Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices 51721

(20) with a semi-colon(;) and add the

following text:

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

* * *

‘‘(21) Respond to state and local

authorities for support garnishment

interrogatories; and

(22) Provide information to private

creditors for the purpose of

garnishment of wages of an employee

if a debt has been reduced to a

judgement.’’

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 97–26160 Filed 10–1–97; 8:45am]

Billing Code: 4810–30–F

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

College and University Affiliations

Program (CUAP)

ACTION: Notice—request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program. Accredited,

post-secondary educational institutions

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501 (c) may apply

to develop a partnership with (a) foreign

institution(s) of higher education in

specified fields and themes within the

humanities and social sciences.

Awards will be made to support

democratic institution-building and/or

civic education.

A second Request for Proposals in this

issue of the Federal Register solicits

proposals in support of free trade and

market economies, and/or the

environment and sustainable

development.

Grants are subject to the availability of

funds for Fiscal year 1998.

Proposed projects must be eligible in

terms of country(ies)/localities and

themes as described in the section

entitled ‘‘Eligibility’’ below.

Participating institutions exchange

faculty and administrators for a

combination of teaching, lecturing,

faculty and curriculum development,

collaborative research, and outreach, for

periods ranging from one week (for

planning visits) to an academic year.

The FY 98 program will also support the

establishment and maintenance of

Internet and/or e-mail communication

facilities as well as interactive distance

learning programs at foreign partner

institutions. Applicants may propose

other project activities not listed above

that are in keeping with the goals and

activities of the College and University

Affiliations Program.

The program awards up to $120,000

for a three-year period to defray the cost

of travel and per diem with an

allowance for educational materials and

some aspects of project administration.

Grants awarded to organizations with

less than four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs will be limited to $60,000.

Overall grant-making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, Pub. L. 87–256, as amended,

also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act.

The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to enable the

Government of the United States to

increase mutual understanding between

the people of the United States and the

people of other countries * * ; to

strengthen the ties which unite us with

other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations * * * and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic

and peaceful relations between the

United States and the other countries of

the world.’’ The funding authority for

the program cited above is provided

through the Fulbright-Hays Act.

Projects must conform with Agency

requirements and guidelines outlined in

the Solicitation Package. The POGI, a

document describing College and

University Affiliation Project Objectives,

Goals, and Implementation, is included

in the Solicitation Package.

Announcement Title and Number: All

communications with USIA concerning

this announcement should refer to the

College and University Affiliations

Program and reference number E/ASU–

98–02.

Deadline for Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

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

on Friday January 16, 1998. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked on Jan. 16,

1998, but received on a later date. It is

the responsibility of each applicant to

ensure compliance with the deadline.

Approximate program dates: Grants

should begin on or about September 1,

1998.

Duration: September 1, 1998–August

31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Office of Academic Programs; Advising,

Teaching, and Specialized Programs

Division; College and University

Affiliations Program (CUAP), (E/ASU),

Room 349, U.S. Information Agency,

301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

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

401–1433. Send a message via Internet

to: affiliat@usia.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

USIA’s website at http://www.usia.gov/

education/rfps. Please read all

information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package via

Fax On Demand: The entire Solicitation

Package may be received via the

Bureau’s ‘‘Grants Information Fax on

Demand System,’’ which is accessed by

calling 202/401–7616. Please request a

‘‘Catalog’’ of available documents and

order numbers when first entering the

system.

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, Agency staff may not

discuss this competition in any way

with applicants until the Bureau

proposal review process has been

completed.

Submissions: Applicants must follow

all instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and 10 copies of

the complete application, including the

documents specified under Tabs A

through I in the ‘‘Project Objectives,

Goals, and Impoementaiton’’ (POGI)

section of the Solicitation Package,

should be sent to: U.S. Information

Agency, Ref: E/ASU–98–02, Office of

Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326,

301 4th St., S.W., Washington, D.C.

20547.

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. USIA will

transmit these files electronically to U.S.

Information Service (USIS) posts

overseas for their review, with the goal

of reducing the time it takes to get posts’

comments for the Agency’s grant review

process.
51722 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices

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,’’ USIA ‘‘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.

Eligibility

U.S. Partner and Participant Eligibility

In the U.S., participation in the

program is open to accredited two- and

four-year colleges and universities,

including graduate schools.

