Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36289

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

International Education and Cultural

Activities; Open Grant Program

ACTION: Notice—Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen

Exchanges (E/P) of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program. Public or

private non-profit organizations meeting

the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to

develop projects that link their

international exchange interests with

counterpart institutions/groups in ways

supportive of the aims of the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Overall grant making authority for this

program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, as amended, Public Law 87–

256, 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.’’ Programs and projects must

conform with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Application

Package. USIA projects and programs

are subject to the availability of funds.

Interested applicants should read the

complete Federal Register

announcement before addressing

inquiries to the Office of Citizen

Exchanges or submitting their

proposals. Once the RFP deadline has

passed, the Office of Citizen Exchanges

may not discuss this competition in any

way with applicants until after the

Bureau program and project review

process has been completed.

Announcement Name and Number:

All communications concerning this

announcement should refer to the

Annual Open Grant Program. The

announcement number is E/P–99–1.

Please refer to title and number in all

correspondence or telephone calls to

USIA.

Deadline for Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC. time

on Friday, October 2, 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. It is the responsibility of

each grant applicant to ensure that

proposals are received by the above

deadline. This action is effective from

the publication date of this notice

through October 2, 1998, for projects

where activities will begin between

January 1, 1999 and December 31, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Interested organizations/institutions

must contact the Office of Citizen

Exchanges, E/PL, Room 216, United

States Information Agency, 301 4th

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,

(202) 619–5326, to request detailed

application packets which include

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 Solicitation Package

may be downloaded from USIA’s

website at http://www.usia.gov/

education/rfps. Please read all

information before beginning to

download.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the Application

Package and send only complete

applications with 15 copies to: U.S.

Information Agency, REF: E/P–99–1

Annual Open Grant Competition, Grants

Management Division (E/XE), 301–4th

Street, SW., Room 336, Washington, DC

20547.

Applicants must also submit to E/XE

the ‘‘Executive Summary’’ and

‘‘Narrative’’ sections of each 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 54 characters. USIA will

transmit these files electronically to

USIS posts overseas for their review,

with the goal of reducing the time it

takes to get posts’ 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, 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,’’ 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.

Overview

The Office of Citizen Exchanges

works with U.S. private sector, nonprofit organizations on cooperative

international group projects that

introduce American and foreign

participants to each others’ social,

economic, and political structures, and

international interests. The Office

supports international projects in the

United States or overseas involving

leaders or potential leaders in the

following fields and professions: urban

planners, jurists, specialized journalists

(specialists in economics, business,

political analysis, international affairs),

business professionals, NGO leaders,

environmental specialist,

parliamentarians, educators,

economists, and other government

officials.

Guidelines

Applicants should carefully note the

following restrictions/recommendations

for proposals in specific geographical

areas:

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and

the Newly Independent States (NIS):

Requests for proposals involving the

following countries will be announced

in separate competitions: CEE—Albania,

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,

Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,

Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland,

Romania, Slovak Republic, and

Slovenia; NIS—Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Proposals involving these regions will

not be accepted under this competition.

Western Europe (WEU): Proposals

involving this region will not be

accepted under this competition.

East Asia and the Pacific (EA):

Priority consideration will be given to

proposals focused on the following
36290 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

countries: China, Korea, and Vietnam

and the following themes: Rule of Law,

especially the enforcement of

intellectual property rights, judicial

reform and court administration; Third

Sector Development with emphasis on

citizens groups, grassroots/community

organizations, and professional

associations; Market Economics/Reform

stressing the relationship between

government regulation and private

enterprise; and Local Government

focusing on practical approaches to

streamlining government and increasing

government’s accountability,

transparency, and responsiveness.

E/P contact for EA programs: Bill

Dawson, 202/260–5485; E-Mail

{WDawson@USIA.GOV}

American Republics (AR): Only those

proposals will be considered that

evidence the applicant’s substantial

knowledge of both the proposed theme

and the country/countries where the

project is to take place. Preference will

be given to proposals on the following

themes and for the following eligible

countries:

Rule of Law/Administration of

Justice: Proposals should focus on

professional working level exchanges

for prosecuting attorneys, district

attorneys, paralegals, justices of the

peace, mediators, arbitrators and/or

judges. Preferred topics: judicial reform,

case management, administration of

justice, judicial independence and

alternative dispute resolution. Eligible

countries: Venezuela, Brazil, the

Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and

Panama; other countries as appropriate.

