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.

40158 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

Japanese Institution and Participant

Eligibility

In Japan, the partner is Meio

University, Okinawa, which has a

curriculum in management and a fouryear tourism program under its Faculty

of International Studies. Additional

information is provided in the ‘‘Project

Objectives, Goals, and Implementation

(POGI)’’ guidelines for this solicitation.

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 institution must be teachers,

administrators, or students from Meio

University. Foreign participants must be

citizens, nationals, or permanent

residents of Japan and must be qualified

to hold a valid passport and a U.S. J–

1 visa.

Budget Guidelines

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

project. The maximum award in this

competition will be for one grant in the

amount of $125,000. Requests for an

amount smaller than the maximum are

eligible. Budget and budget notes

should carefully justify the amounts

needed. There must be a summary

budget as well as a break-down

reflecting the program and

administrative budgets. Proposals with

substantial private sector support will

be rated as more highly competitive in

this regard than those without such

support. Cost-sharing will be considered

an important indicator of institutional

commitment. Proposals whose

administrative request from the Bureau

is less than 20 percent of the total

amount of funds requested from the

Bureau will receive more favorable

consideration. Applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, participants

involved, or activity to provide

clarification. Please refer to the

Solicitation Package for complete

guidelines and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

All correspondence with the Bureau

of Educational and Cultural Affairs

concerning this RFP should reference

the program title ‘‘Curriculum

Development in Convention and

Conference Management Project at Meio

University, Okinawa, Japan’’ and

number ECA/A/S/U–01–07.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact the Humphrey Fellowships and

Institutional Linkages Branch, Office of

Global Educational Programs, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs; ECA/

A/S/U, Room 349, SA–44; U.S.

Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20547, phone (202)

619–5289, fax: (202) 401–1433, e-mail:

affiliation@pd.state.gov to request a

Solicitation Package. The Solicitation

Package contains detailed award

criteria, required application forms, and

guidelines for preparing proposals,

including specific criteria for

preparation of the proposal budget.

Please specify ‘‘Reference number ECA/

A/S/U–01–07’’ on all inquiries and

correspondence.

Please read the complete RFP

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 Proposal

All proposal copies must be received

at the State Department’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5

p.m. Washington DC time on Friday,

September 29, 2000. Faxed documents

will not be accepted at any time.

Documents postmarked by the due date

but received on a later date will not be

accepted. It is the responsibility of each

applicant to ensure compliance with the

deadline.

Approximate Program Dates

Grants should begin on or about

January 1, 2001.

Duration

January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2004

or before.

Submissions

Proposals must be submitted by the

U.S. institutional partner and must

include letters of commitment from all

U.S. institutional partners. The letters

should be signed by persons authorized

to commit institutional resources to the

project.

Applicants must follow all

instructions in the Solicitation Package.

The original and 10 copies of the

application should be sent to:

U.S. Department of State, SA–44, Ref.:

ECA/A/S/U–01–07, Program

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336,

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. 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.

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 Section of the U.S.

Embassy in Tokyo for its review, with

the goal of reducing time it takes to get

the post’s comments for the Bureau’s

grants 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.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices 40159

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 Criteria

State Department officers in

Washington, DC and overseas will use

the criteria below to reach funding

recommendations and decisions.

Technically eligible applications will be

competitively reviewed according to the

criteria stated below. These criteria are

not rank-ordered or weighed.

1. Quality of the Program Idea

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and

resourcefulness. Proposals should have

reasonable and feasible project

objectives which are relevant to

strengthening Meio University’s

curriculum in convention and

conference management. Proposals

should describe projected benefits to the

institutions involved as well as for

wider communities of educators and

practitioners in Okinawa and the United

States.

2. Program Planning

Proposals should include realistic and

feasible program plans and a detailed

schedule which should include a wellreasoned combination of useful and

appropriate mentoring, teaching, faculty

and/or staff development, curriculum

development (including distance

learning if conditions allows it), and

workshops with business practitioners

in Okinawa.

3. Support of Diversity

Proposals should demonstrate

substantive support of the Bureau’s

policy on diversity by explaining how

issues of diversity relate to project

objectives and how these issues will be

addressed during the project

implementation. Proposals should also

outline the institutional profile of each

participating institution with regard to

issues of diversity.

4. Institutional Capacity and

Commitment

Proposals should demonstrate

significant understanding of the

institutional needs and capacities of

Meio University as well as the U.S.

institution’s capacities, and demonstrate

a strong commitment, during and after

the period of the grant activity, to

achieve program goals. Relevant factors

include: The match between partner

departments and schools; and

availability of sufficient number of

faculty and/or administrators willing

and able to participate in any

combination of teaching, mentoring and

outreach activities. Proposals should

demonstrate promise of sustainability

and long-term impact which will be

reflected in a plan for continued, nonU.S. government support and follow-on

activities.

5. Institutional Record/Ability

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 State Department’s

Office of Contracts. The Bureau will

consider the past performance of prior

recipients and all reviewers will

consider the demonstrated potential of

new applicants. Reviewers will also

consider the quality of exchange

participants’ academic credentials,

skills, and experience relative to the

goals and activities of the project plan.

6. Project Evaluation

The proposal should outline a

methodology to assess progress made in

supporting a program to strengthen a

curriculum in conference and

convention management at Meio

University. The final evaluation should

include an external component and

should provide observations about the

anticipated long-term impact on

diversification and economic

development in the prefecture of

Okinawa.

