[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5995-5998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2358]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Request for Proposals

PROGRAM TITLE: Creative Arts Exchange Program.

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges within 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 that demonstrate disciplinary 
expertise in the arts and humanities and meet the provisions described 
in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3) may apply to develop international 
projects for visual and/or performing artists, educators and arts 
administrators. These projects will consist of residencies and programs 
in which selected participants from the United States and other 
countries work, learn or create together. An overarching goal of this 
program is to foster on-going sustainable linkages and partnerships 
between arts organizations or institutions in the U.S. and other 
countries. Participant exchanges and residencies offer benefits to 
artists and arts administrators as well as their sponsoring 
organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on projects that 
closely relate art and culture to furthering public understanding and 
awareness of global issues and social concerns and/or projects that 
utilize the arts to promote solutions to societal problems. Interested 
applicants are invited to request and read the complete Solicitation 
Package before submitting their proposals. Proposed projects must be 
eligible in terms of countries/localities and disciplines as described 
in the section entitled ``Eligibility'' below.
    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. The package consists 
of a Federal Register Request For Proposals (RFP); a statement 
outlining the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI); and 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). 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/P-98-29.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Thursday, April 
2, 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. Approximate program dates: Project timetables should assume a 
funding date no earlier than July 15, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Program Officer Jill Johansen in the 
Cultural Programs Section, Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/PY, Room 568, 
U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, 
telephone: (202) 205-2209, fax: (202) 619-5311, Internet: 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package containing more 
detailed award 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 Johansen on all inquiries 
and correspondence. 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 three (3) copies of the full 
package plus (11) eleven additional copies of Tabs A-E of your proposal 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-98-29, 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

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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 Creative Arts Exchanges Program within the Office of Citizen 
Exchanges works with U.S. non-profit organizations to develop 
cooperative international group projects that provide opportunities for 
American and foreign participants to work together and increase their 
understanding of each other's cultural and artistic life and 
traditions. Proposed projects should include a substantive and integral 
role for USIA's colleagues stationed at United States Information 
Service [USIS] posts overseas. Our posts carry out activities that 
support USIA's mission to increase mutual understanding between the 
United States and other countries and to promote international 
cooperation in education and cultural fields. USIS post officers have 
access to and in-depth knowledge of the arts communities where they are 
stationed. Their active participation in creative arts exchange 
projects increases the success and viability of our programs.
    We seek proposals from U.S. organizations that have disciplinary 
expertise in the arts and humanities as well as broad outreach and 
networking capabilities into American arts and cultural activities 
nationwide. International projects in the United States or overseas may 
involve arts administrators, playwrights, theater directors, arts 
managers, experts on copyright protection for artists, choreographers, 
film makers, cultural tourism specialists, visual artists, writers and 
poets. Arts administration programs can include topics such as 
fundraising, community outreach, volunterism, arts management, 
development and organizational structure. Cultural tourism projects can 
include topics such as the role of the arts in economic development, 
marketing, audience and program development, art preservation and 
cultural patrimony.
    Visual and performing arts projects should demonstrate a 
relationship to societal and/or global concerns such as: conflict 
resolution, global cooperation, energy conservation and environmental 
management, the role of women in society, teaching tolerance and race 
relations. Proposals including performances and/or small exhibitions 
need to demonstrate that the performance or exhibition is integral to 
the creative process. Projects in which exhibitions and/or performances 
are the sole program activity will not be supported under this 
competition.
    Organizations interested in museum/curatorial projects should 
contact the American Association of Museums [AAM] International 
Partnerships Among Museums [IPAM] Program at: 1575 Eye Street, NW., 
Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005; telephone [202] 289-1818; FAX: [202] 
289-6578. We will not accept direct applications from museums for 
international projects.

Guidelines

    Proposed projects should involve the following components:
    1. An international exchange of professionals in the fields listed 
above;
    2. The development of institutional linkages between American 
organizations and their counterparts in other countries;
    3. Travel of participants to or from the United States, preferably 
in both directions;
    4. Assurances of quality, fairness, balance and openness in the 
selection of project participants;
    5. Residencies that provide substantive learning opportunities for 
participants.
    Drafts of all printed materials developed for this program using 
USIA funds should be submitted to the Agency for review and approval. 
USIA must receive a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable right 
to reproduce, publish or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, 
and to authorize others to do so. Funded projects must acknowledge USIA 
sponsorship in all printed project materials and official project 
documents.