Rule of Law/Civil Society: Proposals

should support ongoing efforts in the

field of conflict resolution in Argentina

which include ongoing support for a

national conflict resolution center, and

developing an indigenous trainer

capacity, including a training program

on how to develop courses in conflict

resolution for the governmental and

non-governmental sectors. Eligible

countries: Argentina.

Democratic Institution Building:

Proposals should focus on ethics in

government, good governance,

transparency, the fight against

corruption, decentralization, local/

municipal government, grassroots

democracy and citizen participation.

Exchanges should target local

government officials, city managers and

administrators, and NGO leaders.

Eligible countries: Bolivia, Peru,

Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico; other

countries as appropriate.

Reporting on Democratic Institutions:

Proposals should focus on professional,

working level exchanges for reporters,

editors and managers in the news

business. Exchanges should include

workshops that would explore how

journalists cover and relate to

democratic institutions such as local

government agencies, legislatures, and

the courts. Workshops could include

advanced skills such as investigative

reporting and business journalism and

how those skills can be applied to

covering government agencies. Eligible

countries: Any in the region.

Education: Proposals should focus on

implementation of the Summit of the

Americas Action Plan for Education,

details of which can be found on the

Summit internet web site, reachable

through the USIA site at www.usia.gov.

Exchanges should be in the fields of

technology in education (including

distance learning), educational

administration, and professional

development for teachers and other

educators. Eligible countries: Any in the

region. E/P contact for AR programs:

Laverne Johnson, 202/619–5337; E-Mail

{LJohnson@USIA.GOV}

Africa (AF): Proposals are requested

for projects which would advance

sustainable democracy by building

human capital in Africa and

strengthening partnership between the

United States and Africa in the thematic

categories delineated below. In addition

to promoting democratic values,

projects should enhance policy and

operational skills and foster networking

across political as well as governmentcivil society divisions.

Civic Education—Proposals should

encourage the effective engagement of

citizens in their country’s political life.

Preference will be given to projects that

focus on organizations whose aim is to

educate citizens about their democratic

rights and responsibilities, or through

projects that assist key institutions of

civil society (e.g., women’s groups,

grassroots/community organizations,

professional associations, other NGOs)

in contributing to democracy. Related

themes might include building values of

tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation and

compromise, building skills and

institutions for constructive non-violent

change; addressing cultural and other

obstacles to civic education; inculcating

a commitment to rule of law; and

teaching and encouraging citizens to

participate fully in community and

national development.

Democratic Governance—Proposals

should work to strengthen institutions

of government whose work has a direct

impact on the quality of a country’s

democracy and to increase their

transparency, accountability,

responsiveness, and effectiveness of

operations. Especially welcome would

be proposals dealing with local

government and decentralization, but

projects might also be focused on other

elements of executive branches,

legislatures, or judicial systems. Use of

alternate dispute resolution methods

and protection of human rights are

welcome themes.

Trade and Investment—Proposals

should foster an understanding of and

commitment to policies and practices

that support economic growth in a

democratic framework through the

private sector and international trade.

Especially encouraged are proposals

that focus on creating an ‘‘enabling

environment’’ supportive of these goals.

Issues addressed might include

intellectual property rights, trade

liberalization (e.g., tax and investment

laws, along with other incentives),

mechanisms of transparency and

accountability, the role of business

associations, and regional economic

cooperation/integration.

Electronic Connectivity—Proposals

should promote information sharing and

network building between Americans

and Africans as well as among Africans

themselves. Preference will be given to

projects that address one of the thematic

categories listed above for Africa.

African participants might include

government institutions (e.g.,

parliaments or trade policy departments

within ministries); educational

institutions; professional associations

(e.g., bar, business, or journalism

associations); and civic organizations

(e.g., women’s, human rights or

environmental groups). USIA funds

should not be used for the purchase of

equipment. Proposals must demonstrate

a commitment to use and a capacity to

maintain the necessary equipment.

Other themes may be proposed, but

strong preference will be given to

proposals that follow the thematic

guidelines above and to proposals that

include programming in at least three

countries.

