63668 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Notices

excluding transfer payments between

the OASI and DI Trust Funds, and

reducing any transfers to the Railroad

Retirement Account by any transfers

from that account into either trust fund.

Ratio. The combined assets of the

OASI and DI Trust Funds at the

beginning of 2000 equaled $896,133

million, and we estimate the

expenditures in 2000 to be $416,120

million. Thus, the OASDI fund ratio for

2000 is 215.4 percent, which exceeds

the applicable threshold of 20.0 percent.

Therefore, the stabilizer provision does

not affect the benefit increase for

December 2000. Although the OASDI

fund ratio exceeds the 32.0-percent

threshold for potential ‘‘catch-up’’

benefit increases, the stabilizer

provision has not reduced any past

benefit increase. Thus, no ‘‘catch-up’’

benefit increase is required.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:

Program Nos. 96.001 Social SecurityDisability Insurance; 96.002 Social SecurityRetirement Insurance; 96.004 Social SecuritySurvivors Insurance; 96.006 Supplemental

Security Income)

Dated: October 18, 2000.

Kenneth S. Apfel,

Commissioner of Social Security.

[FR Doc. 00–27249 Filed 10–23–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3454]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs Request for Proposals;

Fulbright Student Program

NOTICE: Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs of the United States

Department of State’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for one

or more assistance award(s). Public and

private non-profit organizations meeting

the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit

proposals to provide administrative and

program services for the Fulbright

Student Program in Fiscal Year 2002.

Pursuant to its grants guidelines

established cooperatively with the

Congress, ‘‘The Bureau seeks to promote

competition and balance in its

discretionary grant-making and strives

to avoid exclusivity.’’ The Bureau is

competing the administrative functions

that support the Fulbright Student

Program for the first time in the fiftyfive year history of the Program.

Deadline for receipt of proposals is

February 1, 2001. The cooperative

agreement(s) will begin o/a October 1,

2001, pending appropriation of funds.

Program Information

Overview: The Fulbright Program was

created by the U.S. Congress at the end

of World War II to exchange U.S. and

foreign students, scholars and teachers,

providing them with the opportunity to

experience firsthand the political,

economic and cultural institutions and

societies in each other’s countries. In

the intervening years, the Fulbright

Program has evolved into the premier

educational exchange program

sponsored by the people of the United

States through their federal government,

and thus an important element in the

conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. The

Fulbright Program, which now extends

to approximately 140 foreign countries

and involves 5,000 participants overall

every year, has helped to form and

inform tens of thousands of the world’s

leaders in every academic and

professional field. The student portion

of the Fulbright Program will engage

approximately 875 U.S. and 2,700

foreign students in FY 2002.

The hallmark of the Fulbright

Program is binationalism. The United

States and foreign governments,

educational and other public and

private institutions are all partners in

this exchange. In many countries of the

world, financial contributions from

governments or public/private sources

match or exceed those of the United

States. Because of its binational nature,

the profile of the Fulbright Program

worldwide reflects a range of objectives

and interests.

The Fulbright Program’s grant-making

authority 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 Fulbright Program is

funded through annual Congressional

appropriations to the Department of

State and receives significant financial

support from partner governments and

private donors worldwide.

Fulbright Student Program

For more than fifty-five years, the

Fulbright Student Program has offered

grants to college and university

graduates as well as to creative artists to

study and conduct research abroad and

in the United States. In the creative and

performing arts, applicants must have

completed four years of professional

study and/or experience. Tens of

thousands of U.S. and foreign students

have participated in the program since

its inception. In FY 2002, the Fulbright

Student Program will send abroad

approximately 875 U.S. students and

artists to study and conduct research

and will bring to this country

approximately 1,500 new foreign

students for similar activities.

Additionally, in FY 2002, the grants to

1,200 foreign students from prior years

will be renewed. Applicants for this

award(s) should submit program

proposals and budget projections for

new students only. Prior year grants will

be administered by the organizations

currently administering the program.

Responsibility for the management of

the Fulbright Student Program is

currently shared among the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs of the

U.S. Department of State in Washington,

bilateral Fulbright Commissions in 51

countries and public affairs sections of

U.S. embassies overseas, and

cooperating private sector agencies in

the United States. Overall policy

guidelines for all Fulbright programs are

determined by the Presidentiallyappointed J. William Fulbright Foreign

Scholarship Board (FSB).

