[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 215 (Friday, November 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60044-60047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29717]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institutes in American Studies for Foreign University 
Teachers; Request for Proposals (RFP)

SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of the United States of the U.S. 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for four (4) assistance awards. Public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(C) may apply to develop and implement 
one of the following four post-graduate level American Studies programs 
designed for multinational groups of 18 experienced foreign university 
faculty:

1. Summer Institute on Contemporary American Literature
2. Summer Institute on Change and Reform in American History
3. Summer Institute on the Foundations of U.S. Foreign Policy
4. Summer Institute on the U.S. Constitution

    These programs are intended to provide participants with a deeper 
understanding of American life and institutions, past and present, in 
order to promote the development and improvement of courses and 
teaching about the United States at universities abroad.
    Program are six weeks in length, and will be conducted during the 
Summer of 1999.
    USIA is seeking detailed proposals from colleges, universities, 
consortia of colleges and universities, and other non-for-profit 
academic organizations that have an established reputation in one or 
more of the following fields: political science, international 
relations, law, history, sociology, literature, American studies, and/
or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the program theme. 
Applicant institutions must demonstrate expertise in conducting post-
graduate programs for foreign educators, and 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 one of the fields 
listed above. Staff escorts traveling under the USIA cooperative 
agreement must have demonstrated qualifications for this service.
    Programs must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview and Objectives: The ``Summer Institutes in American 
Studies'' are intended to offer foreign scholars and teachers whose 
professional work focuses on the United States the opportunity to 
deepen their understanding of American institutions and culture. Their 
ultimate goal is to improve curricula and the quality of teaching about 
the U.S. in universities abroad.
    Program should be six weeks in length, must include an academic 
residency segment of at least four weeks at a U.S. college or 
university campus (or other appropriate location), and a study tour 
segment of not more than two weeks which directly complements the 
academic program and includes visits to one or more additional regions 
of the United States.
    All institutes should be designated as intensive academically 
rigorous programs that are organized through an integrated series of 
lectures, readings, seminar discussions, research and independent study 
opportunities, faculty consultations, site visits and regional travel.
    Institutions submitting proposals are encouraged to design 
thematically coherent programs in ways that draw upon the particular 
strengths and resources of their institutions as well as upon the 
nationally recognized expertise of scholars and other experts 
throughout the United States. Within the limits of the program's 
thematic focus and organizing frameworks, proposals should also be 
designed to:
    A. Provide participants with a survey of current scholarship and 
scholarly trends within the institute's governing academic discipline, 
indicating how current academic practice and debate represent both a 
continuation of and, where appropriate, a departure from past practices 
within that discipline;
    B. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi disciplinary approach to 
bear on the subject when appropriate;
    C. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and 
institutions that reflects a board range of perspectives, including the 
views of scholars and of experts outside the university, such as 
government officials, public intellectuals and cultural critics, 
journalists, and other relevant professionals; and,
    D. Insure access to extensive bibliographic and materials resources 
that will enable grantees to continue their research, study and 
curriculum development after returning to their home institutions.

Program Description

1. Summer Institute on Contemporary American Literature (E/AES-99-01)
    This institute should survey contemporary American literature and 
criticism, examining how major writers, schools and movements have both 
continued in the tradition of the American literary canon, and at the 
same time established new directions for American literature. Program 
may be organized thematically, historically, by

[[Page 60045]]

