59490 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 194 / Thursday, October 5, 2000 / Notices

7 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

8 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).

9 Id.

10 Id.

11 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).

12See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 43285

(September 12, 2000), 65 FR 56972 (September 20,

2000) (order approving CBOE Rule 6.8A, File No.

SR–CBOE–00–01).

13See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 43285

(September 12, 2000), 65 FR 56972 (September 20,

2000) (order approving CBOE Rule 6.8A, File No.

SR–CBOE–00–01) and Securities Exchange Act

Release No. 42455 (February 24, 2000), 65 FR 11401

(March 2, 2000) (order approving International

Stock Exchange LLC Rule 717(f)).

14 15 U.S.C. 78s(b).

15For purposes only of accelerating the operative

date of this proposal, the Commission has

considered its impact on efficiency, competition,

and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).

16 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

III. Date of Effectiveness of the

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for

Commission Action

The foregoing rule change has become

effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)

of the Act 7 and Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 8

thereunder because the proposal: (1)

Does not significantly affect the

protection of investors or the public

interest; (2) does not impose any

significant burden on competition; and

(3) does not become operative prior to

30 days after the date of filing or such

shorter time as the Commission may

designate if consistent with the

protection of investors and the public

interest. In addition, the Exchange

provided the Commission with written

notice of its intent to file the proposed

rule change, along with a brief

description and text of the proposed

rule change, at least five business days

prior to the date of filing the proposed

rule change as required by Rule 19b–

4(f)(6).9

A proposed rule change filed under

Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 10 normally does not

become operative prior to 30 days after

the date of filing. Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii),11

however, permits the Commission to

designate such shorter time if such

action is consistent with the protection

of investors and the public interest. The

Exchange has requested that the

Commission designate such shorter time

period so that the proposed rule change

may become operative immediately

upon filing. The immediate

effectiveness would allow the Exchange

to promptly implement the rule change

concurrently with new Chicago Board

Options Exchange to promptly

implement the rule change concurrently

with new Chicago Board Options

Exchange, Inc. (‘‘CBOE’’) Rule 6.8A.

CBOE Rule 6.8A restricts the entry of

certain options orders that are created

and communicated electronically,

without manual input, into the CBOE’s

Order Routing System.12

The Commission, consistent with the

protection of investors and the public

interest, has determined to make the

proposed rule change operative

immediately upon filing for the

following reasons. Specifically, the

Commission previously approved

similar proposals by two other

exchanges.13 The Commission notes

that the proposed rule change concerns

issues that have previously been the

subject of a full comment period

pursuant to Section 19(b) of the Act,14

and the Commission does not believe

that the proposed rule change raises any

new regulatory issues.

Based on the above reasons, the

Commission believes it is consistent

with the protection of investors and the

public interest that the proposed rule

change become operative immediately

upon the date of filing, September 15,

2000. At any time within 60 days of the

filing of such proposed rule change, the

Commission may summarily abrogate

such rule change if it appears to the

Commission that such action is

necessary or appropriate in the public

interest, for the protection of investors

or otherwise in furtherance of the

purposes of the Act.15

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments concerning the foregoing,

including whether the proposed rule

change is consistent with the Act.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20549–0609. Copies of

the submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld from the

public in accordance with the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be

available for inspection and copying at

the Commission’s Public Reference

Room. Copies of such filing will also be

available for inspection and copying at

the principal office of the Exchange. All

submissions should refer to File No.

SR–Phlx–00–79 and should be

submitted by October 26, 2000.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.16

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–25593 Filed 10–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

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 subdisciplines 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.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 194 / Thursday, October 5, 2000 / Notices 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 welldirected 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 multidisciplinary focus to bear on the

program content when appropriate;

C. Give participants a multidimensional 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

59492 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 194 / Thursday, October 5, 2000 / Notices

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 welldeveloped. 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 Bureaufunded budget (program and

administrative) for programs one, two

and three above should be

approximately $176,000, and Bureaufunded 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 Bureaufunded 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 costsharing 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:

rtaylor@pd.state.gov.

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

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 194 / Thursday, October 5, 2000 / Notices 59493

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,’’ 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 ongoing 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, inkind 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

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3429]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs Request for Proposals: Future

Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Disability

Reentry Workshops

ACTION: Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen

Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of

the Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces an open competition

for the FLEX Disability Reentry

Workshops. Public and private nonprofit organizations meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals

for the conduct of special year-end

reentry workshops for students with

disabilities participating, respectively,

in the 2000/01 and 2001/02 Future

Leaders Exchange (FLEX) programs.

Approximately 12–15 students will

participate each year (a total of 25–30).