Applications from consortia of U.S.

colleges and universities are eligible.

Secondary U.S. partners may include

relevant non-governmental

organizations, non-profit service or

professional organizations. The lead

U.S. institution in the consortium is

responsible for submitting the

application and each application from a

consortium must document the lead

school’s stated authority to represent the

consortium. Participants representing

the U.S. institution who are traveling

under USIA grant funds must be faculty,

graduate teaching assistants, or staff

from the participating institution(s) and

must be U.S. citizens. Please note that

graduate teaching assistants are eligible

for USIA-funded participation only if

working as part of a team directed by a

faculty member.

Foreign Partner and Participant

Eligibility

Overseas, participation is open to

recognized, degree-granting institutions

of post-secondary education, which may

include internationally recognized and

established independent research

institutes. Secondary foreign partners

may include relevant governmental and

non-governmental organizations, nonprofit service or professional

organizations. Participants representing

the foreign institutions must be faculty,

graduate teaching assistants, or staff

who are citizens, nationals, or

permanent residents of the country of

the foreign partner and be qualified to

hold a valid passport and U.S. J–1 visa.

Please note that graduate teaching

assistants are eligible for USIA-funded

participation only if working as part of

a team directed by a faculty member.

Ineligibility

A proposal will 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) The length of the proposed project

is less than three years;

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

partner;

(5) One of the partner institutions is

ineligible;

(6) The foreign geographic location is

ineligible;

(7) It involves a request to fund

exchanges between the United States

and more than one country, with the

exception of trilateral North Africa, Near

East, and South Asia (NEA) projects.

Please see the section on eligible

countries/localities for complete details;

(8) The theme or academic discipline

is not listed as eligible in the RFP,

herein;

(9) The amount requested of USIA

exceeds $120,000 for the three-year

project.

Eligible Theme, Academic Disciplines,

and Countries/localities

This Request for Proposals is limited

to support for democratic institution

building and/or civic education.

Please note the following explanatory

details:

A. Eligible Academic Disciplines and

Countries/Localities

Eligible academic disciplines and

countries and localities are listed under

each sub-theme. Only those countries or

localities and partnership configurations

identified under each sub-theme

qualify. Specifics should be examined

carefully before proposal preparation.

B. Inclusion of Area Studies

Area Studies are included as

academic disciplines to engender a

broader cultural understanding and

context in which to pursue a linkage

project within the stated theme. Area

Studies may be incorporated into a

given project but only in conjunction

with one or more of the other academic

disciplines listed under the theme. Area

Studies includes U.S. and partner

country history, literature, and social

sciences.

C. Bilateral Projects—Except for NEA

Trilateral Linkages

In most instances, the program invites

proposals for bilateral projects only,

involving the U.S. and one foreign

country (as specified) only. The only

exceptions are Near East, North Africa,

and South Asia (NEA) trilateral

linkages.

Eligible Theme

Support of democratic institutionbuilding and/or civic education.

Projects are solicited which promote

democratic institution-building to

encourage accountable governments and

the rule of law, to strengthen political

and economic stability and to protect

both political rights and free market

economies.

Within this context, affiliation

projects should help build democratic

institutions, promote the development

of civil societies and civic education,

and increase expertise in the rule of law

and the administration of justice

through faculty and curriculum

development, teaching and lecturing,

and outreach. It is anticipated that

exchange participants involved in crosscultural democracy-building

partnerships will generate ideas and

projects which will contribute to

modernization and development in the

higher education community, public

policy arena, NGOs, government, and

the media.

USIA has a particular interest in

reviewing proposals whose goal is to

nurture the culture of democracy by

focusing on the role of civic education

in a democratic society.

A linkage project incorporating a

focus on participation in civil society

(in which citizens—in addition to

working with the government—organize

to resolve national problems rather than

leaving them to the government to

resolve), and on civic education (to

prepare them for competent and

responsible participation in local, state,

and national civic and political life)

might include such topics as: the

philosophy of democratic institutions;

the philosophy and goals of public and

private education; the role of citizen

behavior and social responsibility in a

democracy; the role of volunteerism,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices 51723

public interest groups, and major

players such as public and private

schools, government, religious

institutions, public libraries, private

organizations, and parents. A civic

education linkage might also address

political practices such as the balance of

individual rights and group rights;

reconciliation and compromise within

the democratic process; the philosophy

and practice of majority rule and

minority rights.

