[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18994-18997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9188]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3645]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Public Administration 
Curriculum Development Project with the New Bulgarian University, 
Bulgaria

NOTICE: Request for grant proposals.

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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 to support the New 
Bulgarian University in its efforts to develop a curriculum and improve 
its program of instruction and outreach in public administration. 
Accredited post-secondary educational institutions meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit 
proposals to develop this program. The means for achieving this 
objective may include faculty training, case study development, 
consultation, teaching, research, interactive distance education, 
internship training and professional outreach to local government 
officials and public sector managers.

Overview and Project Objectives

    The project will enable the New Bulgarian University to design 
instructional materials and to train its faculty for a program in 
public administration. The New Bulgarian University is also interested 
in cooperating on the development of a joint degree program with the 
potential for U.S. accreditation through the U.S. institution. The 
project will support faculty and curriculum development and outreach to 
public sector managers and practitioners in Bulgaria and will emphasize 
empirical public policy analysis.
    Applicants are encouraged to develop creative strategies to pursue 
these objectives. These strategies should reflect an understanding of 
the status, achievements, and current needs of public administration 
education in Bulgaria as well as an understanding of the training needs 
of public managers. Applicants are encouraged to explain in the 
proposal how empirically based case studies can be emphasized in a 
curriculum that also addresses a broad range of public policy, public 
finance and public management issues.
    The project should pursue these objectives through a strategy that 
coordinates the participation of junior and senior level faculty, 
administrators, or graduate students for any appropriate combination of 
teaching, research, mentoring, internships, and outreach to

[[Page 18995]]

practitioners through continuing education. Exchange visits should 
range from approximately one week to one academic year. Visits of one 
semester or longer for some participants from Bulgaria are strongly 
encouraged. Activities must be tied to project objectives.
    If the proposed project 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 
internal and external support. Previous projects should be described in 
the proposal, and the results of the evaluation of previous cooperative 
efforts should be summarized.

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 
institutions offering advanced degrees, that meet the provisions 
described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501 (c). Applications from 
consortia or other combinations of U.S. colleges and universities are 
eligible. 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 traveling 
under the Bureau's grant funds must be teachers or administrators from 
the participating institution(s). Advanced U.S. graduate students 
assigned to teach at the New Bulgarian University are eligible to 
participate in the project. Participants representing the U.S. 
institution(s) must be U.S. citizens.

Bulgarian Institutional and Participant Eligibility

    The Bulgarian partner is the New Bulgarian University. Secondary 
foreign partners may include relevant governmental and non-governmental 
organizations, as well as non-profit service and professional 
organizations concerned with the development of public administration 
in Bulgaria. Foreign participants must be instructors at the New 
Bulgarian University or preparing for instructional positions at this 
institution, and must be citizens or permanent residents of Bulgaria 
who are eligible to receive J-1 visas.

Budget Guidelines

    The Bureau anticipates awarding one grant not to exceed $228,750. 
Applicants may submit a budget not to exceed this amount. Organizations 
with less than four years experience in conducting international 
exchanges are limited to $60,000, and are not encouraged to apply. 
Budget notes should carefully justify the amounts needed. There must be 
a summary budget as well as a breakdown reflecting the program and 
administrative budgets including unit costs. Cost sharing will be 
considered an important indicator of institutional commitment.
    Funds will be awarded for a period up to three years to defray the 
costs of exchanges, to provide educational materials, to increase 
library holdings and improve Internet connections. Up to 25% of the 
grant total may be used to defray the costs of project administration.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete guidelines 
and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

    All correspondence with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs concerning this RFGP should reference the ``Project in Public 
Administration with the New Bulgarian University'' and reference number 
ECA/A/S/U-01-22.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Contact the Humphrey Fellowships and 
Institutional Linkages Branch, Office of Global Educational Programs, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; ECA/A/S/U, Room 349, SA-44; 
U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, 
phone (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-1433, e-mail: [email protected] 
to request a Solicitation Package.
    The Solicitation Package contains detailed review criteria, 
required application forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals, 
including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. 
Please specify the above reference number on all 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 of 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, June 1, 
2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents 
postmarked by the due date but received on a later date will not be 
accepted. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure 
compliance with the deadline.

Approximate Grant Duration

    Grants should begin on or about September 1, 2001, and end on or 
about August 30, 2004.

Submissions

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-01-22, Program 
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
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.
    Proposals that do not follow RFGP requirements and the guidelines 
appearing in the POGI and PSI may be excluded from consideration due to 
technical ineligibility.
    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 Section of 
the U.S. Embassy in Sofia for its advisory review, with the goal of 
reducing time it takes to get the post's 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,

[[Page 18996]]

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. All eligible proposals will be 
reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public Affairs Section 
of the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Eligible proposals will be subject to 
review for compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and will be 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 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the 
Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    State Department officers in Washington, D.C. and overseas will use 
the criteria below to reach funding recommendations and decisions. 
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank-
ordered or weighted.

1. Broad Significance and Clarity of Institutional Objectives

    Proposals should outline clearly formulated objectives that relate 
specifically to the needs of the participating institutions. Project 
objectives should be tied to expected lasting results which are both 
significant and realistic for the participating institutions. Proposals 
should also demonstrate how these results will contribute to more 
accountable public sector administration in Bulgaria.

2. Creativity and Feasibility of Strategy To Achieve Project Objectives

    Strategies to achieve project objectives should creatively utilize 
and reinforce exchange activities. For example, if distance learning 
will be included in the project at a later phase, applicants must 
demonstrate that this component is feasible and that it will provide a 
high degree of interaction among the faculty and the students.

3. Support of Diversity

    Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of the Bureau's 
policy on diversity by explaining how issues of diversity relate to 
project objectives and how these issues will be addressed during 
project implementation. Proposals should also outline the institutional 
profile of each participating institution with regard to the 
composition of participating faculty, research institutes and community 
outreach in the pursuit of project objectives.

4. Institutional Commitment

    Proposals should demonstrate significant understanding of the 
institutional needs of the New Bulgarian University and should outline 
the U.S. institution's capacity to address these needs while also 
benefiting from its involvement with the Bulgarian partners. Proposals 
should also demonstrate a strong commitment by the partner 
institutions, during and after the period of grant activity, to 
cooperate in the pursuit of joint educational and institutional 
objectives.

5. Institutional Record/Ability

    Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of 
administering successful public administration projects, including 
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting 
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by the State 
Department's contracts officers. The Bureau will consider the past 
performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new 
applicants. Reviewers will also consider the quality of proposed 
exchange participants' academic credentials, skills, commitment and 
experience relative to the goals and activities of the project plan.

6. Project Evaluation

    The proposal should outline a methodology for determining the 
degree to which the project meets its objectives, both while the 
project is underway and at its conclusion. The evaluation process 
should include an external component and should provide observations 
about the project's performance within the framework of the project 
objectives, the participating institutions and their surrounding 
communities or societies.

7. Cost-Effectiveness

    Administrative and program costs should be reasonable and 
appropriate with cost sharing provided as a reflection of the 
applicant's commitment to the project.

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 Support for East European 
Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989.

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.
    Projects must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the solicitation Package. The POGI, a document describing 
this project's objectives, goals, and implementation is included in the 
Solicitation Package.

[[Page 18997]]

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.

    Dated: April 9, 2001.
Helena Kane Finn,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-9188 Filed 4-11-01; 8:45 am]
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