58770 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 1997 / Notices

to 26 U.S.C. 482 (60 FR 64470 and 60

FR 46141).

The Account-based Declaration

Prototype (62 FR 14731, published

3/27/97), which includes a

reconciliation component, is currently

being designed under the Automated

Commercial Environment.

Customs is also currently designing

the ACS Reconciliation Prototype and

published a notice in the Federal

Register (62 FR 51181) on September

30, 1997, announcing plans to conduct

a test of this prototype. The testing

period of this prototype is scheduled to

be implemented in October, 1998.

The importing community has raised

concerns to Customs that reconciliation,

as is currently envisioned, is overly

burdensome in the data required.

Customs and the trade are working

together in an attempt to provide a

series of options for reconciliation,

which will provide the controls and

information needed by the government

and a practical mechanism which

accommodates various business

situations.

This document announces that a

public meeting will be held to discuss

issues related to the development of

reconciliaton by Customs. At this

meeting, Customs and the trade

participants will address reconciliation

under the current legal structure, and

analyze a menu-approach to

reconciliation. The goal will be to

secure a definition of the various

business problems for which

reconciliation does not fit, analyze a

series of options under which to design

reconciliation, and finalize a joint

Customs/Industry proposal. Customs

will discuss with the trade participants

whether any statutory, regulatory or

policy changes are required before

reconciliation can be best implemented.

The meeting will be held in Hearing

Room A of the Interstate Commerce

Commission Building in Washington,

DC., commencing at 9:30 a.m. on

Wednesday, November 12, 1997.

Because seating is limited, reservations

are required.

The morning session of this meeting

will be devoted to a discussion of

transfer pricing, including the issues

companies face in working under both

the Customs and IRS statutes and

transfer pricing situations in need of a

reconciliation reporting mechanism.

The afternoon session will be devoted to

government/industry analysis of a

menu-approach to reconciliation. The

menu-approach is intended to provide a

series of options which address various

business needs, including the entire

range of value issues (e.g., assists,

indirect payments, transfer pricing, etc.)

Dated: October 27, 1997.

John Durant.

Director, Mod Act Task Force.

[FR Doc. 97–28779 Filed 10–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Multi-Regional and Regional Projects

for International Visitors

ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of International

Visitors (E/V) of the United States

Information Agency’s (USIA) Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for

assistance awards. Public and private

non-profit organizations meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)–1 may apply to

develop projects for Multi-Regional and

Regional Groups of International

Visitors nominated by U.S. embassies

abroad.

The objective of the International

Visitor Program is to increase mutual

understanding through communication

and collaboration with professional

counterparts in the U.S. Participants are

current or potential foreign leaders in

government, politics, media, education,

science, labor relations, and other key

fields. They are selected by American

embassies abroad and approved by

USIA in Washington, DC. Since the

program’s earliest inception in 1941,

more than 120,000 distinguished

visitors have participated in the

program, and over 155 program alumni

have subsequently become heads of

state or government in their home

countries.

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.’’

Programs and projects must conform

with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. USIA projects and assistance

awards are subject to the availability of

funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All

communications with USIA concerning

this RFP should refer to the

announcement’s title and reference

number E/V–98–02.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC, time

on the due date indicated for

submission of proposals for each project

described below. Faxed or e-mailed

documents will not be accepted at any

time. Documents postmarked by the due

date but received at a later date will not

be accepted.

TO REQUEST A SOLICITATION PACKAGE,

CONTACT:

For Multi-Regional Projects (MRPs):

The Office of International Visitors,

Group Projects Division (E/VP), Room

255, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th

Street SW., Washington, DC 20547; Tel:

(202) 205–3058; Fax: (202) 205–0792.

For Regional Projects (RPs): The

Office of International Visitors, Grants

Division (E/VG), Room 255, U.S.

Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20547, Tel: (202) 205–

9596; Fax: (202) 205–7974.

Please request required application

forms, and standard guidelines for

preparing proposals, including specific

criteria for preparation of the proposal

budget.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE

VIA INTERNET: Information about USIA’s

IV Program is available via Internet at

website: http://www.usia.gov. The

entire Solicitation Package may be

downloaded from USIA’s website at

http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps.

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.

SUBMISSIONS: Applications must follow

all instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and 10 copies of

the application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/V–98–02,

Project Title: Contact Officer: Office of

Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326,

301 4th Street SW., Washington, DC

20547. Applicants must also submit the

proposal on a 3.5′′ diskette, formatted

for WordPerfect.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 1997 / Notices 58771

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,’’ 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.