E/P contact for AF programs: Stephen

Taylor, 202/205–0535; E-Mail

(Staylor@USIA.GOV)

Near East, North Africa and South

Asia (NEA): Proposals which respond to

the following suggested themes and

organizational approaches will receive

priority consideration in the awarding

of grants for exchange activity in the

Near East, North Africa, and South Asia.

While not all countries suggested as

participants for each project must be

included in the exchange, projects

which bring together representatives

from three or more countries will be

given preference. Proposals for

exchange projects which address issues

of crucial importance to the United

States and to proposed partner countries
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36291

but which do not respond specifically to

the themes included below will also be

considered.

The countries/entities comprising the

NEA AREA are listed below, Currently

there is no USIA presence in

Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, or

Mauritania. Under each theme, the

countries appearing in parentheses are

those which have indicated a particular

interest in the theme or which appear to

be appropriate exchange partners in

projects addressing the theme.

Countries/Entities of the Near East,

North Africa, and South Asia—

Afghanistan; Algeria; Bahrain;

Bangladesh; Egypt; India; Iran; Iraq;

Israel; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya;

Mauritania; Morocco; Nepal; Oman;

Pakistan; the Palestinian Authority;

Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Sri Lanka; Sudan;

Syria; Tunisia; the United Arab Emirates

(UAE); Yemen.

Strengthening Non-governmental

Organizations: Political and Social

Activism in Support of Democracy

(India; Nepal; Pakistan; Egypt; Morocco;

Jordan; the Palestinian Authority;

Lebanon).

Social and political activism,

encouraged, focussed, and channeled

through non-governmental

organizations, is a basic underpinning of

democratic society. Strengthening NGO

advocacy skills, management, grassroots

support, fundraising, networking for

mutual support and reinforcement, and

cultivating media relations will

reinforce democratic trends in the

region. In addition to providing existing

and newly established NGOs clear

guidance and training in the abovelisted operational skills, issues to be

considered in developing an exchange

are: training people to use dissent and

advocacy effectively to produce

peaceful social change; educating

citizens and disseminating information

on the role of non-governmental

organizations in a civil society; and

emphasizing the role of NGOs can play

in ensuring that the workings of

government are open and transparent, in

strengthening the rule of law, in

supporting human and civil rights, and

in improving the status of women in

both society and government.

Developing Content-based Teaching

English as a Second Language (TESL)

Programs (Israel; Egypt; Jordan).

There is a strong desire throughout

the Middle East for enhanced capacity

in the English language. A proposal is

sought that will combine high-level,

substantive professional development

for ESL curriculum developers and

teachers from the Peach Process

countries with a strong social and

cultural content base emphasizing the

principles of conflict resolution and

civic education, with a possible

additional emphasis on environmental

issues.

Administration of Justice:

Strengthening the Independence of the

Judiciary (Jordan (proposed as a singlecountry project); Morocco; India

(proposed with emphasis on the need to

address equal treatment of women

under the law); Nepal; Bangladesh).

A strong, independent judiciary is a

fundamental pillar of democracy. The

integrity of the judicial process and, by

extrapolation, public confidence in the

ability of the judicial process to deliver

justice, is threatened in diverse

countries by political interference and

by public perception of the unequal

and, by extrapolation, unfair treatment

before the bench of women and

members of ethnic minority

communities. It is important that judges

of both lower and higher courts be

introduced to the principles and

practices of U.S. jurisprudence and that

such fundamental procedural

innovations as alternative dispute

resolution, early neutral evaluation, case

management, and arbitration/mediation

be familiar to them.

Combatting Narcotics Abuse and

Developing Positive Approaches to

Rehabilitation and Re-integration (Israel;

Jordan; India).

Narcotics trafficking and abuse is an

increasing problem for countries in the

Near East and South Asia. There is a

need for a regional project, to include

educators, community leaders, medical

practitioners and drug rehabilitation

experts, to work with American

counterparts in building a strategy to

contain the spread of drug use.

Emphasis should be placed on dealing

with the issue on a community level,

and there should be a focus on

rehabilitation and the reintegration into

society of former addicts through such

undertakings as job skills training

programs and family and community

support efforts.

Women in Politics (Israel; Oman,

Yemen; the United Arab Emirates; the

Palestinian Authority).

