[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50327-50330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24077]



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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


NIS College and University Partnerships Program; Request for 
Proposals

SUMMARY: The Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division of 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 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. At the time, the Advising, 
Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division will be renamed the Office 
of Global Educational Programs. 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 with counterpart institutions from the 
New Independent States for the purpose of supporting, through teaching, 
scholarship, and professional outreach from the partner institutions, 
the transition of the New Independent States to democratic systems 
based on market economies, and of strengthening mutual understanding 
and cooperation between the United States and the New Independent 
States. Eligible fields are education or educational administration; 
the social, political or economic sciences; law; business; public 
administration; or communications. Within these fields, themes of 
special interest may be 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, 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 with 
partners from the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union 
through the NIS College and University Partnerships Program, for which 
this Request for Proposals invites applications for funding in FY2000. 
The Bureau also anticipates issuing a separate and additional Request 
for Proposals this Fall for a partnership program for community 
colleges interested in cooperating with institutions in Russia or 
Ukraine. Eligible community colleges may apply for grants under either 
or both of the above competitions, but the Bureau will not give 
multiple awards for duplicate partnerships under these competitions. 
The Bureau also supports institutional linkages in higher education 
with partners worldwide through the College and University Affiliations 
Program; the College and University Affiliations Program was described 
in a previous announcement and has a deadline of November 15, 1999. 
Applicants interested in the Bureau's College and University 
Affiliations Program should contact the Bureau's Specialized Programs 
Branch at (202) 619-5289. In addition, the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID) supports the Sustaining Partnerships 
into the Next Century (SPAN) program, which supports organizational and 
institutional partnerships, including university partnerships in fields 
other than those covered by the NISCUPP program, in the Russian 
Federation. Applicants interested in USAID's SPAN program should 
contact IREX at (202) 628-8188.
    In the NIS College and University Partnerships 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 
salary support may be included 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 U.S. program participants, except in the case of 
advanced graduate students working in the NIS for periods of over 2 
months who would otherwise be eligible for U.S. teaching assignments. 
(See the section of this document on ``U.S. Partner and Participant 
Eligibility'' and the section of the POGI on ``Allowable costs''.) 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. 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 
each 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

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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.
    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. The maximum 
award in the FY2000 competition will be $300,000. Request 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 Freedom for Russia and 
Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992 
(Freedom Support Act).
    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 ``Proposal Submission 
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 RFP should refer 
to the NIS College and University Partnerships Program and reference 
number E/ASU-00-03.

Deadline for Proposals

    All copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Wednesday, January 
19, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time, nor will 
documents postmarked on Wednesday, January 19, 2000 but received on a 
later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure 
compliance with the deadline.
    Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about August 
15, 2000.
    Duration: Approximately August 15, 2000--August 14, 2003.

For Further Information, Contact

    The Specialized Programs Branch, E/ASU [as of October 1, 1999, the 
Institutional Linkages Branch, ECA/ASU], room 349, 301 4th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20547, phone (202) 619-5289; fax: (202) 401-1433; e-mail 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package containing more 
detailed award criteria; all application forms; and guidelines for 
preparing proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the 
proposal budget. Please specify Bureau Program Officer Jonathan Cebra 
(telephone: 202-619-4126, e-mail: [email protected]) on all inquiries and 
correspondences regarding partnerships with institutions in Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
website at http://e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    Interested applicants should read the complete Federal Register 
announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the 
RFP deadline has passed, Bureau 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 application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: E/ASU-00-03, Office of Grants Management, ECA/EX/PM, 
Room 336, 301 4th Street, 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 the public diplomacy sections at 
US Embassies for their review, with the goal of reducing the time it 
takes to get Embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

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 programs 
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 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

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organizations from processing information in accordance with Federal 
management and program specific requirements including data exchange 
with the Bureau. 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.
    The Bureau 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.

Supplementary Information:

Guidelines

    The NIS College and University Partnership Program is limited to 
the following academic fields:
    (1) Law;
    (2) Business/accounting/trade;
    (3) Education/continuing education/ educational administration;
    (4) Public administration/public policy analysis;
    (5) Journalism/communications; and
    (6) Social, political, or economic sciences.
    Proposals must focus on curriculum, faculty, and staff development 
at the NIS partner institution(s) in one or more of these eligible 
disciplines. Administrative reform at the foreign partner should also 
be a project component. Projects should involve the development of new 
academic programs or the building and/or restructuring of an existing 
program or programs, and should promote higher education's role in the 
transition to market economies and open democratic systems. Feasibility 
studies to plan partnerships will not be considered.
    Whenever feasible, participants should make their training and 
personnel resources, as well as results of their collaborative 
research, available to government, NGOs, and business.
    Participating institutions should exchange faculty and/or staff 
members for teaching/lecturing and consulting. At least once during the 
grant period, one U.S. participant should be in residence at the 
foreign partner institution for one semester to serve in a coordinating 
role. (Exception: proposals for partnerships with institutions in 
Tajikistan should not include travel by U.S. participants to 
Tajikistan.)
    U.S. institutions are responsible for the submission of proposals 
and should collaborate with their foreign partners in planning and 
preparing proposals. U.S. and foreign partner institutions are 
encouraged to consult about the proposed project with program office 
staff in Washington, DC.

