Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices 28009

8 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

9 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).

10As required under Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii), the

Exchange provided the Commission with written

notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change

at least five business days prior to the filing date

or such shorter period as designated by the

Commission.

11For purposes only of accelerating the operative

date of this proposal, the Commission has

considered the proposed rule’s impact on

efficiency, competition, and capital formation. 15

U.S.C. 78c(f).

12See note 4 supra.

13 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

general, to protect investors and the

public interest.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s

Statement on Burden on Competition

The Exchange does not believe that

the proposed rule change will impose

any inappropriate burden on

competition that is not necessary in

furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s

Statement on Comments on the

Proposed Rule Change Received from

Members, Participants or Others

No written comments were either

solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for

Commission Action

Because the foregoing proposed rule

change: (1) Does not significantly affect

the protection of investors or the public

interest; (2) does not impose any

significant burden on competition; and

(3) does not become operative for 30

days from the date of filing, or such

shorter time as the Commission may

designate if consistent with the

protection of investors and the public

interest, the proposed rule change has

become effective pursuant to section

19(b)(3)(A) 8 of the Act and Rule 19b–

4(f)(6) 9 thereunder.10

A proposed rule change filed under

Rule 19b–4(f)(6) normally does not

become operative prior to 30 days after

the date of filing. However, Rule 19b–

4(f)(6)(iii) permits the Commission to

designate a shorter time if such action

is consistent with the protection of

investors and the public interest. The

NYSE seeks to have the proposed rule

change become operative immediately

to allow it to begin the process of

selecting specialists to enable ETFs to

trade on a UTP basis.

The Commission, consistent with the

protection of investors and the public

interest, has determined to make the

proposed rule change operative

immediately as of May 15, 2001,

because the proposed amendment to the

NYSE’s Policy effects a minor change

with respect to the allocation of ETF’s

listed and traded on the Exchange on a

UTP basis.11 The Commission notes that

the NYSE’s Policy regarding ETFs

traded on a UTP basis was approved on

a pilot basis.12 Thus, the instant

proposed rule change is operative as of

May 15, 2001 through May 7, 2002. At

any time within 60 days of the filing of

the proposed rule change, the

Commission may summarily abrogate

such rule change if it appears to the

Commission that such action is

necessary or appropriate in the public

interest, for the protection of investors,

or otherwise in furtherance of the

purposes of the Act.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views and

arguments concerning the foregoing,

including whether the proposed rule

change is consistent with the Act.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20549–0609. Copies of

the submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld form the

public in accordance with the

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

available for inspection and copying in

the Commission’s Public Reference

Room. Copies of such filing will also be

available for inspection and copying at

the principal office of the NYSE. All

submissions should refer to File No.

SR–NYSE–2001–10 and should be

submitted by June 11, 2001.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.13

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–12691 Filed 5–18–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3673]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs Request for Grant Proposals

(ECA/PE/C/CU–01–64): Creative Arts

Exchange Programs for Africa, East

Asia and the Pacific, and Central Asia

SUMMARY: The Cultural Programs

Division of the Bureau of Educational

and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces

an open competition for assistance

awards for international Creative Arts

Exchanges. Public and private U.S. nonprofit organizations meeting the

provisions described in IRS regulation

26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals

to conduct programs for Cultural

Tourism in Africa; Performing Arts

Presenters in East Asia and the Pacific;

or Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film

And Documentary Archives In Central

Asia.

Program Information

Overview: The Bureau of Educational

and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invites

applicants to submit proposals that

promote the institutional capacity,

professional expertise and economic

viability of arts institutions and cultural

entities in Africa, East Asia and the

Pacific, and Central Asia. Programs

supported by the Creative Arts

Exchanges grants should create or

expand ongoing institutional

partnerships, and offer experiential

learning activities, and share methods

and materials that will enhance the

development of their cultural

institutions and management skills.

