[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4344-4348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1932]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4596]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Middle East 
Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Study of the United States Institute for 
Graduating High School Seniors; Notice: Request for Grant Proposals 
(RFGP)

SUMMARY: The Study of the U.S. Branch, Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces an open 
competition for public and private non-profit organizations meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 U.S.C. 501(C)(3) to develop 
and implement a ``Middle East Partnership Initiative Study of the 
United States Institute for Graduating High School Seniors,'' designed 
for exemplary students from the Middle East and North Africa who will 
have completed their final year of high school(or equivalent) by summer 
2004 and be preparing to commence their undergraduate studies in the 
fall. Funding for this institute is being provided by the Department of 
State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Pending availability 
of funding and subject to the quality of proposals received, it is the 
Bureau's intention to award one grant for this project. The Bureau is 
also currently publishing a separate RFGP soliciting proposals for up 
to two grants for counterpart MEPI-funded institutes targeting first 
and second year undergraduate student leaders from the Middle East/
North Africa. Important Note: This Request for Grant Proposals contains 
language in the ``Shipment and Deadline for Proposals'' section that is 
significantly different from that used in the past. Please pay special 
attention to procedural changes as outlined.
    The ``Middle East Partnership Initiative Study of the United States 
Institute for Recent High School Graduates'' is intended to provide a 
group of 21 highly motivated graduating high school seniors from the 
Middle East and North Africa with a five-week

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academic seminar and a limited U.S. regional travel component that will 
give them a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and 
institutions, past and present, while at the same time assisting these 
young people to further develop their leadership potential and 
collective problem-solving skills. The grant award will also partially 
support a follow-on workshop to be held at a site in the Middle East or 
North Africa. Program participants will be identified and nominated by 
U.S. embassies and consulates and drawn from the following countries/
entities: Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Israel; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; 
Lebanon; Morocco; Oman; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Syria; United Arab 
Emirates; Syria; Tunisia; West Bank/Gaza; Yemen. [Note: Israeli 
participants will be Arab-Israelis only.]
    The program will be five weeks in length and will be conducted 
during the summer of 2004. The follow-on workshop will be conducted 
approximately six to twelve months after the U.S.-based program. The 
grant award will be for up to two years.
    The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals from U.S. 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, American studies, 
and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the study of the 
United States.
    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. U.S. 
student mentors or facilitators, if engaged to assist in the project 
implementation, must be mature, knowledgeable about the United States 
and also have international experience or knowledge of the Middle East/
North Africa region. Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. Bureau programs are 
subject to the availability of funds.
    Applicant institutions must demonstrate expertise in conducting 
academic programs for foreign students, 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.

Program Information

    Overview and Objectives: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs' (ECA) ``Study of the United States Institutes'' are academic 
seminars designed to provide multinational groups of foreign 
participants with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and 
institutions. Their ultimate objective is to promote a better 
appreciation of the people, culture and values of the United States.
    The Middle East Partnership Initiative Study of the United States 
Institute for Graduating High School Seniors should be five weeks in 
length and must include an academic residency segment of at least 
twenty-five (25) days duration that takes place at a U.S. college or 
university campus (or other appropriate location). A domestic travel 
component of not more than ten (10) days, including 3-4 days in 
Washington, DC, should also be planned. This travel component should 
directly complement the academic residency segment. It should include 
visits to cities and other sites of interest in the region of the host 
institution. All institutes must conclude with a 3-4 day program in 
Washington, DC.
    The Bureau will work closely with the grantee organization and with 
U.S. embassies abroad to organize an alumni workshop for participants 
in this program at a site to be determined in the Middle East/North 
Africa region within six-twelve months after the conclusion of the 
institute.
    The institute should be designed as an intensive, academically 
rigorous seminar intended for a group of highly motivated students from 
the Middle East and North Africa who will have completed their high 
school studies by the summer of 2004, and who will be commencing 
undergraduate studies in the fall. The institute curriculum should give 
roughly equal weight to study of the United States (efforts to promote 
a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and 
institutions, past and present) and to leadership development/
teambuilding sessions and exercises. The institute should be organized 
through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar 
discussions, experiential learning exercises, regional travel, and site 
visits. It should also include opportunities for participants to meet 
American citizens from a variety of backgrounds, to interact with 
peers, and to speak to appropriate student and civic groups about their 
experiences and life in their home countries.
    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. 
Within the limits of their thematic focus and organizing framework, 
Institute programs should also be designed to:
    1. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary focus to bear 
on the program content, if appropriate;
    2. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and 
institutions that includes a broad and balanced range of perspectives. 
Where possible, programs should therefore 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,
    3. Insure access to library and material resources that will enable 
grantees to continue their studies and conduct research upon returning 
to their home institutions.
    Program Description: The ``MEPI Study of the United States 
Institutes for Graduating High School Seniors'' should provide a group 
of 21 recent high school graduates from selected countries in the 
Middle East and North Africa with an integrated and imaginatively 
designed academic seminar and limited U.S. domestic travel component. 
The principal objective of the institute is to illuminate the history 
and evolution of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions, 
broadly defined, so that participants develop an appreciation of the 
United States. In this context, the institute should focus on 
contemporary American life, including current political, social, and 
economic issues and debates. The concepts of individual and civic 
responsibility, volunteerism and community involvement should be 
highlighted. The role and influence of principles and values such as 
democracy, the rule of law, individual rights, freedom of expression, 
equality, diversity and tolerance should be addressed.
    In addition to promoting a better understanding of the United 
States, an important subsidiary objective of the institute is to help 
develop the participants' leadership and collective problem-solving 
capacities and skills. In this context, the program should include 
lectures as well as group