Because the Fulbright Student

Program is both global and binational in

nature, its administration is

programmatically and administratively

complex. It must accommodate a variety

of circumstances in every geographic

region of the world and be responsive to

and supportive of many different

constituencies in the United States and

abroad, each with its own sets of goals

and concerns. The integrity of the

Program requires that it maintain the

highest and most consistent standards of

academic and professional quality in the

selection of candidates and

implementation of projects. While the

Program is active in some 140 countries,

it is important that it maintain a single

worldwide identity.

Under the FSB’s auspices, U.S.

citizens are awarded grants each year,

through a merit-based, competitive

process, to study and undertake

research at universities or research

institutions abroad. Grant opportunities

for U.S. students are determined

overseas by binational Fulbright

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Notices 63669

Commissions and U.S. embassies in

coordination with the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs in

Washington.

Similarly, foreign students receive

grants each year for study and

individual research in the U.S. Grantees

for this program are nominated through

open, merit-based competitions in each

participating country, conducted by a

binational Fulbright Commission or, in

the absence of a Commission, by U.S.

embassies.

Eligibility Guidelines

Public and private non-profit

organizations with at least four years of

experience in conducting international

exchange programs and meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to provide

administrative and program services for

the Fulbright Student Program in Fiscal

Year 2002.

Options

Organizations or consortia of

organizations may compete to

administer the entire world-wide

Fulbright Student Program, comprising

both the U.S. and foreign student

components.

Alternatively, single organizations or

consortia of organizations may compete

to administer the U.S. student program

and/or the foreign student program

based on the following guidelines:

For the U.S. Student Fulbright Program,

the Competition Is Open To

—single organizations or consortia of

organizations wishing to administer

the program worldwide.

For the Foreign Student Fulbright

Program, the Competition Is Open To

—single organizations or consortia of

organizations wishing to administer

the program worldwide or;

—single organizations wishing to

administer the foreign student

program for one or more regions of the

world. For the purpose of this

competition, regions are defined as

follows:

—Western Hemisphere [Latin America,

the Caribbean and Canada];

—Sub-Saharan Africa;

—Europe, [West, Central and East

Europe including Greece, Turkey and

Cyprus] ;

—North Africa and the Middle East;

—South Asia;

—Far East and Pacific.

Organizations may submit proposals

to administer the worldwide U.S.

student program and the foreign student

program in one or more regions. The

Bureau will not accept proposals to

administer the Foreign Student

Fulbright Program in a single country or

group of countries other than those in

the defined regions. A complete list of

countries and country programs in each

region is provided in the Project

Objectives, Goals and Implementation

(POGI) package.

At the present time, the Bureau does

not administer a Foreign Student

Fulbright Program for the Newly

Independent States.

Consortia wishing to administer the

worldwide Fulbright Student Program

(U.S. and foreign), the U.S. student

program or the worldwide foreign

student program should designate one

organization to be the recipient of the

cooperative agreement award.

Applications proposing administration

of the Program by a consortium should

provide a detailed description of

arrangements for cooperative work

among the partners and between the

partners and the U.S. and overseas

academic communities, bilateral

commissions and other entities

responsible for the Fulbright Program.

The Bureau reserves the right to

reduce, revise, or increase proposal

budgets in accordance with the needs of

the program and availability of funds. In

addition, it reserves the right to accept

proposals in whole or in part and make

an award or awards in accordance with

what serves the best interest of the

Fulbright Student Program. Awards

made will be subject to periodic

reporting and evaluation requirements.

Application Guidelines

The Bureau will work closely with the

recipient(s) of the cooperative

agreement award(s) and will maintain a

regular dialogue on administrative

issues and questions as they arise over

the duration of the award. Contingent

upon satisfactory performance based on

annual reviews, the Bureau intends to

renew the award(s) each year for a

period of not less than four additional

years. The Bureau reserves the right to

renew the award(s) beyond that period.

Depending on the Bureau’s final

decision on who will receive the

award(s), the recipient(s) of the

cooperative agreement award(s) will be

singly or jointly responsible, under

Bureau supervision, for the following

activities beginning October 1, 2001.

For U.S. Students

Program Planning and Management:

The award recipient(s) will be

responsible for recruitment of U.S.

students; tracking and monitoring of

grantees; maintenance of a data base on

grantees; administration of a central

fund used to augment the number of

graduating seniors and graduate

students taking part in the program;

preparation of statistical reports on

distribution of grants by region, degree

objective and source of funding.

