[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27036-27040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12453]


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

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


College and University Affiliations Program

ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs in the United States Information Agency announces 
an open competition for an assistance award program. For applicants' 
information, on October 1, 1999 the Bureau will become part of the U.S. 
Department of State without affecting the content of this announcement 
or the nature of the program described. Accredited, post-secondary 
educational institutions meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to pursue institutional or 
departmental objectives in international partnerships whose goals will 
strengthen, through teaching, scholarship, and professional outreach 
from the partner institutions, mutual understanding and cooperation on 
specified themes of mutual interest to the United States and eligible 
foreign institutions. Eligible fields are education or educational 
administration; the social, political, economic, or environmental 
sciences; law; business; public administration; or communications. 
Within these fields, themes of special interest are described in 
additional detail in the section on ``Country Eligibility.''
    In general, underlying the specific objectives of projects funded 
by this program should be the goal of fostering freedom and democracy 
through a deepened mutual understanding of fundamental issues and 
practical applications in the encouragement of civil society, economic 
growth and prosperity, environmental cooperation, or the free flow of 
information. Creative, innovative strategies to address these 
underlying concerns in the pursuit of clearly defined institutional 
goals are encouraged. The extension of understanding about these issues 
through outreach from academic institutions to larger communities of 
citizens and practitioners is also encouraged.
    The Bureau supports institutional linkages in higher education 
through the College and University Affiliations Program, for which this 
Request for Proposals invites applications for funding in FY2000. In 
addition, for the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union, 
the N.I.S. College and University Partnerships Program Request for 
Proposals will be issued separately in the summer of 1999 to invite 
applications for funding in FY2000. For further information about this 
program see the section of this Request describing eligibility of the 
N.I.S. under ``Country Eligibility.''
    In the College and University Affiliations Program, partner 
institutions may pursue specific institutional goals with support from 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through exchanges of 
teachers, administrators or, in limited circumstances, students for any 
appropriate combination of teaching, consultation, research, and 
outreach, for periods ranging from one week (for planning visits) to an 
academic year. The Bureau's support may be used to defray the costs of 
the exchange visits as well as the costs (up to a maximum of 20 percent 
of the total grant) of their administration at any partner institution, 
including administrative salaries but excluding indirect costs. 
Although grants will be issued to eligible U.S. colleges and 
universities, adequate provision for the administrative costs of the 
project at all partner institutions is encouraged. Administrative 
salaries may include salary support for project directors and 
administrative assistants within the 20 percent maximum that may be 
allocated to administrative costs, but the Bureau will not fund 
salaries, stipends, or honoraria for program participants. (See 
sections of this document on ``U.S. Partner and Participant 
Eligibility'' and ``Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility'' for 
details.) The costs of exchange visits of foreign students and U.S. 
graduate student teaching or research assistants who are working under 
the supervision of a faculty participant or project director toward the 
achievement of project objectives are eligible for support. Other 
students may participate in the project, but not with the Bureau's 
support for the costs of their visits. With the Bureau's support, 
institutions may reinforce the activities of exchange participants 
through the establishment and maintenance of Internet and/or electronic 
mail communication facilities as well as through interactive technology 
or non-technology-based distance-learning programs. Applicants may 
propose other project activities not specifically anticipated in this 
solicitation if the activities reinforce exchange activities and their 
impact.
    Proposals must be submitted by the U.S. institutional partner and 
must include a letter of commitment from the foreign partner(s). While 
the benefits of the project to each of the participating institutions 
may differ significantly in nature and scope, proposals should outline 
well-reasoned strategies leading to specific, demonstrable changes (for 
example, new courses, new research or teaching capacities or 
methodologies, new programs or revised curricula) that are anticipated 
for each participating department or for the institution as a whole as 
a result of the project. Proposals to pursue a limited number of 
related thematic objectives at each institution are encouraged over 
proposals whose thematic goals within each institution are unrelated. 
The strategy for achieving project goals may include exchange visits in 
either or both directions, but no single formula is anticipated for the 
duration, sequence, or number of these visits. However, visits of one 
semester or more for participants from at least one of the 
institutional partners are encouraged. Although strong budgetary and 
programmatic emphasis may be given to visits in one direction over 
another, the benefits of these visits to the sending as well as the 
receiving sides should be clearly explained in terms of their 
contributions to the departmental or institutional objectives which the 
project is designed to achieve.
    In addition to demonstrating the capacity of each participating 
institution to contribute to its partner(s), proposals should also 
explain how this cooperation will enable each of the institutions to 
address its own needs.
    Accordingly, applicants are encouraged to describe the needs as 
well as the capabilities of each participating department. Effective 
proposals will explain the anticipated cooperation in ways that 
demonstrate that the institutions proposed for participation in the 
partnership clearly understand one another and are committed to support 
one another in project implementation. If the proposed partnership 
would occur within the context of a previous or on-going project, the 
proposal should explain how the request for Bureau funding would build 
upon the pre-existing relationship or complement concurrent projects 
and cooperation. Projects that direct assistance from one institution 
to another in one direction only are not eligible for consideration.