This program is not academic in nature;

programs should be designed to provide

practical, hands-on experience.

Guidelines: The proposal should

anticipate a grant period that will begin

no earlier than September 1, 2001.

Competitive proposals usually have

the following characteristics: (1) An

active, existing partnership between a

U.S. organization and the foreign

partner institution(s), or strong potential

to develop a sustainable, productive

partnership; (2) a proven successful

track record for conducting similar

program activity; (3) experienced staff

with knowledge of the region and local

language(s) ability; (4) a clear and

reasonable implementation plan and

well-articulated expected outcomes; (5)

a two-way exchange; and (6) concrete

ideas for possible follow-on activities to

take place after the funded grant period.

Proposals should reflect a practical

understanding of the current cultural,

political, economic and social

environment that is relevant to the

theme addressed in the proposal.

28010 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices

Proposals should also indicate a strong

knowledge of cultural activities and

organizations working in the region.

Applicants should identify the U.S. and

foreign partner organizations and

individuals with whom they are

proposing to collaborate and describe in

detail previous cooperative projects in

the section on ‘‘Institutional Capacity.’’

Proposals should give an indication that

the program ideas were jointly

developed between the American and

foreign organization(s). Resumes for

proposed U.S. and foreign staff, trainers,

consultants should be included in the

proposal.

Unless otherwise specified below: (1)

Program activities may include: A costeffective needs assessment; an open,

merit-based selection process; shortterm training; study tours;

consultations; site visits; internships;

performances or exhibits; a specific

group project; and extended, intensive

workshops; (2) Programming should

include a U.S. exchange component for

foreign participants; (3) In-country

activities should be designed to reach a

wide audience and give the exchange

participants an opportunity to be coleaders on workshops, (4) Orientation

sessions are required for both foreign

and U.S. participants, and (5) The

project should include activities that

promote two-way exchanges and allow

the foreign program participants to

experience American life and culture,

and that will provide Americans an

opportunity to learn about the culture of

the partner’s country.

Programs should be designed so that

collaboration and information sharing

that occurs during the grant period will

continue long after the grant period is

over. Proven methods of sustainability

include, but are not limited to: A

commitment to create or support joint or

in-country cultural projects; joint

activities recognized by the

international community; regularly

published electronic and/or hard-copy

newsletters; and ongoing mentoring

through Internet communication or

other means.

To be considered for a grant award in

this competition, the proposed exchange

program must address one of the

following themes:

• Cultural Tourism (Single-Country

Program with Ghana, Mali or Niger)

• Performing Arts Presenters (SingleCountry/City Program with Indonesia,

Korea, Vietnam or Hong Kong)

• Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film

And Documentary Archives In Central

Asia (Single- or Multiple-Country

Program with the Central Asian

countries of the New Independent

States: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and

Uzbekistan)

Cultural Tourism

Overview: For many African countries

there are few opportunities on a local or

regional level to carve out a viable

sector of the nation’s economy. Africa’s

rich culture and traditions, and

historical links to the global community,

provide an environment unmatched in

its potential for establishing a strong

cultural tourism industry. Cultural

tourism encourages increased

involvement in the historical growth of

a region, responsible stewardship of

local resources, develops the local

economy, and strengthens educational

institutions. An established tourist

industry will also provide a foundation

for grassroots business development.

Museums and other culturally

important sites are the gateway to

tourism development, the focal point

from which the tourist industry

expands. Each African country has its

own history, resources and professional

expertise from which to establish the

historical cultural tourism industry. The

goals of this program are threefold: (1)

To create and enhance ongoing

international partnerships between

specific sites in the U.S. and the African

countries participating in this program,

(2) to bring African and American visual

arts and cultural heritage professionals

together in a global arena, and (3) to

comprehensively improve a specific

culturally important site that will result

in increased cultural tourism for the

region.