Proposals should offer strategies for

recruitment of U.S. students and plans

to enhance the visibility of the program

and may include other innovative

activities.

Publicity and Applications: The

recipient(s) of the cooperative

agreement award will be responsible for

preparation and distribution of an

‘‘awards booklet’’ announcing grant

opportunities, application packets and

general program announcements, an

annual directory of student grantees and

flyers to publicize the program in the

U.S. Proposals should address written

and electronic communication,

professional networking and other

means, which will be used to enhance

recruitment efforts. Suggested

procedures should take into account the

Bureau’s plan to implement interactive

electronic applications to the fullest

possible extent. The award recipient(s)

will be responsible for establishing and

maintaining a website for the U.S.

student program with appropriate links

to the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs’ website and websites of

binational Fulbright commissions

overseas. Publicity and outreach efforts

should include emphasis on recruitment

of those groups currently under

represented in the Fulbright Program,

including people with disabilities and

racial and ethnic minorities.

Screening and Selection Process: The

recipient(s) of the cooperative

agreement award will provide

application forms and accept completed

applications, both written and

electronic, from U.S. program

applicants; provide appropriate

notification to applicants of their status

on an on-going basis; pre-screen for

eligibility all U.S. applicants; convene

review committees composed of area

and subject experts to screen U.S.

applications to determine which among

them will be recommended to U.S.

embassies and Fulbright Commissions

overseas and to the J. William Fulbright

Foreign Scholarship Board.

Post-Nomination Services: The award

recipient(s) will prepare letters for the J.

William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship

Board informing successful candidates

of their selection; prepare letters for all

candidates not selected or in alternate

status; prepare grant award packages for

candidates going to countries where the

program is administered by U.S.

embassies and to certain commission

countries; respond to queries from

grantees; prepare Congressional

63670 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Notices

notification letters for all U.S.

candidates awarded grants; assist with

pre-departure orientation for grantees

going to China, Africa, the NIS,

Southern Europe and the Baltics and

other countries as required; maintain

data on participants; prepare special

reports at the request of the Bureau;

review medical forms and identify

health problems; electronically enroll

some grantees in Bureau-provided

health insurance; monitor grantees and

provide grantee reports and analysis of

these reports to the Bureau; prepare

recognition certificates for all grantees;

and assist with emergencies.

Fiscal Management: The award

recipient(s) will manage payments of

grantee stipends; provide quarterly

reports on actual and projected

expenditures; provide statistical,

insurance, and other as hoc periodic

reports; and monitor and audit internal

functions and systems in accordance

with U.S. Government and Bureau

guidelines.

For Foreign Students

Program Planning and Management:

The award recipient(s) will be

responsible for placement of foreign

students at U.S. institutions (note that

some students are self-placed);

development of U.S. university support

in the form of tuition waivers or waivers

of other academic fees; reviewing and

making recommendations on grantee

allowances; maintaining data base on

grantee information, providing

estimated costs for grants including

tuition, meals and expenses, testing,

pre-academic programs, cultural

allowances and return travel; and

preparation of special reports on the

composition of the foreign student

applicant pool. Proposals should offer

strategies for placement and plans to

enhance the visibility of the foreign

student program and may include other

innovative activities. Organizations or

consortia should describe overseas

capacities to assist U.S. embassies and

Fulbright Commission with publicity,

recruitment and selection of candidates

for their foreign student program. These

organizations or consortia should also

address their regional, exchange or other

kinds of expertise which would

contribute to administration of the

program.

Selection: The award recipient(s) will

be responsible for preparation and

distribution of application materials and

selection guidelines to U.S. embassies

and Fulbright commissions; receipt and

review of applications; distributing

testing materials and arranging special

testing as necessary; and preparation of

grantee handbook and orientation

material.

English Language and Pre-Academic

Training: The award recipient(s) will be

responsible for designing criteria and

projecting costs for programs of English

language upgrading and disciplinespecific preparation for selected

Fulbright students as required for their

academic program of study; evaluating

credentials, placement and supervision

of students in these English language

and pre-academic programs; and

evaluating and monitoring programs.

Placement: The award recipient(s)

will maintain and develop resources to

ensure the best placement of students;

maintain contact with U.S. universities

and knowledge of universities’ current

capacities; specializations and

admission requirements; evaluate

applications to determine to which U.S.

universities they should be submitted;

submit applications to an adequate

number of institutions to ensure

appropriate placement; secure costsharing; receive application admissions

and rejections, analyze data and forward

recommendations to embassies/

commissions; and confirm placement at

U.S. institutions for self-placed grantees.