[[Page 27037]]

    The commitment of all partner institutions to the proposed project 
should be reflected in the cost-sharing which they offer in the context 
of their respective institutional capacities.
    To provide adequate time to meet institutional goals, the program 
awards grants for periods of approximately three years (36 months to 40 
months). The maximum award in the FY2000 competition will be $150,000. 
Requests for amounts smaller than the maximum are eligible. Grants 
awarded to organizations with less than four years of experience in 
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. 
Grants are subject to the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2000.
    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.'' The funding authority for the 
program cited above is provided through the Fulbright-Hays Act.
    Within this authority, the College and University Affiliations 
Program operates in cooperation with the Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program; current and former participants in the Fulbright Senior 
Scholar Program are encouraged, together with other college and 
university teachers with knowledge of educational institutions in other 
countries, to consider how to build on this knowledge with support from 
the Bureau through the College and University Affiliations Program.
    Projects must conform with the Bureau's requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the solicitation package for this RFP, which can be 
obtained by following the instructions given in the section below 
entitled ``For Further Information.'' The ``Project Objectives, Goals, 
and Implementation'' (hereafter, POGI) and the ``Project Specific 
Instructions (hereafter, PSI), which contain additional guidelines, are 
included in the Solicitation Package. Proposals that do not follow RFP 
requirements and the guidelines appearing in the POGI and PSI may be 
excluded from consideration due to technical ineligibility.
    Announcement Title and Number: All communications with the Bureau 
concerning this announcement should refer to the College and University 
Affiliations Program and reference number E/ASU-00-01.
    Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the Bureau 
of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on 
Monday, November 15, 1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor 
will documents postmarked on Monday, November 15, 1999 but received on 
a later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure 
compliance with the deadline.
    Approximate program dates: Grant activities should begin on or 
about May 1, 2000.
    Program Duration: May 1, 2000-April 30, 2003 (or until September 
30, 2003).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Academic Programs; Advising, 
Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division; College and University 
Affiliations Program (CUAP), (E/ASU), Room 349, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone: (202) 619-
5289, fax: (202) 401-1433. Send a message via Internet to: 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation 
Package includes more detailed award criteria; all application forms; 
and 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://e.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. The ``Table of Contents'' of available documents 
and order numbers should be the first order when entering the system.
    Please specify ``College and University Affiliations Program 
Officer'' on all inquiries and correspondence. Prospective applicants 
should read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
addressing inquiries to the College and University Affiliations Program 
staff or submitting their 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 10 copies of the complete application, 
including the documents specified under Tabs A through I in the 
``Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation'' (POGI) section of the 
Solicitation Package, should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency (until 
October 1, 1999) or U.S. Department of State (effective October 1, 
1999) Ref: E/ASU-00-01, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th St., SW., 
Washington, DC 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. The Bureau will 
transmit these files electronically to U.S. Embassies overseas for 
their review, with the goal of reducing the time needed to make the 
comments of overseas posts available in the Bureau's grant review 
process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines

    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, projects 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,'' the Bureau ``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

[[Page 27038]]

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.