Program Guidelines: Applicants are

invited to submit a proposal for a twoway exchange program focusing on

cultural tourism in Ghana, Mali or

Niger. The program may be centered on

a specific cultural site (e.g. museum,

nature preserve, historical landmark,

archaeological site, etc.). The program

plan should indicate a balanced

exchange of participants, build on an

existing foundation, and include joint

work for the enhancement of

interpretive and educational

programming and other components

marketable in the area of international

tourism.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to

focus on the following themes when

developing proposals:

Ghana: Slave Routes within Ghana.

The program should focus on the

northern region in Ghana, using lessons

learned from the existing, wellestablished tourist trade on the coast of

the central region.

Mali: Archaeological Tourism and

Cultural Heritage. The proposal should

focus on conserving and developing for

tourism the archaeological sites of

Jenne-Jenna and/or Mopti. This program

will build on an assessment conducted

by American Cultural Specialists on a

previous ECA grant.

Niger: Eco/Cultural Tourism with

Rock Art or Dinosaur Fossil Beds. The

program should analyze the potential to

study, conserve and develop for tourism

Niger’s dinosaur fossil beds and 8,000-

year-old rock art.

The program plan should follow the

program and budget guidelines included

in this RFGP. In addition, the proposal

should include the following

components:

• Assessment site visit, if necessary.

• Video Documentation of the

cultural site development throughout

the grant period, conducted jointly with

local staff to ensure the continuation of

documentation after the grant period

ends.

• At least one seminar on general

museology, the role of museums in

cultural tourism, and other relevant

topics in cultural tourism for a wide

audience. Target audience may include

government officials at the local to

ministry level, museum professionals,

cultural specialists, tourist board, land

management office, tourist agencies,

national arts council and museums

association. African and American

participants should jointly plan and coconduct the in-country seminars.

Additional program elements can

include, but are not limited to:

• Creation of work plans to develop

and run a cultural site or museum for

the purpose of tourism development.

• Study tour of U.S. cultural heritage

sites.

• Modest purchases of equipment or

services.

• Development of educational and

interpretive presentations and materials.

Program Participants: The U.S.

grantee organization will recruit a mix

of upper and mid-level professionals

(decision makers and hands-on

professionals) to participate in this

program. The partner organizations will

advertise to a wider target audience for

the in-country seminar(s) on topics in

cultural tourism.

Organizations planning to submit a

proposal for Cultural Tourism in Africa

are encouraged to contact the program

office for a consultation before the

submission deadline: Susie Baker

sbaker@pd.state.gov; Tel: (202) 205–

2209. Before calling, organizations

should be ready to discuss a concrete

concept specific to the guidelines

supplied in this request for grant

proposals.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices 28011

Performing Arts Presenters

Overview: This project is intended to

present opportunities for performing

arts presenters in the U.S. to learn about

management styles in Vietnam, Korea,

Indonesia or Hong Kong and for their

presenters to gain knowledge about the

field in the U.S. The exchange will offer

opportunities for arts managers to

acquaint themselves with the range of

performing artists in each other’s

country. Performing arts tours can help

solve problems and reduce tensions

caused by deep-rooted differences

between the mindsets of Americans and

citizens of other countries. Carrying out

such exchanges is often hampered by

the very cultural misperceptions that

such tours hopefully can address, along,

of course, with contractual

misunderstanding, incompatible

management styles, country-specific

labor idiosyncrasies, intellectual

property issues, mismatched venue

expectations, etc. This program should

create an arts management

infrastructure that increases the access

countries have to each other’s

performing arts groups and the cultural

insight that such access brings. This

cultural insight is particularly valuable

to the U.S. at this time vis-a`-vis

Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia or Hong

Kong—countries in which trade can be

increased, human rights issues resolved,

and bilateral tensions decreased more

easily within a context of greater mutual

understanding.

Program Guidelines: Applicants are

invited to submit proposals for the

Performing Arts Presenters program.