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 or professional schools. Applications from consortia of U.S. 
colleges and universities are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may 
include relevant non-governmental organizations, non-profit service or 
professional organizations. If a lead U.S. institution in a consortium 
is responsible for submitting an application on behalf of a consortium, 
the application must document the lead school's stated authority to 
represent the consortium. With the exception of outside evaluators on 
contract with the U.S. institution, participants representing the U.S. 
institution(s) who are traveling under Bureau grant funds must be 
faculty, staff, or advanced graduate students from the participating 
institution(s) and must be U.S. citizens.

Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility

    In other countries, participation is open to recognized, degree-
granting institutions of post-secondary education. Secondary foreign 
partners may include relevant governmental and non-governmental 
organizations, non-profit service or professional organizations. 
Participants representing the foreign institutions must be faculty, 
staff or advanced students of the primary or secondary partner 
institution, and be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the 
country of the foreign partner, and be qualified to hold a valid 
passport and U.S. J-1 visa.
    Foreign partners from the following countries are eligible:

Armenia;
Azerbaijan;
Belarus--foreign partners must be independent institutions; state 
universities are not eligible;
Georgia;
Kazakstan;
Kyrgyzstan;
Moldova;
Russia--preference will be given to proposals which designate partner 
institutions outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg; proposals for 
partnerships with institutions located in Moscow or St. Petersburg 
should clearly indicate how those partnerships will have impact on 
other regions. The Bureau anticipates issuing a separate request for 
proposals in the Fall for a partnership in the field of public 
administration with Moscow State University. Proposals which designate 
a partner institution in the Sakhalin Region are encouraged.
Tajikistan--in consideration of the State Department Warning advising 
U.S. citizens to defer travel to Tajikistan, proposals should not 
include travel by U.S. participants to Tajikistan;
Turkmenistan;
Ukraine--proposals for partnership with institutions located in the 
Kharkiv region are encouraged;
Uzbekistan.

    Partnerships including a secondary foreign partner from a non-NIS 
country are eligible; however, with the exception noted below, the 
Bureau will not cover overseas non-NIS partner institution costs.

Central European Partners

    The Bureau encourages proposals which build upon established 
collaboration between U.S. institutions and partners in Central and 
Eastern Europe in order to support faculty and curriculum development 
in the NIS and to promote regional cooperation. Within the context of 
this partnership agreement and under the guidance of the U.S. partner 
institution, funds may be budgeted for the exchange of faculty between 
NIS institutions and institutions of higher learning in Central and 
Eastern Europe (applicants planning to submit proposals for trilateral 
partnerships with a partner from Central and Eastern Europe are 
encouraged to contact the program office).

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

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recommended for further consideration by the independent reviewers.
    Proposals will also be reviewed by Bureau officers as well as by 
the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Senior Coordinator for the 
Newly Independent States and the public diplomacy sections of U.S. 
Embassies. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Department of State, 
Office of the Legal Advisor or by other Bureau elements. 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 of Bureau programs.

Review Criteria

    Independent reviewers and State Department officers in Washington, 
DC., 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 the transition of the New 
Independent States to market economies and decomcracies and to a 
deepened mutual understanding of fundamental issues and practical 
applications in the themes eligible for consideration in this 
competition.
    2. Program planning: Proposals should include appropriate and 
feasible project plans and a detailed schedule which should include a 
well-reasoned combination of useful and appropriate teaching, faculty 
development, curriculum development, and outreach. The various 
activities should be clearly related to project objectives, but need 
not be equally emphasized within the proposal. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the partnership will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    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. 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.
    5. Institutional Capacity and Commitment: Proposals should 
demonstrate commitment of institutional resources adequate and 
appropriate to achieve program goals. 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 anther in the mutual pursuit of 
institutional objectives. Relevant factors include: the financial and 
political stability of partner institutions and the availably of a 
critical mass of faculty willing and able to participate. Proposals 
which include multiple quarter- or semester-length stays will be more 
competitive. Proposals should provide evidence of relevant and 
successful prior interactions between institutions and an indication of 
collaborative program planning. The Bureau will consider the past 
performance of prior grant recipients and all reviews will consider the 
demonstrated potential of new applicants. Reviewers will also consider 
the quality of exchange participants' academic credentials, skills, and 
experience relative to the goals and activities of the project plan 
(e.g. language skills).
    6. 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.
    7. 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 anther in 
pursuing project objectives.

Ineligibility

    A proposal will be deemed technically ineligible if:
    (1) It does not 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 academic discipline(s) is/are not listed as eligible in the 
RFP, herein;
    (6) The amount requested of the Bureau exceeds $300,000 for the 
three-year project.
    Please refer to program-specific guidelines (POGI) in the 
Solicitation Package for further details.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Bureau 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 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: September 8, 1999.
William P. Kiehl,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-24077 Filed 9-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M