Federal Register, Volume 69 Issue 78 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)

[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 78 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21876-21880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9167]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4695]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals: Creative Arts Exchanges

SUMMARY: The Cultural Programs Division within the Office of Citizen
Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (the
Bureau) announces an open competition for the Creative Arts Exchanges
Program. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the
provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3) may submit proposals for exchange programs that utilize the
arts to educate foreign audiences about the United States and its
foreign policy goals.

General Program Information

This competition is based on the premise that cultural exchanges
will promote tolerance for pluralism in ideas, cultural values and
peoples, and encourage other societies to implement democratic systems
and practices. The goal of the projects submitted under this Request
for Proposals will be to utilize the arts as a mechanism to engage
youth and young adult audiences from diverse economic and social
backgrounds. We are especially interested in reaching disadvantaged
Muslim youth. Exchange activities funded under the Creative Arts
Exchanges Program will address two questions:
1. How do artists and arts organizations in the United States
reflect and exhibit American Society, including the principles of
freedom of expression, entrepreneurship, altruism, volunteerism,
philanthropy and community affiliation?
2. How do American artists convey, depict and represent these
aspects of their society to citizens in other countries, and thereby
inspire a better understanding of Americans, and promote democratic
change?
The Cultural Programs Division within the Office of Citizen
Exchanges welcomes proposals that directly respond to the thematic
areas listed below. It is anticipated that approximately $1,200,000
will be available to support projects under this request for proposals.
Competition for grant awards will be intense. The program office
anticipates awarding approximately 5-6 grants. Public and private non-
profit arts and educational organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) are
eligible to apply for grants between $50,000--$300,000 to conduct a
program within one or more of the thematic areas listed below.
Projects should focus on two-way, reciprocal exchanges of cultural
and artistic professionals, unless otherwise specified. Proposals will
be accepted for projects involving overseas countries within all six
geographic regions designated by the Department of State: Africa,
Europe and Eurasia, Near East and North Africa, East Asia and the
Pacific, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere. However, the overseas
partner country must have a significant Muslim population, except where
other countries are explicitly listed for consideration under a
specific theme. In Africa, we are particularly interested in projects
with Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania. In the
Near East and North Africa, we are specifically interested in exchange
programs with the following countries: Morocco, Tunis, Algeria, Egypt,
Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank/Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman,
Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq. In the East Asia
and Pacific Region we are especially interested in projects with
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore and
Cambodia. Please read the thematic subject delineations to ascertain if
there are targeted geographic region(s) and/or specific countries for
which we are particularly interested in receiving proposals. Applicants
may contact the Cultural Programs Division at (202) 203-7488 for
additional reference.
Each project should propose an innovative, informed and efficient
plan to identify, recruit and/or audition, select and program
participants. Proposals must contain a narrative description of the
correlation between the project and one or more of the following public
and foreign policy topics: conflict resolution, global heritage,
cultural heritage and tourism, regional stability, democratization and
freedom of expression in an open society.
Applicants may submit proposals that involve in depth multi-
dimensional projects that concentrate on one of the themes listed
below. Alternatively, exchange projects funded under this competition
may also incorporate several, or all of these themes:

Arts Management

Projects submitted in response to this theme would be aimed at
expanding the expertise of visual and performing arts administrators
who are seeking to balance government and private sector funding.
Additional topics would include the relevance of arts organizations to
local communities, including questions of institutional outreach and
educational programs, and the role of arts organizations in cultural
heritage and tourism. Proposed projects that include particular
geographic regions and countries will be rated more competitive under
our first review criteria [listed in the following section of this
document]. The targeted regions and countries are; East Asia and the
Pacific, Near East and North Africa, and Eastern European and Central
Asian countries with significant Muslim populations. This includes
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia,
Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The two-way exchange
program should help arts administrators and directors of cultural
institutions develop their skills

[[Page 21877]]

and share best practices in the areas of marketing, audience expansion,
financial management, volunteer training, staff-development and
strategies for creating public/private partnerships with an emphasis on
economic stability, community service and civic education. The program
might be structured around reciprocal residencies, workshops and
shadowing experiences.