Title: U.S.-European Security Issues.

Type: European Regional (EnglishSpeaking).

Proposal Due Date: January 13, 1998.

Project Dates: April 13–May 2, 1998.

Contact: Tim Moore.

Telephone: (202) 205–9596 FAX:

(202) 205–2983. The security challenges

facing the U.S. and Europe today are in

many ways more complex than those

that existed during the Cold War. With

the breakup of the Soviet Union and the

fall of the Berlin Wall, regional conflicts

have arisen with no effective means of

response. No clear consensus has

emerged on how countries and

multilateral organizations will confront

and resolve turmoil in different parts of

the world. De-nuclearization

agreements, non-proliferation treaties

and the role of NATO are being hotly

debated.

This three-week project is designed

for European government officials,

politicians and academics in the

security and defense field, and is

intended to provide the participants

with American perspectives on mutual

security issues. The group should meet

with a range of key experts and players

in the defense and security

policymaking process, including

government officials, Congressional

staff, military personnel, academics and

journalists. Topics should include:

NATO enlargement; nuclearproliferation and arms-control policies;

regional and ethnic conflicts; the effect

of budget reductions on American

defense and security policymaking; UN

peacekeeping efforts; and international

terrorism.

The project will begin in Washington,

DC, where the meetings should provide

the groundwork for subsequent

discussions throughout the country. The

national itinerary will include the

Norfolk (Va.) Naval Air Station and

meetings with the U.S. Atlantic

Command, a visit to a military base

specializing in rapid deployment, and

meetings in local communities with

significant resources in the security/

defense field. The program should also

include a seminar at a major university

with a prominent foreign-policy/

security department.

Title: Privatization and Economic

Reform.

Type: African Regional (FrenchSpeaking).

Propoal Due Date: January 13, 1998.

Projects Dates: April 20–May 8, 1998.

Contact: Mary Jeffers.

Telephone: (202) 205–9596 FAX:

(202) 205–7974. Privatization in the U.S.

context generally involves increasing

the efficiency and lowering the cost of

government by contracting certain

services to the private sector. This

concept differs in important respects

from the idea of simply selling off stateowned enterprises, which is often

understood to define privatization in

many of the African countries now

tackling the difficult task of basic

structural adjustment. Furthermore,

privatization may often be viewed in

Africa as imposed from outside (by the

IMF, World Bank, or USAID) rather than

as most Americans see it, i.e. as a real,

necessary condition for economic

growth.

Visitors on this project will have the

chance to look at multiple aspects of

privatization in the U.S., focusing on the

central themes of government

responsiveness, efficiency, and

accountability. The project will review

government privatization at the city/

county, state, and federal levels,

including private-sector contracting to

provide basic services such as

transportation, garbage collection, or

prison management. Other aspects of

privatization will include government

and NGO efforts to promote private

sector development, as well as links

between business and academia

designed to harness private-sector

support for academic research and

development.

Finally, meetings with key

policymakers in both the U.S.

government and multi-lateral

institutions will enable the visitors to

make comparisons between U.S.

privatization practices and the changes

and developments taking place in their

home countries, and perhaps to

establish models for application in the

future.

Title: Women in Political and Social

Activism.

Type: American Republics Regional

(Spanish-Speaking).

Proposal Due Date: February 3, 1998.

Project Dates: May 4–22, 1998.

Contact: Essie Wilkes-Scott.

Telephone: (202) 205–9596 FAX:

(202) 205–7974.

In the past few decades the role of

women in the United States has

expanded more rapidly and

dramatically than ever before in our

history. From many points on the

political and social spectrum, women

are more visible, powerful, and vocal.

These changes have taken place at every

level of American life: In politics and

government, in the workplace, in

popular culture, in academia, in the

home, and in the social service and

community leadership roles that women

play in rural and urban areas throughout

the United States. This project will

introduce Latin American women

leaders to the United States’ women’s

campaign for equal rights and the

societal changes that this campaign has

effected. It will examine the social,

economic and educational inequities

and issues women have championed at

the grassroots levels. The program will

provide a better understanding of U.S.

values and experiences in social and

political change by observing the

contributions of women to citizen

advocacy at the grassroots level;

political leadership and the national

level; equal employment access and

workplace equity; available affordable

quality child care; full access to

education and training programs;

comprehensive health care; and equal

access to business opportunities. A

variety of meetings and seminars with

national, state and local elected and

appointed officials and staff, political

activists, public and private-sector

health and social service program

operators, women in the military,

employment specialists and business

persons, homemakers, educators, and

women in voluntary advocacy and aid

organizations, will highlight the societal

challenges that spur women’s increased

activism. Political diversity will also be

emphasized in this program to ensure

that the wide range of perspectives that

women bring to their activism are heard.
58772 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 1997 / Notices

Title: Independent Judiciary and the

Rule of Law.

