States in 
the following fields: business administration, economics, educational 
administration, environmental studies, journalism, law, library 
science, political science, psychology, public policy, public 
administration, sociology, architecture and urban planning, cultural 
anthropology, history, linguistics, philosophy, literature, and 
American studies.
    It is the intent of USIA to provide participants with high quality 
programs designed to meet their specific academic and professional 
needs, within the parameters of the JFDP, and to promote long-term 
sustained interaction between and among participants, U.S. faculty and 
their home and host institutions.
    USIA anticipates awarding one grant for this program. Should an 
applicant organization prefer to work with other organizations in the 
implementation of this program, USIA prefers that a subcontract 
arrangement be developed. USIA will entertain separately submitted 
proposals for joint program management, but the proposals must 
demonstrate a value-added relationship, and must clearly delineate 
responsibilities so as not to duplicate efforts.
    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.

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    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 RFP should refer to 
the announcement's title and reference number E/AEE-98-04.

Deadline for Proposals

    All copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency by 5 
p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Thursday, January 8, 1998. Faxed 
documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked by the 
due date but received at a later date will not be accepted. Grants 
should begin in March 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Academic Exchanges Division, 
European Branch, E/AEE, Room 248, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, Telephone: (202) 205-0525, Fax: 
(202) 260-7985, E-mail: [email protected], to request a Solicitation 
Package containing more detailed information. Please request 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 entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's 
website at http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be received via the Bureau's 
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System'', which is accessed by 
calling 202/401-7616. Please request a ``Catalog'' of available 
documents and order numbers when first entering the system.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer Jill Jarvi 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/AEE-98-04, Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
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 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, Freedom and Democracy 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. Public 
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and 
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom 
and democracy'', USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide 
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and 
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should account for 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    The Freedom Support Act Junior Faculty Development Program will 
provide a one-year, non-degree program of guided research, curriculum 
development, course auditing, course instruction and practical 
internships for approximately 47 Russian, 25 Ukrainian and 10 Kazakh 
young faculty. All participants are expected to be placed at U.S. host 
institutions under the mentorship of American faculty members in their 
respective academic disciplines. The Junior Faculty Development Program 
(JFDP) is intended to provide opportunities for young faculty with 
great potential as scholars and instructors in their disciplines to: 
(1) upgrade their knowledge of the subjects they teach; (2) acquire new 
teaching skills and methodologies; (3) produce new curricula; and (4) 
develop professional contacts and initiate institutional linkages for 
their home institutions.
    The selected organization will administer the U.S. components of 
the Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP). Overseas components, 
such as recruitment and selection of JFDP participants, will be 
facilitated in Russia by the Moscow Fulbright Representative Office, in 
Ukraine by USIS Kylv's Exchanges Office and in Kazakhstan by USIS 
Almaty.

Guidelines

    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
program specific guidelines (POGI) in the Solicitation Package for 
further details. Administration of the program must be in compliance 
with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, and 
local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should demonstrate 
tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.
    Drafts of all printed materials developed for this program should 
be submitted to the Agency for review and approval. All official 
documents should highlight the U.S. government's role as program 
sponsor and funding source. The USIA requests that it receive the 
copyright use and be allowed to distribute the material as it sees fit.

Proposed Budget

    Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on 
the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. Awards may not 
exceed $2,133,000. Administrative and indirect cost should not exceed 
20% of the total grant award. 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 budget for the entire 
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown 
reflecting both the administrative budget and the program budget. For 
further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for 
each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to 
facilitate USIA decisions on funding.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:

[[Page 55320]]

    (1) General Program Costs.
    (2) Participant Costs.
    (3) Administrative Costs.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

Review Process

    USIA will acknowledge receipts 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 USIA Office of Eastern 
Europe and NIS Affairs and 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. Program Development and Management: Proposals should exhibit, 
originality, substance, precision, innovation, and relevance to Agency 
mission. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. 
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the organization will meet the 
program's objectives. A 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.
    2. 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. Proposals should also include creative ways to involve 
students in their U.S. communities.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity.
    4. 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. Proposed 
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and 
appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.
    5. Follow-on and Alumni Activities: Proposals should provide a plan 
for continued follow-on activity (without USIA support) which insures 
that USIA supported programs are not isolated events.
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program's success, both during the after the program. USIA 
recommends that the proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or 
other technique, plus a description of methodologies that can be used 
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.
    7. Cost-effectiveness and Cost Sharing: 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. Proposals should maximize cost sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by an 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.

Option for Renewals

    Subject to the availability of funding for FY 1999 and FY 2000, and 
the satisfactory performance of grant programs, USIA may invite grantee 
organizations to submit proposals for renewals of awards.


    Dated: October 15, 1997.
Robert L. Earle,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 97-28065 Filed 10-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M