Supervision and Support: The award

recipient(s) will be responsible for

preparation of grant packages for

grantees from non-commission and

some commission countries; review of

medical forms; electronically enrolling

some grantees in Bureau-provided

health insurance; monitoring and

preparation of grantee reports;

verification, monitoring and

maintaining students’ correct visa

status; verifying grantee enrollment in

approved academic programs and

monitoring performance; reviewing

requests for renewal and extension of

grants; and assisting with emergency

situations.

Enrichment Activities: Each year, a

series of enrichment seminars is held for

foreign Fulbright students across the

U.S. It is the goal of the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs to

include all first-year foreign Fulbright

students in one of these seminars. The

goal of these seminars is to provide

participating foreign students with an

in-depth understanding of American

institutions, society and culture.

Organizations bidding to administer the

foreign student program in two or more

regions should demonstrate the capacity

to organize and manage at least six

substantive three-day regional seminars

annually.

Fiscal Management: The award

recipient(s) will manage grantee stipend

payments, including tax withholding for

foreign grantees from non-commission

and certain commission countries;

provide quarterly reports on actual and

projected expenditures; provide

statistical, insurance and other ad hoc

periodic reports; and monitor and audit

internal functions and systems in

accordance with U.S. Government and

Bureau guidelines.

Budget Guidelines

A comprehensive line item

administrative budget must be

submitted with the proposal. It is

anticipated that funding for the

cooperative agreement award(s) which

include program administration for all

new Fulbright students will be

approximately $7.5 million. In addition,

a program budget totaling

approximately $40 million for the global

Fulbright Student Program will be

transferred to the recipient(s) of the

award in quarterly installments.

Organizations/consortia submitting

proposals to administer the worldwide

U.S. student program and/or the foreign

student program should submit budgets

to support new students only. The

current cooperative agreement awardees

will continue to monitor and provide

support for FY 2001 and earlier

grantees.

Proposals must project a unit cost per

U.S. and foreign student for each world

region, provide a budget total by world

region and document the percentage of

time and cost per position for each staff

member working on the Fulbright

Student Program. Further budget

guidance is contained in the Project

Objective, Goals and Implementation

(POGI) document.

Organizations competing for all or

part of the Fulbright foreign student

program should refer to the POGI for

projected student caseloads for each

geographic area.

Announcement Title and Number

All communications with the Bureau

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S.

Department of State concerning this RFP

should refer to the announcement’s title

and reference number ECA/A/E–02–01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Dr.

Ellen S. Berelson, Office of Academic

Exchange Programs, ECA/A/E/AF,

Room 232, Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs, United States

Department of State, 301 4th Street,

SW., SA–44, Washington, DC 20547,

phone: (202) 619–5376, fax: (202) 619–

6137; E-mail: eberelson@pd.state.gov to

request a Solicitation Package,

containing more detailed information.

The package will include all required

application forms, standard guidelines

for preparing a proposal, including

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Notices 63671

specific criteria for preparation of the

proposal budget.

All inquiries about the Request for

Proposal or any aspect of the Fulbright

Student Program should be submitted in

writing to Dr. Berelson. Interested

applicants should read the complete

Federal Register announcement before

sending inquiries or submitting

proposals.

Any questions or requests for

information that applicants wish to

make to overseas Fulbright

Commissions or Public Affairs Sections

at U.S. embassies also should be

submitted in writing to Dr. Berelson for

transmission to those overseas offices.

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, U.S. Department of

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

on February 1, 2001. Faxed document

will not be accepted. Documents

postmarked with the due date but

received on a later date will not be

accepted. Each applicant must ensure

that the proposals are received by the

above deadline.

Applicants must follow all

instructions in the Solicitation Package.

The original and 15 copies of the

application should be sent to:

U.S. Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs,

Reference: ECA/A/E–01–02, Program

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 536, 301

4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.

Applicants must also submit the

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal on a

3.5′′ diskette, formatted for DOS. These

documents must be provided in ASCII

text (DOS) format with a maximum line

length of 65 characters. The Bureau may

transmit these files electronically to

American embassies for their review,

with the goal of reducing the time it

takes to receive field comments for the

Bureau’s grant 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 representative of the

diversity of American political, social,

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be

interpreted in the broadest sense and

encompass differences including, but

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status and physical

challenges. Applicants are strongly

encouraged to adhere to the

advancement of this principle both in

program administration and in program

content including recruitment and

placement of students and selection of

grantees for enrichment activities.

