[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]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
College and University Affiliations Program
ACTION: Notice--Request for Proposals.
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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