[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63529-63531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30442]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institute for the Study of the United States for Foreign 
Secondary School Educators

ACTION: Request for proposals (RFP).

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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 an assistance award program entitled 
``Summer Institute for the Study of the United States for Foreign 
Secondary School Educators.'' Public and private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 
1.501(C) may apply to develop and implement a six-week graduate-level 
American Studies program designed for a multinational group of up to 30 
secondary school teacher trainers and curriculum developers.
    This program is intended to provide participants with a deeper 
understanding of the U.S. society, institutions, culture and values--
past and present--so that textbooks, curricula and teaching about the 
United States in foreign secondary schools and teacher training 
institutions will be improved. Tentative program dates are June 19 
through July 30, 1999.
    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 
disciplines and sub-disciplines that comprise American Studies, and 
that can demonstrate expertise in conducting graduate-level 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 a doctoral degree in American studies or 
a related discipline. Staff escorts traveling under the USIA 
cooperative agreement must have demonstrated qualifications for this 
service.
    The program must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines as 
outlines in the Solicitation Package. USIA programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview and Objective: The Summer Institute for the Study of the 
U.S. aims to provide a deeper understanding of U.S. civilization among 
foreign educators who are concerned professionally with teaching or 
writing about the United States. It is further intended to encourage 
and support their efforts to improve the quality of teaching, 
textbooks, and curricular materials about the United States at 
secondary schools and teacher training institutions abroad.
    The institute should be organized around a central theme or themes 
in American civilization, and the program as a whole should examine 
various aspects of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions--past 
and present--providing a good overview for participants. It should be 
designed as intensive, academically rigorous program that is organized 
through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar 
discussions, curricular 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 framework, programs should be designed 
to:
    A. Draw from a variety of academic disciplines in order to deepen 
the participants' understanding of the unity, diversity, and complexity 
of U.S. society, culture, and institutions. Major issues and debates in 
U.S. society, past and present, including their origins and the role 
they have played in the development of U.S. civilization, should also 
be examined;
    B. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and 
institutions that reflects a broad 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 professionals; and,
    C. Enhance teaching about the U.S. in foreign secondary schools and 
teacher training institutions by making appropriate scholarly 
resources, pedagogical and bibliographic materials available to 
participants. Participants should return home with an ability to 
communicate a deeper and more informed view of the U.S. to students and 
colleagues, and to continue their research, study and curriculum 
development activities.
    The program should be six weeks in length, and must include:
    A. An academic residency segment at a U.S. college or university 
campus (or other appropriate location) of a minimum of four weeks in 
length.
    B. A study tour segment of a maximum of two weeks in length that 
takes participants to up to three additional regions of the U.S. If 
appropriate, a visit to Washington, D.C. should be included at or near 
the end of the program.
    Program Dates: Tenative program dates are June 19 through July 30, 
1999. Based on these dates, participants would be booked to arrive on 
June 18 and depart July 31, 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: The program should be designed for a total of 30 
highly-motivated foreign secondary school teacher trainers, textbook 
writers, curriculum developers, and education ministry officials, whose 
professional assignments require significant knowledge of U.S. 
civilization, and who have broad responsibility for curriculum design 
and improvement. Participants will be involved in the teaching of 
English language, American literature, U.S. government, history, 
geography, social studies, or other courses that include U.S. studies 
content. Participants will be drawn from all regions of the world, and 
will be fluent in the English language.
    Participants will be nominated by U.S. Information Service (USIS) 
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.
    Program Guidelines: The conception, design, structure and content 
of the institute program is entirely the responsibility of the 
organizers. However, given the many possible approaches to a program on 
U.S. civilization, organizers are expected to submit proposals that 
articulate in concrete detail how they intend to organize and implement 
the institute.
    Consistent with the institute's overall thematic organization, the 
program should engage the constituent disciplines that make up American 
studies (e.g., literature, history, political science, economics, 
geography, sociology, etc.) as vehicles for helping foreign educators 
understand, teach, and write about the United States.
    The selected grant organization will be responsible for most 
arrangements associated with this program. This includes the 
organization and implementation of all presentations and program 
activities, arrangement of all domestic travel, provision of

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appropriate lodging, subsistence, and ground transportation for 
participants, orientation and briefing of participants, preparation of 
any necessary support materials (including a pre-program mailing to 
participants), and working with program presenters to achieve maximum 
program coordination and effectiveness.
    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 30 participants, the total USIA-funded budget (program and 
administrative) should not exceed $236,000, and USIA-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should not exceed $56,000. 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 line item budget for the entire program, based 
on the specific guidance provided in the Solicitation Package. 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 
institution program.
    Announcement Name and Number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the above title and 
reference number: E/AES-99-05.

for further information contact: 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, Attn: Richard 
Taylor, Telephone number: (202) 619-4557, FAX number: (202) 619-6790, 
E-mail 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 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/education/rfps. Please read all information before 
downloading.
    To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be requested 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 should be the first order when entering the system.
    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, 
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 given in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/AES-99-
05, 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'' section of the proposal on a 3.5 inch diskette 
formatted for DOS. This material must be provided in ACCII 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, social-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.
    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 Services 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 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: Technical eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated

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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 Americna teaching 
and scholarship. The various program elements should be 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 and 
detailed 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 conductive to a collegial atmosphere.
    4. Support for 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 detail the 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-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.''

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: November 3, 1998.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-30442 Filed 11-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M