9018 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 1997 / Notices

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program or project’s goals.

The narrative should demonstrate

proven ability to handle logistics.

Proposal should reflect the institution’s

expertise in the subject area and

knowledge of the country.

6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-up activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIA

supported programs are not isolated

events.

7. Project Evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan and methodology

to evaluate the project’s success, both as

the activities unfold and at the end of

the program. USIA recommends that the

proposal include a draft survey

questionnaire and/or plan for use of

another measurement technique (such

as a focus group) to link outcomes to

original project objectives. Awardreceiving organizations/institutions will

be expected to submit intermediate

reports after each project component is

concluded or quarterly, whichever is

less frequent.

8. Cost-effectiveness/cost sharing: The

overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including

salaries, honoraria, and subcontracts for

services, 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.

Dated: February 24, 1997.

Dell Pendergrast,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–4845 Filed 2–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

Summer Institute for EFL Educators

From Francophone and Lusophone

Sub-Saharan Africa

ACTION: Notice; Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs, Academic Exchanges

Division, Africa Branch of the United

States Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award. Accredited, postsecondary educational institutions

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)–1 may

apply to develop a Summer Institute for

English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL)

Educators from Francophone and

Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The

Summer Institute will provide a sixweek academic training/development

program in English-as-a-ForeignLanguage for 16 teacher trainers/

educators and supervisors/inspectors of

secondary schools selected from sixteen

French and Portuguese-speaking

countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

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.

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 TITLE AND NUMBER: All

communications with USIA concerning

this announcement should refer to the

above title and reference number E/

AEA–97–02.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time

on Thursday, April 3, 1997. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked April 3,

1997, but received at a later date. It is

the responsibility of each applicant to

ensure that proposals are received by

the above deadline.

The Summer Institute for EFL

Educators should be programmed to

encompass about 45 days and should

begin between June 15, 1997, and July

13, 1997, depending on the host

institution’s academic calendar. No

funds may be expended until a grant

agreement is signed with USIA’s Office

of Contracts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Office of Academic Programs, Academic

Exchanges Division, Africa Branch (E/

AEA), Ann J. Martin, Program Officer,

Room 232, U.S. Information Agency,

301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC

20547, phone: 202– 619–5371, fax: 202–

619–6137, or e-mail: amartin@usia.gov

to request a Solicitation Package

containing more detailed award criteria,

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 the

information provided before

downloading.

TO RECEIVE A SOLICITATION PACKAGE BY

FAX: The entire solicitation package may

be requested via the Bureau’s Grants

Information ‘‘Fax on Demand’’ System

which is accessed by calling 202/401–

7616. The ‘Table of Contents’ containing

document order numbers should be the

first document requested.

Please specify USIA Program Officer

Ann J. Martin on all inquiries and

correspondence. 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 7 copies of

the application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/AEA–97–

02, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 1997 / Notices 9019

Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20547.

DIVERSITY 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, socio-economic

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Overview

The Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs of the United States

Information Agency (USIA) solicits

proposals for a Summer Institute for

English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL)

Educators from Francophone and

Lusophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The

Summer Institute will provide a sixweek academic training/development

program in English-as-a-ForeignLanguage, incorporating a U.S. cultural

and educational experience, for 16

teacher trainers/educators and

supervisors/inspectors of secondary

schools selected from sixteen French

and Portuguese-speaking countries of

Sub-Saharan Africa. Subject to

availability of funds, one grant will be

awarded to conduct the 1997 Institute.

USIA asks for detailed proposals from

U.S. institutions of higher education

which have an acknowledged reputation

in the field of training teachers of

English-as-a-foreign-language, special

expertise in handling cross-cultural

programs, and experience with

educational systems in Sub-Saharan

Africa and African educators.

Note: Applicant organizations should

demonstrate a proven record (at least four

years) of experience in international

exchange.

The general objective in the Institute

is to support and encourage the

upgrading of the teaching of English at

secondary school level in French and

Portuguese-speaking African countries.

The specific objectives of the 1997

Institute are to develop skills of training,

supervising, and evaluating teachers of

EFL; to explore ways to introduce and/

or adapt current EFL teaching methods

and materials to local conditions in

African countries, and to foster

leadership capabilities.

Guidelines

The proposal should be designed to

support the following specific activities:

(a) A five-week academic program

with emphasis on developing the

capacities of teacher trainers/educators

and supervisors/inspectors to train,

supervise, and evaluate teachers of EFL;

to introduce and/or adapt current EFL

teaching methods and materials to local

conditions in African countries; and to

assume leadership roles in their

national EFL education systems.

Detailed academic objectives are set

forth in the Solicitation Package.

(b) Cultural activities facilitating

interaction among the African

participants, American students,

faculty, and administrators and the local

community to promote mutual

understanding between the people of

the United States and the people of

African countries, planned with the

five-week academic program.

(c) A one-week, escorted, cultural and

educational tour of Washington, D.C.,

complementing and reinforcing the

academic material.

(d) Follow-on communication among

participants and the U.S. institution to

continue exchanges of ideas developed

during the Institute.

(e) Assistance to participants to select,

purchase and ship EFL materials, to use

in follow-on activities and training

projects in their home countries.

Participants will be selected by USIA,

based on nominations from USIA offices

overseas. Minimum qualifications for all

participants will be the equivalent of

BA/BS degrees from their national

education systems. Participants will

enter the United States on J-visas, using

IAP–66 forms issued by USIA offices in

the home country.