Contemporary Dance Choreographers Exchange

Proposals are sought to coordinate the travel of professional
American choreographers of contemporary/modern dance technique to
countries with significant Muslim populations to work in higher
educational institutes for the arts, and university or college
settings, introducing young dancers to modern American choreography,
interacting with Muslim youth and providing an alternative avenue for
conflict resolution. Exchange programs could focus on modern, tap, jazz
and/or the fusion of traditional and ethnic dance with contemporary
choreography. Projects would provide opportunities for contemporary
American choreographers to conduct 4-6 week reciprocal residencies at
overseas educational institutions during which they would present
lectures/demonstrations and workshops and create collaborative
choreography pieces focused on dance as a form of free expression in a
democratic society.

Music and/or Theater Education As A Conflict Resolution Tool

Proposals are sought which bridge political differences between
countries and peoples, through two-way exchanges between U.S. music or
theater institutions working with young musicians or actors, and music
and theater artists and faculty from countries with majority/
significant Muslim populations, including Israel. The project should
include exchanges between music or theater establishments in order to
promote collegiality friendship, understanding and basic human
interaction between the students.
Under this theme, conflict resolution is defined as the
implementation of peaceful, non-violent mediation and dispute
resolution strategies to achieve mutual agreement among community and
interest groups, political parties and nations. Project ideas will
employee music and/or theater to illustrate and communicate peacemaking
techniques including effective communication, critical thinking and
problem solving.
Proposals should include strategies to expand the reach of the
program by encouraging the U.S. and overseas participants to share the
knowledge they gain from this project with their fellow performing
artists and students. The projects should also build strong linkages
and promote joint opportunities for the American and overseas musicians
and actors to perform together, teach joint master classes and
workshops, and increase their artistic skills.

Visual Artists Residency Program

Proposals are sought to support the travel and participation of
young and emerging artists from countries with significant Muslim
populations in individual and group residency programs at artists'
colonies, summer institutes and residential workshops for visual
artists. Projects should include opportunities for artists working in
the full range of contemporary art making media. Residency programs may
be limited to artists at the same or differing stages of professional
development. Proposals are also sought for programs that contain
reciprocal exchange components for U.S. curators and institutions to
conduct workshops and colloquia on subjects in American art for young
and emerging artists in countries with significant Muslim populations.
Projects should provide opportunities for American curators and artists
to present lectures, focused exhibitions, master classes and workshops
during two to three week residencies at overseas universities, museums
and art centers.

Film and the American Image--New Audiences, New Filmmakers

Projects proposed under this theme should provide a cultural
outreach and exchange program designed to introduce audiences to
diverse new works, develop relationships between international
communities of artists and enrich the professional development of the
participants. The goal of the program will be to expose young
audiences, especially young Muslims, to films and filmmakers that
illustrate various attributes of American society so that they have a
better understanding of the openness and diversity that defines the
United States. Projects which focus on artistic communities in Egypt,
Jordan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and
Kazakhstan, will be rated more competitive under Review Criteria
1. Programs should be designed to engage young audiences in
the targeted countries. These exchanges will introduce America's most
talented filmmakers to particular overseas countries, bring foreign
counterparts to the United States and expose American and foreign
audiences to each other's cultural and artistic traditions. The project
objective will be to build linkages between foreign and American arts
educational and cultural institutions. Proposals must include
reciprocal exchanges of highly accomplished individuals or groups,
resulting in linkages that promote joint projects during the grant
period and continuing after the program ends.

Intellectual Property Rights for Artists

Projects under this theme should focus on increasing awareness
among filmmakers, writers, composers, musicians, and other experts of
the need to create mechanisms to protect against unauthorized
replication and distribution of their cultural works. Featured topics
of discussion will include the value of establishing an effective basis
for creating such mechanisms in their own countries. Programs should
include lectures and round table discussions on the importance of anti-
piracy laws to protect each nation's cultural heritage as well as
safeguard the individual property rights of its artists; the world wide
trend toward harmonizing national laws governing copyright protection,
the need for copyright safeguards to help foster cultural production;
and the role of intellectual property rights enforcement in
international trade. Programs also should include hands-on workshops to
assist artists in less open societies in navigating the legislative
systems in their countries in order to influence their governments to
begin the process of adopting and enforcing good copyright laws.
Proposals for projects under this I.P.R. theme will be accepted for
projects including any or all of the following countries: Brazil,
China, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco and Russia. Proposals may
include a film or visual or performing arts presentation as a component
of the project.

