[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 126 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40152-40157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16506]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3342]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Proposals: 
College and University Affiliations Program

SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Department of State announces 
an open competition for an assistance award program. Accredited, post-
secondary educational institutions meeting the provisions described in 
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.5019(C) may apply to pursue institutional or 
departmental objectives in partnership with foreign counterpart 
institutions with support from the College and University Affiliations 
Program. These objectives should support the overall goal of the 
Program: to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation among U.S. 
and foreign educational institutions on specified themes of common 
interest to the United States and to the participating colleges and 
universities. The means for achieving the objectives of the applicant 
and its partner(s) may include teaching, scholarship, and outreach to 
professionals and other members of the communities served by the 
participating institutions.

Program Overview

    Underlying the specific institutional objectives of projects funded 
by this program should be the goals of encouraging the growth of 
freedom and democracy, economic stability and prosperity, or 
environmental cooperation. Innovative strategies to address these 
underlying concerns in the pursuit of clearly defined institutional 
objectives are encouraged. Outreach from academic institutions to 
larger communities of citizens and practitioners to extend 
understanding about these issues 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 FY2001. The 
College and University Affiliations Program operates in cooperation 
with the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program; the U.S. institutions of 
current and former participants in the Fulbright Program are encouraged 
to apply. Other college and university teachers and administrators with 
knowledge of educational institutions in other countries are also 
encouraged to build on this knowledge with support from the Bureau 
through the College and University Affiliations Program.
    Separate Requests for Proposals for institutional linkages in 
higher education with the New Independent States of the former Soviet 
Union (N.I.S. College and University Partnerships Program and the 
N.I.S. Community College Partnerships Program) are being published this 
fiscal year. For further information about these N.I.S. programs, refer 
to the ``Foreign Country and Location Eligibility'' section of this 
solicitation.

Applicant Objectives

    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 objectives 
for each participating U.S. and foreign department or institution as a 
whole.
    For example, proposals may describe the parameters and possible 
content of new courses, new research or teaching capacities or 
methodologies, new or

[[Page 40153]]

revised curricula or programs, or other changes anticipated as a result 
of the project. Proposals to pursue a limited number of related 
thematic objectives at each institution are preferred to proposals 
addressing a large number of unrelated objectives at each institution.
    Partner institutions may pursue their institutional objectives 
through exchanges of teachers, researchers, administrators or, in 
limited circumstances, students for any appropriate combination of 
teaching, consultation, research, and outreach. The length of time for 
each exchange may range from one week to an academic year. The strategy 
for achieving project objectives may include exchange visits in one or 
both directions, but no single formula is prescribed for the duration, 
sequence, or number of these visits. Visits of one semester or more for 
participants from at least one of the institutional partners are 
strongly encouraged. The number of visits of less than two weeks' 
duration should not exceed one visit in each direction over the course 
of the project. To provide adequate time to meet institutional project 
objectives, the Program awards grants for periods of approximately 
three years (36 months to 40 months).
    Although strong budgetary and programmatic emphasis may be given to 
visits in one direction over another, the benefits of all these visits 
to the sending as well as the receiving sides should be clearly 
explained. Exchange visits for the purpose of attending conferences are 
not encouraged except in combination with other grant activities and in 
support of specific educational objectives at one or more of the 
participating institutions.
    In addition to demonstrating how each participating institution can 
assist its partner(s) to meet institutional goals, 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 and deficiencies as well as the strengths and 
capabilities of each participating department and institution. 
Proposals that realistically assess institutional capacities will be 
better able to justify the request for support. Effective proposals 
will demonstrate that the proposed partnership institutions understand 
one another and are committed to support and cooperate with one another 
in project implementation. Accordingly, proposals should reflect 
substantial awareness of the foreign as well as the U.S. partner(s). 
Proposals that benefit only one institutional partner are not eligible 
for funding.
    If the proposed partnership would occur within the context of a 
previous or ongoing project, the proposal should explain how the 
request for Bureau funding would build upon the pre-existing 
relationship or complement previous and concurrent projects, which must 
be listed and described with details about the amounts and sources of 
external support. Previous projects should be described in the 
proposal, and the results of the evaluation of previous cooperative 
efforts should be summarized.
    Proposals should outline and budget for a methodology for project 
evaluation. The evaluation plan should include an updated assessment of 
the current status of each participating department's and institution's 
needs at the time of program inception; ongoing formative evaluation to 
allow for mid-course revisions in the implementation strategy; and, at 
the conclusion of the project, summative evaluation of the degree to 
which the project's objectives have been achieved together with 
observations about the project's influence within the participating 
institutions and their surrounding communities or societies. The final 
evaluation should also include recommendations about how to build upon 
project achievements, both with and without the Bureau's support. 
Evaluative observations by external consultants with appropriate 
subject or regional expertise are especially encouraged.