7. 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 cooperation with one another in

pursuing project objectives. Although

indirect costs are eligible for inclusion

among other shared costs, a proposed

contribution of indirect costs will not be

considered a primary indicator of

institutional interest or commitment.

Proposals with substantial private sector

support and those whose administrative

request from the Bureau is less than 20

percent of the amount requested will be

considered more highly competitive in

this regard.

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.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any Bureau representative.

Explanatory information provided by

the Bureau that contradicts published

language will not be binding. Issuance

of the RFP does not constitute an award

commitment on the part of the

Government. The Bureau reserves the

right to reduce, revise, or increase

proposals in accordance with the needs

of the program and the availability of

funds. Awards made will be subject to

periodic reporting and evaluation

requirements.

Projects must conform with

Department of State requirements and

guidelines outlined in the solicitation

Package. The POGI, a document

describing this project’s objectives,

goals, and implementation is included

in the Solicitation Package.

40160 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 126 / Thursday, June 29, 2000 / Notices

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal Bureau procedures.

Dated: June 20, 2000.

Evelyn S. Lieberman,

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and

Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–16505 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–P

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as

amended by Pub. L. 104–13;

Submission for Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority

ACTION: Submission for Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) Review;

comment request.

SUMMARY: The proposed information

collection described below will be

submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review, as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as

amended). The Tennessee Valley

Authority is soliciting public comments

on this proposed collection as provided

by 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1). Requests for

information, including copies of the

information collection proposed and

supporting documentation, should be

directed to the Agency Clearance

Officer: Wilma H. McCauley, Tennessee

Valley Authority, 1101 Market Street

(EB 5B), Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402–

2801; (423) 751–2523.

Comments should be sent to OMB

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for

Tennessee Valley Authority no later

than July 31, 2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Type of Request: Regular submission,

proposal to reinstate, with change, a

previously approved collection for

which approval has expired.

Title of Information Collection:

Employment Applications.

Frequency of Use: On occasion.

Type of Affected Public: Individuals.

Small Businesses or Organizations

Affected: No.

Federal Budget Functional Category

Code: 999.

Estimated Number of Annual

Responses: 17,583.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 15,913.

Estimated Average Burden Hours Per

Response: 1.

Need For and Use of Information:

Applications for employment are

needed to collect information on

qualifications, suitability for

employment, and eligibility for veterans

preference. The information is used to

make comparative appraisals and to

assist in selections. The affected public

consists of individuals who voluntarily

apply for TVA employment.

Jacklyn J. Stephenson,

Senior Manager, Enterprise Operations.

Information Services

[FR Doc. 00–16489 Filed 6–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8120–08–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG–2000–7514]

National Preparedness for Response

Exercise Program (PREP)

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard, the

Environmental Protection Agency, the

Research and Special Programs

Administration and the Minerals

Management Service, in concert with

the states, the oil industry and

concerned citizens, developed the

Preparedness for Response Exercise

Program (PREP). This notice announces

the date, time, and location for the next

PREP workshop. Federal, state, and

local agencies and the public, are

encouraged to participate and provide

oral and written comments.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

August 29, 2000, from 7:30 a.m. to 5

p.m. Written comments must reach the

Docket Management Facility on or

before September 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held

at the U.S. Department of

Transportation Nassif Building, Room

2230, 400 Seventh St. SW Washington,

DC 20590. To make sure your comments

and related materials do not enter the

docket more than once, please submit

them (labeled with the docket number,

USCG 2000–7514) by only one of the

following means:

(1) By mail to the Docket Management

Facility, U.S. Department of

Transportation, room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC

20590–0001.

(2) By delivery to room PL–401 on the

Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC,

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

The telephone number is 202–366–

9329.

(3) By fax to the Docket Management

Facility at 202–493–2251.

(4) Electronically through the Web

Site for the Docket Management System

at http://dms.dot.gov.

The Docket Management Facility

maintains the public docket for this

notice. Comments and material received

from the public will become part of this

docket and will be available for

inspection or copying at room PL–401

on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building,

400 Seventh Street SW., Washington,

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

You may also access the public docket

on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information regarding the PREP

program and the schedule, contact Mr.

Bob Pond, Marine Safety and

Environmental Protection Directorate,

Office of Response, (G–MOR–2), (202)

267–6603.

The 1994 PREP Guidelines are

available for downloading from the

World Wide Web at http://

www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/response/

#PREP. The PREP Guidelines are also

available in hard-copy at no cost by

writing or faxing the TASC Dept

Warehouse, 3341Q 75th Avenue,

Landover, MD 20785, fax: 301–386–

5394, stock number—USCG–X0191. The

schedule of PREP area exercises is also

available at the above website along

with an exercise design manual

prepared by the Office of Pipeline

Safety.

For questions on viewing or

submitting material to the docket, call

Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets,

Department of Transportation, phone

202–366–9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

We encourage you to participate in

this program assessment by submitting

comments and related material. If you

do so, please include your name and

address, identify the docket number for

this notice (USCG–2000–7514), indicate

the specific section of this document to

which each comment applies, and give

the reason for each comment. You may

submit your comments and material by

mail, delivery, fax, or electronic means

to the Docket Management Facility at

the address under ADDRESSES; but

please submit your comments and

material by only one means. If you

submit them by mail or delivery, submit

them in an unbound format, no larger

than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for

copying and electronic filing. If you