Eligibility

    U.S. Partner and Participant Eligibility: In the United States, 
participation in the program is open to accredited two- and four-year 
colleges and universities, including graduate schools. Applications 
from community colleges, minority-serving institutions, undergraduate 
liberal arts colleges, research universities, and combinations of these 
types of institutions are eligible. Applications from consortia of U.S. 
colleges and universities are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may 
include non-governmental organizations as well as non-profit service 
and professional organizations. The lead U.S. organization in the 
consortium is responsible for submitting the application. Each 
application from a consortium must document the lead organization's 
authority to represent the consortium. With the exception of outside 
evaluators on contract with the U.S. institution, participants 
representing the U.S. institution who are traveling under the Bureau's 
grant funds must be teachers, graduate student teaching or research 
assistants, or administrators from the participating institution(s). 
Participants representing the U.S. institution must be U.S. citizens. 
Graduate student teaching or research assistants are eligible for 
Bureau-funded participation in this program only if they are working 
under the direction of a faculty participant or project director on the 
achievement of project objectives.
    Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility: In other countries, 
participation is open to recognized, degree-granting institutions of 
post-secondary education, which may include established, 
internationally recognized independent research institutes. Secondary 
foreign partners may include relevant governmental and non-governmental 
organizations, as well as non-profit service and professional 
organizations. Participants representing the foreign institutions must 
be teachers, administrators, or student teaching or research assistants 
who are working under the supervision of a faculty participant or 
project director on the achievement of project objectives. Participants 
must be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the country of 
the foreign partner and must be qualified to hold a valid passport and 
a U.S. J-1 visa.
    Country Eligibility: To increase the chances that competitive 
proposals can be funded, the number of eligible countries and locations 
is limited. However, country eligibility is expected to rotate within 
most of the following seven world regions according to a three-year 
cycle as outlined below. Countries may be added to the countries listed 
for FY2001 and FY2002; countries listed as anticipated for eligibility 
are expected to be eligible in the year(s) for which they are listed. 
Separate Requests for Proposals will be issued in the spring of 2000 
for FY2001 and in the spring of 2001 for FY2002.
    (1) Sub-Saharan Africa: Proposals are encouraged that will 
facilitate the development of programs in African educational 
institutions in collaboration with the private sector to encourage 
economic development, with the public sector to increase the 
effectiveness of democratic institutions, or with non-government 
institutions to improve the quality of community life.
    Eligible For FY2000: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia; 
in addition, trilateral configurations involving a college or 
university in the United States and a counterpart institution in South 
Africa with an institution in any other country of sub-Saharan Africa 
are also eligible. These proposals should clearly demonstrate 
understanding of both African institutions and provide benefits to all 
three institutional partners.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal, and 
South Africa. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, 
Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Subjects to be determined.
    (2) Western Hemisphere: Proposals are especially encouraged which 
strengthen judicial reform, economic reform, or educational reform, or 
which address current issues in communications or the social or 
environmental sciences.
    Eligible For FY2000: Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, 
Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, Venezuela.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, 
Chile, Jamaica, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay. Subjects to be 
determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and trilateral projects 
including both Canada and Mexico. Subjects to be determined.
    (3) East Asia and the Pacific: Proposals for projects that will 
promote democracy, strengthen civil society, or help to create more 
transparent, market-oriented economies are encouraged.
    Eligible for FY2000: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: Indonesia, Malaysia, 
Philippines, and Thailand. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: China, Korea, Mongolia, and 
Taiwan. Subjects to be determined.
    (4) Europe: Proposals are encouraged that will equip universities 
in central and Eastern Europe to assist with the transitions in the 
region to more market-oriented economies, to more democratic political 
life, and to more responsible and accountable administration in the 
public sector.
    Eligible for FY2000: Hungary, Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: Albania, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Turkey. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, 
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Subjects to be determined.
    (5) New Independent States (former Soviet Union): No eligibility 
anticipated for the College and University Affiliations Program in 
FY2000, FY2001, or FY2002. Institutions interested in partnerships with 
institutions of higher education in countries of the New Independent 
States of the former Soviet Union should consult a separate request for 
proposals that will be announced by the Office of Academic Programs in 
the summer of 1999 for the N.I.S. College and University Partnerships 
Program, which