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

governments of the countries described

above do not have inappropriate

influence in the selection process.

Proposals should reflect advancement of

these goals in their proposal contents, to

the full extent deemed feasible.

Applicants should provide a diversity

plan indicating how their proposal will

serve to increase the number of U.S.

Fulbright student grantees from under

represented communities, as listed

above. In addition, the plan should

include ways the applicant will build

diversity into administrative and

programmatic aspects of the program—

in the composition of screening/review

committee members, in foreign student

grantee placement, through orientation,

enrichment and enhancement programs

for U.S. and foreign Fulbright students,

and in developing and implementing

website and other online resources. The

applicant may wish to designate a

‘‘diversity coordinator’’ among the

proposed program staff.

Review Process

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt

of all proposals and will review them

first for technical eligibility. Proposals

must conform to Bureau requirements

and guidelines outlined in the

Solicitation Package. Proposals will be

deemed ineligible if they do not fully

adhere to the guidelines established

herein and in the solicitation package.

Eligible proposals will undergo further

advisory professional review at the

Department of State which may include

the use of advisory external consultants.

Proposals may be reviewed by the Office

of the Legal Advisor or by other

Department elements. Final funding

decisions are at the discretion of the

Assistant Secretary of State for

Educational and Cultural Affairs. All

programs and activities are subject to

the availability of funds. Final technical

authority for assistance awards resides

with the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs grants division.

Review Criteria

Technically eligible applications will

be competitively reviewed according to

the criteria stated below. These criteria

are not rank-ordered.

1. Quality: Proposals should display

an understanding of and respect for the

goals and distinguished traditions of the

Fulbright Program, as reflected in the

requirements and priorities of this RFP.

Proposals should demonstrate a

commitment to excellence and

creativity in the implementation and

management of the program, including

the recruitment of students.

2. Program Planning: Proposals

should respond to the planning

requirements outlined in the RFP.

Planning should demonstrate

substantive rigor. A detailed agenda and

work plan, including a time line, should

demonstrate feasibility and the

applicant’s logistical capacity to

implement the Program.

3. Ability to Achieve Program

Objectives: Proposals should

demonstrate clearly how the applicant

will fulfill the Program’s objectives and

implement plans, while demonstrating

innovation and a commitment to

academic excellence. Proposals should

demonstrate a capacity for flexibility in

the management of the Program.

4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve Program goals. Applicants

should demonstrate established links to

institutions of higher education in the

U.S. and knowledge of the overseas

educational environment, particularly

an awareness of conditions in societies

and educational institutions outside the

United States as they apply to academic

exchange programs. Applicants should

demonstrate prior experience or the

capacity to negotiate significant cost

savings for foreign students from

American institutions of higher

education. Applicants should also

demonstrate their capacity to provide an

information management/database

system that meets Program

requirements, is compatible with the

Bureau’s systems and will advance the

Fulbright Student Program’s plan for

implementing electronic applications

and data storage.

5. Institutional Performance:

Proposals should demonstrate an

institutional record of managing

63672 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 24, 2000 / Notices

successful exchange programs

including: significant experience in

developing and administering

international exchange programs, sound

fiscal management, and full compliance

with all reporting requirements for past

Bureau cooperative agreement awards as

determined by the Bureau’s Grants

Division. In its review of proposals, the

Bureau will consider the past

performance of prior recipients and the

demonstrated potential of new

applicants.

6. Cost-effectiveness: Overhead and

administrative components including

salaries should be kept as low as

possible while adequate and appropriate

to provide the required services.

Proposals should document plans to

realize cost-savings and other

efficiencies through use of technology,

administrative streamlining and other

management techniques.

7. Cost-sharing: Proposals should

demonstrate maximum cost-sharing.

Preference will be given to proposals

which demonstrate innovative

approaches to leveraging of funds, fundraising and other sharing of costs.

8. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate the applicant’s

awareness and understanding of

diversity and a commitment to its

achievement through individual grant

awards and institutional participation

and in other ways in both

administrative and programmatic

aspects of the Fulbright program.