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discussions and exercises focusing on such topics as the essential 
attributes of leadership, developing effective communication and 
problem-solving skills, and managing change in different organizational 
settings. The host institutions will also be expected to provide 
participants post-program opportunities for further investigation and 
research on the topics and issues examined and discussed during the 
institute.
    Participants: The participants will be highly motivated and 
exemplary graduating high school seniors or equivalent who have 
recently completed secondary school in their home country, and who 
demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, 
and extracurricular activities. Participants will be preparing to enter 
university in their home country upon conclusion of the program. The 
students will be recruited from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, 
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, 
Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, the West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen 
[Note: Israeli participants will be Arab-Israelis only.] Participants 
will be identified and nominated by U.S. embassies and consulates in 
those countries, with final selection made by ECA's Study of the U.S. 
Branch in consultation with the Office of Middle East Partnership 
Initiative (MEPI). A mix of male and female participants will be 
included, and a mix of religious and cultural backgrounds represented. 
All participants will be conversant in English.
    This project addresses the MEPI goals of fostering political 
reform, educational reform and empowerment of women in MEPI partner 
countries. As participants will be selected in large part on the basis 
of their demonstrated leadership capacity, they will utilize the 
experience derived from the program in future positions of stewardship 
in their home countries.
    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. A syllabus should be included that 
indicates the subject matter for each lecture, panel discussion or 
other activity (e.g., group exercises), confirms or provisionally 
identifies proposed lecturers and session leaders, and clearly shows 
how assigned readings will support each session. A calendar of all 
program activities must also be included. Additionally, applicant 
institutions should describe their plans for public and media outreach 
in connection with the program.
    Budget Guidelines: Based on a group of 21 participants, the total 
Bureau-funded budget (program and administrative) for the program 
should be approximately $340,000. Justifications for any budget in 
excess of this amount 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'' document 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:
    Middle East Partnership Initiative Study of the United States 
Institutes for Graduating High School Seniors (ECA/A/E/USS-04-08-Benda)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain more information about these 
programs, or 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: Peter Benda.
    Telephone number: (202) 619-5893.
    Fax number: (202) 619-6790.
    Internet address: [email protected].
    The Study of the U.S. Branch is available to consult with potential 
applicants regarding proposal content and preparation up until the 
proposal submission deadline. Please specify Program Officer Peter 
Benda 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.

New OMB Requirement

    An OMB policy directive published in the Federal Register on 
Friday, June 27, 2003, requires that all organizations applying for 
Federal grants or cooperative agreements must provide a Dun and 
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when 
applying for all Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after 
October 1, 2003. The complete OMB policy directive can be referenced at 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/062703_grant_identifier.pdf. 
Please also visit the ECA Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm for additional information on how to comply 
with this new directive.

Shipment and Deadline for Proposals

    Important Note: The deadline for this competition is March 12, 
2004. In light of recent events and heightened security measures, 
proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally recognized overnight 
delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or 
U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be shipped no 
later than the above deadline. The delivery services used by applicants 
must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking 
systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who 
are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. 
Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA 
more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for further 
consideration under this competition. Proposals shopped after the 
established deadline are ineligible for consideration under this 
competition. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each 
package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm 
delivery via the Internet. Delivery of proposal packages may not be 
made via local courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed 
documents will not be accepted at any time.

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    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 10 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Reference: ECA/A/E/USS-04-08-Benda, 
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. 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 this goal 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 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 Part 62, including the 
oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, 
screening and selection of program participants, 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 ECA program office in consultation with the 
Office of Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Eligible proposals 
will then be forwarded to panels of Bureau officers for advisory 
review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal 
Advisor or by other Bureau elements. 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 (grants or 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 secondary school students and any experience conducting summer 
(or other) intensive academic programs for foreign students in this 
age-range.
    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, 
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

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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 RFP are binding 
and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory 
information provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language 
will not be binding. Issuance of this 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, and allocated and committed through internal 
Bureau procedures.

    Dated: January 23, 2004.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-1932 Filed 1-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P