While women’s groups have

organized themselves and actively

campaign for equal rights and a greater

say in local politics, they are ready and

eager to learn more about advocacy,

election campaigning, grassroots

educational efforts, lobbying, and

meeting the challenges and

responsibilities of leadership once

elected. Both women in municipal

leadership roles and those hoping to

expand the franchise and strengthen the

role of women in politics could benefit

from learning about the American

experience and from establishing

linkages with American and Middle

Eastern women’s political groups which

share their aspirations.

Federalism: Center-State Relations

and the Sharing of Power (India;

Bangladesh).

The American experience with

federalism is becoming more and more

relevant to the states of South Asia as

the complexity of governing requires

that power devolve from the center to

the regions and states. Regional parties

have emerged in several states and are

demanding increasing autonomy. A

project to demonstrate how federalism

functions in the United States,

particularly its constitutional, legal and

practical bases, would be very useful.

Potential participants are political

leaders, NGO leaders, party operatives,

and political scientists who are studying

democratic patterns and whose thinking

will have a multiplier effect in society.

Civic Education (Egypt; the

Palestinian Authority).

Promoting the development of civic

education, both in terms of curriculum

development and in terms of teacher

training, parent-teacher coordination,

and other aspects of primary and

secondary education aimed at

increasing citizen awareness and

participation, is a high priority. Middle

Eastern groups are particularly

interested in learning about American

school systems that have incorporated

community service, environmental

campaigns, and other activities that

involve students in the larger society in

their curricula.

Economic Reform (Egypt; Tunisia).

A proposal is sought that would link

North African business groups with

American counterparts and would

demonstrate the system and the efficacy

of lobbying, public education

campaigns, and media relations in

support of privatization,

competitiveness, decentralization of

commercial regulation, and regional

economic integration.

Ethnic Tolerance (India; Sri Lanka;

Pakistan; Lebanon).

Communal and ethnic tolerance have

been difficult objectives to achieve in

South Asia, and the problem has

worsened with the rise of communitybased political groupings. There are

numerous community groups working

to bring about resolution to the

challenge posed by ethnic nationalism,

and the American experience of

absorbing, integrating, and

accommodating diverse communities

from various parts of the world into

civil, as opposed to an ethnically

defined, polity would be useful to these

groups. Of particular relevance would
36292 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

be the experience of programs that teach

tolerance in either a formal educational

setting or in novel, arts/media-based

contexts.

E/P contact for NEA programs: Tom

Johnston, 202/619–5325; E-Mail

{TJohnston@USIA.GOV}

The Office of Citizen Exchanges

strongly encourages the coordination of

activities with respected universities,

professional associations, and major

cultural institutions in the U.S. and

abroad, but particularly in the U.S.

Projects should be intellectual and

cultural, not technical. Vocational

training (an occupation other than one

requiring a baccalaureate or higher

academic degree; i.e., clerical work, auto

maintenance, etc., and other

occupations requiring less than two

years of higher education) and technical

training (special and practical

knowledge of a mechanical or a

scientific subject which enhances

mechanical, narrowly scientific, or

semi-skilled capabilities) are ineligible

for support. In addition, scholarship

programs are ineligible for support. The

Office does not support proposal limited

to conference or seminars (i.e, one to

fourteen-day programs with plenary

sessions, main speakers, panels, and a

passive audience). It will support

conference only insofar as they are part

of a larger project in duration and scope

which is receiving USIA funding from

this competition. USIA-supported

projects may include internships; study

tours; short-term, non-technical

training; and extended, intensive

workshops taking place in the United

States or overseas. The themes

addressed in exchange programs must

be of long-term importance rather than

focused exclusively on current events or

short-term issues. In every case, a

substantial rationale must be presented

as part of the proposal, one that clearly

indicates the distinctive and important

contribution of the overall project,

including, where applicable, the

expected yield of any associated

conference. No funding is available

exclusively to send U.S. citizens to

conferences or conference-type seminars

overseas; nor is funding available for

bringing foreign nationals to

conferences or to routine professional

association meetings in the United

States. Projects that duplicate what is

routinely carried out by private sector

and/or public sector operations will not

be considered. The Office of Citizen

Exchanges strongly recommends that

applicants consult with host country

USIS posts prior to submitting

proposals.

Selection of Participants: All grants

proposals should clearly describe the

type of persons who will participate in

the program as well as the process by

which participants will be selected. It is

recommended that programs in support

of U.S. internships include letters

tentatively committing host institutions

to support the internships. In the

selection of foreign participants, USIA

and USIS posts abroad retain the right

to nominate all participants and to

accept or deny participants

recommended by grantee institutions.