The proposed program should facilitate

the exchange of ideas and joint projects

between arts presenters in the U.S. and

one of the eligible countries listed

above. Through joint collaboration and

program elements designed to remove

cross-cultural barriers, participants

should examine the ideas, motivations,

and presentation practices of their

international counterparts, develop

work plans, and participate in program

activities that will help each side better

understand how the other side operates.

Ideally, the program would culminate

in an artistic exchange of performers

from Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam or Hong

Kong to the U.S. through cost sharing

and/or third party funding. The goal of

the program is to create an environment

of mutual understanding and ongoing

collaboration between performing arts

presenters from different countries in

order to achieve fruitful artistic

exchanges.

Competitive proposals should

include, but are not limited to, the

following four components:

• Consultation/assessment visit by

American arts presenters to Vietnam,

Korea, Indonesia or Hong Kong: A team

of seasoned American arts presenters

will travel overseas to meet with leading

arts presenters in the region, to increase

their knowledge of performing arts

presentations and assess performance

philosophy and venues.

• Workshops in the U.S.: American

experts in performing arts presentation

will conduct workshops in the U.S. for

foreign participants. Workshop topics

should focus on legal, contractual,

marketing, commercial and logistical

issues involved with presenting

American performing artists. Workshops

should also address similarities and

differences between performing arts

organizations in the U.S. and overseas

region, and an overview of the

difficulties that American performing

artists encounter when conducting

overseas tours. Experiential workshops

could also include case studies and

problem solving exercises.

• National or regional conference for

arts presenters: An opportunity for

leading performing arts presenters from

the overseas region to attend one of the

national or regional conferences for arts

presenters in the U.S., where the

participants would have an opportunity

to increase their understanding, with

the aid of mentors, of trends in the arts

presentation field and to view a wide

range of performing artists. At the

conclusion of this component, the

American and foreign arts presenters

will develop proposals and timelines to

present specific artists in each other’s

country.

• Seminar or presentation for

performing arts presenters in the

overseas region: The proposed plan

should include at least one in-country

seminar or presentation for a group of

performing arts presenters on an issue

related to the grant theme, to maximize

cost-effectiveness and share expertise

with a wider audience.

Program Participants: (1) The grantee

organization will recruit American

performing arts presenters for the initial

assessment visit and final phase of the

project, and (2) The grantee organization

will recruit qualified foreign performing

arts presenters in the overseas region.

Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film and

Documentary Archives in Central Asia

Overview: Prior to the collapse of the

Soviet Union, the national film archive

in Moscow was the central and official

government repository of most of the

country’s feature films, documentary

films, and other historical audiovisual

materials. With independence, the

former Soviet Central Asian countries

became responsible for preserving their

own film and documentary heritage for

use within their country and to share

with foreign professionals and public

audiences. But their archives lack the

means to fully achieve this.

Program Guidelines: ECA invites

applicants to submit proposals for an

exchange program with documentary

and film archives in Central Asia that

will help them become economically

viable, self-sustaining cultural and

scientific institutions with the structure

and specialized personnel able to

maintain, preserve and restore the film

and documentary records of Central

Asia and make them available for

research, study, public screenings and

film exchanges with American archives.

The proposed program would link a

non-profit American cultural institution

with a partner organization in some or

all of the following countries:

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Through

site inspections, film collection

assessments, workshops, seminars,

training sessions and other relevant

activities, the American and overseas

partners would cooperate in identifying

and resolving priority preservation

problems requiring immediate attention.

Further program components should

yield steps toward long-term solutions

to other problems as identified and

prioritized through a joint decision

making process. These program

elements should deal with such matters

as copyright protection and intellectual

property rights, archive administration

and management, film and documentary

exchanges with other institutions,

technology development, economic

growth and sustainability as well as

cataloguing, conservation, and other

film preservation practices.