Projects promoting civil society and

civic education may combine one or

more of the academic disciplines listed

below in order to pursue an affiliation

whose activities are those of the overall

College and University Affiliations

Program—namely teaching, lecturing,

faculty development, curriculum

development (e.g., for teacher training),

collaborative research, and community

outreach.

Eligible Academic Disciplines

(1) For Law Projects

Law (may include Constitutional,

Comparative, Administrative,

Regulatory, and Civil Law, Conflict

Resolution, and Intellectual Property

Rights)

Political Science/Government/Public

Policy/Public Administration

Area Studies (in combination with one

or more of the academic fields listed

here)

(2) For Media Projects

Journalism (Broadcast, Print, Electronic)

Communications Law

Area Studies (in combination with one

or more of the academic fields listed

here)

(3) For Projects in Civic Education

Secondary-Level Curriculum

Development and Teacher Training

Sociology

Government

History

Social Studies Education

Area Studies (in combination with one

or more of the academic fields listed

here)

Eligible Countries/Localities

Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal,

South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda;

American Republics: Brazil, Bolivia,

Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican

Republic (All projects for the preceding

countries are limited to Civic Education

and Law); Ecuador, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,

Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and

Uruguay.

Priority will be given to proposals that

focus on civic education, ethics in

government, grassroots democracy and

citizen participation, women and

leadership, the administration of justice,

judicial reform, and alternative dispute

resolution.

East Asia and Pacific: China, Hong

Kong, Indonesia, South Korea (all

projects for the preceding countries are

limited to Civic Education and Law);

Taiwan (Media projects only); Vietnam

(Civic Education only);

East Europe, Central Europe, and the

New Independent States: Armenia

(Civic Education and Media projects

only), Bosnia (Media projects only),

Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova (Law

only), and Slovakia;

North Africa, Near East, and South

Asia: The following are eligible for

bilateral or trilateral affiliations:

Bahrain, Bangladesh, Gaza, Israel,

Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nepal, Oman,

Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tunisia,

United Arab Emirates, West Bank,

Yemen;

Lebanon: USIA welcomes proposals

for bilateral linkages in Lebanon which

include the use of distance education

and/or Internet to facilitate two-way

communication since, at this writing,

only one-way travel (from Lebanon to

the United States) is currently advisable.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by an USIA representative.

Explanatory information provided by

the Agency 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 Agency 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 USIA procedures.

Dated: September 27, 1997.

John P. Loiello,

Associate Director for Educational and

Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–26151 Filed 10–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

College and University Affiliations

Program (CUAP)

ACTION: Notice—requests for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program. Accredited,

post-secondary educational institutions

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to

develop a partnership with (a) foreign

institution(s) of higher education in

specified fields and themes within the

humanities, social sciences, business,

and environmental studies.

Subject to the availability of funding,

awards will be made to support free

trade and market economies, and/or the

environment and sustainable

development.

A second Request for Proposals in this

issue of the Federal Register solicits

proposals in support of democratic

institution-building and/or civic

education.

Grants are subject to the availability of

funds for Fiscal Year 1998.

Proposed projects must be eligible in

terms of country(ies)/localities and

themes as described in the section

entitled ‘‘Eligibility’’ below.

Participating institutions exchange

faculty and administrators for a

combination of teaching, lecturing,

faculty and curriculum development,

collaborative research, and outreach, for

periods ranging from one week (for

planning visits) to an academic year.

The FY 98 program will also support the

establishment and maintenance of

Internet and/or e-mail communication

facilities as well as interactive distance

learning programs at foreign partner

institutions. Applicants may propose

other project activities not listed above

that are in keeping with the goals and

activities of the College and University

Affiliations Program.

The program awards up to $120,000

for a three-year period to defray the cost

of travel and per diem with an

allowance for educational materials and

some aspects of project administration.

Grants awarded to organizations with

less than four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs will be limited to $60,000.

Overall grant-making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Education and Cultural Exchange Act of

1961, Public Law 87–256, as amended,

also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act.

The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to enable the

Government of the United States to

increase mutual 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,