[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63531-63534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30444]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institute for Economic Policy Officials: American 
Institutions and the Formulation of U.S. International Economic Policy; 
Request for Proposals (RFP).

SUMMARY: The U.S. Information Agency's Branch for the Study of the 
United States announces an open competition for an assistance award 
program entitled: ``Summer Institute for Economic Policy Officials: 
American Institutions and the Formulation of U.S. International 
Economic Policy.'' 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 three-week post-graduate level program 
designed for a multinational group of 15 experienced mid-level economic 
affairs professionals.
    The program is intended to provide participants with a deeper 
understanding of U.S. economic policies in the international arena, 
with particular reference to how the political, economic, social and 
cultural institutions of American life affect the formulation of those 
policies. Tentative program dates are any three week period between 
June 6 and August 14, 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 a 
scholarly discipline related to the subject of the institute and that 
can demonstrate expertise in conducting post-graduate 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 an advanced degree in a relevant discipline. 
Staff escorts traveling under the USIA cooperative agreement support 
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 Institute for Economic Policy Officials: American 
Institutions and the Formulation of U.S. International Economic 
Policy,'' is intended to provide mid-career

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economic affairs professionals from abroad with the opportunity to 
increase their understanding of the economy, politics, society, and 
culture of the United States at the end of the 20th century. 
Specifically, the Institute seeks to provide grantees with a deeper 
understanding of how U.S. international economic policy is formulated, 
with special reference to how the political, economic, social and 
cultural institutions of American life affect the formulation of those 
policies. Our working assumption is that the economic policy decisions 
of the United States and its actions in the international arena are to 
a significant degree a reflection of fundamental, albeit shifting, 
cultural values, embedded in U.S. institutions, public and private, and 
that a fuller understanding of those institutions will lead in turn to 
a better understanding of U.S. policies and actions abroad.
    Accordingly, the program should provide participants with an 
overview of the major issues in international economic policy, together 
with both a broad-gauged historical overview of major U.S. 
institutional and cultural trends--not only economic, but political, 
social, and cultural. In addition, grantees should have the opportunity 
to explore particular issues and themes as they bear on the formulation 
of economic policies, both globally and regionally. At the program's 
end, participants should have a fuller and more nuanced understanding 
of the diversity and complexity of contemporary American life, as well 
as a greater appreciation of the manifold ways in which contemporary 
American institutional arrangements and cultural values influence U.S. 
decisions and actions in the international economic arena.
    The Institute should be designed as a coherent, thoughtfully 
integrated and academically stimulating program that presents a multi-
dimensional view of the United States through a series of lectures, 
readings, panel presentations, and round table discussions. While the 
program is intended to be a intensive academic seminar designed for a 
non-academic audience, the program organizers are encouraged to include 
a mix of presenters, including university scholars as well as other 
professionals from government, the private sector, and the media.
    The program should be three weeks in length, including at least two 
weeks of residency at a U.S. college or university, and, depending on 
the program's design, an integrated study tour segment not to exceed 
one week in length. Part of that study tour should include a trip to 
Washington, DC. All travel should substantively extend and complement 
the residency portion of the program.

Program Dates

    Tentative program dates are any three-week period between June 6 
and August 21, 1999. The institute must be a total of 21 program days 
in length.

Participants

    The program should be designed for 15 highly-motivated and 
experienced mid-level professionals whose day-to-day work focuses on 
some aspect of their country's bilateral economic relationship with the 
United States. Many will come from their country's Ministry of Economic 
Affairs; others will be professionals employed by universities or other 
non-governmental organizations concerned with international economic, 
commercial and trade issues. While participants will not be required to 
possess either a formal or in-depth knowledge of American life and 
institutions, most are likely to have a working understanding of the 
United States by virtue of their professional work. Some may have had 
substantial prior study or work experience in 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 for 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, ultimately, the content of 
the institute program is entirely the responsibility of the organizers. 
However, given the many possible approaches to the development of such 
a program, organizers are expected to submit proposals that articulate 
in concrete detail now 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 15 participants, the total USIA-funded budget (program and 
administrative) should not exceed $131,000, and USIA-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should not exceed $39,500. 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 above title and 
reference number E/AES-99-12.

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 for the 
Study of the United States, E/AES--Room 252, 301 4th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20547, Attention: William Bate. Telephone number: (202) 
619-4557. Fax number: (202) 619-6790. Internet address: [email protected].

    Please specify USIA Program Officer William Bate 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 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

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and order numbers 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 p.m. Washington DC 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: E/
AES-99-12, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, 
SW, Washington, DC 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. 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 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 years 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: 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 
envidence 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, 
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

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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 buy 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 6, 1998.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-30444 Filed 11-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M