9. Evaluation: Proposals should

include a plan to evaluate the success of

the Program. The Bureau recommends

that proposals include a draft survey

questionnaire or other techniques plus

description of a methodology to use to

link outcomes to original project

objectives.

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 the RFP does not constitute an award

commitment on the part of the

Government. The Bureau reserves the

right to accept proposals in whole or in

part and make an award or awards in

accordance with what best serves the

interests of the global Fulbright Student

Program. The Bureau also 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. Programs must

comply with J–1 visa regulations. Please

refer to the Solicitation Package for

further information.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal Department of State

procedures.

Dated: October 18, 2000.

William B. Bader,

Assistant Secretary for Educational and

Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–27292 Filed 10–23–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–05–U

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 3445]

Shipping Coordinating Committee;

Notice of Meeting

The Shipping Coordinating

Committee (SHC) scheduled to take

place on Wednesday, November 8, 2000

at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters has

been cancelled. For further information,

please contact Captain Joesph F. Ahern

or Lieutenant Daniel J. Goettle, U.S.

Coast Guard, Office of Maritime and

International Law (G–LMI), 2100

Second Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20593–0001; telephone (202) 267–1527;

fax (202) 267–4496.

Dated: October 18, 2000.

Stephen M. Miller,

Executive Secretary, Shipping Coordinating

Committee.

[FR Doc. 00–27290 Filed 10–23–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Notice of Granted Buy America Waiver

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration

(FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Granted Buy America

Waiver.

SUMMARY: This waiver allows ticket

vending machine manufacturers to

install the Giesecke & Devrient (‘‘G&D’’)

banknote identification modules (BIM)

and count it as domestic for purposes of

Buy America compliance. It is

predicated on the non-availability of the

item domestically and granted on July

21, 2000, for the period of two years, or

until such time as a domestic source for

this BIM becomes available, whichever

occurs first. This notice shall insure that

the public, particularly potential

manufacturers, is aware of this waiver.

FTA requests that the public notify it of

any relevant changes in the domestic

market. FTA also granted an identical

waiver to Mars Electronics, a competitor

of G&D and manufacturer of a similar

device. That waiver is published

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Meghan G. Ludtke, FTA Office of Chief

Counsel, Room 9316, (202) 366–4011

(telephone) or (202) 366–3809 (fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

above-referenced waiver follows:

July 21, 2000.

Mr. Klaus J. Krauth, Vice President, Chief

Financial Officer, Giesecke & Devrient

America, Inc., 45925 Horseshoe Drive,

Dulles, Virginia 20166.

Re: Application for Waiver of Buy America

for Automated Fare Collection System

Component

Dear Mr. Krauth: This letter responds to

your correspondence of June 1, 2000, in

which you request a Buy America component

waiver based upon nonavailability for certain

banknote identification modules (BIM)

manufactured for use in ticket vending

machines. The BIM at issue here features

unique security functions and the ability to

be upgraded for currency changes.

Based upon the fact that there were no

known domestic sources, the Federal Transit

Administration (FTA) has granted Buy

America waivers to one of your competitors,

Mars Electronics, for its bill handling unit

(BHU), an item with similar functionality to

the BIM. Upon hearing from both Mars and

G&D on the subject of a component waiver,

FTA contacted Cubic Transportation

Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of ticket

vending machines using both BIM’s and

BHU’s and requested that it submit its

assessment of the state of this market.

Cubic contended, by letter dated April 19,

2000, that based upon an extensive survey of

the market, which is continuously updated

by technical staff, there is no known U.S.

manufacturer of a BIM/BHU that perform the

functions listed herein. To date, Cubic has

qualified only two sources for the BIM/BHU

used in its ticket vending machines; those

sources are G&D and Mars Electronics. This

letter incorporates, by reference, the

information contained in the abovereferenced correspondence.

FTA’s requirements concerning domestic

preference for federally funded transit

projects are set forth in 49 U.S.C. § 5323(j).

However, Section 5323(j)(2)(B) states that

those requirements shall not apply if the item

or items being procured are not produced in

the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably

available quantities and of a satisfactory

quality. The implementing regulation also

provides that a waiver may be requested ‘‘for

a specific item or material that is used in the

production of a manufactured product.’’ 49

CFR 661.7(g). The regulations allow a bidder

or supplier to request a waiver only if it is

being sought under this section. See 49 CFR

661.7(g) and 49 CFR 661.9(d). This waiver

would allow G&D to treat the BIM as

domestic.