genre, or by any combination thereof that serves to suggest the 
variety, richness and complexity of contemporary American writing.
2. Summer Institute on Change and Reform in American History (E/AEA-99-
02)
    This institute should examine the history of reform in the United 
States from the Colonial period to the present. Attention should be 
given to major periods (e.g., 1830s, 1890s, 1930s), themes (e.g., 
abolition, women's rights, civil rights) and leading figures and to the 
larger political, social and economic currents that contributed to and 
were in turn affected by the various reform movements examined. 
Attention should also be given to the literature that posits recurring 
patterns of reform in American life as a way of understanding American 
institutions generally.
3. Summer Institute on the Foundations of U.S. Foreign Policy (E/AES-
99-03)
    This institute should examine the foundations--political, social, 
economic and cultural--of U.S. foreign policy in the Post-Cold War era. 
Principal themes, critical policy debates and contemporary issues 
should be examined within the historical context of U.S. international 
relations since World War II and within the larger framework of U.S. 
diplomatic history as a whole. The program should be structured to give 
attention to U.S. policies both in a global context and in major 
geographic areas.
4. Summer Institute on the U.S. Constitution (E/AES-99-04)
    This institute should examine the U.S. Constitution in terms of its 
origins, its historical evolutions and its significance in contemporary 
American life. The program should examine the Constitution in terms of 
its fundamental political principles--federalism, republicanism, checks 
and balances, separation of powers, individual rights--and also in 
terms of how the Constitution has served as a defining text through 
which the central values of American society and institutions have been 
defined and redefined throughout American history.
    Program Dates: Tentative program dates are June 26 to August 6, 
1999. Based on these dates, participants would be booked to arrive in 
the U.S. on or about June 25, and depart on August 7, 1999. 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 12 
and August 28, 1999.
    Participants: programs should be designed for a total of 18 highly-
motivated and experienced foreign university faculty who are interested 
in participating in an intensive seminar on aspects of U.S. 
civilization as a means to develop or improve courses and teaching 
about the United States at their home institutions. Most participants 
can be expected to come from educational institutions where the study 
of the U.S. is relatively well-developed. Thus, while they may not have 
in-depth knowledge of the particular institute program theme, most will 
have had some experience in teaching about the United States. Many will 
have had sustained professional contact with American scholars and 
American scholarship, and some may have had substantial prior 
experience studying in the U.S. Participants 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, DC. USIA will cover all international 
travel costs directly.
    Program 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.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package for further details on program design and 
implementation, as well as additional information on all other 
requirements.
    Budget Guidelines: Unless special circumstances warrant, based on a 
group of 18 participants, the total USIA-funded budget (program and 
administrative) should not exceed $170,000, and USIA-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should not exceed $51,000. 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.
    Announcement Name and Number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the following titles and 
reference numbers:
1. Summer Institute on Contemporary American Literature (E/AES-99-01)
2. Summer Institute on Change and Reform in American History (E/AES-99-
02)
3. Summer Institute on the Foundations of U.S. Foreign Policy (E/AES-
99-03)
4. Summer Institute on the U.S. Constitution (E/AES-99-04)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: To request a Solicitation Package containing 
more detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific 
budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation, 
applicants should contact: U.S. Information Agency, Office of Academic 
Programs, Branch of the Study of the United States, E/AES--Room 252, 
301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, Attention: Richard 
Taylor, Telephone number: (202) 619-4557, Fax number: (202) 619-6790, 
Internet address: [email protected].
    Please specify USIA Program Officer Richard Taylor 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 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/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be required from the Bureau's 
Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by calling 
202/401-7616/ The ``Table of Contents'' listing available documents and 
order numbers

[[Page 60046]]

should be the first order when entering the system.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C. time on Friday, 
January 29, 1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will 
documents postmarked January 29, 1999 but received at a later date. It 
is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposal 
submissions arrive by the deadline.
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Reference: 
(insert appropriate reference number from above, e.g. E/AES-99-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, 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 reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.
    Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement): The Year 2000 
(Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting problem that could 
potentially prohibit organizations from processing information in 
accordance with Federal management and program-specific requirements, 
including data exchange with USIA. The inability to process information 
in accordance with Federal requirements could result in grantees being 
required to return funds that have not been accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately 
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both 
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust 
for leap years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Service Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.
    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. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the program office, as well as the USIA Geographic Area 
Offices. Eligible proposals will then be forwarded to panels of senior 
USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by 
the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency elements. Final 
funding decisions are at the discretion of the USIA Associated 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 discipline of each institute. 
Program should reflect an overall design whose various elements are 
coherently and thoughtfully integrated. Lectures, panels, field visits 
and readings, taken as a whole, should offer a balanced presentation of 
issues, reflecting both the continuity of the American experience as 
well as the diversity and dynamism inherent in it.
    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. A program 
syllabus (noting specific sessions and topical readings supporting each 
academic unit) should be included, as should a calendar of activities. 
The travel component should not simply be a tour, but should be an 
integral and substantive part of the program, reinforcing and 
complementing the 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. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. 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.
    Authority: 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

[[Page 60047]]

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.''
    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 30, 1998.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-29717 Filed 11-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M