62116 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 1997 / Notices

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Edmund S. Muskie and Freedom

Support Act Graduate Fellowship

Programs Host Institution Competition

ACTION: Notice announcements.

SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of

funds, the Office of Academic Programs,

European Branch, of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces opportunities for regionally

and professionally accredited U.S.

institutions offering degree programs at

the master’s level in business

administration, education

administration, economics, journalism/

mass communications, law, library and

information science, public

administration, public health, and

public policy to host graduate students

from Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus,

Estonia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Krygystan,

Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and

Uzbekistan for one- to two-year degree

programs under the auspices of the 1998

Edmund S. Muskie and Freedom

Support Act Graduate Fellowship

Programs.

Application Information

The Edmund S. Muskie and Freedom

Support Act (FSA) Graduate Fellowship

Programs are comprised of one- to twoyear Master’s-level academic programs

and a three-month internship program.

Pending available funding, the 1998

Muskie and FSA Graduate Fellowship

Programs will be administered with

USIA through cooperative agreements

with the American Council of Teachers

of Russian/American Council for

Collaboration in Education and

Language Study (ACTR/ACCELS) and

the Open Society Institute (OSI). Under

these agreements ACTR and Soros/OSI

will be responsible for recruitment,

selection, academic placement, and

monitoring of Fellows. Interested

institutions should contact these

organizations for additional program

and application information:

For programs in Business

Administration, Economics, Library and

Information Science, Public

Administration, and Public Policy:

Susan Frarie, ACTR/ACCELS, 1776

Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 700,

Washington, DC 20036, Tel: (202) 833–

7522, Fax: (202) 833–7523, E-Mail:

frarie@actr.org.

For programs in Law, Education

Administration, Journalism/Mass

Communications, and Public Health:

Sofia Skindrud, Scholarships

Department, The Open Society Institute,

400 West 59th Street, New York, NY

10019, Tel: (212) 548–0600, Fax: (212)

548–4679, Email:

sskindrud@sorosny.org.

Current host institutions should

contact the above organizations for

renewal applications.

All organizations must be received at

the appropriate organization by 5 p.m.

Washington, D.C. time on Friday,

February 20, 1998. Faxed documents

will not be accepted at any time.

Documents postmarked by the due date

but received at a later date will not be

accepted.

Additional Information

Increases in program expenses with

reduced overall government funding for

exchange programs make cost sharing

arrangements with those institutions a

critical part of the Muskie and FSA

Graduate Fellowship Programs.

Preference will be given to institutions

that can provide cost-sharing toward

tuition, fees, and/or room and board

expenses. Cost-sharing may also be in

the form of other direct program and

participant costs.

The Edmund S. Muskie and Freedom

Support Act Graduate Fellowship

Programs are not intended as precursors

to doctoral studies in the United States.

At the end of their designated academic

and internship programs, Fellows are

required to return to their home

countries to fulfill the two-year home

residency requirement as specified in

the Exchange Visitor (J-Visa) regulations

and the Muskie and the FSA Graduate

Fellowship Programs Terms and

Conditions.

ACTR/ACCELS and OSI will not

approve the transfer of visa sponsorship

to universities or the extensions of visas

for the purpose of Ph.D. Programs,

extended practical training, or other

additional academic study. Universities

that do not comply with the policies of

the Muskie and FSA Graduate

Fellowship Programs and the J-Visa

regulations will be removed from the

pool of host institutions.

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 principal both in

programs 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 extend

deemed feasible.

* Please Note: Programs with Azerbaijan

are subject to restrictions of section 907 of

the Freedom Support Act: Employees of the

Government of Azerbaijan or any of its

instrumentalities are excluded from

participation, and no U.S. participant

overseas may work for the Government of

Azerbaijan or any of its instrumentalities. In

addition, the Government of Azerbaijan or

any of its instrumentalities will have no

control in the actual selection of participants.

Dated: November 14, 1997.

Robert L. Earle,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–30524 Filed 11–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Freedom Support Act Undergraduate

Program

ACTION: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of

funds, the Academic Exchanges

Division, European Programs Branch of

the United States Information Agency’s

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces an open competition

for an assistance award. Public and

private non-profit organizations meeting

the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to

develop a program to recruit in an open,

multinational competition and provide

225 to 250 students from the New

Independent States of the former Soviet

Union with full scholarships for one

year of non-degree, undergraduate study

at regionally and professionally

accredited two- and four-year

institutions throughout the United

States in the fields of agriculture,

business, computer science, criminal

justice studies, economics, education,

environmental management, EFL/TEFL,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 1997 / Notices 62117

journalism and mass communication,

library and information science,

political science, public health, and

sociology.

USIA anticipates awarding one grant

for this program. Should an applicant

organization wish to work with other

organizations in the implementation of

this program, USIA prefers that a

subcontract arrangement be developed.

