40152 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

determine funding levels for each DDS.

The respondents are DDSs, which are

the State agencies that have the

responsibility for making disability

determinations for SSA.

Number of respondents ................ 54

Frequency of response ................. 4

Average burden per response ...... 60 mins.

Estimated annual burden ............. 216 hrs.

5. Statement For Determining

Continuing Eligibility or Supplemental

Security Income Payments—0960–0416.

Form SSA–8203–BK (printed in both

English and Spanish) is used by SSA for

high-error-profile (HEP)

redeterminations. It is completed in

field offices by personal contact (face-toface or telephone interview) and is not

supposed to be mailed to recipients to

be completed and returned. The form is

used only when a systems limitation

prevents the interview from being

conducted using the automated

Modernized SSI Claim System. A tearoff sheet (Pages 7 and 8 of the form) is

given to recipients at the conclusion of

a face-to-face interview or is mailed to

recipients at the completion of the

telephone interview. The tear-off

includes information about how, what,

when, where, and why Supplemental

Security Income (SSI) recipients report

when there is a change in income,

resources, or living arrangements. The

respondents are recipients of title XVI

SSI benefits.

Number of respondents ............ 920,000

Frequency of response ............. 1

Average burden per response .. 17 mins.

Estimated annual burden ......... 260,667 hrs.

II. The information collections listed

below have been submitted to OMB for

clearance. Written comments and

recommendations on the information

collections would be most useful if

received within 30 days from the date

of this publication. Comments should be

directed to the SSA Reports Clearance

Officer and the OMB Desk Officer at the

addresses listed at the end of this

publication. You can obtain a copy of

the OMB clearance packages by calling

the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on

(410) 965–4145, or by writing to him. 1. Supplement to Claim of Person

Outside the United States—0960–0051.

The information collected on Form

SSA–21 is used by the Social Security

Administration (SSA) to determine

continuing entitlement to Social

Security benefits and the proper benefit

amounts of alien beneficiaries living

outside the United States (U.S.). It is

also used to determine whether benefits

are subject to withholding tax. The

respondents are comprised of

individuals entitled to Social Security

benefits, who are, will be, or have been

residing outside the U.S.

Number of respondents ................ 35,000

Frequency of response ................. 1

Average burden per response ...... 5 mins.

Estimated annual burden ............. 2,917 hrs.

2. Statement of Care and

Responsibility for Beneficiary—0960–

0109. SSA uses Form SSA–788 to select

the most qualified representative payee

who will apply the benefits in the

beneficiary’s best interests. The

respondents are individuals who have

custody of a beneficiary where someone

else has filed to be the beneficiary’s

payee.

Number of respondents ............ 130,000

Frequency of response ............. 1

Average burden per response .. 10 mins.

Estimated annual burden ......... 21,667 hrs.

(SSA Address)—Social Security

Administration, DCFAM, Attn:

Frederick W. Brickenkamp, 6401

Security Blvd., 1–A–21 Operations

Bldg., Baltimore, MD 21235. (OMB Address)—Office of

Management and Budget, OIRA, Attn:

Desk Officer for SSA, New Executive

Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th

St., NW, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: June 23, 2000.

Frederick W. Brickenkamp,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–16407 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3342]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs Request for Proposals: College

and University Affiliations Program

SUMMARY: The Office of Global

Educational Programs of the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs in the

Department of State announces an open

competition for an assistance award

program. Accredited, post-secondary

educational institutions meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.5019(C) may apply to pursue

institutional or departmental objectives

in partnership with foreign counterpart

institutions with support from the

College and University Affiliations

Program. These objectives should

support the overall goal of the Program:

to strengthen mutual understanding and

cooperation among U.S. and foreign

educational institutions on specified

themes of common interest to the

United States and to the participating

colleges and universities. The means for

achieving the objectives of the applicant

and its partner(s) may include teaching,

scholarship, and outreach to

professionals and other members of the

communities served by the participating

institutions.

Program Overview

Underlying the specific institutional

objectives of projects funded by this

program should be the goals of

encouraging the growth of freedom and

democracy, economic stability and

prosperity, or environmental

cooperation. Innovative strategies to

address these underlying concerns in

the pursuit of clearly defined

institutional objectives are encouraged.

