Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 102 / Thursday, May 25, 2000 / Notices 33855

7 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

8 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

17A(b)(3)(F) requires that the rules of a

clearing agency be designed to promote

the prompt and accurate clearance and

settlement of securities transactions.

Allowing this corporate action to be

processed in the CNS system should

help ensure the tenders processed

through NSCC will be promptly and

accurately cleared and settled.

NSCC has requested that the

Commission approve the proposed rule

change prior to the thirtieth day after

publication of the notice of the filing.

The Commission finds good cause for

approving the rule change prior to the

thirtieth day after publication because

such approval will allow NSCC to

process this corporate action in the CNS

system.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments concerning the foregoing,

including whether the proposed rule

change is consistent with the Act.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20549–0609. Copies of

the submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld from the

public in accordance with the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be

available for inspection and copying in

the Commission’s Public Reference

Room, 450 Fifth Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20549. Copies of such

filing will also be available for

inspection and copying at the principal

office of NSCC. All submissions should

refer to File No. SR–NSCC–00–06 and

should be submitted by June 15, 2000.

It is therefore ordered, pursuant to

Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,7 that the

proposed rule change (File No. SR–

NSCC–00–06) be and hereby is

approved.

For the Commission by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.8

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–13148 Filed 5–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

National Small Business Development

Center Advisory Board Public Meeting

The U.S. Small Business

Administration National Small Business

Development Center Advisory Board

will hold a public meeting on Sunday,

August 6, 2000, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

at the Double Tree Hotel, Portland,

Maine to discuss such matters as may be

presented by members, staff of the U.S.

Small Business Administration, or

others present.

For further information, please write

or call Ellen Thrasher, U. S. Small

Business Administration, 409 Third

Street, SW, Fourth Floor, Washington,

DC 20416. Telephone number (202)

205–6817.

Bettie Baca,

Counselor to the Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–13094 Filed 5–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–U ]

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Region IV, North Florida District;

Jacksonville, Florida; Advisory Council

Meeting; Public Meeting

The U. S. Small Business

Administration, North Florida District

Office, Jacksonville, Florida, Advisory

Council will hold a public meeting from

2 p.m. to 3 p.m., June 15, 2000, at the

Caribe Royale Resort, 14300

International Drive, Orlando, Florida, in

conjunction with the SBA Florida State

Lenders’ Conference, to discuss such

matters as may be presented by

members, staff of the U. S. Small

Business Administration, or others

present. For further information, write

or call Claudia D. Taylor, U. S. Small

Business Administration, 7825

Baymeadows Way, Suite 100-B,

Jacksonville, Florida 32256–7504,

telephone (904) 443–1933.

Bettie Baca,

Counselor to the Administrator/Public

Liaison.

[FR Doc. 00–13093 Filed 5–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3317]

Civic Education Curriculum

Development and Teacher Training

Program for Romania

NOTICE: Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Humphrey Fellowships

and Institutional Linkages Branch of the

Office of Global Educational Programs

of the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs announces an open

competition for the Civic Education

Curriculum Development and Teacher

Training Project for Romania. Public

and private non-profit organizations

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501c may submit

proposals to cooperate with the Bureau

in the administration of a two-year

project to support the development and

implementation of new curriculum

units for an eleventh grade civic

education and comparative government

course in Romania. The grant will

award up to $194,000 to facilitate the

project. The U.S. organization will work

in coordination with the Ministry of

Education and its appointees in

Romania; the public affairs section of

the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest; and an

advisory group of Romanian civic

educators. The program will comprise

two phases of activity: (1) Selection of

an eight-member curriculum

development team of Romanian

educators and preliminary consultations

in Bucharest; (2) an eight- to ten-week

U.S.-based curriculum development

workshop in which the team will

produce draft curriculum units and a

teacher’s manual for an eleventh-grade

comparative government course.

In addition to the activity described in

this solicitation, additional program

activities may be undertaken during a

third phase. Contingent upon successful

completion of Phases I and II, the

grantee may be invited to continue

program activities with additional

funding that may be provided by the

Bureau. These activities would include

follow-up consultations in Romania to

assist in the further development,

review, and field-testing of the draft

curricular materials and in the training

of a larger group of Romanian

practitioners in their utilization.