However, grantee institutions are often

asked by USIA to suggest names of

potential participants. The grantee

institution will also provide the names

of American participants and brief (two

pages) biographical data on each

American participant to the Office of

Citizen Exchanges for information

purposes. Priority will be given to

foreign participants who have not

previously travelled to the United

States.

Additional Guidance: The Office of

Citizen Exchanges offers the following

additional guidance to prospective

applicants:

1. The Office of Citizen Exchanges

encourages project proposal involving

more than one country. Pertinent

rationale which links countries in multicountry projects should be include in

the submission. Single-country projects

that are clearly defined and possess the

potential for creating and strengthening

continuing linkages between foreign and

U.S. institutions are also welcome.

2. Proposals for bilateral programs are

subject to review and comment by the

USIS post in the relevant country, and

pre-selected participants will also be

subject to USIS post review.

3. Bilateral programs should clearly

identify the counterpart organization

and provide evidence of the

organization’s participation.

4. The Office of Citizen Exchanges

will consider proposals for activities

which take place exclusively in other

countries when USIS posts are

consulted in the design of the proposed

program and in the choice of the most

suitable venues for such programs.

5. Office of Citizen Exchanges grants

are not given to support projects whose

focus is limited to technical or

vocational subjects, or for research

projects, for publications funding, for

student and/or teacher/faculty

exchanges, for sports and/or sports

related programs. Nor does this office

provide scholarships or support for

long-term (a semester or more) academic

studies. Competitions sponsored by

other Bureau offices are also announced

in the Federal Register.

For projects that would begin after

December 31, 1999, competition details

will be announced in the Federal

Register on or June 1, 1999. Inquiries

concerning technical requirements are

welcome prior to submission of

applications.

Funding: Although no set funding

limit exists, proposals for less than

$135,000 will receive preference.

Organizations with less than four years

of successful experience in managing

international exchange programs are

limited to $60,000. Applicants are

invited to provide both an all-inclusive

budget as well as separate sub-budgets

for each program component, phase,

location, or activity in order to facilitate

USIA decisions on funding. While an

all-inclusive budget must be provided

with each proposal, separate component

budgets are optional. Competition for

USIA funding support is keen.

The selection of grantee institutions

will depend on program substance,

cross-cultural sensitivity, and ability to

carry out the program successfully.

Since USIA grant assistance constitutes

only a portion of total project funding,

proposals should list and provide

evidence of other anticipated sources of

financial and in-kind support. Proposals

with substantial private sector support

from foundations, corporations, other

institutions, et al. will be deemed highly

competitive. The Recipient must

provide a minimum of 33 percent cost

sharing of the total project cost.

The following project costs are

eligible for consideration for funding:

1. International and domestic air

fares; visas; transit costs; ground

transportation costs.

2. Per Diem. For the U.S. program,

organizations have the option of using a

flat $160/day for program participants

or the published U.S. Federal per diem

rates for individual American cities. For

activities outside the U.S., the published

Federal per diem rates must be used.

NOTE: U.S. escorting staff must use the

published Federal per diem rates, not

the flat rate. Per diem rates may be

accessed at [www.usia.gov/agency/eburref.html].

3. Interpreters: If needed, interpreters

for the U.S. program are provided by the

U.S. State Department Language

Services Division. Typically, a pair of

simultaneous interpreters is provided

for every four visitors who need

interpretation. USIA grants do not pay

for foreign interpreters to accompany

delegations from their home country.

Grant proposal budgets should contain

a flat $160/day per diem for each

Department of State interpreter, as well

as home-program-home air

transportation of $400 per interpreter

plus any U.S. travel expenses during the

program. Salary expenses are covered
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36293

centrally and should not be part of an

applicant’s proposed budget.

4. Book and cultural allowance:

Participants are entitled to and escorts

are reimbursed a one-time cultural

allowance of $150 per person, plus a

participant book allowance of $50. U.S.

staff do not get these benefits.

5. Consultants. May be used to

provide specialized expertise or to make

presentations. Daily honoraria generally

do not exceed $250 per day.

Subcontracting organizations may also

be used, in which case the written

agreement between the prospective

grantee and subcontractor should be

included in the proposal.