Outreach from academic institutions to

larger communities of citizens and

practitioners to extend understanding

about these issues is also encouraged.

The Bureau supports institutional

linkages in higher education through the

College and University Affiliations

Program, for which this Request for

Proposals invites applications for

funding in FY2001. The College and

University Affiliations Program operates

in cooperation with the Fulbright Senior

Scholar Program; the U.S. institutions of

current and former participants in the

Fulbright Program are encouraged to

apply. Other college and university

teachers and administrators with

knowledge of educational institutions in

other countries are also encouraged to

build on this knowledge with support

from the Bureau through the College

and University Affiliations Program.

Separate Requests for Proposals for

institutional linkages in higher

education with the New Independent

States of the former Soviet Union (N.I.S.

College and University Partnerships

Program and the N.I.S. Community

College Partnerships Program) are being

published this fiscal year. For further

information about these N.I.S. programs,

refer to the ‘‘Foreign Country and

Location Eligibility’’ section of this

solicitation.

Applicant Objectives

While the benefits of the project to

each of the participating institutions

may differ significantly in nature and

scope, proposals should outline wellreasoned strategies leading to specific

objectives for each participating U.S.

and foreign department or institution as

a whole.

For example, proposals may describe

the parameters and possible content of

new courses, new research or teaching

capacities or methodologies, new or

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices 40153

revised curricula or programs, or other

changes anticipated as a result of the

project. Proposals to pursue a limited

number of related thematic objectives at

each institution are preferred to

proposals addressing a large number of

unrelated objectives at each institution.

Partner institutions may pursue their

institutional objectives through

exchanges of teachers, researchers,

administrators or, in limited

circumstances, students for any

appropriate combination of teaching,

consultation, research, and outreach.

The length of time for each exchange

may range from one week to an

academic year. The strategy for

achieving project objectives may

include exchange visits in one or both

directions, but no single formula is

prescribed for the duration, sequence, or

number of these visits. Visits of one

semester or more for participants from

at least one of the institutional partners

are strongly encouraged. The number of

visits of less than two weeks’ duration

should not exceed one visit in each

direction over the course of the project.

To provide adequate time to meet

institutional project objectives, the

Program awards grants for periods of

approximately three years (36 months to

40 months).

Although strong budgetary and

programmatic emphasis may be given to

visits in one direction over another, the

benefits of all these visits to the sending

as well as the receiving sides should be

clearly explained. Exchange visits for

the purpose of attending conferences are

not encouraged except in combination

with other grant activities and in

support of specific educational

objectives at one or more of the

participating institutions.

In addition to demonstrating how

each participating institution can assist

its partner(s) to meet institutional goals,

proposals should also explain how this

cooperation will enable each of the

institutions to address its own needs.

Accordingly, applicants are encouraged

to describe the needs and deficiencies as

well as the strengths and capabilities of

each participating department and

institution. Proposals that realistically

assess institutional capacities will be

better able to justify the request for

support. Effective proposals will

demonstrate that the proposed

partnership institutions understand one

another and are committed to support

and cooperate with one another in

project implementation. Accordingly,

proposals should reflect substantial

awareness of the foreign as well as the

U.S. partner(s). Proposals that benefit

only one institutional partner are not

eligible for funding.

If the proposed partnership would

occur within the context of a previous

or ongoing project, the proposal should

explain how the request for Bureau

funding would build upon the preexisting relationship or complement

previous and concurrent projects, which

must be listed and described with

details about the amounts and sources

of external support. Previous projects

should be described in the proposal,

and the results of the evaluation of

previous cooperative efforts should be

summarized.

Proposals should outline and budget

for a methodology for project

evaluation. The evaluation plan should

include an updated assessment of the

current status of each participating

department’s and institution’s needs at

the time of program inception; ongoing

formative evaluation to allow for midcourse revisions in the implementation

strategy; and, at the conclusion of the

project, summative evaluation of the

degree to which the project’s objectives

have been achieved together with

observations about the project’s

influence within the participating

institutions and their surrounding

communities or societies. The final

evaluation should also include

recommendations about how to build

upon project achievements, both with

and without the Bureau’s support.

