Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 1998 / Notices 36485

passengers who are not listed and

approved on the application. (To allow

for the proper accounting of last-minute

personnel changes to an application

already on file with Customs, an

Application Addendum form must be

completed and sent to the Customs

office at Detroit Metropolitan Airport).

Further, aircraft owners/operators must

agree not to allow persons to carry

dutiable/commercial merchandise,

restricted or prohibited food products or

other articles, or monetary instruments

of $10,000 or more on test flights.

If an application is denied for any

reason other than because a particular

airport is not designated for GATE-test

use (for example, a denial based on

information concerning passengers,

pilots, or the aircraft), the applicant may

appeal the decision to the Detroit Port

Director within 10 working days from

receipt of the denial letter. If the appeal

to the Port Director results in another

denial, then the applicant may appeal

directly to the Passenger Process Owner

at Customs Headquarters within 10

working days from receipt of the second

denial letter.

IV. Test Evaluation Criteria

Customs will review all public

comments received concerning any

aspect of the test program or procedures,

finalize procedures in light of those

comments, form problem-solving teams,

and establish baseline measures and

evaluation methods and criteria. After

the second test period is concluded,

evaluations of the test will be conducted

and final results will be made available

to the public upon request.

Dated: June 26, 1998.

John B. McGowan,

Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of

Field Operations.

[FR Doc. 98–17818 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Vietnam Fulbright: Foreign Student

Exchange Program

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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. Public and private

non-profit organizations meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to manage a

student exchange program. The program

would bring 20–25, mid-career

Vietnamese each year to the U.S. in

order to pursue a Master’s degree, or in

some cases a Ph.D., in fields related to

economic development to include—but

not limited to—economics, business,

public policy, public administration,

law, and international relations. The

proposal must also include renewal

costs for approximately 30–35

Vietnamese Fulbright students currently

studying in the U.S. (mostly secondyear, but some third-year students).

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 Fulbright-Hays Act.

The program 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

announcement’s title and reference

number E/AEF–99–01.

Deadline for Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time

on Friday, July 31, 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. The grant should begin on

or about October 1, 1998.

Duration: October 1, 1998–September

30, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Office of Academic Programs, Academic

Exchange Programs Divisions/East Asia

Fulbright Branch, E/AEF, Room 208,

U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20547, phone:

(202) 619–6788/5404, fax: (202) 401–

1728; email: sborja@usia.gov to request

a Solicitation Package containing more

detailed information. Please request

required application forms, and

standard 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

Sue Borja on all inquiries and

correspondences. 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/AEF–99–01,

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. USIS 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. Pub. L. 104–319
36486 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 1998 / Notices

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

The United States Information Agency

has supported a Vietnamese student

exchange program since 1992 which has

enabled over a hundred and fifty

Vietnamese students to pursue two-year

Master’s degrees (as well as some Ph.Ds)

in economics, business, public policy

and administration, law, and

international relations at a wide range of

U.S. colleges and universities.

The goals of the program are to foster

mutual understanding and strengthen

ties between the two countries and to

support the U.S. foreign policy goal of

promoting the establishment of a

modern market economy in Vietnam.

Guidelines

The program should focus on

selection 20–25 mid-career scholars and

managers each year from throughout the

country from those Vietnamese

institutions critical to the economic

transition. The program must include

the following components: recruitment,

selection, pre-academic and academic

placement, pre-departure support and

orientation, grantee administration, and

evaluation. The grantee must maintain

continuous liaison with the United

States Information Service (USIS) in

Vietnam and with the USIA Fulbright

Office in Washington concerning the

management of the program. The

Vietnam Fulbright program is a

component of the U.S. government’s

foreign policy with Vietnam as well as

a member of the overall Fulbright

Program which currently operates in

over 140 countries worldwide.

Recruitment

Through continued and regular

negotiation and resulting agreement

with the Vietnamese government

(including the Vietnamese Ministry of

Education and Training), the

recruitment and selection process has

been, and must remain, an open and

independent operation. Recruitment

must include continued efforts to

stimulate interest in the Fulbright

program and careful interviewing,

testing, and application counseling in

order to develop a pool of qualified

applicants to submit to a panel review

for final recommendation to USIA.

Recruitment should include in-country

workshops and group meetings with

potential candidates who have

submitted curricula vita and initial

essays, including an impromptu writing

test for English ability. This should be

followed by in-depth, one-on-one

interviews from which a pool of

applicants is invited to submit full

applications for review by a selection

panel.

Recruitment begins in the spring, 18

months prior to the fall semester in

which the students are to begin their

academic program (most, if not all,

students will need to enroll in a summer

English and/or pre-academic program).

Please note that for the FY99 program,

the current grantee already began

recruiting students in the spring of 1998

for academic year 1999–2000. Therefore,

if a new grantee is selected by USIA,

then the former grantee and USIA

would work out the transfer of the

student information and files to the

successor grantee.

Selection

The final pool of applicants is

prepared for panel review complete

with TOEFL scores and a written

evaluation from each applicant. Panels

are held in the fall one year prior to the

academic year in which the award is

due to begin.