The goal of the proposed exchange is

to upgrade and strengthen Central Asian

archives so they qualify for membership

in the International Federation of Film

Archives (FIAF), whose members

include more than 100 institutions in

over 63 countries which collect, restore,

document and exhibit films. FIAF

membership would provide the Central

Asian archives with a number of

benefits, including film loans and

information on congresses, symposia

and workshops on film preservation.

More importantly, the archives would

become part of an international network

of technical advice and information

exchange among the world’s largest

association of moving image archives,

thus multiplying and maximizing the

institutional linkage of the proposed

exchange described here. Priority

consideration will be given to the

proposal that can achieve this goal.

28012 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices

In addition to the activities included

in this RFGP’s general program and

budget guidelines, proposed funding

would support the following specific

activities.

• Site inspection to assess immediate

and long-term preservation and archival

issues, and to jointly plan an exchange

visit to the U.S.

• Assessment of archival film

holdings, examination of their cultural

and historical significance, and

evaluation of potential for film

exchanges between the U.S. and the

countries of Central Asia.

• Examination of archival

relationships to local film production

and distribution companies.

• In-country presentation(s) and

discussions with a larger group of

Central Asian film professionals on

issues related to film preservation and

archives, to maximize cost-effectiveness

and share expertise with a wider

audience.

The organization(s) awarded this

grant will work closely with the

program office on all aspects of program

implementation and will maintain

contact with the Public Affairs

Section(s) of the U.S. embassy/ies

regarding in-country phases of the

program.

Organizations planning to submit a

proposal for Film and Documentary

Archives in Central Asia are strongly

encouraged to contact the program

office for a consultation before the

submission deadline: Susan Cohen

scohen@pd.state.gov; Tel: (202) 619–

5792. Before calling, organizations

should be ready to discuss a concrete

concept specific to the guidelines

supplied in this request for grant

proposals.

Selection of Participants

To be competitive, proposals should

include a description of an open, meritbased participant selection process,

including recruitment methods,

selection criteria and proposed

reviewers. A sample application should

be submitted with the proposal. In some

cases, the applicant pool may be small

due to the level of expertise required or

nature of the program. An application

process should still be carried out to (1)

ensure fair selection, (2) give applicants

a forum in which to address their

personal and professional needs and

program goals, (3) provide the ECA

program office and U.S. embassy an

opportunity to participate in the

selection process, and (4) collect

necessary information for travel

documents and visas. Applicants should

expect to carry out the entire selection

process, but the ECA Program Office

and the Public Affairs Section of the

U.S. Embassy abroad should be

consulted. ECA and the U.S. Embassies

retain the right to nominate participants

and to approve or reject participants

recommended by the grantee institution.

Priority must be given to foreign

participants who have not traveled to

the United States.

Visa Regulations

Foreign participants on programs

sponsored by The Bureau are granted J–

1 Exchange Visitor visas by the U.S.

Embassy in the sending country. All

programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Please refer to the Proposal

Submission Instructions (PSI) for further

information.

Project Funding

The funding available for Creative

Arts Exchanges will be disbursed

through grants to several organizations.

Priority will be given to grant proposals

with budgets ranging from $45,000 to

$90,000. Organizations should not

submit a budget that exceeds $90,000 in

costs to be paid by ECA, however the

overall budget may exceed $90,000

through cost sharing by the U.S. and

foreign partner organization(s) and/or a

third party funder. Approximately

$270,000 has been allotted for this

competition, but may be subject to

change. ECA expects to announce the

assistance awards recipients around late

July 2001. Organizations with less than

four years of experience in managing

international exchange programs are

limited to $60,000. Grants are subject to

the availability of funds.

Budget Guidelines

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive line item budget for the

entire program based on the model in

the Proposal Submission Instructions.

There must be a summary budget as

well as breakdowns reflecting both

administrative and program budgets.

Applicants should provide separate subbudgets for each program component,

phase, location, or activity. Applicants

should include a budget narrative or

budget notes for clarification of each

line item.