Evaluative observations by external

consultants with appropriate subject or

regional expertise are especially

encouraged.

Costs

The commitment of all partner

institutions to the proposed project

should be reflected in the cost-sharing

which they offer in the context of their

respective institutional capacities.

Although the contributions offered by

U.S. and foreign institutions with

relatively few resources may be less

than those offered by applicants with

greater resources at their disposal, all

participating institutions are expected to

identify costs that they will contribute.

These costs may include the estimated

costs of in-kind contributions.

Consistent with the ‘‘Review Criteria’’

for this competition listed elsewhere in

this document and with specific

reference to ‘‘Cost-Sharing’’ and

‘‘Institutional Commitment to

Cooperation,’’ proposed cost-sharing

will be considered an important

indicator of each participating

institution’s interest in the project and

of the institution’s potential to benefit

from it.

Proposals must be submitted by the

U.S. institutional partner and must

include letters of commitment from all

institutional partners. The letters should

be signed by persons authorized to

commit institutional resources to the

project.

The Bureau’s support may be used to

defray the costs of the exchange visits as

well as the costs (up to a maximum of

20 percent of the total grant) of the

administration of the project at any

partner institution, including

administrative salaries and direct

administrative costs but excluding

indirect costs. Although the grants will

be awarded to the lead U.S. institutional

partner, adequate provision in the

proposal for the administrative costs of

the project at all partner institutions,

including the foreign partner(s), is

encouraged.

Administrative salaries may include

salary support for project directors and

administrative assistants for

administrative activity within the 20

percent maximum that may be allocated

to administrative costs, but the Bureau

will not fund salaries, stipends, or

honoraria for program participants.

However, in proposals for Sub-Saharan

Africa, faculty replacement costs are

allowable once in a three-year grant

period if they facilitate the work of a

U.S. faculty member at an African

partner institution for one quarter or one

semester. (See sections of this document

on ‘‘U.S. Partner and Participant

Eligibility’’ and ‘‘Foreign Partner and

Participant Eligibility’’ for additional

details.) The fees of outside consultants

reporting on the degree to which project

objectives have been achieved are

allowable as a program expense.

The proposal may include a request

for funding to reinforce the activities of

exchange participants through the

establishment and maintenance of

Internet and/or electronic mail

communication facilities as well as

through interactive technology or nontechnology-based distance-learning

programs. However, projects focusing

primarily on technology or physical

infrastructure development are not

encouraged. Proposals that include

Internet, electronic mail, and other

interactive technologies should discuss

how the foreign partner institution will

support the costs of such technologies

after the project ends. Applicants may

propose other project activities not

specifically mentioned in this

solicitation if the activities reinforce the

impact of the project.

With the exception of projects with

Sub-Saharan Africa, the maximum

award in the FY2001 competition will

be $120,000; for projects with SubSaharan Africa, the maximum award

will be $180,000. Requests for amounts

smaller than the maximum are eligible.

40154 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

Budgets and budget notes should

carefully justify the amounts requested.

Grants awarded to organizations with

less than four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs will be limited to $60,000.

Grants are subject to the availability of

funds for Fiscal Year 2001. The amount

of funding available for proposals to the

College and University Affiliations

Program in FY2001 has not yet been

determined. In Fiscal Year 1999, 66

eligible proposals were submitted to the

College and University Affiliations

Program, and 17 awards were made. The

response to Requests for Proposals to

the Bureau to support institutional

linkages in higher education has been

unusually strong in recent years and,

except for Sub-Saharan Africa and the

New Independent States of the former

Soviet Union, the funds available have

fallen significantly short of the demand

for them.

However, additional funding may be

available in Fiscal Year 2001 to award

a limited number of grants under the

College and University Affiliations

Program to enable current and former

Fulbright scholars to build on their

experiences as individual Fulbright

grantees through broadened

institutional cooperation.

Eligible Fields

Eligible fields are the social, political,

and economic sciences; environmental

studies; law; business; public

administration; and educational

development or administration

(excluding educational projects in the

physical, technical, or health sciences,

as well as the Teaching of English as a

Foreign Language). Within the eligible

fields, themes of special interest are

described in additional detail in this

document under the heading ‘‘Foreign

Country and Location Eligibility.’’