USIA will entertain separately

submitted proposals for joint program

management, and the proposals must

demonstrate a value-added relationship,

and must clearly delineate

responsibilities so as not to duplicate

efforts.

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 other countries of the

world.’’ The funding authority for the

program cited above is provided

through the Freedom Support Act.

Programs and projects must conform

with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. USIA programs 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/AEE–99–01.

Deadline for Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

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

on Friday, March 6, 1998. Faxed

documents will not be accepted at any

time. Documents postmarked by the due

date but received at a later date will not

be accepted. Grants should begin

October 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The

Academic Exchange Division, European

Programs Branch, E/AEE, Room 246,

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

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547,

telephone (202) 205–0525 and fax (202)

260–7985, treed@usia.gov to request a

Solicitation Package containing more

detailed information. 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: 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 USIA Program Officer

Jill Jarvi on all inquiries and

correspondences. Interested applicants

should read the complete Federal

Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting 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 nine copies of

the application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEE–99–01,

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 56 characters. USIA will

transmit these files electronically to

USIS posts overseas for their review,

with the goal of reducing the time it

takes to get posts’ comments for the

Agency’s grants review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy

Guidelines

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing

legislation, programs must maintain a

non-political character and should be

balanced and representive 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.

SUPPELEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

The purpose of the program is to

support the economic and democratic

development of the New Independent

States of the former Soviet Union

through exposing undergraduate

students from the NIS to key transition

fields and enhancing their academic

education with practical training and

involvement in a U.S. community.

Guidelines

Programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Please refer to program

specific guidelines (POGI) in the

Solicitation Package for further details.

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.

Dfafts of all printed materials

developed for this program should be

submitted to the Agency for review and

approval. All official documents should

highlight the U.S. government’s role as

program sponsor and funding source.

The USIA requests that it receive the

copyright use and be allowed to

distribute the material as it sees fit.

Proposed Budget

Organizations must submit a

comprehensive line item budget based

on the specific guidance in the

Solicitation Package. Awards may not

exceed $3.75 million, and preference

will be given to organizations whose

requested administrative and indirect

costs are below 20% of the total grant

award. Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000.

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

program. There must be a summary

budget as well as a breakdown reflecting
62118 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 224 / Thursday, November 20, 1997 / Notices

both the administrative budget and the

program budget. For further

clarification, applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity

in order to facilitate USIA decisions on

funding.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

(1) U.S.-based administrative costs.

(2) NIS-based administrative costs.

(3) Program costs.

(4) Start up recruitment costs for FY

2000.

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions.

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 program office, as well as the USIA

Office of and Eastern Europe and NIS

Affairs the USIA post overseas, where

appropriate. 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 Education

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. Program Development and

Management

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, innovation, and

relevance to Agency mission. Objectives

should be reasonable, feasible, and

flexible. Proposals should clearly

demonstrate how the organization will

meet the program’s objectives. A

detailed agenda and relevant work plan

should demonstrate substantive

undertakings and logistical capacity.

Agenda and plan should adhere to the

program overview and guidelines

described above.

2. Multiplier Effect/Impact

Proposed programs should strengthen

long-term mutual understanding,

including maximum sharing of

information and establishment of longterm institutional and individual

linkages. Proposals should also include

creative ways to involve students in

their U.S. communities.

3. Support of Diversity

Proposals should demonstrate the

recipient’s commitment to promoting

the awareness and understanding of

diversity, and should include a strategy

for achieving diverse applicant pools for

both students and host institutions.

4. 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 past Agency grants as

determined by USIA’s Office of

Contracts. The Agency will consider the

past performance of prior recipients and

the demonstrated potential of new

applicants. Proposed personnel and

institutional resources should be

adequate and appropriate to achieve the

program or project’s goals.

5. Follow-on and Alumni Activities

Proposals should provide a plan for

continued follow-on activity (without

USIA support) which insures that USIA

supported programs are not isolated

events.

6. Project Evaluation

Proposals should include a plan to

evaluate the program’s success, both

during and after the program. USIA

recommends that the proposal include a

draft survey questionnaire or other

technique, plus a description of

methodologies that can be used to link

outcomes to original project objectives.

Award-receiving organizations/

institutions will be expected to submit

intermediate reports after each project

component is concluded or quarterly,

whichever is less frequent.

7. Cost-Effectiveness and Cost Sharing

The overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including

salaries and honoraria, should be kept

as low as possible. All other items

should be necessary and appropriate.

Proposals should maximize 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

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.

Option for Renewals

Subject to the availability of funding

for FY 2000 and FY 2001, and the

satisfactory performance of grant

programs, USIA may invite grantee

organizations to submit proposals for

renewals of awards.

Dated: November 14, 1997.

Robert L. Earle,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–30523 Filed 11–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

NIS College and University

Partnerships Program

ACTION: 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 from

the New Independent States in specified

fields.

Proposed projects must be eligible in

terms of countries/localities and

disciplines 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