The Bureau solicits detailed proposals

from U.S. educational institutions and

public and private non-profit

organizations to develop and administer

this project. Grantee organizations will

consult regularly with the Bureau and

with the public affairs section at the

U.S. Embassy in Bucharest with regard

to participant selection, program

implementation, direction, and

assessment. Proposals should

demonstrate an understanding of the

issues confronting education in

Romania as well as expertise in civic

education, political science, and

curriculum development. The Bureau

encourages applicants who can draw on

the contributions of political scientists

to civic education and comparative

government curricula in the United

33856 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 102 / Thursday, May 25, 2000 / Notices

States while adapting this experience to

address Romanian educational needs.

The funding authority for the program

cited above is provided through the

Support for East European Democracy

(SEED) Act. Programs and projects must

conform with Bureau requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. The programs and projects of

the Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs are subject to availability of

funds.

Program Information

Overview: The goals of the project are

to assist a team of Romanian educators

to develop up-to-date curriculum units

for a course in civic education and

comparative government to be taught at

the eleventh grade level, and to assist in

training teachers to use these units in

Romanian classrooms. The rationale for

this project is that improving

citizenship education at the high school

level will better prepare Romanian

students to participate actively in

building a pluralistic, democratic

society and will promote democratic

relations among members of the school

community, including students,

teachers, school administrators, and

parents while training teachers to assist

in supporting these relationships.

Applicants may suggest topics to be

developed by the curriculum team;

however, final determination of

appropriate topics will be made by the

curriculum development team in

cooperation with the grantee

organization and an advisory group of

local curriculum development

specialists in Romania during the first

phase of the project.

Guidelines

Program Planning and Implementation

Grants should begin on or around

September 1, 2000, with Phase I of the

project, in which a curriculum

development team of eight practitioners

(e.g., classroom teachers and curriculum

specialists) will be chosen by a selection

committee in Romania comprised of

local civic education specialists,

representatives of the U.S. grantee

organization, and the public affairs

section of the U.S. Embassy in

Bucharest. A Ministry of Education

official will be invited to provide liaison

between the U.S. project director(s) and

the Romanian government. In Phase I,

the team will undertake preliminary

work in Romania over a period of 3–6

months. Members of the curriculum

development team, in consultation with

specialists from the grantee organization

and local Romanian civic education and

political science specialists, will

familiarize themselves with civic

education curricula and teaching

materials used in Romania, with

materials used in the U.S. and with the

needs of students in Romania, in order

to select the topics to be covered in the

curriculum units that will be drafted.

In Phase II, members of the

curriculum development team will

spend approximately eight to ten weeks

in a highly structured U.S.-based

workshop to be sponsored and

organized by the U.S. grantee

organization, and will attend focused

curriculum seminars; observe relevant

aspects of the U.S. educational system;

and begin drafting teacher and student

materials for the curriculum units in

consultation with U.S. specialists. The

grantee organization will be responsible

for introducing the Romanian team to

leading U.S. political science

practitioners and civic educators with

expertise that is pertinent to the topics

to be explored, and to a broad range of

relevant resources. The team should be

familiarized with methods for

effectively utilizing civic education and

political science resources from various

levels in a classroom setting. The

workshop schedule should incorporate

significant time for both individual and

group work on drafting materials as well

as intensive training on specific

approaches to the teaching,

development, and revision of civic

education and comparative government

topics. In addition, the workshop

should include field experiences which

are relevant to the materials being

produced (such as visits to schools,

matching the Romanian educators with

U.S. teachers, and mentored attendance

at professional association meetings).

The grantee organization will cooperate

with the curriculum development team,

Romanian educators, and the Ministry

of Education in Romania to design a

pilot-test program for selected schools

in Romania.

Possible future activities include work

by the curriculum development team in

centers throughout Romania with

teacher trainers, local civic education

specialists, political science specialists

from Romanian universities, U.S.

specialists from the grantee

organization, and other Romanian

specialists to provide introductory

training for a larger group of

practitioners in methods for testing and

utilizing the draft curriculum units in

civic education/comparative

government classrooms. Revision of the

draft curricular materials based on the

results of field testing may be completed

by the grantee organization and the

Romanian curriculum development

team during future phases of activity.

During these phases the Romanian

Ministry of Education will provide the

following assistance to the participants:

(1) Provide a contract for paid leave

time for the curriculum development

team during their stays in the U.S. and

the subsequent in-service training work;

(2) Facilitate the logistics of in-service

training sessions for teachers by

providing appropriate space at regional

teacher training centers (Casa Corpului

Didactic).