U.S. Institution and Participant

Eligibility

In the United States, participation in

the program is open to accredited twoand four-year colleges and universities,

including graduate schools.

Applications from community colleges,

minority-serving institutions,

undergraduate liberal arts colleges,

research universities, and combinations

of these types of institutions are eligible.

Applications from consortia or other

combinations of U.S. colleges and

universities are eligible. Secondary U.S.

partners may include non-governmental

organizations as well as non-profit

service and professional organizations.

The lead U.S. organization in the

consortium or other combination of

cooperating institutions is responsible

for submitting the application. Each

application must document the lead

organization’s authority to represent all

U.S. cooperating partners.

With the exception of outside

consultants reporting on the degree to

which project objectives have been

achieved, participants representing the

U.S. institution who are traveling under

the Bureau’s grant funds must be

teachers, graduate student teaching or

research assistants, or administrators

from the participating institution(s).

Participants representing the U.S.

institution must be U.S. citizens.

Graduate student teaching or research

assistants are eligible for Bureau-funded

participation in this program only if

they are working under the direction of

an accompanying faculty participant or

project director on the achievement of

project objectives.

Foreign Institution and Participant

Eligibility

In other countries, participation is

open to recognized institutions of postsecondary education, which may

include independent research institutes.

Secondary foreign partners may include

relevant governmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as

non-profit service and professional

organizations.

With the exception of outside

consultants reporting on the degree to

which project objectives have been

achieved, participants representing the

foreign institutions must be teachers,

administrators, or student teaching or

research assistants who are working

under the supervision of an

accompanying faculty participant or

project director on the achievement of

project objectives. Foreign participants

must be citizens, nationals, or

permanent residents of the country of

the foreign partner and must be

qualified to hold a valid passport and a

U.S. J–1 visa.

Foreign Country and Location

Eligibility

To increase the chances that

competitive proposals can be funded,

the number of eligible countries and

locations is limited. However, country

eligibility is expected to rotate within

most of the following seven world

regions according to a three-year cycle

as outlined below. Countries may be

added to the countries listed for FY2002

and FY2003; countries listed as

anticipated for eligibility are expected to

be eligible in the year(s) for which they

are listed. Separate Requests for

Proposals will be issued in the spring of

2001 for FY2002 and in the spring of

2002 for FY2003.

(1) New Independent States (former

Soviet Union): Institutions interested in

partnerships with institutions of higher

education in the New Independent

States should consult separate Requests

for Proposals for the N.I.S. College and

University Partnerships Program and for

the N.I.S. Community College

Partnerships Program. For information

about these programs, contact the

Humphrey Fellowships and

Institutional Linkages Branch, Office of

Global Educational Programs (ECA/A/S/

U), Room 349, U.S. Department of State,

State Annex 44, 301 4th Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20547, phone: (202)

619–5289, fax: (202) 401–1433.

(2) Sub-Saharan Africa: Proposals are

encouraged that will strengthen the role

of African institutions of higher

education in their countries’ national

development and, more specifically,

promote the increased interaction of

African universities with other local and

international institutions that contribute

to African social, political or economic

development.

Eligible for FY2001: Benin, Burkina

Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire,

Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali,

Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,

South Africa, Togo, and Rwanda. In

addition, multilateral proposals

involving institutions in not more than

four of the following countries are also

eligible: Benin, Burkina Faso,

Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea,

Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger,

Senegal, Togo, and Rwanda. These

proposals should clearly outline a

pattern of involvement and cooperation

with all the participating African

institutions and should indicate

anticipated benefits to all the

institutional partners.

Anticipated eligibility for FY2002:

Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria,

Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Subjects to be determined.

Anticipated eligibility for FY2003:

Countries and subjects to be

determined.

(3) Western Hemisphere: Proposals

are especially encouraged which

strengthen judicial, civic, economic, or

educational reform in the eligible Latin

American and Caribbean countries, or

which address current issues in

communications or the social or

environmental sciences.