Type: Near East and South Asian

Regional (Arabic-Speaking).

Proposal Due Date: February 3, 1998.

Project Dates: May 11–29, 1998.

Contact: Alice Shifflett.

Telephone: (202) 205–9596 FAX:

(202) 205–7974.

By focussing on the independent

judiciary and the rule of law, this 21-

day project will familiarize Arab jurists

with U.S. concepts of judicial

independence and the federal, state and

municipal court systems, underlining

the judiciary’s role in preserving and

strengthening democratic concepts such

as government accountability and

individual rights.

It will also illustrate the judiciary’s

importance for political stability,

individual rights and harmony between

ethnic and other communities as well as

for business confidence and economic

growth. The project will provide

concrete ideas about improving court

management and other administrative

aspects of the civil and criminal legal

systems of the participants’ countries. It

would examine potentially useful

approaches to legal education and

develop linkages between the visitors

and U.S. judicial scholars and

practitioners.

Title: Immigration, Citizenship and

Assimilation in a Democratic Society.

Type: Multi-Regional (EnglishSpeaking).

Proposal Due Date: February 3, 1998.

Project Dates: May 14–June 4, 1998.

Contact: Susan Lockwood.

Telephone: (202) 205–3058 FAX:

(202) 205–0792.

E-MAIL Address: slockwoo@usia.gov.

The project will examine the

fundamental nature of the immigrant

experience to American political

culture. U.S. government officials

(Congress, State, AID, INS),

representatives from non-governmental

organizations and experts from

academia and think-tanks will discuss

U.S. immigration policies—from

historical perspectives to current issues.

Participants will observe problems

which confront long-established citizens

and new immigrants alike, as well as

examples of assimilation, cultural

preservation, and cross-cultural

education.

Title: International Crime Issues.

Type: Multi-Regional (EnglishSpeaking).

Proposal Due Date: March 31, 1998.

Project Dates: July 23–August 13,

1998.

Contact: Lesley Marcus.

Telephone: (202) 205–3058 FAX:

(202) 205–0792.

E-Mail Address: lmarcus@usia.gov

This project will look at international

terrorism, drug trafficking and other

transnational crimes and will examine

the structure of the U.S. criminal justice

system and how it applies to

international issues. As international

cooperation is required to prevent and

control transnational crime, the

participants in this project will have

numerous occasions to address the most

pressing international crime issues and

the United States’ unilateral, bilateral,

and multi-lateral approaches to dealing

with them.

Title: Accountability and

Transparency in Government:

Improving Results and Increasing Public

Access.

Type: African Regional (EnglishSpeaking).

Proposal Due Date: June 2, 1998.

Project Dates: August 31–September

19, 1998.

Contact: Maggie McFarland.

Telephone: (202) 205–9596 FAX:

(202) 205–7974.

In an environment of downsizing and

streamlining much attention has been

directed towards making government in

the U.S. more responsive, more

productive and more accessible.

This project will introduce African

visitors to the U.S. experience of

holding public officials accountable.

The project will review the complexities

of U.S. government at the federal, state,

and local levels. It will acquaint the

visitors with techniques designed by the

founding fathers to hold government

accountable as well as those systems

and mechanisms in place today. The

role of private citizens and the media in

reporting abuses which undermine

public trust will be emphasized

throughout this project. The project will

give visitors an idea of the challenges

facing state and local governments in

improving performance and

responsiveness. It will review formal

and informal efforts to educate citizens

about their civil rights and civic

responsibilities. Participants will meet

with representatives of local

government, business, and community

institutions to discuss current

cooperative efforts. Enforcement of laws

and the independence of the judiciary

will be examined in this project.

Corruption in American public service

and measures of redress will also be

reviewed. Lastly, foreign visitors will

have an opportunity to consider which

mechanisms observed in the U.S. might

be applicable in the visitors’ countries.

Title: U.S. Financial System.

Type: Multi-Regional (EnglishSpeaking).

Proposal Due Date: June 2, 1998.

Project Dates: September 10–October

1, 1998.

Contacts: Janet Beard.

Telephone: (202) 205–3058 FAX:

(202) 205–0792.

