[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 166 (Thursday, August 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45907-45909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22851]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Russian-U.S. Young Leadership Fellows

ACTION: Request for proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of funds, the Academic Exchanges 
Division, European Programs 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 a program to administer the recruitment, 
selection, placement, monitoring, evaluation and follow-on activities 
for the FY99 Russian-U.S. Young Leadership Fellows. Organizations with 
less than four years of experience in conducting international exchange 
are not eligible for this competition.
    The Russian-U.S. Young Leadership Fellows Program is a new 
initiative that will target outstanding Russian and American college 
graduates who demonstrate leadership skills and an interest in public 
service. The objective of the program is to enrich the education and 
experience of young people who show the promise of contributing to the 
betterment of their own country and to the increased mutual 
understanding between the two countries. A total of approximately 65-
100 Russian-U.S. Young Leadership Fellows (15-20 American and 50-80 
Russian) will be sponsored for a one-year, non-degree program in the 
partner country that will include an academic year of study at an 
eligible institution of higher education followed by a four-twelve week 
internship program. Academic and internship programs

[[Page 45908]]

should complement one another and should focus on topics relevant to 
leadership, governance, and public service. Fields of study will 
include but not be limited to: political science, government, history, 
international relations, economics, conflict resolution, and cultural 
studies. Eligible applicants from both countries will be graduates of 
college or college-equivalent programs below the age of 30.
    USIA anticipates awarding one grant for this program. Should an 
applicant organization wish 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, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hayes 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.
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA 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-99-04.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m., Washington, DC time, on Friday, October 
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. Grants should begin November 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  The Academic Exchange Division, 
European Programs Branch, E/AEE, Room 246, U.S. Information Agency, 301 
4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 205-0525 and fax 
(202) 260-7985, [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 Sondra Govatski 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 may 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-99-04, Office 
of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of 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 of Diversity' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal. Pub. L. 
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: 

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 reguests 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 $2.162 million, and preference will be given to organizations 
whose requested administrative and indirect costs are below 20% of the 
total grant award.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive 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 
further clarification, applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for 
each program component, phase, location, or activity in order to 
facilitate USIA decisions on funding.

[[Page 45909]]

    Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) U.S.-based administrative costs.
    (2) Russia-based administrative costs.
    (3) Program costs.
    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 Russian USIS posts. 
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, and should include a strategy for achieving diverse 
applicant pools for both students and host institutions.
    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 and 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 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.

Option for Renewals

    Subject to the availability of funding for FY 2000 and FY 2001, and 
the satisfactory performance of grant programs, USIA may invite grantee 
organizations to submit proposals for renewals of awards.

    Dated: August 19, 1998.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-22851 Filed 8-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M