Eligible for FY2001: Argentina,

Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica,

Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and

Uruguay.

In addition to bilateral proposals with

any one of these countries, proposals for

projects involving educational

institutions in two or more countries

belonging to the South American

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices 40155

Common Market (MERCOSUR) are also

eligible: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and

Uruguay.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico,

Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,

Panama, and trilateral projects

including both Canada and Mexico.

Subjects to be determined.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003:

Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic,

Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, and Venezuela.

Subjects to be determined.

(4) East Asia and the Pacific:

Proposals for projects that will promote

democracy, strengthen civil society, or

help to create more transparent, marketoriented economies are encouraged.

Eligible for FY2001: China, Indonesia,

Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and

Vietnam.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002:

China, Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan.

Subjects to be determined.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003:

Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and Laos.

Subjects to be determined.

(5) Europe: Proposals are encouraged

that will equip universities to assist

with the transitions to more marketoriented economies, to more democratic

political life, and to more responsible

and accountable administration in the

public sector.

Eligible for FY2001: Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary,

Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY 2002:

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia,

Latvia, and Lithuania. Subjects to be

determined.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003:

Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia, Poland, and Romania.

Subjects to be determined.

(6) North Africa and the Middle East:

Projects are encouraged which

strengthen civil society, which support

the development of programs in

American Studies at universities in the

region, or which assist the development

of a more effective and more transparent

public sector.

Eligible for FY2001: Egypt, Gaza,

Israel, Jordan, Tunisia, West Bank, and

Morocco.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002:

Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia.

Subjects to be determined.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003:

Algeria, Gaza, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and

West Bank. Subjects to be determined.

(7) South Asia: Proposals for projects

that will help to develop good

governance and strengthen educational

and economic institutions in the region

are encouraged.

Eligible for FY2001: India, Nepal, and

Sri Lanka.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2002:

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Subjects to be determined.

Anticipated Eligibility for FY2003:

Countries and subjects to be

determined.

Ineligibility

A proposal may be deemed

technically ineligible if:

(1) It does not fully adhere to the

guidelines established herein and in the

Solicitation Package;

(2) It is not received by the deadline;

(3) It is not submitted by the U.S.

partner;

(4) One of the partner institutions is

ineligible;

(5) The foreign country or geographic

location is ineligible;

(6) It involves a request to fund

exchanges between the United States

and more than one other country with

the exceptions noted in the sections on

country eligibility for the Western

Hemisphere and for Sub-Saharan Africa.

(7) The amount requested from the

Bureau exceeds $120,000 with the

exception of proposals for Sub-Sahara

Africa, where the maximum is $180,000.

Grant-Making 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 cited above is provided

through the Fulbright-Hays Act.

Projects must conform with the

Bureau’s requirements and guidelines

outlined in the solicitation package for

this RFP, which can be obtained by

following the instructions given in the

section below entitled ‘‘For Further

Information.’’ The ‘‘Project Objectives,

Goals, and Implementation’’ (hereafter,

POGI) and the ‘‘Project Specific

Instructions (hereafter, PSI), which

contain additional guidelines, are

included in the Solicitation Package.

Proposals that do not follow RFP

requirements and the guidelines

appearing in the POGI and PSI may be

excluded from consideration due to

technical ineligibility.

Announcement Title and Number

All communications with the Bureau

concerning this announcement should

refer to the College and University

Affiliations Program and reference

number ECA/A/S/U–01–02.

Deadline for Proposals

All copies must be received at the

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time

on Monday, November 13, 2000. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked on Monday,

November 13, 2000 but received on a

later date.

Approximate program dates: Grant

activities should begin on or about July

1, 2001.

Program Duration: July 1, 2001–June

30, 2004 (or until September 30, 2004).

For Further Information

Contact the Humphrey Fellowships

and Institutional Linkages Branch

(College and University Affiliations

Program); Office of Global Educational

Programs; Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs; ECA/A/S/U, Room 349;

U.S. Department of State; SA–44, 301

Fourth Street, S.W.; Washington, D.C.

20547; phone: (202) 619–5289, fax: (202)

401–1433. Applicants may also send a

message to affiliation@pd.state.gov to

request a Solicitation Package. The

Solicitation Package includes more

detailed award criteria; all application

forms; and guidelines for preparing

proposals, including specific criteria for

preparation of the proposal budget.