Costs

    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. Although the 
contributions offered by U.S. and foreign institutions with relatively 
few resources may be less than those offered by applicants with greater 
resources at their disposal, all participating institutions are 
expected to identify costs that they will contribute. These costs may 
include the estimated costs of in-kind contributions. Consistent with 
the ``Review Criteria'' for this competition listed elsewhere in this 
document and with specific reference to ``Cost-Sharing'' and 
``Institutional Commitment to Cooperation,'' proposed cost-sharing will 
be considered an important indicator of each participating 
institution's interest in the project and of the institution's 
potential to benefit from it.
    Proposals must be submitted by the U.S. institutional partner and 
must include letters of commitment from all institutional partners. The 
letters should be signed by persons authorized to commit institutional 
resources to the project.
    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 the administration of the project at any partner 
institution, including administrative salaries and direct 
administrative costs but excluding indirect costs. Although the grants 
will be awarded to the lead U.S. institutional partner, adequate 
provision in the proposal for the administrative costs of the project 
at all partner institutions, including the foreign partner(s), is 
encouraged.
    Administrative salaries may include salary support for project 
directors and administrative assistants for administrative activity 
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. However, in proposals for Sub-Saharan Africa, 
faculty replacement costs are allowable once in a three-year grant 
period if they facilitate the work of a U.S. faculty member at an 
African partner institution for one quarter or one semester. (See 
sections of this document on ``U.S. Partner and Participant 
Eligibility'' and ``Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility'' for 
additional details.) The fees of outside consultants reporting on the 
degree to which project objectives have been achieved are allowable as 
a program expense.
    The proposal may include a request for funding to 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. However, projects focusing primarily on 
technology or physical infrastructure development are not encouraged. 
Proposals that include Internet, electronic mail, and other interactive 
technologies should discuss how the foreign partner institution will 
support the costs of such technologies after the project ends. 
Applicants may propose other project activities not specifically 
mentioned in this solicitation if the activities reinforce the impact 
of the project.
    With the exception of projects with Sub-Saharan Africa, the maximum 
award in the FY2001 competition will be $120,000; for projects with 
Sub-Saharan Africa, the maximum award will be $180,000. Requests for 
amounts smaller than the maximum are eligible.

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Budgets and budget notes should carefully justify the amounts 
requested. 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 
2001. The amount of funding available for proposals to the College and 
University Affiliations Program in FY2001 has not yet been determined. 
In Fiscal Year 1999, 66 eligible proposals were submitted to the 
College and University Affiliations Program, and 17 awards were made. 
The response to Requests for Proposals to the Bureau to support 
institutional linkages in higher education has been unusually strong in 
recent years and, except for Sub-Saharan Africa and the New Independent 
States of the former Soviet Union, the funds available have fallen 
significantly short of the demand for them.
    However, additional funding may be available in Fiscal Year 2001 to 
award a limited number of grants under the College and University 
Affiliations Program to enable current and former Fulbright scholars to 
build on their experiences as individual Fulbright grantees through 
broadened institutional cooperation.

