[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50580-50583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21434]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4451]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant 
Proposals (RFGPs): Fulbright American Studies Institutes for Foreign 
University Faculty and Secondary Educators; Notice

SUMMARY: The Study of the U.S. Branch, Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces an open 
competition for three (3) assistance awards. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal 
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(C)(3) may apply to develop and 
implement one of the following three post-graduate level Fulbright 
American Studies Institute programs designed for multinational groups 
of either 18 or 30 experienced foreign university faculty and secondary 
educators:
    A. American Civilization
    B. U.S. Political Economy and the Global Economic System
    C. American Studies for Foreign Secondary School Educators
    These programs are intended to provide participants with a deeper 
understanding of American life and institutions, past and present, in 
order to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching 
about the United States at universities abroad. Programs should 
therefore be designed to elucidate the topic or theme of the Institute 
as well as American civilization as a whole.
    Programs are six weeks in length and will be conducted during the 
Summer of 2004.
    The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals from colleges, 
universities, consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-
for-profit academic organizations that have an established reputation 
in one or more of the following fields: political science, 
international relations, law, history, sociology, literature, American 
studies, and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the 
program themes.
    It is the Bureau's intention to fund one institute in each of the 
above three thematic areas, subject to the number and quality of 
proposals received and the availability of funding.
    Applicant institutions must demonstrate expertise in conducting 
post-graduate programs for foreign educators, and must have a minimum 
of four years experience in conducting international exchange programs. 
Bureau guidelines stipulate that grants to organizations with less than 
four years experience in conducting international exchanges are limited 
to $60,000. As it is expected that the budget for these programs will 
exceed $60,000, organizations that can not demonstrate at least four 
years experience will not be eligible to apply under this competition.
    The project director or one of the key program staff responsible 
for the academic program must have an advanced degree in one of the 
fields listed above. Staff escorts traveling under the cooperative 
agreement must have demonstrated qualifications for this service. 
Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines outlined 
in the Solicitation Package. Bureau programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview and Objectives: Fulbright American Studies Institutes are 
intended to offer foreign scholars and teachers whose professional work 
focuses on the United States the opportunity to deepen their 
understanding of American society, culture and institutions. Their 
ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of 
teaching about the U.S. in institutions of higher learning and 
secondary school systems abroad.
    Programs should be six weeks in length and must include an academic 
residency segment of at least four weeks duration at a U.S. college or 
university campus (or other appropriate location). A study tour segment 
of not more than two weeks should also be planned and should directly 
complement the academic residency segment; the study tour should 
include visits to one or two additional regions of the United States.
    All institutes should be designed as intensive, academically 
rigorous seminars intended for an experienced group of fellow scholars 
from outside the United States. The institutes should be organized 
through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar 
discussions, regional travel and site visits, and they should also 
include some opportunity for limited but well-directed independent 
research.

[[Page 50581]]

    Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs 
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources 
of their institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized 
expertise of scholars and other experts throughout the United States. 
All Fulbright American Studies Institute programs, regardless of their 
particular thematic focus, should seek to:
    1. Provide participants with a view of contemporary scholarship 
within the institute's governing academic discipline, delineating the 
current scholarly debates within the field. In this regard, the seminar 
should indicate how prevailing academic practice in the discipline 
represents both a continuation of and a departure from past scholarly 
trends and practices. It is therefore critical that a variety of 
scholarly viewpoints be represented, including bringing in presenters 
from other institutions, as appropriate. Please note that the ways 
these alternative schools of thought will be presented should be 
clearly described in the proposal;
    2. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary focus to bear 
on the program content if appropriate;
    3. Give participants a multi-dimensional examination of U.S. 
society and institutions that reflects a broad and balanced range of 
perspectives and responsible views. Programs should include the views 
not only of scholars, cultural critics and public intellectuals, but 
also those of other professionals outside the university such as 
government officials, journalists and others who can substantively 
contribute to the topics at issue; and,
    4. Ensure access to library and material resources that will enable 
grantees to continue their research, study and curriculum development 
upon returning to their home institutions.

Program Descriptions

A. American Civilization

    The Fulbright American Studies Institute on American Civilization 
should provide 18 foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper 
understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. While 
the program will likely examine some of the critical historical epochs, 
movements, issues and conflicts that have influenced the development of 
the nation and its people, it should also include a strong contemporary 
component, particularly current political, social, and economic issues 
and debates.
    The complexity and heterogeneous nature of American society should 
be highlighted, as should the institutions and values that enable the 
nation to accommodate that diversity.
    The program should be designed to assist foreign university faculty 
who are attempting to develop or enhance courses focusing on the United 
States at their home institutions.
    The program should draw from a diverse disciplinary base, and 
should itself be a model of how a foreign university might approach the 
study of the United States.