The independent selection panel must

consist of a group of scholars

experienced in the fields of study and

professional education programs

targeted in this program. The panelists

should also have some knowledge of, or

experience with, U.S.-Vietnam

educational exchanges, the Vietnamese

education system, and other education

systems in which the Vietnamese might

have studied as undergraduates—such

as those of Eastern Europe and the

former Soviet Union. USIA reserves the

right to review the panel member

selection. The selection panel reviews

the applicants’ files, selects awardees

for final approval by the J. William

Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board,

and advises on university placement for

the awardees.

Pre-academic and Academic Placement

The grantee will place the selected

students at English language summer

programs and pre-academic programs,

as necessary, and at academic programs

at a range of appropriate universities

and colleges in the U.S. Placement

includes negotiating for cost share

(tuition reduction/waivers, etc.) from

the universities and colleges.

Pre-departure Support and Orientation

The grantee will provide predeparture orientation counseling

(academic, social, and cultural

adjustment) and logistical support for

the selected Vietnamese students. The

grantee will ensure personal contact and

follow-up contact with the Vietnamese

authorities, maintain contact with the

U.S. Embassy Consular Office and the

Vietnamese officials who process the

students’ visas, make travel

arrangements to the U.S. for the selected

Vietnamese students and provide them

with any other assistance needed.

Student Administration/Supervision

During the period of the award, the

grantee organization will maintain

regular contact with the students to

provide assistance, monitor academic

work, and deal with any problems that

might arise. The grantee will establish a

series of mailings to students regarding

taxes, financial payments, reports, exit

travel arrangements, and invitations to

meetings/orientations. Students are

required to submit one formal report at

mid-point of their award which is to be

shared with USIA.

Evaluation

During the period of their award, the

students will report on the progress of

their research and the quality of their

reception at their institutions of

affiliation. The grantee will organize an

exit interview before the student

departures from the U.S.

Programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Please refer to the program’s

specific guidelines (POGI) in the

Solicitation Package for further details.

Proposed Budget

Organizations must submit a

comprehensive line-item budget based

on the specific guidance in the

Solicitation Package. The award may

not exceed $1,800,000 for both new and

renewal students.

‘‘Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000’’.

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

program. There must be a summary

budget as well as a breakdown reflecting

both the administrative budget and the

program budget. For further

clarification, applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity

in order to facilitate USIA decisions on

funding.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 1998 / Notices 36487

(1) Program participant costs: travel,

test fees, pre-departure expenses, preacademic/English training, tuition,

stipend, tax withholding, educational

materials, enrichment programs;

(2) Renewal costs for current

Vietnamese Fulbright students (estimate

30–35);

(3) Staff salaries and benefits;

(4) Domestic/International travel and

per diem for recruitment, selection,

orientation of students;

(5) Reproduction, communication,

supplies; and

(6) Overhead/Indirect costs.

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions.

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 stated herein

and in the Solicitation Package. Eligible

proposals will be forwarded to panels of

USIA officers for advisory review. All

eligible proposals will be reviewed by

the program office, as well as the USIA

Office of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,

and the USIA post overseas, where

appropriate. Proposals may be reviewed

by the Office of the General Counsel or

by other Agency elements. Funding

decisions are at the discretion of the

USIA Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs. Final technical

authority for assistance awards (grants

or cooperative agreements) resides with

the USIA grants officer.

Review Criteria

Technical eligible applications will be

competitively reviewed according to the

criteria stated below. These criteria are

not rank-ordered and all carry equal

weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of the program idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and relevance to

Agency mission.

2. Program planning: 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.

3. Ability to achieve program

objectives: Objectives should be

reasonable, feasible, and flexible.

Proposals should clearly demonstrate

how the institution will meet the

program’s objectives and plan.

4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

programs hold strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate 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 wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource

materials and follow-up activities). The

Vietnamese Fulbright students should

come from throughout Vietnam, from a

variety of institutions, and represent

both genders as equally as possible.

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program or project’s goals.

7. Institution’s Record/Ability:

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.

8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-on activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIAsupported programs are not isolated

events.

9. Project Evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

activity’s success, both as the activities

unfold and at the end of the program. A

draft survey questionnaire or other

evaluation technique plus description of

a methodology that will be used to link

outcomes to original project objectives

is recommended. Successful applicants

will be expected to submit intermediate

reports after each project component is

concluded, or quarterly, whichever is

less frequent.

10. Cost-effectiveness: 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.

11. Cost-sharing: Proposals should

maximize cost-sharing through other

private sector support as well as

institutional direct funding

contributions.

12. Value to U.S.-Partner Country

Relations: Proposed projects should

receive positive assessments by USIA’s

geographic area desk and overseas

officers of program need, potential

impact, and significance in the partner

country.

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 budget 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, then allocated and committed

through internal USIA procedures.

Dated: June 26, 1998.

John P. Loiello,

Associate Director for Educational and

Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 98–17769 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M