[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 194 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59490-59493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25372]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3427]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Fulbright American 
Studies Institutes for Foreign University Faculty

NOTICE: Request for Proposals (RFP).

SUMMARY: The Study of the U.S. Branch, Office of Academic Exchange 
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces an open 
competition for four (4) assistance awards. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 
26 CFR 1.501(C) may apply to develop and implement one of the following 
four post-graduate level American Studies programs designed for 
multinational groups of 18 to 30 experienced foreign university faculty 
and educators:
    1. The Civilization of the United States--An Introduction
    2. U.S. Foreign Policy: Foundations and Formulation
    3. The U.S. Constitution: Origins, Evolution and Contemporary 
Issues
    4. American Studies for Foreign Secondary School Educators
    These programs are intended to provide participants with a deeper 
understanding of American life and institutions, past and present, in 
order to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching 
about the United States at universities abroad.
    Programs are six weeks in length and will be conducted during the 
Summer of 2001.
    The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals from colleges, 
universities, consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-
for-profit academic organizations that have an established reputation 
in one or more of the following fields: political science, 
international relations, law, history, sociology, literature, American 
studies, and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the 
program theme.
    Applicant institutions must demonstrate expertise in conducting 
post-graduate programs for foreign educators, and must have a minimum 
of four years experience in conducting international exchange programs.

[[Page 59491]]

Bureau guidelines stipulate that grants to organizations with less than 
four years experience in conducting international exchanges are limited 
to $60,000. As it is expected that the budget for these programs will 
exceed $60,000, organizations that can not demonstrate at least four 
years experience will not be eligible to apply under this competition.
    The project director or one of the key program staff responsible 
for the academic program must have an advanced degree in one of the 
fields listed above. Staff escorts traveling under the cooperative 
agreement must have demonstrated qualifications for this service. 
Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines outlined 
in the Solicitation Package. Bureau programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview and Objectives: The ``Fulbright American Studies 
Institutes'' are intended to offer foreign scholars and teachers whose 
professional work focuses on the United States the opportunity to 
deepen their understanding of American institutions and culture. Their 
ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of 
teaching about the U.S. in universities abroad.
    Programs should be six weeks in length and must include an academic 
residency segment of at least four weeks duration at a U.S. college or 
university campus (or other appropriate location). A study tour segment 
of not more than two weeks should also be planned and should directly 
complement the academic residency segment; the study tour should 
include visits to one or two additional regions of the United States.
    All institutes should be designed as intensive, academically 
rigorous seminars intended for an experienced group of fellow scholars 
from outside the United States. The institutes should be organized 
through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar 
discussions, regional travel, site visits, and they should also include 
some opportunity for limited but well-directed independent research.
    Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs 
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources 
of their institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized 
expertise of scholars and other experts throughout the United States. 
Within the limits of the program's thematic focus and organizing 
framework, proposals should also be designed to:
    A. Provide participants with a survey of contemporary scholarship 
within the institute's governing academic discipline, delineating the 
current scholarly debate within the field. In this regard, the seminar 
should indicate how prevailing academic practice in the discipline 
represents both a continuation of and a departure from past scholarly 
trends and practices. A variety of scholarly viewpoints should be 
included;
    B. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary focus to bear 
on the program content when appropriate;
    C. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and 
institutions that includes a broad and balanced range of perspectives. 
Programs should include the views not only of scholars, cultural 
critics and public intellectuals, but also those of other professionals 
outside the university such as government officials, journalists and 
others who can substantively contribute to the topics at issue; and,
    D. Insure access to library and material resources that will enable 
grantees to continue their research, study and curriculum development 
upon returning to their home institutions.

Program Description

1. The Civilization of the United States--An Introduction

    This institute is intended for foreign university faculty who are 
attempting to develop and introduce courses on the United States at 
their home institutions. Its main purpose is therefore to introduce 
grantees to the major disciplines that either singly or in combination 
are likely to constitute an American studies curriculum in a foreign 
university. Accordingly, the Institute should be designed as a foreign 
area studies program on the United States. During the four-week 
residency segment, the program should offer participants a highly 
selective yet integrated introduction to the major themes--historical, 
political, literary and cultural--that scholars abroad would want to 
present to their students in a comprehensive course on U.S. 
civilization. A variety of teaching methodologies and media should be 
employed. During the study tour, the group will be expected to visit 
and consult with faculty from universities with recognized foreign area 
studies programs in order to explore various models of foreign area 
studies scholarship and teaching in the United States.