Special Conditions and Exclusions

    1. USIS posts should be given the option of nominating foreign 
program participants. Final participant selection decisions will be 
made by the grantee organization in consultation with USIS posts.
    2. Proposals involving more than one country are preferred. 
However, single-country projects that have strong USIS post support and 
clearly demonstrate the potential for creating and strengthening 
linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also welcome. 
Organizations are strongly urged to consult posts prior to submission 
of any proposals, especially when considering single-country projects.
    3. Proposals involving foreign organizations should identify them 
and clearly define their role in the project. Letters of commitment 
from these organizations should be included in the proposal package. 
Prospective applicants should consult with USIS posts regarding such 
organizations prior to submitting their proposals.
    4. Proposals centering on films or videos must deal with the 
creative aspects of film or video making. Projects may include story 
development, other aspects of the creative process, or management 
issues like funding and distribution. They should not include 
installations, screenings, competitions, full scale film production or 
distribution, or any other type of project prohibited in this 
announcement.
    The following types of projects are ineligible for support:
    1. Projects consisting solely of vocational and technical training;
    2. Scholarly programs, long-term academic study or training 
programs, and student and/or faculty exchanges (Organizations 
interested in programs of this nature should contact USIA's Office of 
Academic Programs--202-619-6409);
    3. Projects that solely consist of speaking tours, conferences, 
research projects, research for project development purposes, 
festivals, publications and international arts competitions;
    4. Youth or youth-related activities (participants under age 25) or 
projects for the exchange of amateurs or semi-professionals;
    5. Study tours and observerships;
    6. Projects in the fields of historical conservation and 
preservation;
    7. Projects for Eastern European or NIS countries other than those 
specified under our geographic guidelines, which

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are: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
    USIA provides support to Sister Cities International and Partners 
of the Americas. It has agreed to partially fund administrative 
expenses of these organizations' national offices, but will not fund 
projects arising from sister city and partner state relationships once 
they are established.

Geographic Guidelines

    Proposals which address themselves to various geographic regions of 
the world, and allow across-the-board participation from all areas are 
preferred. In addition, preferred or eligible specific geographic areas 
are:
    1. Africa: Proposals are especially encouraged for projects in 
Africa, specifically those dealing with indigenous arts, copyright 
protection for artists, arts management and efforts to develop long-
term strategies for protecting the archaeological and ethnological 
cultural patrimony including, but not limited to, sustainable cultural 
tourism initiatives for economic development.
    2. Northern Africa, Near/Middle East and South Asia [NEA]: Region. 
Proposals are also especially encouraged for the NEA Region. USIA's 
preference is for performing or visual arts projects in Morocco and/or 
Tunisia. These North African countries enjoy a long history of 
excellent relations with the U.S. as well as rich and diverse cultures. 
Projects which will demonstratively result in improved understanding of 
U.S. values and strengthening civil society in one or both of these 
countries will be given priority. Examples might include, but are not 
limited to, projects which promote the use of theater or music to 
increase environmental awareness or similar civic responsibilities. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact USIA posts in Tunis and/
or Rabat as they develop these proposals.
    3. American Republics (South America, Central America and the 
Caribbean): Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the 
following topics listed in priority: arts administration; cultural 
patrimony; cultural tourism; and ethnic and indigenous arts.
    4. Western Europe and Canada: Proposals focusing on Turkey will be 
given strong preference.
    5. Eastern Europe and New Independent States: Proposals will only 
be accepted for projects focusing on arts management and designed to 
create institutional partnerships between U.S. arts organizations and 
arts organizations in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
    6. East Asia: Preference will be given to proposals that focus on 
intellectual property protection in emerging Asian democracies.

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. Administration of the program must be in compliance 
with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, state, and 
local taxes as applicable.

Proposed Budget

    Detailed budgetary requirements and guidelines are included in the 
Solicitation Package. Organizations must submit a comprehensive line 
item budget based on the specific guidance in the Solicitation Package. 
The maximum amount for a grant reward under this competition is 
$75,000. However, Creative Arts Exchange grants awarded through open 
competitions are on average approximately $58,000 with many successful 
proposals coming in at well below this level. Grants awarded to 
eligible organizations with less than four years of experience in 
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. 
Organizations submitting proposals with administrative budgets that are 
significantly less than the grant amount requested from USIA and cost-
sharing that equals at least 33% of the entire project budget will be 
given preference.
    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.
    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 program office, as well as the USIA Area Offices and 
the USIA posts 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.
    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-up 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

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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. USIA 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. 
USIA should process grants for successful proposals by mid-summer.

    Dated: January 26, 1998.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-2358 Filed 2-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M