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.

Please specify ‘‘College and

University Affiliations Program Officer’’

on all inquiries and correspondence.

Prospective applicants should read the

complete Federal Register

announcement before addressing

inquiries to the College and University

Affiliations Program staff or submitting

their proposals. Once the RFP deadline

has passed, Department staff may not

discuss this competition in any way

with applicants until the Bureau

proposal review process has been

completed.

40156 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

Submissions

Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and 10 copies of

the complete application should be sent

to:

U.S. Department of State, Ref: ECA/A/S/

U–01–02, Program Management, ECA/

EX/PM, Room 336, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs, SA–

44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington,

DC 20547

All copies should include the

documents specified under Tabs A

through E in the ‘‘Project Objectives,

Goals, and Implementation’’ (POGI)

section of the Solicitation Package. The

documents under Tab F of the POGI

should be submitted with the original

application and with one of the ten

copies.

Applicants must also submit the

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal on a

3.5′′ diskette, formatted for DOS. This

material must be provided in ASCII text

(DOS) format with a maximum line

length of 65 characters. The Bureau will

transmit these files electronically to the

Public Affairs Sections at U.S.

Embassies for review, with the goal of

reducing the time needed to make the

comments of overseas posts available in

the Bureau’s grant review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy

Guidelines

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing

legislation, projects 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 account for

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 Department of State. 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 Department of State 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 evaluated by

independent external reviewers. In

addition, all eligible proposals will be

reviewed by internal Bureau and U.S.

Embassy or Fulbright Commission

officers for non-binding advisory

comment.

The independent external reviewers,

who will be professional, scholarly, or

educational experts with appropriate

regional and thematic knowledge, will

provide recommendations and

assessments for consideration by the

Bureau. The Bureau will consider for

funding only those proposals which are

recommended for further consideration

by the independent external reviewers.

Proposals may also be reviewed by

the Office of the Legal Advisor or by

other offices of the U.S. Department of

State. Funding decisions will be made at

the discretion of the Under Secretary of

State for Public Diplomacy and Public

Affairs. Final technical authority for

assistance awards (grants or cooperative

agreements) will reside with a contracts

officer with competency for Bureau

programs.

Review Criteria

All reviewers will use the criteria

below to reach funding

recommendations and decisions.

Technically eligible applications will be

reviewed competitively according to

these criteria, which are not rankordered or weighted.

(1) Broad Significance of Institutional

Objectives: Project objectives should

have significant but realistically

anticipated ongoing consequences for

the participating institutions and for

their surrounding societies or

communities through a deepened

mutual understanding of one another

and of issues pertaining to freedom and

democracy, economic stability and

prosperity, or environmental

cooperation.

(2) Clarity and Relevance of Project

Objectives to Institutional Needs:

Proposed projects should outline clearly

formulated objectives that relate

specifically to the needs of the

participating institutions.

(3) Creativity and Feasibility of

Strategy to Achieve Project Objectives:

Strategies to achieve project objectives

should demonstrate the feasibility of

doing so during a three-year period by

utilizing and reinforcing exchange

activities realistically and with

creativity.

(4) Institutional Commitment to

Cooperation: Proposals should

demonstrate significant understanding

at each institution of its own needs and

capacities and of the needs and

capacities of its proposed partner(s),

together with a strong commitment,

during and after the period of grant

activity, to cooperate with one another

in the mutual pursuit of institutional

objectives.

(5) Project Evaluation: Proposals

should outline a methodology for

determining the degree to which a

project meets its objectives, both while

the project is underway and at its

conclusion. The final project evaluation

should include an external component

and should provide observations about

the project’s influence within the

participating institutions as well as their

surrounding communities or societies.