6. Room rental, which generally

should not exceed $250 per day.

7. Materials development. Proposals

may contain costs to purchase, develop,

and translate materials for participants.

8. One working meal per project. Per

capita costs may not exceed $5–8 for a

lunch and $14–20 for a dinner,

excluding room rental. The number of

invited guests may not exceed

participants by more than a factor of

two-to-one.

9. A return travel allowance of $70 for

each participant which is to be used for

incidental expenditures incurred during

international travel.

10. All USIA-funded delegates will be

covered under the terms of a USIAsponsored health insurance policy. The

premium is paid by USIA directly to the

insurance company.

11. Other costs necessary for the

effective administration of the program,

including salaries for grant organization

employees, benefits, and other direct

and indirect costs per detailed

instructions in the application package.

Note: the 20 percent limitation of

‘‘administrative costs’’ included in

previous announcements does not apply

to this RFP. Please refer to the

Application Package for complete

budget guidelines.

Review Process: USIA will

acknowledge receipt of all proposals

and will review them for technical

eligibility. Proposals will be deemed

ineligible if they do not fully adhere to

the guidelines established herein and in

the Application Packet. Eligible

proposals will be forwarded to panels of

USIA officers for advisory review. All

eligible proposals will also be reviewed

by the program office, as well the USIA

geographic regional office and the USIS

post overseas, where appropriate.

Proposals may also be reviewed by the

USIA’s Office of General Counsel by

other Agency elements. Funding

decisions are at the discretion of the

USIA Associate Director for Education

and Cultural Affairs. Final technical

authority for assistance awards (grants

or cooperative agreements) resides with

USIA’s grants officer.

Review Criteria: USIA will consider

proposals based on their conformance

with the objectives and considerations

already stated in the RFP, as well as the

following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals

should exhibit originality, substance,

precision, and relevance to the Agency

mission.

2. Progam Planning/Ability to Achieve

Program Objectives: Detailed agenda

and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive undertakings

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan

should adhere to the program overview

and guidelines described above.

Objectives should be reasonable,

feasible, and flexible. Proposals should

clearly demonstrate how the institution

will meet the program objectives and

plan.

3. Multipler Effect/Impact: Proposed

programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

4. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate the substantive

support of the Bureau’s policy on

diversity. Achievable and relevant

features should be cited in both program

administration (selection of

participants, program venue, and

program evaluation) and program

content (orientation and wrap-up

sessions, program meetings, resource

materials, and follow-up activities.

5. Institutional Capacity/Reputation/

Ability: Proposed personnel and

institutional resources should be

adequate and appropriate to achieve the

program’s or project’s goal. Proposals

should demonstrate an institutional

record of successful exchange programs,

including responsible fiscal

management and full compliance with

all reporting requirements for past

Agency grants as determined by USIA’s

Office of Contracts. The Agency will

consider the past performance of prior

recipients and the demonstrated

potential of new applicants.

6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-up activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIAsupported programs are not isolated

events.

7. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should

provide a plan for a thorough and

objective evaluation of the program/

project by the grantee institution.

8. Cost-Effectiveness/Cost Sharing:

The overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including

salaries and honoraria, should be kept

as low as possible. All other items

should be necessary and appropriate.

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing

through other private sector support as

well as institutional direct funding

contributions.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any USIA representative.

Explanatory information provided by

USIA 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

need of the program and the availability

of funds. Organizations will be expected

to cooperate with USIA in evaluating

their programs under the principles of

the Government Performance and

Results Act of 1993, which requires

federal agencies to measure and report

on the results of their programs and

activities.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been fully appropriated by

the Congress, allocated, and committed

through internal USIA procedures.

Awarded grants will be subject to

periodic reporting and evaluation

requirements.

Dated: June 23, 1998.

John P. Loiello,

Associate Director for the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 98–17165 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF

PEACE

Announcement of the 1998 Unsolicited

Fall Grant Program

AGENCY: United States Institute of Peace.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Agency announces its

Upcoming Deadline for the 1998

Unsolicited Grant Fall Competition,

which offers support for research,

education and training, and the

dissemination of information on

international peace and conflict

resolution.

Deadline: October 1, 1998.

DATES: Application Material Available

Upon Request, Receipt Date for Return

of Application: October 1, 1998,

Notification of Awards: Late January

1999.