[[Page 27039]]

focuses specifically on the N.I.S. For information about this program, 
contact the Office of Academic Programs; Advising, Teaching, and 
Specialized Programs Division (NISCUPP), (E/ASU), Room 349, U.S. 
Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, 
phone: (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-1433.
    (6) North Africa and the Middle East: Projects are encouraged which 
strengthen civil society, or which develop a more effective and more 
transparent public sector.
    Eligible for FY2000: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Oman.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: Israel, Jordan, and Morocco. 
Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Bahrain, Lebanon, and Tunisia. 
Subjects to be determined.
    (7) South Asia: Proposals for projects that will help to develop 
good governance and strengthen educational and economic institutions in 
the region are encouraged.
    Eligible for FY2000: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2001: India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 
Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Countries and subjects to be 
determined.
    Ineligibility: A proposal may be deemed technically ineligible if:
    (1) it does not fully adhere to the guidelines established herein 
and in the Solicitation Package;
    (2) It is not received by the deadline;
    (3) It is not submitted by the U.S. partner;
    (4) One of the partner institutions is ineligible;
    (5) The foreign country or geographic location is ineligible;
    (6) It involves a request to fund exchanges between the United 
States and more than one country, with the exception of the trilateral 
partnerships between the United States, South Africa, and two sub-
Saharan African institutions as specified previously (see the previous 
section on eligible countries/locations for details);
    (7) The amount requested from the Bureau exceeds $150,000;
    (8) The amount requested from the Bureau includes funding for 
salaries or honoraria for program participants in compensation for 
teaching or other program activities;
    (9) The amount requested from the Bureau includes funding for 
stipends of student participants;
    (10) The amount requested from the Bureau includes funding for the 
travel or per diem costs of student participants with the exception of 
those foreign students and U.S. graduate student teaching assistants 
who are working under the direct supervision of a faculty member on the 
achievement of project objectives;
    (11) The proposal is for assistance to be directed from one 
institution to another in one direction only.

Review Process

    The Bureau 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 forwarded to independent reviewers 
and to Bureau and U.S. Embassy officers for advisory review.
    The independent reviewers, who will be professional, scholarly, or 
educational experts with appropriate regional and thematic knowledge, 
will provide recommendations and assessments for consideration by The 
Bureau. The Bureau will consider for funding only those proposals which 
are recommended for further consideration by the independent reviewers.
    Proposals will also be reviewed by Bureau officers as well as by 
other State Department officers in Washington, D.C. and overseas. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by 
other officers of the U.S. Department of State. Funding decisions will 
be made at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary of State for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) will reside with a 
contracts officer with competency for Bureau programs.

Review Criteria

    Independent reviewers and State Department officers in Washington, 
D.C., and overseas will use the criteria below to reach funding 
recommendations and decisions. Technically eligible applications will 
be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These 
criteria are not rank-ordered or weighted.
    (1) Quality and Clarity of Program Objectives: Proposed programs 
should outline clearly formulated objectives for each participating 
institution that will also contribute to freedom and democracy through 
a deepened mutual understanding of fundamental issues and practical 
applications in the themes eligible for consideration in this 
competition.
    (2) Creativity and Feasibility of Program Plan: Implementation 
plans for proposed programs should demonstrate the feasibility of 
achieving program objectives during a three-year period by utilizing 
and reinforcing exchange mechanisms realistically and with creativity.
    (3) Impact of Program Objectives: Proposal objectives should have 
sustainable consequences for the participating institutions and the 
societies and communities which these institutions serve.
    (4) Cost-effectiveness: Administrative costs should be reasonable 
and appropriate with cost-sharing provided by all participating 
institutions within the context of their respective capacities and as a 
reflection of their commitment to cooperation with one another in 
pursuing project objectives.
    (5) Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan and 
methodology for evaluating the project's degree of success in meeting 
program objectives. The plan should include an updated assessment of 
the current status of each department at the time of program inception; 
on-going formative evaluation to allow for prompt corrective action; 
and summative evaluation of the degree of achievement of project 
objectives together with recommendations for further activities and 
projects to build upon project achievements.
    (6) Institutional Commitment to Cooperation: Proposals should 
demonstrate significant understanding at each institution of its own 
needs and capacities and of the needs and capacities of its proposed 
partner(s), together with a strong commitment, during and after the 
period of grant activity, to cooperate with one another in the mutual 
pursuit of institutional objectives.
    (7) Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity by outlining relevant 
aspects of the institutional profile of each participating institution 
together with the relevancy of issues of diversity to program 
objectives and implementation.
    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any USIA or State Department representative. 
Explanatory information provided by the USIA or the Department of State 
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 Bureau 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

[[Page 27040]]

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 Bureau procedures.

    Dated: May 10, 1999.
Judith S. Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-12453 Filed 5-17-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M