The U.S. institution should plan to

conduct an initial needs assessment of

participants and should be prepared to

adjust program emphasis as necessary to

respond to participants’ concerns for

EFL education. Specific areas to address

in the five-week academic program

follow:

1. New/current EFL teaching

methodologies and approaches (theory

and practice).

2. Comprehensive coverage of

classroom pedagogical issues and

classroom management skills (including

special focus on large classes).

3. Teacher observation and evaluation

practices.

4. Designing and conducting inservice training programs and

workshops for teachers.

5. Leadership training.

6. The introduction and/or adaptation

of existing EFL materials to local

conditions in African countries and

general materials development

procedures.

7. Development of local/regional

professional EFL associations.

8. Introduction to Internet (WWW and

e-mail) for professional networking and

development.

Few participants will have visited the

United States previously. In view of

this, an initial orientation to the host

institution community and an

introduction to U.S. society and system

of education should be considered an

integral part of the Institute.

Management of the academic

program, the cultural tour and on-site

arrangements will be the responsibility

of the Institute grantee. The host

institution is responsible for

arrangements for lodging, food,

maintenance and local travel for

participants while at the host institution

and in Washington. USIA will arrange

participants’ international travel. USIA

will provide the host institution with

participants’ curricula vitae and travel

itineraries and will be available to offer

guidance throughout the Institute.

Proposed Budget

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive line-item budget for the

entire program. There must be a

summary budget as well as a breakdown reflecting both the administrative

budget and the program budget. For

better understanding or further

clarification, applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity

in order to facilitate USIA decisions on

funding. The cost to USIA for the

Summer Institute for EFL Educators

from Francophone and Lusophone

Africa should not exceed $95,000.

Grants awarded to eligible organizations

with less than four years of experience

in conducting international exchange

programs will be limited to $60,000.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

(1) Instructional costs (for example:

instructors’ salaries, honoraria for

outside speakers, educational course

materials);

(2) Lodging, meals, and incidentals for

participants;

(3) Expenses associated with cultural

activities planned for the group of

participants (for example: tickets,

transportation);

(4) Administrative costs as necessary.

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing

through private sector support as well as

institutional direct funding

contributions.
9020 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 1997 / Notices

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 African Affairs and 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 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 the program idea:

Proposal should exhibit quality, rigor,

and appropriateness of proposed

syllabus to the academic objectives of

the Institute. Proposal should

demonstrate effective use of community

and regional resources to enhance the

cultural and educational experiences of

participants.

2. Program planning: Relevant work

plan and detailed calendar should

demonstrate substantive undertakings

and logistical capacity. Plan and

calendar should adhere to the program

overview and guidelines described

above.

3. Institutional capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve a substantive academic EFL

program and effective cross-cultural

communication with African

participants. Proposals should show

evidence of strong on-site

administrative capabilities with specific

discussion of how logistical

arrangements will be undertaken.

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

program should contribute to long-term,

mutual understanding and sharing of

information about Africa among

Americans, as well as to the

understanding and knowledge of the

U.S. among the African participants.

5. Support of diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate the recipient’s

commitment to promoting the

awareness and understanding of

diversity. Program administrators

should strive for diversity among

Institute staff, university students, and

the host community who interact with

participants.

6. Ability to achieve program

objectives: Teaching objectives should

be reasonable, feasible, and flexible.

Proposals should clearly demonstrate

how the institution will meet the

program’s objectives and plan.

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 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.

8. Follow-on activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-on activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIA

supported programs are not isolated

events.

9. Project evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

Summer Institute’s success, both as the

activities unfold and at the end of the

program.

10. Cost-effectiveness: 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.

11. Cost-sharing: 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.

Dated: February 24, 1997.

Dell Pendergrast,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–4846 Filed 2–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Veterans’ Advisory Committee on

Rehabilitation; Notice of Availability of

Annual Report

Under Section 10(b) and Section 13 of

Public Law 92–463 (Federal Advisory

Committee Act), notice is hereby given

that the Veterans’ Advisory Committee

on Rehabilitation Annual report for

Fiscal Year 1995 has been issued.

The report summarizes activities of

the Group relative to VA’s rehabilitation

program. It is available for inspection at

two locations:

Federal Documents Section, Exchange

and Gift Division, LM 632, Library of

Congress, Washington, DC 20540

and

Department of Veterans Affairs,

Vocational Rehabilitation and

Counseling Service (28), 1800 G St.

N.W., Room 501, Washington, DC

20420

Dated February 19, 1997.

By Direction of the Secretary.

Heyward Bannister,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–4827 Filed 2–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M

VA Innovations in Nursing Advisory

Committee; Notice of Meeting

As required by section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

hereby gives notice that the second

meeting of the VA Innovations in

Nursing Advisory Committee will be

held March 3–4, 1997, in Room C7 at

VA Headquarters, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW, Washington, DC. The March 3,

1997, session will convene at 9:00 a.m.

and adjourn at 4:30 p.m. The March 4,

1997, session will convene at 8:00 a.m.

and adjourn at 3:00 p.m.

The purpose of the committee is to

study and formulate recommendations

to the Under Secretary for Health on

how VA can generally promote and

support health care innovations in

which nurses play key leadership and

clinical roles and which promote VHA’s

reengineering efforts.