[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 61 (Thursday, March 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17217-17219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7796]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3624]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals: Tibet Professional and Cultural Exchange Project

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Tibet 
Professional and Cultural Exchange Project. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 
26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals that promote understanding between 
the people of the United States and the Tibetan ethnic group, through 
two-way, professional educational and cultural exchange projects.

Program Information

Overview

    The Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that directly 
respond to the following thematic areas. Given budgetary limitations, 
projects for other themes will not be eligible for consideration under 
the FY-2001 Tibet Professional and Cultural Exchange Project 
announcement.

Public Health Management

    Projects submitted in response to this theme would be aimed at 
engaging public health leaders to combat the debilitating health 
problems ethnic Tibetans face, (from malnutrition to fatal pneumonia, 
tuberculosis and diarrhea). Exchanges would focus on developing and 
implementing appropriate public health policies, through seminars and 
outreach to public and private health planners and practitioners, to 
ensure the optimal welfare and economic viability of Tibetan 
communities. (Actual medical training and dispensing of medications are 
outside the purview of this theme and will not be accepted activities 
for funding based on exchange guidelines.)

Sustainable Development and Eco-Tourism

    Exchanges funded under this theme would help American and Tibetan 
conservationists, tourism planners, and economic development officials 
share their experience in managing tourism resources, particularly in 
ecologically fragile areas, and would contribute to better 
understanding of conservation and concepts essential to responsible 
economic development. Americans are in a good position to convey to 
their Tibetan counterparts the importance of sustainable forestry 
practices and sustainable harvesting of plant resources to short-term 
and long-term economic prospects.

Vocational Education

    Proposals are sought which emphasize administration and development 
of vocational schools targeted towards the practical needs of ethnic 
Tibetan communities. Successful projects would help influence thinking 
among those responsible for economic planning in rural and urban areas 
where Tibetans live. Discussion of how to integrate education planning 
with economic development initiatives, how to diversify revenue 
sources, and how to recruit, train and retain strong faculty would all 
contribute towards dialogue on vocational education, an issue important 
to both Tibetans and Americans in a modern and changing economy.

Developing Enterpreneurship

    Projects under this theme may focus on the skills Tibetans, many of 
whom come from rural backgrounds with rudimentary economies, need to 
function effectively in a modern economy (e.g. finance, accounting, and 
language skills). Exchanges that explore ways that both the government 
and the private sector can help promote entrepreneurship in sustainable 
ways, including access to credit, ecologically conscious tourism 
policies and investment, or English language training for trade or 
tourism purposes will be favored.

Guidelines

    The Office seeks proposals that provide professional experience and 
exposure to American life and culture through internships, workshops 
and other learning-sharing experiences hosted by local institutions. 
The experiences also will provide Americans the opportunity to learn 
about Tibetan culture and the social and economic challenges Tibetans 
face today. Travel under these grants should provide for a two-way 
exchange. Proposals only seeking funding for Tibetans to travel the 
United States must provide a clear explanation detailing the rationale 
for a one-way exchange. Projects should not simply be academic in 
nature; they should be designed to provide practical, hands-on 
experience in U.S. public/private sector settings that may be adapted 
to an individual's institution upon return home. Proposals may combine 
elements of professional enrichment, job shadowing and internships 
appropriate to the language ability and interests of the participants.
    Applicants should identify the local organizations and individuals 
in the counterpart country with whom they are proposing to collaborate 
and describe in detail previous cooperative programming and/or 
contacts. Specific information about the counterpart organizations' 
activities and accomplishments is required and should be included in 
the section on Institutional Capacity.
    Exchanges and training programs supported by the institutional 
grants from the Bureau should operate at two levels: They should 
enhance institutional partnerships, and they should offer practical 
information to individuals and groups to assist them with their 
professional responsibilities. Strong proposals usually have the 
following characteristics: A strong existing partnership between a U.S. 
organization and an in-country institution; a proven track record of 
working in the proposed issue area; cost-sharing from U.S. and/or in-
country sources; experienced staff with language facility; a clear, 
convincing plan showing how permanent results will be accomplished as a 
result of the activity funded by the grant; and a follow-on plan beyond 
the scope of the Bureau grant. The Bureau would like to see tangible 
forms of time and money contributed to the project by the prospective 
grantee institution, as well as funding from third party sources.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
Solicitation Package for further information.

Budget Guidelines

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. Grant awards will not exceed $175,000. There must be a summary 
budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program 
budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program 
component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
    Allowable costs for the program include the following:


[[Page 17218]]


(1) All Participant Expenses (Tibetan and American)
(2) Other Program Expenses as needed and justified
(3) Administrative Expenses including indirect costs

    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the Tibet Professional and Cultural Exchange Project and 
reference number: ECA/PE/C/EAP-01-38.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, room 
216, SA-44, U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20547, telephone number 202/260-5491, fax number 202/260-0440, or 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. The 
Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation. Please specify Bureau Program 
Officer, Raymond H. Harvey, on all other inquiries and correspondence.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

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/RFGPs. Please read all 
information before downloading.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, May 18, 
2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents 
postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be 
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by 
the above deadline.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 12 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/EAP-01-38, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5" diskette, 
formatted for DOS. These documents 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 section at 
the U.S Embassy for its 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 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.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that 
the governments of the countries described above do not have 
inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should 
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the 
full extent deemed feasible.

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. The program office, as well as the 
Public Diplomacy section at the U.S. Embassy, will review all eligible 
proposals. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with 
Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau 
grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the 
Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final 
funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's 
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for grants resides with the Bureau's Grants 
Officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's 
mission.
    2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should 
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda 
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described 
above.
    3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be 
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly 
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and 
plan.
    4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen 
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity.
    Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both program 
administration (selection of participants, program venue and program 
evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, 
program meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).
    6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or 
project's goals.
    7. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
    8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that 
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.

[[Page 17219]]

    9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives should be included with the application.
    10. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components 
of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as 
low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
    11. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost sharing through 
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding 
contributions.

    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 above is provided through The Conference Report on the FY-
2001 Consolidated Appropriation Act that mandated support for 2001 
Tibet Professional and Cultural Exchange Project.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP 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 RFGP 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: March 21, 2001.
Helena Kane Finn,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-7796 Filed 3-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P