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[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28027-28028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13522]

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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

College and University Partnerships Program for Russian Regional 
Investment Initiative in Samara Oblast

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award program. 
Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to 
develop a partnership with a specified institution of higher education 
from Russia in specified fields. Non-profit organizations meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may also apply 
to facilitate a partnership between a U.S. college or university with 
one of the foreign institutions.
    USIA seeks proposals from US universities, or NGOs representing US 
universities, to develop partnerships with one of the two following 
Russian institutions of higher learning: with the Samara State 
Aerospace University's International Marketing Institute in the field 
of public administration; or with the Togliatti Academy of Business and 
Banking in the field of business education.
    Participating institutions exchange faculty and administrators for 
a combination of teaching, lecturing, faculty and curriculum 
development, collaborative research, and/or outreach, for periods 
ranging from one week (for planning visits) to an academic year. The FY 
98 program will also support the establishment and maintenance of 
Internet and/or e-mail communication facilities as well as interactive 
distance learning programs at foreign partner institutions. Applicants 
may propose other project activities not listed above that are 
consistent with the goals and activities of the College and University 
Partnerships Program.
    The program awards up to $150,000 for a two-year period to defray 
the cost of travel and per diem with an allowance for educational 
materials and some aspects of project administration. Grants awarded to 
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting 
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. USIA 
anticipates awarding two grants in the amount of $150,000 each.
    Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 87-256, 
as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 
Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program cited above is provided through the Freedom for Russia and 
Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open markets Support Act of 1992 
(Freedom Support 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 RFP should refer to the College and University 
Partnerships Program for Russian Regional Investment Initiative in 
Samara Oblast and reference number E/ASU-98-09.
    Deadline For Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, July 17, 
1998. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents 
postmarked by the due date but received at a later date will not be 
accepted.
    Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about 
September 1, 1998.
    Duration: September 1, 1998-August 30, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Office of Academic Programs; 
Advising, Teaching, and Specialized Programs Division; Specialized 
Programs Branch, (E/ASU) room 349, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202) 619-4126, fax: 
(202) 401-1433, internet: [email protected] to request a Solicitation 
Package containing more detailed award criteria; all application forms; 
and guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for 
preparation of the proposal budget.
    To Download A Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's website at http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all information before 
downloading.
    To Receive A Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be received via the Bureau's ``Grants 
Information Fax on Demand System'', which is accessed by calling 202/
401-7616. Please request a ``Catalog'' of available documents and order 
numbers when first entering the system.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer Jonathan Cebra 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 10 copies of the application 
should be sent to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU-98-09, Office 
of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 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. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIA Moscow for its review, with the goal 
of reducing the time it takes to get post's comments for the Agency's 
grants review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines

    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must 
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and 
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. Pub. L. 
104-319 provides that

[[Page 28028]]

``in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in 
countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy'', USIA 
``shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for 
participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of 
such countries.'' Proposals should account for advancement of this goal 
in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Guidelines

    The College and University Partnership Program for Russian Regional 
Investment Initiative in Samara Oblast is limited to the following 
specific academic disciplines:
    (1) Public administration--the Russian partner for this partnership 
must be Samara State Aerospace University's International Marketing 
Institute and the focus should be on developing training programs for 
civil servants;
    (2) Business education--the Russian partner for this partnership 
must be the Togliatti Academy of Business and Banking.
    Proposals must focus on curriculum, faculty, and staff development 
in one of these eligible disciplines. Administrative reform at the 
Russian partner should also be a project component.
    Projects should involve the development of new academic programs or 
the building and/or restructuring of an existing program or programs, 
and should promote higher education's role in the transition to market 
economies and open democratic systems. Feasibility studies to plan 
partnerships will not be considered.
    Whenever feasible, participants should make their training and 
personnel resources, as well as results of their collaborative 
research, available to government, NGOs, and business.
    Participating institutions should exchange faculty and/or staff 
members for teaching/lecturing and consulting.
    U.S. institutions are responsible for the submission of proposals 
and should collaborate with their foreign partners in planning and 
preparing proposals. U.S. and foreign partner institutions are 
encouraged to consult about the proposed project with USIA E/ASU staff 
in Washington, DC. Preference will be given to proposals which 
demonstrate evidence of previous relations with the foreign partner 
institution(s).

Guidelines

U.S. Partner and Participant Eligibility

    In the U.S., participation in the program is open to accredited 
two- and four-year colleges and universities, including graduate 
schools. Applications from consortia of U.S. colleges and universities 
are eligible. Applications from non-profit service and professional 
organizations or non-governmental organizations proposing to facilitate 
a partnership between a U.S. university and a foreign partner are also 
eligible. The lead U.S. institution in the consortium is responsible 
for submitting the application and each application from a consortium 
must document the lead school's stated authority to represent the 
consortium. Participants representing the U.S. institution who are 
traveling under USIA grant funds must be faculty, staff, or advanced 
graduate students from the participating institution(s) and must be 
citizens.

Foreign Partner and Participant Eligibility

    Overseas, participation is limited to the following institutions:
    Samara State Aerospace University's International Marketing 
Institute--in the field of public administration; Togliatti Academy of 
Business and Banking--in the field of business education.
    Participants represenitng the foreign institutions must be faculty, 
staff or advanced students of the partner institution, and be citizens, 
nationals, or permanent residents of the country of the foreign 
partner, and be qualified to hold a valid passport and U.S. J-1 visa.

Ineligibility

    A proposal will be deemed technically ineligible if:
    (1) It does not fully adhere to the guidelines established herein 
and in the Solicitation Package;
    (2) It is not received by the deadline;
    (3) It is not submitted by the U.S. partner;
    (4) One of the partner institutions is ineligible;
    (5) The academic discipline(s) is/are not listed as eligible in the 
RFP, herein;
    (6) The amount requested of USIA exceeds $150,000 for the two-year 
project.
    Please refer to program-specific guidelines (POGI) in the 
Solicitation Package for further details.

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: May 14, 1998.
Robert L. Earle,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-13522 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M
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