B. U.S. Political Economy and the Global Economic System

    The Fulbright American Studies Institute on U.S. Political Economy 
and the Global Economic System should provide 18 experienced foreign 
university faculty and practitioners with a deeper understanding of the 
domestic political context of and influences on U.S. economic 
policymaking, as well as the substance of U.S. domestic and foreign 
economic policy.
    Prospective topics to be treated include: philosophical assumptions 
and social norms underpinning the U.S.'s democratic market system; the 
evolution of post-war American economic thought on the role of the 
market and the state in society (different schools or approaches); 
roles of Congress and executive branch department and agencies 
(including e.g. the White House, the departments of Commerce, Treasury 
and State, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative), and the U.S. 
Federal Reserve, in the formation of U.S. economic policy; role of 
private corporations, interest groups, trade associations, lobbying 
organizations, think tanks and research institutes, and other actors in 
economic policymaking; regulation of the economy, and economic 
consequences of governmental interventions in pursuit of environmental, 
health and safety, and other policy concerns; impact of cross-border 
flows of direct investment, technology and skilled labor on the 
American economy and politics; role of U.S.-based multinational 
corporations in the global economic system; role of the United States 
in regional economic institutions (including, e.g., NAFTA and the 
proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas) and in multilateral economic 
institutions (e.g., the IMF, World Bank and WTO); and, current U.S. 
negotiating strategies in the international economy.
    Specific areas of economic policy to be examined should include 
international trade and finance, U.S. fiscal and monetary policy 
(especially international spillover effects), and U.S. foreign/
development assistance policy.

C. American Studies for Foreign Secondary School Educators

    This Fulbright American Studies Institute should provide a 
multinational group of up to 30 experienced foreign secondary school 
educators (including teacher trainers, curriculum developers and 
education ministry officials) with a deeper understanding of U.S. 
society and culture, past and present. The institute should be 
organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. civilization and 
should have a strong contemporary component. Through a combination of 
traditional, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, 
program content should be imaginatively integrated in order to 
elucidate the history and evolution of U.S. institutions and values, 
broadly defined. The program should also serve to illuminate the 
contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American 
society. The program's ultimate goal is to promote the development and 
improvement of courses and teaching about the U.S. at secondary schools 
and teacher training institutions abroad.
    Program Dates: Ideally, the programs should be 44 days in length 
(including participant arrival and departure days) and should begin in 
late June or early July, 2004.
    Participants: As specified in the Project Objectives, Goals and 
Implementation (POGI) guidelines in the solicitation package, programs 
should be designed for highly-motivated and experienced multinational 
groups of either 18 foreign university faculty and scholars (for 
programs A and B above) or 30 secondary educators, including teachers, 
teacher trainers, curriculum developers and education ministry 
officials (for program C above). Participants will be interested in 
participating in an intensive seminar on aspects of U.S. civilization 
as a means to develop or improve courses and teaching about the United 
States at their home institutions and school systems.
    Participants will be varied in terms of age, professional position, 
and travel experience abroad. Participants can be expected to come from 
educational institutions where the study of the U.S. is relatively 
well-developed as well as from institutions that are just beginning to 
introduce courses and programs focusing on the United States. While 
participants may not have in-depth knowledge of the particular 
institute program theme, they will likely have had exposure to the 
relevant discipline

[[Page 50582]]

and some experience teaching about the United States.
    Participants will be drawn from all regions of the world and will 
be fluent in the English language.
    Participants will be nominated by Fulbright Commissions and by U.S. 
Embassies abroad. Nominations will be reviewed by the Study of the U.S. 
Branch at the Department of State. Final selection of grantees will be 
made by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
    Program Guidelines: While the conception and structure of the 
institute program is the responsibility of the organizers, it is 
critically important that proposals provide a full, detailed and 
comprehensive narrative describing the objectives of the institute; the 
title, scope and content of each session; and, how each session relates 
to the overall institute theme. The syllabus must therefore indicate 
the subject matter for each lecture or panel discussion, confirm or 
provisionally identify proposed lecturers and discussants, and clearly 
show how assigned readings will support each session. A calendar of all 
activities for the program must also be included. Overall, proposals 
will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, 
and attention to detail.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package for further details on program design and 
implementation, as well as additional information on all other 
requirements.
    Budget Guidelines: Based on groups of 18 participants, the total 
Bureau-funded budget (program and administrative) for programs (A) and 
(B) above should be up to approximately $220,000, and Bureau-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should be up to approximately $80,000.
    Based on a group of 30 participants, the total Bureau-funded budget 
(program and administrative) for program (C) above should be up to 
approximately $300,000, and Bureau-funded administrative costs as 
defined in the budget details section of the solicitation package 
should be up to approximately $85,000.
    Justifications for any costs above these amounts must be clearly 
indicated in the proposal submission. Proposals should try to maximize 
cost-sharing in all facets of the program and to stimulate U.S. private 
sector, including foundation and corporate, support. Applicants must 
submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program. The Bureau 
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in 
accordance with the needs of the program, and availability of U.S. 
government funding.
    Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for 
complete institute budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Name and Number: All communications with the Bureau 
concerning this announcement should refer to the following titles and 
reference numbers:

Fulbright American Studies Institute on ``American Civilization''--
(ECA/A/E/USS-04-02A-Taylor)
Fulbright American Studies Institute on ``U.S. Political Economy and 
the Global Economic System''--(ECA/A/E/USS-04-02B-Benda)
Fulbright American Studies Institute for Foreign Secondary School 
Educators--(ECA/A/E/USS-04-02C-Taylor)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a Solicitation Package 
containing more detailed program information, award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation, applicants should contact: U.S. 
Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office 
of Academic Exchange Programs, Study of the U.S. Branch, State Annex 
44, ECA/A/E/USS--Room 252, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
Attention: Richard Taylor, Telephone number: (202) 619-4578, Fax 
number: (202) 619-6790, Internet address: [email protected].
    The Study of the U.S. Branch is willing to consult with potential 
applicants regarding proposal content and preparation. Please specify 
Senior Program Officer Richard Taylor on all inquiries and 
correspondence. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the office listed 
above or submitting their proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, 
Bureau staff may not discuss this competition in any way with 
applicants until after 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 Web site 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, DC 
time on Monday, November 24, 2003. Faxed documents will NOT be 
accepted, nor will documents postmarked November 24, 2003 but received 
at a later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure 
that proposal submissions arrive by the deadline.
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Reference: (insert appropriate 
reference number from above, e.g. ECA/A/E/USS-04-02x-Taylor), Program 
Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, State Annex 44, 301 4th Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants should also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. If possible, please also include on the disk 
any program calendar or syllabus addendum to the proposal.

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. Pub. L. 
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.'' Pub. L. 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.

Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa

    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed 
emphasis on the secure and proper

[[Page 50583]]

administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by 
grantees and sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. 
Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the applicant's capacity to 
meet all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor 
Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 6Z, including the oversight of 
Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, provision of 
pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of 
participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, 
reporting and other requirements. ECA will be responsible for issuing 
DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office 
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 401-9810, 
FAX: (202) 401-9809.
    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. Eligible proposals will then be 
forwarded to panels of senior Bureau officers for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Department of State's Office of 
the Legal Advisor, by other Bureau elements, or by outside experts and/
or academics. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of the 
Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural 
Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards (cooperative 
agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
    Review Criteria: Technically eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. More 
weight will be given to items one and two, and all remaining criteria 
will be evaluated equally.
    1. Overall Quality: Proposals should exhibit originality and 
substance, consonant with the highest standards of American teaching 
and scholarship. Program design should reflect the main currents as 
well as the debates within the subject discipline of each institute. 
Program elements should be coherently and thoughtfully integrated. 
Lectures, panels, field visits and readings, taken as a whole, should 
offer a balanced presentation of issues, reflecting both the continuity 
of the American experience as well as the diversity and dynamism 
inherent in it.
    2. Program Planning and Administration: Proposals should 
demonstrate careful planning. The organization and structure of the 
institute should be clearly delineated and be fully responsive to all 
program objectives. A program syllabus (noting specific sessions and 
topical readings supporting each academic unit) should be included, as 
should a calendar of activities. The travel component should not simply 
be a tour, but should be an integral and substantive part of the 
program, reinforcing and complementing the academic segment. Proposals 
should provide evidence of continuous administrative and managerial 
capacity as well as the means by which program activities and 
logistical matters will be implemented.
    3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel, including faculty 
and administrative staff as well as outside presenters, should be fully 
qualified to achieve the project's goals. Library and meeting 
facilities, housing, meals, transportation and other logistical 
arrangements should fully meet the needs of the participants.
    4. Support for Diversity: Substantive support of the bureau's 
policy on diversity should be demonstrated.
    This can be accomplished through documentation, such as a written 
statement, summarizing past and/or on-going activities and efforts that 
further the principle of diversity within the organization and its 
activities. Program activities that address this issue should be 
highlighted.
    5. Experience: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record 
of successful exchange program activity, indicating the experience that 
the organization and its professional staff have had in working with 
foreign educators.
    6. Evaluation and Follow-up: A plan for evaluating activities 
during the Institute and at its conclusion should be included. 
Proposals should discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned 
grantees as a means of establishing longer-term individual and 
institutional linkages.
    7. Cost Effectiveness: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through direct institutional contributions, in-kind support, and other 
private sector support. Overhead and administrative components, 
including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible.

    Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is 
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 
1961, Pub. L. 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.''

    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 this 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, and allocated and committed through internal 
Bureau procedures.

    Dated: August 13, 2003.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 03-21434 Filed 8-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P