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

U.S. lecturers and consultants

participating in the project must be U.S.

citizens. Programs must comply with J–

1 visa regulations. Please refer to

Program Specific Guidelines POGI) in

the Solicitation Package for further

information. Administration of the

program must be in compliance with

reporting and withholding regulations

for federal, state, and local taxes as

applicable. Recipient organizations

should demonstrate tax regulation

adherence in the proposal narrative and

budget.

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. Awards may not exceed

$194,000. 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. The summary

and detailed program and

administrative budgets should be

accompanied by a narrative which

provides a brief rationale for each line

item. The total administrative costs

funded by the Bureau must be limited

and reasonable.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

(1) Administrative Costs, including

salaries and benefits, of grantee

organization.

(2) Program Costs, including general

program costs and program costs for

each Romanian participant in the U.S.-

based curriculum development seminar.

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

All correspondence with the Bureau

concerning this RFP should reference

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 102 / Thursday, May 25, 2000 / Notices 33857

the above title and number ECA/A/S/U–

00–11.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The

Humphrey Fellowships and

Institutional Linkages Branch, ECA/A/

S/U, Room 349, U.S. Department of

State, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington,

DC 20547, telephone 202 619–5289 and

fax 202 401–1433, or

hiemstra@pd.state.gov 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 Paul Hiemstra on all

other inquiries and correspondence.

Please read the complete Federal

Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once

the RFP 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/rfps. 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 Friday, June 23, 2000. Faxed

documents will not be accepted at any

time. Documents postmarked the due

date but received on a later date will not

be accepted. Each applicant must ensure

that the proposals are received by the

above deadline.

Applicants must follow all

instructions in the Solicitation Package.

The original and 8 copies of the

application should be sent to: U.S.

Department of State, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:

ECA/A/S/U–00–11, Office of Grants

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336,

301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC

20547.

Applicants must also submit the

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal on a

3.5’’ diskette, formatted for DOS. These

documents must be provided in ASCII

text (DOS) format with a maximum line

length of 65 characters. The Bureau will

transmit these files electronically to the

public affairs section at the U.S.

Embassy in Bucharest for its review,

with the goal of reducing the time it

takes to get Embassy comments for the

Bureau’s grants review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy

Guidelines

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing

legislation, programs must maintain a

non-political character and should be

balanced and representative of the

diversity of American political, social,

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be

interpreted in the broadest sense and

encompass differences including, but

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic 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.’’ Proposals should

reflect advancement of this goal in their

program contents, to the full extent

deemed feasible.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement

(Y2K Requirement)

The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad

operational and accounting problem

that could potentially prohibit

organizations from processing

information in accordance with Federal

management and program specific

requirements including data exchange

with the Bureau. The inability to

process information in accordance with

Federal requirements could result in

grantees’ being required to return funds

that have not been accounted for

properly.

The Bureau therefore requires all

organizations use Y2K compliant

systems including hardware, software,

and firmware. Systems must accurately

process data and dates (calculating,

comparing and sequencing) both before

and after the beginning of the year 2000

and correctly adjust for leap years.

Additional information addressing the

Y2K issue may be found at the General

Services Administration’s Office of

Information Technology website at

http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.

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 U.S.

Department of State Office of East

European Assistance, where

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be

forwarded to panels of Bureau officers

for advisory review. Proposals may also

be reviewed by the Department of State,

Office of the Legal Adviser or by other

Bureau elements. Final funding

decisions are at the discretion of the

Department of State Under Secretary for

Public Diplomacy and Public 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. These criteria

are not rank ordered and all carry equal

weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of the program idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and relevance to

the Bureau’s mission, and

responsiveness to the objectives and

guidelines stated in this solicitation.

Proposals should demonstrate

substantive expertise in civic education,

political science, and comparative

government course development.

2. Creativity and feasibility of

program plan: A detailed agenda and

relevant work plan should demonstrate

substantive undertakings, logistical

capacity, and a creative utilization of

resources and relevant professional

development opportunities. The agenda

and work plan should be consistent

with the program overview and

guidelines described in this solicitation.

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. Broad significance and long-term

impact: Proposed programs should

strengthen long-term mutual

understanding, including maximum

sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages. Project

objectives should have significant but

realistically anticipated on-going

consequences for the participants and

for their surrounding societies and

communities as well as for the growth

and encouragement of freedom and

democracy, and cooperation.