Review Process

[[Page 21878]]

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 Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance award 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, innovation and precision. The program plan
should state the relevance of a project to the U.S. Department of
State's foreign policy goals. Program ideas should focus on the
targeted world regions and countries that are listed at the beginning
of the General Program Information Section and in several of the
specific descriptions of each subject theme.
2. Program Plan: A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda
and program plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines
described above. Projects should reflect creative, efficient and
innovative planning. Program activities should engage young Muslim
participants and audience members in the overseas partner countries.
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.
5. Support of Diversity and Cross-Cultural Sensitivity: 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). Proposals should illustrate the applicant's mastery of
strategies to achieve cross-cultural sensitivity.
6. Institutional Capacity and Record: Proposed personnel and
institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve
the program or project's goals.
7. 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.
8. Monitoring and 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 is recommended. Successful applicants will
be expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component
is concluded or quarterly, whichever is less frequent.
9. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: 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.
10. Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: The U.S. Department of
State's geographic cultural exchange coordinators and overseas Embassy
officers will need to conduct an internal review of proposed projects
to assess the need for the program, potential impact, and significance
in the partner country(ies).

Ineligible Proposals

Projects based on other artistic objectives, or themes not
previously listed, including performing arts tours, conferences, museum
exchanges, independent film production, an individual artist's career
development and programs focused on the creation of art, rather than
the exchange of participants, will not be accepted. Proposals to
present community or amateur arts groups will be declared technically
ineligible under this competition.

Guidelines

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. It is anticipated that grant awards will range from $50,000 to
$300,000. 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. Since Bureau grant
assistance constitutes only a portion of total project funding,
proposals should list and provide evidence of other anticipated sources
of financial and in-kind support. Proposals that provide a minimum of
30 percent cost sharing of the amount of grant funds sought from ECA
will be rated more competitive under Review Criteria 9.
When cost sharing is stated, it is understood and agreed that the
applicant will provide the minimum amount of cost sharing listed in the
project budget, and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. The
basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must
be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost
Sharing and Matching. In the event that a grantee does not provide the
minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget,
ECA's contribution may be reduced proportionately to the contribution.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) Travel costs. International and domestic airfares; visas,
transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air
travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act. There is no
charge for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs.
(2) Per Diem. For the U.S. program, organizations have the option
of using a flat $160/day for program participants or the published U.S.
Federal per diem rates for individual American cities. For activities
outside the U.S. the published Federal per diem rates must be used.
(3) Book and Cultural Allowance: Foreign participants are entitled
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a participant
book allowance of $50.
(4) Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized
expertise, design or manage development projects or to make
presentations. Honoraria generally do not exceed $250 per day.
(5) Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under
the terms of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored health insurance
policy. The premium is paid by the U.S. Department of State directly to
the insurance company. Applicants are permitted to include costs for
travel insurance for U.S. participants in the budget.

[[Page 21879]]

(6) Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective
administration of the program may include salaries for grant
organization employees, benefits and other direct or indirect costs per
detailed instructions in the Solicitation Package.
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 above title and number: ECA/
PE/C/CU-04-16.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Cultural Programs Division, ECA/
PE/C/CU, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20547, (202) 619-4779, 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, Jill Staggs, 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 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 Thursday, May 20, 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 shipped after the established
deadlines 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
to ECA 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. Only proposals submitted as
stated above will be considered.
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/CU-04-16, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the Public Affairs Officers at the U.S. embassies for
their review.

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 Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange
program covered under this sole source solicitation, and an employee of
the Bureau will be the ``Responsible Officer'' for the program under
the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange
Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22CFR 62, the Silk
Road Project, inc. will be a third party ``cooperating with or
assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The
actions of grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the
sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR 62.
Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant
under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable
the Bureau to full comply with 22 CFR 62 et seq. The Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs places great emphasis on the secure
and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and
adherence by grantee organizations and program participants to all
regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals
should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to
assist the Bureau in meeting all requirements governing the
administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62.
If the applicant has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor
Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of
compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their
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.

[[Page 21880]]

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of 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, as well as the Public Diplomacy section
overseas, where appropriate. 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 Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance award grants
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.

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.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided
through legislation.

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: April 14, 2004.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-9167 Filed 4-21-04; 8:45 am]
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