Eligible Fields

    Eligible fields are the social, political, and economic sciences; 
environmental studies; law; business; public administration; and 
educational development or administration (excluding educational 
projects in the physical, technical, or health sciences, as well as the 
Teaching of English as a Foreign Language). Within the eligible fields, 
themes of special interest are described in additional detail in this 
document under the heading ``Foreign Country and Location 
Eligibility.''

U.S. Institution 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 or other combinations 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 or other combination of cooperating institutions is 
responsible for submitting the application. Each application must 
document the lead organization's authority to represent all U.S. 
cooperating partners.
    With the exception of outside consultants reporting on the degree 
to which project objectives have been achieved, 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 an accompanying faculty participant or project 
director on the achievement of project objectives.

Foreign Institution and Participant Eligibility

    In other countries, participation is open to recognized 
institutions of post-secondary education, which may include independent 
research institutes. Secondary foreign partners may include relevant 
governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as non-profit 
service and professional organizations.
    With the exception of outside consultants reporting on the degree 
to which project objectives have been achieved, participants 
representing the foreign institutions must be teachers, administrators, 
or student teaching or research assistants who are working under the 
supervision of an accompanying faculty participant or project director 
on the achievement of project objectives. Foreign 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.

Foreign Country and Location 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 FY2002 and FY2003; 
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 2001 for FY2002 and in 
the spring of 2002 for FY2003.
    (1) New Independent States (former Soviet Union): Institutions 
interested in partnerships with institutions of higher education in the 
New Independent States should consult separate Requests for Proposals 
for the N.I.S. College and University Partnerships Program and for the 
N.I.S. Community College Partnerships Program. For information about 
these programs, contact the Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional 
Linkages Branch, Office of Global Educational Programs (ECA/A/S/U), 
Room 349, U.S. Department of State, State Annex 44, 301 4th Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, phone: (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-
1433.
    (2) Sub-Saharan Africa: Proposals are encouraged that will 
strengthen the role of African institutions of higher education in 
their countries' national development and, more specifically, promote 
the increased interaction of African universities with other local and 
international institutions that contribute to African social, political 
or economic development.
    Eligible for FY2001: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote 
d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, 
Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Rwanda. In addition, multilateral 
proposals involving institutions in not more than four of the following 
countries are also eligible: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote 
d'Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, Togo, 
and Rwanda. These proposals should clearly outline a pattern of 
involvement and cooperation with all the participating African 
institutions and should indicate anticipated benefits to all the 
institutional partners.
    Anticipated eligibility for FY2002: Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, 
Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated eligibility for FY2003: Countries and subjects to be 
determined.
    (3) Western Hemisphere: Proposals are especially encouraged which 
strengthen judicial, civic, economic, or educational reform in the 
eligible Latin American and Caribbean countries, or which address 
current issues in communications or the social or environmental 
sciences.
    Eligible for FY2001: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, 
Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
    In addition to bilateral proposals with any one of these countries, 
proposals for projects involving educational institutions in two or 
more countries belonging to the South American

[[Page 40155]]

Common Market (MERCOSUR) are also eligible: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay 
and Uruguay.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and trilateral projects 
including both Canada and Mexico. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003: Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican 
Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, and Venezuela. Subjects to be 
determined.
    (4) 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 FY2001: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, 
Thailand, and Vietnam.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: China, Korea, Mongolia, and 
Taiwan. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and 
Laos. Subjects to be determined.
    (5) Europe: Proposals are encouraged that will equip universities 
to assist with the transitions to more market-oriented economies, to 
more democratic political life, and to more responsible and accountable 
administration in the public sector.
    Eligible for FY2001: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, 
Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY 2002: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, 
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003: Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia, Poland, and Romania. Subjects to be determined.
    (6) North Africa and the Middle East: Projects are encouraged which 
strengthen civil society, which support the development of programs in 
American Studies at universities in the region, or which assist the 
development of a more effective and more transparent public sector.
    Eligible for FY2001: Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Tunisia, West 
Bank, and Morocco.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and 
Tunisia. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003: Algeria, Gaza, Qatar, Saudi 
Arabia, and West Bank. 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 FY2001: India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002: India, Pakistan, and 
Bangladesh. Subjects to be determined.
    Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003: 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 other country with the exceptions noted in the 
sections on country eligibility for the Western Hemisphere and for Sub-
Saharan Africa.
    (7) The amount requested from the Bureau exceeds $120,000 with the 
exception of proposals for Sub-Sahara Africa, where the maximum is 
$180,000.