E-Mail Address: jbeard@usia.gov.

This project reviews the U.S. banking

and financial system, including industry

regulation, trends in domestic and

foreign investment, and the roles and

differences between different players in

the financial marketplace. Domestic and

international finance issues studied will

include changing global finance flows,

small community banking, project

finance, stock exchanges, and economic

trends analysis.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

Programs must maintain a nonpartisan character. Programs and awards

must conform to all Agency

requirements and guidelines.

Guidelines

USIA seeks proposals from non-profit

organizations for development and

implementation of professional

programs for USIA-sponsored

International Visitors to the U.S. who

will participate in three Multi-Regional

Group Projects (MRPs) and five Regional

projects (RPs). A separate proposal is

required for each project. Each project

will be focussed on a substantive theme.

More detailed descriptions of the MPRs

and RPs will be included in the

Solicitation Package under ‘‘Preliminary

Project Summaries’’.

Most projects will be 21 to 30 days in

length. Most projects begin in

Washington, DC, with an orientation

and overview of the issues and a central

examination of federal policies

regarding these issues. Well-paced

project itineraries include programs in

four or five communities. Project

itineraries will ideally include urban

and rural small communities in diverse

geographical and cultural regions of the

U.S., as appropriate to the project

theme. Projects should provide

opportunities for participants to

experience the diversity of American

society and culture. Depending on the

size and theme of the project, the

participants in Multi-Regional or

Regional group projects can be divided

into smaller sub-groups for

simultaneous visits to different

communities, with subsequent

opportunities for the visitors to share

their experiences with the full group

once it is reunited. Project may provide

opportunities for the visitors to share a

meal or similar experience (home
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 1997 / Notices 58773

hospitality) in the home of Americans of

diverse occupational, age, gender, and

ethnic groups. Some projects might

include an opportunity for an overnight

stay (home stay) in an American home.

The visitors may be provided

opportunities to address student, civic,

and professional groups on relaxed and

informal settings. For some projects,

‘‘shadowing’’ experiences with

American professional colleagues may

be proposed. As appropriate,

opportunities for site visits and handson experiences that are relevant to

project themes may be included.

Projects should also allow time for

participants to reflect on their

experiences and to share observations

with project colleagues. Visitors should

have opportunities to visit cultural and

tourist sites. Arrangements for

community visits must be made through

affiliates of the National Council for

International Visitors (NCIV). (The NCIV

is a national network of private citizen

organizations located in more than one

hundred U.S. communities, which

arrange local programs for International

Visitors). In cities where there is no

such council, the applicant organization

will arrange for coordination of local

programs.

The applicant should demonstrate the

potential to develop projects, as

described above, on a variety of program

themes. The applicant is expected to

have e-mail capability to consult with

USIA Program Officers, and access to

internet resources. USIA will provide

close coordination and guidance

through the duration of the award.

Visa Requirements

Participants in group projects will

travel on J–1 visas arranged by USIA.

Projects must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Please refer to program

specific guidelines in the Solicitation

Package for further details.

Tax Requirements

Administration of the projects must

be in compliance with reporting and

withholding regulations for federal,

state, and local taxes as applicable.

Applicant organizations should

demonstrate tax regulation adherence in

the proposal narrative and budget.

Budget

Applicant organizations are required

to submit a comprehensive line-item

administrative budget in accordance

with the instructions in the Solicitation

Package. A summary budget as well as

a detailed budget showing all

administrative costs is required.

Proposed staffing and costs associated

with staffing must be appropriate to the

requirements outline in the RFP and the

remaining portion of the Solicitation

Package.

The selected applicant will enter into

close consultation on budgetary matters

with the responsible USIA Program

Officer throughout the implementation

of projects, each one of which will have

a separate budget. Combined

administrative and indirect costs

proposed should be reasonable. Cost

sharing is encouraged.

The Agency Welcomes Proposals From

Organizations That Have Not Received

USIA Grants or Assistance Awards in

the Past

Agency requirements stipulate that

‘‘Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000.’’ It is not expected

that any of the projects in this

announcement will cost $60,000 or less.

It is, therefore, incumbent on

organizations to demonstrate four years

of successful experience to be eligible

for an assistance award.

Review Process

USIA 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. Eligible

proposals will be forwarded to panels of

USIA officers for advisory review. All

eligible proposals will be reviewed by

the E/V Program Officer, as well as one

or more of USIA’s geographic area

offices. Proposals may be reviewed by

the Office of the General Counsel or by

other Agency elements. Funding

decisions are at the discretion of the

USIA Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs. Final technical

authority for assistance awards (grants

or cooperative agreements) resides with

the USIA 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 program design:

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and be responsive

to requirements stated in the Request for

Proposals (RFP) and the 1998

Solicitation Package.