Cost sharing: Since the Bureau’s grant

assistance constitutes only a portion of

total project funding, proposals should

list and provide evidence of other

sources of cost sharing, including

financial and in-kind support. In kind

contributions may include, but are not

limited to, donations of airfares, hotel

and/or housing costs, ground

transportation, interpreters, room

rentals and equipment. Proposals with

substantial private sector support from

foundations, corporations, and other

institutions will be considered highly

competitive. Please refer to the

statement on cost sharing in the

Proposal Submission Instructions.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

1. Transportation. International and

domestic airfares (per the Fly America

Act), transit costs, ground transportation

costs, and visas for U.S. participants to

travel to the partner organization’s

country (J–1 visas for foreign

participants to travel to the U.S. for

travel funded by ECA’s grant assistance

are issued at no charge).

2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based

programming, organizations should use

the published Federal per diem rates for

individual U.S. cities. For activities in

the partner organization’s country, ECA

strongly encourages applicants to

budget realistic costs that reflect the

local economy. Domestic per diem rates

may be accessed at: http://

www.policyworks.gov/ and foreign per

diem rates can be accessed at: http://

www.state.gov/www/perdiems/

index.html.

3. Interpreters. Local interpreters with

adequate skills and experience should

be used for program activities.

Typically, one interpreter is provided

for every four visitors who require

interpreting, with a minimum of two

interpreters. ECA grants do not pay for

foreign interpreters to accompany

delegations from their home country.

Salary costs for local interpreters must

be included in the budget under general

program costs. Costs associated with

using their services may not exceed

rates for U.S. Department of State

interpreters.

4. Book and cultural allowance.

Foreign participants are entitled to a

one-time cultural allowance of $150 per

person, plus a book allowance of $50.

Interpreters should be reimbursed up to

$150 for expenses only when they escort

participants to cultural events. U.S.

program staff, consultants, trainers and

participants are not eligible to receive

these benefits.

5. Consultants. Consultants may be

used to provide specialized expertise or

to conduct program components. Daily

honoraria cannot 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. Subcontracts

must be itemized in the budget.

6. Room rental. Room rental may not

exceed $250 per day.

7. Materials development. Proposals

may contain costs to purchase, develop

and translate materials for participants.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices 28013

ECA strongly discourages the use of

automatic translation software for the

preparation of training materials or any

information distributed to the group of

participants or network of organizations.

Costs for high-quality translation of

materials should be anticipated and

included in the budget. Grantee

organizations should expect to submit a

copy of all program materials to the ECA

Program Office with interim and final

reports.

8. Equipment. Proposals may contain

costs to purchase equipment for

programming and partner organizations

in the target country. Use of equipment

purchased with grant funds must be

significantly incorporated into the

program plan. Eligible items include:

Computers, printers, scanners, digital

cameras, audio/video equipment, fax

machines, copy machines, or other

computer or office equipment. Costs for

furniture are not allowed. Equipment

costs must be kept to a minimum and

are subject to approval by ECA.

9. Working meal. Only one working

meal may be provided during the

program. 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. Interpreters must

be included as participants.

10. Return travel allowance. A return

travel allowance of $70 for each foreign

participant may be included in the

budget. The allowance may be used for

incidental expenses incurred during

international travel.

11. Health Insurance. Foreign

participants will be covered under the

terms of the ECA-sponsored ASPE

health insurance policy. U.S. staff,

consultants, trainers and participants

will not be covered by the ECAsponsored ASPE health insurance

policy. Applicants are permitted to

include costs in the program budget for

U.S. participants’ international travel

insurance, for travel funded under this

program.

12. Administrative Costs. Costs

necessary for the effective

administration of the program may

include salaries for grantee organization

employees, benefits, and other direct

and indirect costs per detailed

instructions in the Application Package.