5. Support of diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate substantive support

33858 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 102 / Thursday, May 25, 2000 / Notices

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 wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource

materials and follow-up activities). The

proposal should demonstrate an

understanding of the specific diversity

needs in Romania and strategies for

addressing these needs as relevant to

achieve program goals.

6. Institutional capacity and record:

Proposed personnel and institutional

resources should be adequate and

appropriate to achieve the program or

project’s goals. Proposals should

demonstrate an institutional record of

successful exchange programs,

including responsible fiscal

management and full compliance with

all reporting requirements for past

Bureau grants as determined by the

grants staff. The Bureau will consider

the past performance of prior recipients

and the demonstrated potential of new

applicants.

7. Project evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

project’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 are

recommended. Successful applicants

will be expected to submit intermediate

program and financial reports after each

project component is concluded or

quarterly, whichever is less frequent.

8. Cost-effectiveness/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

and should reflect a commitment to

pursuing project objectives. Proposals

should maximize cost-sharing through

other private sector support as well as

institutional direct funding

contributions.

Authority

Overall grant making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as

amended, also known as the FulbrightHays Act. The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to

enable the Government of the United

States to increase mutual understanding

between the people of the United States

and the people of other countries* * *;

to strengthen the ties which unite us

with other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations* * *and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic

and peaceful relations between the

United States and the other countries of

the world.’’ The funding authority for

the program above is provided through

the Support for East European

Democracy (SEED) Act.

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 the 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, allocated and committed

through internal Department of State

procedures.

Dated: May 16, 2000.

Evelyn S. Lieberman,

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and

Public Affairs, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–12939 Filed 5–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice #3312]

Shipping Coordinating Committee,

Subcommittee on Safety of Life at Sea,

Working Group on Fire Protection;

Notice of Meeting

The U.S. Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

Working Group on Fire Protection will

conduct an open meeting on Tuesday,

June 13, 2000, at 9:30 AM, in room 6103

at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100

Second Street, SW, Washington, DC

20593. The purpose of the meeting will

be to discuss the outcome of the Fortyfourth Session of the International

Maritime Organization’s Subcommittee

on Fire Protection, held February 21–25,

2000. In addition, preparations for the

next session will also be discussed at

the meeting.

The meeting will focus on proposed

amendments to the 1974 SOLAS

Convention for the fire safety of

commercial vessels. Specific discussion

areas include: comprehensive review of

SOLAS Chapter II–2, unified

interpretations to SOLAS II–2 and

related fire test procedures,

recommendations on evacuation

analysis for passenger ships and highspeed passenger craft, fire test

procedures for fire retardant materials

used in the construction of lifeboats,

and use of perfluorocarbons in

shipboard fire-extinguishing systems.

Although the meeting will focus

primarily on the outcome of the

previous session, preparations and

plans for the next session will also be

discussed. This offers the opportunity

for members of the public to be involved

early in the standards development

process. Members of the public wishing

to make a statement on new issues or

proposals at the meeting are requested

to submit a brief summary to the U. S.

Coast Guard five days prior to the

meeting.

Members of the public may attend

this meeting up to the seating capacity

of the room. Interested persons may

obtain more information regarding the

meeting of the SOLAS Working Group

on Fire Protection by writing: Office of

Design and Engineering Standards,

Commandant (G–MSE–4), U.S. Coast

Guard, 2100 Second St., SW,

Washington, DC 20593, by calling:

LCDR Kevin Kiefer at (202) 267–1444, or

by visiting the following World Wide

Website: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/

mse4/stdimofp.htm.

Dated: May 17, 2000.

Stephen M. Miller,

Executive Secretary, Shipping Coordinating

Committee, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–13193 Filed 5–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–07–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Generalized System of Preferences

(GSP): Notice of Review Timetable and

Pubic Hearings Regarding Additional

Product Designation for Beneficiaries

of the African Growth and Opportunity

Act

AGENCY: Office of the United States

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice lists products that

the Trade Policy Staff Committee

(TPSC) will be reviewing for possible

duty-free importation from certain subSaharan African countries as provided

under the African Growth and

Opportunity Act (AGOA), which

Congress recently enacted. The notice

provides the dates and places the TPSC

will hold public hearings on this

subject, explains how to make written

comments on products included in the