(6) Cost-effectiveness: Administrative

and program costs should be reasonable

and appropriate with cost-sharing

provided by all participating

institutions within the context of their

respective capacities and as a reflection

of their commitment to cooperate with

one another in pursuing project

objectives. Although indirect costs are

eligible for inclusion as cost-sharing by

the applicant, contributions should not

be limited to indirect costs.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices 40157

(7) Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate substantive support

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity by

explaining how issues of diversity relate

thematically to project objectives for all

institutional partners and how these

issues will be addressed during project

implementation. Proposals should also

outline the institutional profile of each

participating institution with regard to

issues of diversity.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any State Department

representative. Explanatory information

provided by the Department of State

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 Bureau procedures.

Dated: June 12, 2000.

Evelyn S. Lieberman,

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and

Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–16506 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3343]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs Request for Proposals:

Curriculum Development in

International Convention and

Conference Management at Meio

University, Okinawa, Japan; Notice

SUMMARY: The Office of Global

Educational Programs of the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs in the

Department of State announces an open

competition for an award program to

assist Meio University, Okinawa, Japan,

in strengthening its curriculum in

convention and conference management

in ways that will contribute to the

prefecture’s long-term international

development goals and to building

closer U.S.-Japanese people-to-people

relations in Okinawa. Accredited, postsecondary educational institutions

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit

proposals that address this objective.

The means for achieving this objective

may include teaching, distance learning,

practicums and student internships of

up to 12 months, and professional

outreach from the U.S. and Okinawan

institutions participating in this project.

Overview

The program is designed to assist

Meio University to strengthen its

curriculum in convention and

conference management education to

promote greater diversification and

economic development in the prefecture

of Okinawa, which is attempting to

expand its economy internationally,

including its international conference

and convention capabilities. The

prefecture is in the process of building

the physical infrastructure to support

tourism. New conference and

convention facilities are being

constructed, hotels are being upgraded,

and telecommunications are being

improved to accommodate tourists.

However, there is a need to prepare

qualified professionals in the fields of

convention and conference management

to utilize the prefecture’s infrastructure

resources more effectively.

Project Objective

The objective of this Department of

State assistance program is to reinforce

these efforts and to build closer U.S.-

Japanese people-to-people relations in

Okinawa by awarding one grant of up to

$125,000 for a partnership in the fields

of convention and conference

management between a U.S. college or

university and Meio University,

Okinawa. Grants will not be awarded to

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs. The

funds will be awarded for a period up

to three years to defray the costs of

either one-or two-way exchanges, to

provide education materials, and to

provide approximately 20 percent of the

grand total to defray the costs of the

project administration.

The project should pursue this

objective through a strategy which

coordinates the participation of faculty,

administrators or, in limited

circumstances, students for any

appropriate combination of teaching,

consultation, mentoring, student

internships, and outreach, for exchange

visits ranging from one week to an

academic year. Two-way exchanges are

encouraged, but no single formula is

anticipated for the duration, sequence or

number of these visits. One semester

visits or more for participants from at

least one of the institutional partners are

strongly encouraged. Participants

should make their training and

personnel resources available to

government, non-governmental

organizations, and business

practitioners.

Logistics

The U.S. grantee organization will be

responsible for most arrangements

associated with this project. These

include providing international and

domestic travel arrangements for all

participants, making lodging and local

transportation arrangements for visitors,

orienting and debriefing participants,

and preparing any necessary support

material.

VISA/Insurance/Tax Requirements

Programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations including those pertaining

to insurance. Please refer to 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.

U.S. Institution and Participant

Eligibility

In the United States, participation in

the program is open to accredited twoand four-year colleges and universities,

including graduate schools.

Applications from community colleges,

minority-serving institutions,

undergraduate liberal arts colleges, and

combinations of these types of

institutions are eligible. Applications

from consortia or other combinations of

U.S. colleges and universities are

eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may

include non-governmental organizations

as well as non-profit service and

professional organizations. The lead

U.S. organization in the consortium or

other combination of cooperating

institutions is responsible for submitting

the application. Each application must

document the lead organization’s

authority to represent all U.S.

cooperating partners.

With the exception of outside

consultants reporting on the degree to

which project objectives have been

achieved, participants representing the

U.S. institution who are traveling under

the Bureau’s grant funds should be

teachers, students, or administrators

from the participating institution(s).

Participants representing the U.S.

institution must be U.S. citizens.

Students are eligible for Bureau-funded

participation in this program.