2. U.S. Foreign Policy: Foundations and Formulation

    This Institute should examine the domestic institutional 
foundations--political, social, economic and cultural--of U.S. foreign 
policy with particular attention to the Post-Cold War era. Principal 
themes, critical policy debates, and contemporary issues in U.S. 
foreign policy should be examined in light of the history of U.S. 
international relations since World War II and within the larger 
framework of U.S. diplomatic history as a whole. An overarching goal of 
the program is to illuminate the relationships between U.S. policies 
and the political, social and economic forces in the United States that 
make up the domestic institutional context in which such policies are 
debated, formulated and executed. The program should be structured to 
give attention to U.S. policy both globally and in particular 
geographic areas.

3. The U.S. Constitution: Origins, Evolution, and Contemporary Issues

    This institute should examine the U.S. Constitution in terms of its 
origins, its historical evolution and its significance in contemporary 
American life. The program should explore the Constitution's 
foundations, examine its fundamental political principles (e.g. 
federalism, republicanism, checks and balances, separation of powers), 
trace its political evolution over time, and explore current 
Constitutional issues in the United States in both their present and 
historical context. Throughout the program, consideration should be 
given to how the Constitution has served as a defining text through 
which the central values and institutions of American society have been 
defined and redefined throughout American history.

4. American Studies for Foreign Secondary School Educators

    This Fulbright American Studies Institute should provide a 
multinational group of up to 30 experienced foreign secondary school 
educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values 
and institutions, past and present. The institute should be organized 
around a central theme or themes in U.S. civilization and should have a 
strong contemporary component. Through a combination of traditional, 
multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, the strongest 
proposals will be imaginatively integrated in such a way that the 
history and evolution of U.S. institutions will illuminate the 
contemporary political, social, and economic debates in U.S. society, 
thus

[[Page 59492]]

providing insights into the nature of U.S. values, broadly defined. The 
program's ultimate goal is to promote the development and improvement 
of courses and teaching about the U.S. at secondary schools and teacher 
training institutions abroad.
    Program Dates: Ideally, the programs should be 44 days in length 
(including participant arrival and departure days), and should begin in 
mid to late June, 2001. However, the Bureau is willing to consider 
other program dates, based on the needs of the host institution.
    Participants: As specified in the guidelines in the solicitation 
package, programs should be designed for groups of either 18 or 30 
highly-motivated and experienced foreign university faculty and teacher 
trainers who are interested in participating in an intensive seminar on 
aspects of U.S. civilization as a means to develop or improve courses 
and teaching about the United States at their home institutions. Most 
participants can be expected to come from educational institutions 
where the study of the U.S. is relatively well-developed. Thus, while 
they may not have in-depth knowledge of the particular institute 
program theme, most will have had some experience in teaching about the 
United States. Many will have had sustained professional contact with 
American scholars and American scholarship, and some may have had 
substantial prior experience studying in the U.S. Participants will be 
drawn from all regions of the world and will be fluent in English.
    Participants will be nominated by Fulbright Commissions and by U.S. 
Embassies abroad. Nominations will be reviewed by the Study of the U.S. 
Branch. Final selection of grantees will be made by the Fulbright 
Scholarship Board.
    Program Guidelines: While the conception and structure of the 
institute program is the responsibility of the organizers, it is 
critically important that proposals provide a full, detailed and 
comprehensive narrative describing the objectives of the institute; the 
title, scope and content of each session; and, how each session relates 
to the overall institute theme. The syllabus must therefore indicate 
the subject matter for each lecture or panel discussion, confirm or 
provisionally identify proposed lecturers and discussants, and clearly 
show how assigned readings will support each session. A calendar of all 
activities for the program must also be included. Overall, proposals 
will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, 
and attention to detail.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package for further details on program design and 
implementation, as well as additional information on all other 
requirements.
    Budget Guidelines: Based on groups of 18 participants, the total 
Bureau-funded budget (program and administrative) for programs one, two 
and three above should be approximately $176,000, and Bureau-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should not exceed $53,000. Based on a group of 30 
participants, the total Bureau-funded budget (program and 
administrative) for program four above should be approximately 
$245,000, and Bureau-funded administrative costs as defined in the 
budget details section of the solicitation package should not exceed 
$56,000. Justifications for any costs above these amounts must be 
clearly indicated in the proposal submission. Proposals should try to 
maximize cost-sharing in all facets of the program and to stimulate 
U.S. private sector, including foundation and corporate, support. 
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire program. 
The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal 
budgets in accordance with the needs of the program, and availability 
of U.S. government funding.
    Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for 
complete institute budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Name and Number: All communications with the Bureau 
concerning this announcement should refer to the following titles and 
reference numbers:
    1. The Civilization of the United States--An Introduction (ECA/A/E/
USS-01-01-Dardeli)
    2. U.S. Foreign Policy: Foundations and Formulation (ECA/A/E/USS-
01-02-Taylor)
    3. The U.S. Constitution: Origins, Evolution, and Contemporary 
Issues (ECA/A/E/USS-01-03-Bate)
    4. American Studies for Foreign Secondary School Educators (ECA/A/
E/USS-01-04-Emerson)
    For Further Information: To request a Solicitation Package 
containing more detailed award criteria, required application forms, 
specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal 
preparation, applicants should contact:
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Study of the U.S. Branch, State 
Annex 44, ECA/A/E/USS--Room 252, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20547, Attention: Richard Taylor; Telephone number: (202) 619-4557; Fax 
number: (202) 619-6790; Internet address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#344640554d585b467444501a47405540511a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cdbfb9acb4a1a2bf8dbda9e3beb9acb9a8e3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Please specify Senior Program Officer Richard Taylor on all 
inquiries and correspondence. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before addressing inquiries to 
the office listed above or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP 
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition in 
any way with applicants until after the proposal review process has 
been completed.
    To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet:
    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's 
website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfps/. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C. 
time on Wednesday, January 10, 2001. Faxed documents will NOT be 
accepted, nor will documents postmarked January 10, 2001 but received 
at a later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure 
that proposal submissions arrive by the deadline.
    Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the 
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete 
application should be sent to:
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Reference: (insert appropriate reference number from above, e.g. ECA/A/
E/USS-00-xx-xxxxxx), Program Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, 
State Annex 44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Applicants should 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