Grant-Making Authority

    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.
    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 ECA/A/S/U-01-02.

Deadline for Proposals

    All copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, November 
13, 2000. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on Monday, November 13, 2000 but received on a later date.
    Approximate program dates: Grant activities should begin on or 
about July 1, 2001.
    Program Duration: July 1, 2001-June 30, 2004 (or until September 
30, 2004).

For Further Information

    Contact the Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch 
(College and University Affiliations Program); Office of Global 
Educational Programs; Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; ECA/
A/S/U, Room 349; U.S. Department of State; SA-44, 301 Fourth Street, 
S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20547; phone: (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-
1433. Applicants may also send a message 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 the Bureau's 
website at

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfps.

    Please read all information before downloading.
    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, 
Department staff may not discuss this competition in any way with 
applicants until the Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

[[Page 40156]]

Submissions

    Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 10 copies of the complete application should 
be sent to:

U.S. Department of State, Ref: ECA/A/S/U-01-02, Program Management, 
ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, SA-44, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547

    All copies should include the documents specified under Tabs A 
through E in the ``Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation'' 
(POGI) section of the Solicitation Package. The documents under Tab F 
of the POGI should be submitted with the original application and with 
one of the ten copies.
    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 Affairs Sections at 
U.S. Embassies for 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 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 Department of State. 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 Department of State 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.

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 
evaluated by independent external reviewers. In addition, all eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by internal Bureau and U.S. Embassy or 
Fulbright Commission officers for non-binding advisory comment.
    The independent external 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 external reviewers.
    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 Under Secretary of State for 
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) will reside with a 
contracts officer with competency for Bureau programs.

Review Criteria

    All reviewers will use the criteria below to reach funding 
recommendations and decisions. Technically eligible applications will 
be reviewed competitively according to these criteria, which are not 
rank-ordered or weighted.
    (1) Broad Significance of Institutional Objectives: Project 
objectives should have significant but realistically anticipated 
ongoing consequences for the participating institutions and for their 
surrounding societies or communities through a deepened mutual 
understanding of one another and of issues pertaining to freedom and 
democracy, economic stability and prosperity, or environmental 
cooperation.
    (2) Clarity and Relevance of Project Objectives to Institutional 
Needs: Proposed projects should outline clearly formulated objectives 
that relate specifically to the needs of the participating 
institutions.
    (3) Creativity and Feasibility of Strategy to Achieve Project 
Objectives: Strategies to achieve project objectives should demonstrate 
the feasibility of doing so during a three-year period by utilizing and 
reinforcing exchange activities realistically and with creativity.
    (4) 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.
    (5) Project Evaluation: Proposals should outline a methodology for 
determining the degree to which a project meets its objectives, both 
while the project is underway and at its conclusion. The final project 
evaluation should include an external component and should provide 
observations about the project's influence within the participating 
institutions as well as their surrounding communities or societies.
    (6) Cost-effectiveness: Administrative and program 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 cooperate with 
one another in pursuing project objectives. Although indirect costs are 
eligible for inclusion as cost-sharing by the applicant, contributions 
should not be limited to indirect costs.

[[Page 40157]]

    (7) Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity by explaining how issues of 
diversity relate thematically to project objectives for all 
institutional partners and how these issues will be addressed during 
project implementation. Proposals should also outline the institutional 
profile of each participating institution with regard to issues of 
diversity.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any State Department representative. Explanatory 
information provided by 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 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: June 12, 2000.
Evelyn S. Lieberman,
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-16506 Filed 6-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P