While there is no rigid ratio of

administrative to program costs, priority

will be given to proposals whose

administrative costs are less than

twenty-five (25) per cent of the total

requested from the Bureau. Proposals

should show strong administrative costsharing contributions from the

applicant, the partner organization and

other sources.

Review of your budget will benefit

from your professional judgment of

costs for activities in the proposal. The

Bureau is committed to containment of

administrative expenses, consistent

with overall program objectives and

sound management principles. Program

activities and line items to be costshared should be included in the

narrative and the budget. Please refer to

the Proposal Submission Instructions

(PSI) for complete budget guidelines.

Announcement Title and Number

All communications with ECA

concerning this Request for Grant

Proposals (RFGP) should refer to the

announcement title ‘‘Creative Arts

Exchanges FY01’’ and reference number

ECA/PE/C/CU–01–64.

Review Criteria

Technically eligible applications will

be competitively reviewed according to

the criteria stated below. Proposals

should adequately address each area of

review. These criteria are not rank

ordered.

1. Program Planning and Ability To

Achieve Objectives

Program objectives should be stated

clearly and precisely and should reflect

the applicant’s expertise in the subject

area and the region. Objectives should

respond to the priority topics in this

announcement and should relate to the

current conditions in the included

countries. Objectives should be

reasonable and attainable. A detailed

work plan should explain step-by-step

how objectives will be achieved and

should include an overall timetable for

completion of major tasks for the entire

grant period, and sample schedules for

program components wherever possible.

The substance of workshops,

internships, seminars, presentations

and/or consulting should be described

in detail. Responsibilities of foreign

partners should be clearly described.

2. Institutional Capacity

The proposal should include: (1) The

U.S. institution’s mission and date of

establishment, (2) detailed information

about the foreign partner institution’s

capacity and the history of joint

projects, (3) descriptions of experienced

staff members who will implement the

program, and (4) relevant information

that establishes a successful track

record. Proposed personnel and

institutional resources should be

adequate and appropriate to achieve the

program’s goals. The narrative should

demonstrate proven ability to handle

logistics. The proposal should reflect

the institution’s expertise in the subject

area and knowledge of the conditions in

the target country/region(s).

3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing

Overhead and administrative costs for

the proposal, including salaries,

honoraria and subcontracts for services,

should be kept to a minimum.

Administrative costs should be less than

twenty-five (25) per cent of the total

funds requested from the Bureau.

Applicants are encouraged to cost share

a portion of overhead and

administrative expenses. Cost-sharing,

including contributions from the

applicant, the foreign partner, and other

sources should be included in the

budget.

4. Program Evaluation

Proposals must include a plan and

methodology to evaluate the program.

The evaluation plan should show a clear

link between program objectives and

expected outcomes in the short- and

medium-term, and provide a wellthought-out description of performance

indicators and measurement tools. ECA

recommends that the proposal include a

draft survey questionnaire or other

evaluation tool.

5. Multiplier Effect/Impact

Proposals should show how the

program will strengthen long-term

mutual understanding,

institutionalization of program goals,

and widespread sharing of information.

Applicants should describe how

responsibility and ownership of the

program will be transferred to the

foreign participants to ensure continued

activity and impact. Programs that

include convincing plans for

sustainability will be given top priority.

6. Follow-On Activities

Proposals should provide a plan for

continued follow-on activity (beyond

the ECA-funded grant period) ensuring

that the ECA-supported programs are

not isolated events. Concrete examples

of potential follow-on activities should

be clearly described.

7. Support of Diversity

Proposals should demonstrate

substantive support of ECA’s policy on

diversity. Program content (orientation,

evaluation, program sessions, resource

materials, follow-on activities) and

program administration (selection

process, orientation, evaluation) should

address diversity in a comprehensive

and innovative manner. Applicants

should refer to the ‘‘Diversity, Freedom

and Democracy Guidelines’’ on page

28014 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2001 / Notices

four of the Proposal Submission

Instructions (PSI).