2. Program planning: A detailed and

relevant work plan should demonstrate

substantive intent and logistical

capacity. Agenda and plan should

adhere to the program overview and

guidelines.

3. Ability to achieve program

objectives: Proposals should clearly

demonstrate how the institution will

meet the goals of the International

Visitor Program.

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

projects should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate substantive support

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity.

Achievable and relevant features should

be cited in both program administration

(selection of resources, program venue

and program evaluation) and program

content (orientation and wrap-up

sessions, program meetings, resource

materials, and follow-up activities).

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the project’s goals.

7. Institution’s Record/Ability:

Proposals should demonstrate an

institutional record of successful

exchange programs, including

responsible fiscal management and full

compliance with all reporting

requirements for any past Agency grants

as determined by USIA’s Office of

Contracts. The Agency will consider the

past performance of prior recipients and

the potential of new applicants for

effective program administration. All

applicants must demonstrate a

minimum of four years in existence,

with proven project management ability

and demonstrated fiscal soundness and

accountability and a potential for

programming visitors from all

geographic regions of the world.

8. Cost-effectiveness: The

administrative and indirect cost

components of the proposal, including

salaries, should be kept as low as

possible.

9. Cost-sharing: Consideration will be

given to proposed cost-sharing through

other private sector support as well as

institutional direct funding

contributions.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any 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

budgets in accordance with the needs of
58774 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 210 / Thursday, October 30, 1997 / Notices

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: October 22, 1997.

Robert Earle,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–28563 Filed 10–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Summer Institute for Foreign Policy

Officials: The United States Today

ACTION: Notice—Request for Proposals

(RFP).

SUMMARY: The U.S. Information

Agency’s Branch for the Study of the

United States announces an open

competition for an assistance award

program entitled: ‘‘Summer Institute for

Foreign Policy Officials: The United

States Today.’’ Public and private nonprofit organizations meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to develop

and implement a three-week postgraduate level program designed for a

multinational group of 18 experienced

mid-level foreign affairs professionals.

The program is intended to provide

participants with a deeper

understanding of American life and

institutions through an examination of

contemporary political, economic,

social and cultural issues, with special

reference to domestic trends and issues

in American life and their relationship

to U.S. policies and actions in the

international arena. Tentative program

dates are any three week period between

May 15 and July 31, 1998.

USIA is seeking detailed proposals

from colleges, universities, consortia of

colleges and universities, and other notfor-profit academic organizations that

have an established reputation in a

scholarly discipline related to the

subject of the institute and that can

demonstrate expertise in conducting

post-graduate programs for foreign

educators. Applicant institutions must

have a minimum of four years

experience in conducting international

exchange programs. The project director

or one of the key program staff

responsible for the academic program

must have an advanced degree in a

relevant discipline. Staff escorts

traveling under the USIA cooperative

agreement must be U.S. citizens with

demonstrated qualifications for this

service.

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.’’

Programs and projects must conform

with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. USIA projects and programs

are subject to the availability of funds.

Announcement Name and Number:

All communications with USIA

concerning this announcement should

refer to the above title and reference

number E/AAS–98–04.

Deadline for Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C.

time on Friday, January 16, 1998. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked by the due

date but received at a later date. It is the

responsibility of each applicant to

ensure that proposal submissions arrive

by the deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

U.S. Information Agency, Office of

Academic Programs, Branch of the

Study of the United States, E/AAS—

Room 252, 301 4th Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20547, Attention:

William Bate, Telephone number: (202)

619–4557, Fax number: (202) 619–6790,

Internet address: wbate@usia.gov.

Please use the above information to

request a Solicitation Package

containing more detailed award criteria,

required application forms, and

standard guidelines for preparing

proposals (including specific

information on budget preparation).

Please specify USIA Program Officer

William Bate on all inquiries and

correspondence. Interested applicants

should read the complete Federal

Register announcement before

addressing inquiries to the office listed

above or submitting proposals. Once the

RFP deadline has passed, USIA staff

may not discuss this competition in any

way with applicants until after the

Bureau proposal review process has

been completed.

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.

Submissions

Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and 13 copies of

the complete application should be sent

to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/

AAS–98–04, Office of Grants

Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th

Street, 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.

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. Pub. L. 104–319

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