[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62726-62729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30048]



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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3160]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; NIS Community College 
Partnerships Program: Request for Proposals

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the United States 
Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award program. 
Accredited community colleges offering the two-year Associate's degree 
and meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501 may 
apply to pursue institutional or departmental objectives in 
international partnerships with counterpart institutions from Russia or 
Ukraine 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, as well as the purpose of strengthening mutual understanding 
and cooperation between the United States and the New Independent 
States. Eligible fields are education, continuing education or 
educational administration; the social, political or economic sciences; 
business/accounting/trade; or journalism/communications. Within these 
fields, themes of special interest may be described in additional 
detail in the section on ``Country Eligibility.'' Community colleges 
interested in working with partner institutions in the NIS outside of 
Russia and Ukraine are eligible to apply through the NIS College and 
University Partnerships Program, described separately in this 
announcement.
    The NIS Community College Partnerships Program is designed to 
encourage community colleges to share with their educational partners 
in the NIS their practical experience in designing and implementing 
programs which provide targeted training in professional fields; 
provide outreach and services to surrounding communities; and provide 
education to underserved populations.
    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 encouraged, particularly by linking educational 
programs in the NIS to the communities which they serve.
    In addition to the NIS Community College Partnerships Program, the 
Bureau also 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, which was 
described in a previous announcement dated September 16, 1999 with a 
deadline of January 19, 2000. The Bureau 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 dated May 
18, 1999 with a deadline of November 15, 1999. Applicants interested in 
either of these two programs should contact the Bureau's Humphrey 
Fellowships and Institutional Linkages 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 the Russian 
Federation. Applicants interested in USAID's SPAN program should 
contact the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) at (202) 
628-8188 (E-mail: [email protected]).
    In the NIS Community College Partnerships Program, partner 
institutions may pursue specific institutional goals with support from 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through exchanges of 
teachers and administrators 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 of their administration at any partner institution up to a 
maximum of 20 percent of the total grant, including administrative 
salaries but excluding indirect costs. Although grants under this 
program will be issued to eligible U.S. community colleges, 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. (See 
the section of the POGI on ``Allowable costs''.) 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 institutions to 
address its own needs. Accordingly, applicants are encouraged to 
describe the needs as well as the capabilities of each participating 
department as well as the broader social and educational needs which 
the partner institutions attempt to serve. Effective proposals will 
explain the anticipated cooperation in ways that demonstrate that the 
institutions

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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 $200,000. 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 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 Community College Partnerships Program and reference number 
ECA/A/S/U-00-08.

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, March 15, 
2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time, nor will 
documents postmarked on Wednesday, March 15, 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: United States Department of State, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of Global 
Educational Programs, Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages 
Branch, State Annex 44 (ECA/A/S/U) room 349, 301 4th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20547, fax: (202) 401-1433 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 correspondence.

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 Cultural and Educational 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-00-08, Program Management Staff, 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 public affairs sections at U.S. 
embassies overseas for their review, with the goal of reducing the time 
it takes to get posts' 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 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 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 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.

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    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 Community College Partnerships Program is limited to the 
following academic fields:
    (1) Business/accounting/trade;
    (2) Education/continuing education/educational administration;
    (3) Journalism/communications; and
    (4) 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.
    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 community colleges offering the two-year Associate's degree. 
Applications from consortia of community colleges are eligible. 
Secondary U.S. partners may include relevant non-governmental 
organizations, non-profit service or professional organizations, or 
other institutions of higher education. 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 or staff from the participating 
institution(s) and must be U.S. citizens.

Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility

    In other countries, participation is open to recognized 
institutions of post-secondary education, including pedagogical 
institutes and universities, technical institutes and universities, and 
vocational training schools. 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 or staff 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:
    Russia--Proposals for partnerships with institutions located in 
Moscow or St. Petersburg should clearly indicate how those partnerships 
will have impact on other regions. Proposals which designate a partner 
institution in the Sakhalin Region are encouraged.
    Ukraine--proposals for partnerships with institutions located in 
the Kharkiv region are encouraged;
    Partnerships including a secondary foreign partner from a non-NIS 
country are eligible to participate in a project funded by this 
program; however, with the exception of Central European partners as 
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 or 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 
reviewed by Bureau officers as well as by other State Department 
officers in Washington, DC and overseas. All eligible proposals will be 
forwarded to the appropriate U.S. Embassy officers for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by 
other offices of the U.S. Department of State. Funding decisions will 
be made at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary 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

    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 
democracies 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.

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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 another in the mutual 
pursuit of institutional objectives. Relevant factors include: the 
financial and political stability of partner institutions and the 
availability of a critical mass of faculty willing and able to 
participate. Preference will be given to proposals which include 
multiple quarter- or semester-length stays. 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 reviewers 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 another in pursuing project 
objectives.

Ineligibility

    A proposal will 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 academic discipline(s) is/are not listed as eligible in the 
RFP, herein;
    (6) The amount requested of the Bureau request exceeds $200,000 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: November 5, 1999.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-30048 Filed 11-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P