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,’’ the

Bureau ‘‘shall take appropriate steps to

provide opportunities for participation

in such programs to human rights and

democracy leaders of such countries.’’

Public Law 106–113 requires that the

governments of the countries described

above do not have inappropriate

influence in the selection process.

Proposals should reflect advancement of

these goals in their program contents, to

the full extent deemed feasible.

Review Process

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt

of all proposals and will review them

for technical eligibility. Proposals will

be deemed ineligible if they do not fully

adhere to the guidelines stated herein

and in the Solicitation Package. All

eligible proposals will be reviewed by

the program office, as well as the Public

Diplomacy section overseas, where

appropriate. Eligible proposals will be

forwarded to panels of Bureau officers

for advisory review. Proposals may also

be reviewed by the Office of the Legal

Adviser or by other Department

elements. Final funding decisions are at

the discretion of the Department of

State’s Acting Assistant Secretary for

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final

technical authority for assistance

awards resides with the Bureau’s Grants

Officer.

Submissions

Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the Application

Package. The applicant’s original

proposal and ten (10) copies should be

sent to: U.S. Department of State, Ref.:

ECA/PE/C/CU–01–64, Program

Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336,

301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC

20547.

Applicants must also submit the

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal

Narrative’’ and ‘‘Budget’’ sections of the

proposal on a 3.5′′ diskette. The Bureau

will transmit these files electronically to

the Public Affairs section at the U.S.

Embassy for its review, with the goal of

reducing the time it takes to get embassy

comments for the Bureau’s grants

review process. Once the RFGP deadline

has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss

this competition in any way with

applicants until the proposal review

process has been completed.

Deadline for Proposals

All copies must be received by the

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs, by 5

p.m. Washington, DC time on Thursday,

June 21, 2001. Faxed documents will

not be accepted at any time. The

mailroom closes at 5:00 p.m. sharp; no

late submissions will be accepted.

Documents postmarked or sent by

express mail or courier to arrive by June

21, 2001, but received at a later date,

will not be accepted. Each applicant

must ensure that the proposals are

received by the above deadline.

To Download an Application Package

Via the Internet

The entire Application Package (RFGP

and PSI) may be downloaded from the

Bureau’s website at http://

exchanges.state.gov/education/rfps/.

For Further Information Contact: By

mail: United States Department of State,

SA–44, Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs, Office of Citizen

Exchanges (ECA/PE/C), Room 220,

Washington, D.C. 20547 attn: Creative

Arts Exchanges ECA/PE/C/CU–01–64;

By phone: Tel: (202) 619–4779; fax:

202–619–6315;

By e-mail: lproctor@pd.state.gov.

Interested applicants may request the

Application Package, which includes

the Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP)

and the Proposal Submission

Instructions (PSI). Please specify

Creative Arts Exchanges ECA/PE/C/CU–

01–64 on all inquiries and

correspondence. All potential

applicants should read the complete

announcement before sending inquiries

or submitting proposals.

Authority

Overall grant making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as

amended, also known as the 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 funding authority for

the program above is provided through

legislation.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFGP are binding and may not

be modified by any Bureau

representative. Explanatory information

provided by the Bureau or program

officers that contradicts published

language will not be binding. Issuance

of the RFGP does not constitute an

award commitment on the part of the

U.S. Government. The Bureau reserves

the right to reduce, revise, or increase

proposal budgets in accordance with the

needs of the program and the

availability of funds. Awards made will

be subject to periodic reporting and

evaluation requirements. Organizations

will be expected to cooperate with the

Bureau in evaluating their programs

under the principles of the Government

Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of

1993, which requires federal agencies to

measure and report on the results of

their programs and activities.

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal U.S. Department of

State procedures.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal U.S. Department of

State procedures.

Dated: May 7, 2001.

Helena Kane Finn,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational

and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of

State.

[FR Doc. 01–12571 Filed 5–18–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P