[[Page 59493]]

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. Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs 
of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not 
fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take 
appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such 
programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.'' 
Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of the countries 
described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection 
process. Proposals should reflect advancement of this goal in their 
program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
    Review Process: The Bureau 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. All eligible proposals 
will be reviewed by the program office. Eligible proposals will then be 
forwarded to panels of senior Bureau officers for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by 
other Bureau elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and 
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards 
(grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants 
Officer.
    Review Criteria: Technically eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. 
Particular weight will be given to items one and two, and all remaining 
criteria will be evaluated equally.
    1. Overall Quality: Proposals should exhibit originality and 
substance, consonant with the highest standards of American teaching 
and scholarship. Program design should reflect the main currents as 
well as the debates within the subject discipline of each institute. 
Program elements should be coherently and thoughtfully integrated. 
Lectures, panels, field visits and readings, taken as a whole, should 
offer a balanced presentation of issues, reflecting both the continuity 
of the American experience as well as the diversity and dynamism 
inherent in it.
    2. Program Planning and Administration: Proposals should 
demonstrate careful planning. The organization and structure of the 
institute should be clearly delineated and be fully responsive to all 
program objectives. A program syllabus (noting specific sessions and 
topical readings supporting each academic unit) should be included, as 
should a calendar of activities. The travel component should not simply 
be a tour, but should be an integral and substantive part of the 
program, reinforcing and complementing the academic segment. Proposals 
should provide evidence of continuous administrative and managerial 
capacity as well as the means by which program activities and 
logistical matters will be implemented.
    3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel, including faculty 
and administrative staff as well as outside presenters, should be fully 
qualified to achieve the project's goals. Library and meeting 
facilities, housing, meals, transportation and other logistical 
arrangements should fully meet the needs of the participants.
    4. Support for Diversity: Substantive support of the bureau's 
policy on diversity should be demonstrated. This can be accomplished 
through documentation, such as a written statement, summarizing past 
and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of 
diversity within the organization and its activities. Program 
activities that address this issue should be highlighted.
    5. Experience: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record 
of successful exchange program activity, indicating the experience that 
the organization and its professional staff have had in working with 
foreign educators.
    6. Evaluation and Follow-up: A plan for evaluating activities 
during the Institute and at its conclusion should be included. 
Proposals should discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned 
grantees as a means of establishing longer-term individual and 
institutional linkages.
    7. Cost Effectiveness: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through direct institutional contributions, in-kind support, and other 
private sector support. Overhead and administrative components, 
including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible.

    Authority:  Overall grant making authority for this program is 
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 
1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the 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.''

    Notice: The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding 
and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory 
information provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language 
will not be binding. Issuance of this RFP does not constitute an award 
commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right 
to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the 
needs of the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be 
subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
    Notification: Final awards cannot be made until funds have been 
appropriated by Congress, and allocated and committed through internal 
Bureau procedures.

    Dated: September 27, 2000.
Helena Kane Finn,
Prinicpal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-25372 Filed 10-4-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P


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