Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices 64243

referenced in documents received by

OTS in the exercising of its supervisory

functions.

These records also contain

information concerning individuals who

have filed notices of intention to acquire

control of a savings association;

controlling persons of companies that

have applications to acquire control of

a savings association; and organizers of

savings associations who have sought

Federal Savings and Loan Insurance

Corporation (FSLIC) or Saving

Association Insurance Fund (SAIF)

insurance of accounts or federal

charters.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Application information and interagency and intra-agency

correspondence, memoranda and

reports. The SAR contains information

identifying the financial institution

involved, the suspected person, the type

of suspicious activity involved, the

amount of loss known, and any

witnesses.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

12 U.S.C. 1464; 44 U.S.C. 3101.

PURPOSE(S):

The overall system serves as a central

OTS repository for investigatory or

enforcement information related to the

responsibility of OTS to examine and

supervise savings associations. It also

serves to store information on

applicants to acquire, control, or insure

a savings association in connection with

OTS’s regulatory responsibilities.

The system maintained by FinCEN

serves as the database for the

cooperative storage, retrieval, analysis,

and use of information relating to

Suspicious Activity Reports made to or

by the Federal financial regulatory

agencies and FinCEN to various law

enforcement agencies for possible

criminal, civil or administrative

proceedings based on known or

suspected violations affecting or

involving persons, financial institutions,

or other entities under the supervision

or jurisdiction of such Federal financial

regulatory agencies.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

Information in these records may be

used to: (1) Provide the Department of

Justice with periodic reports on the

number, amount, individual identity

and other details concerning

outstanding potential criminal

violations of the law that have been

referred to the Department; (2) Provide

the Federal financial regulatory agencies

and FinCEN with information relevant

to their operations; (3) Provide

information to third parties during the

course of an investigation to the extent

necessary to obtain information

pertinent to the investigation; (4)

Provide information or records to any

appropriate governmental agency or

self-regulatory organization charged

with the responsibility of administering

law or investigating or prosecuting

violations of law or charged with

enforcing or implementing a statute,

rule, regulation, order, policy, or

license; (5) Disclose, when considered

appropriate, information to a bar

association, or other professional

organizations performing similar

functions, for possible disciplinary

action; (6) Disclose information when

appropriate to international and foreign

governmental authorities in accordance

with law and formal or informal

international agreements; and (7)

Provide information to any person with

whom the OTS contracts to reproduce,

by typing, photocopying or other means,

any record within this system for use by

the OTS and its staff in connection with

their official duties or to any person

who is utilized by the OTS to perform

clerical or stenographic functions

relating to the official business of the

OTS.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Records are maintained on magnetic

media and in paper files.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Computer output and file folders are

retrievable by indexes of data fields,

including name of financial institution

and individual’s name.

SAFEGUARDS:

Paper files are stored in lockable

metal file cabinets with access limited

to authorized individuals. Computer

disks maintained at OTS are accessed

only by authorized personnel.The

database maintained by FinCEN

complies with applicable security

requirements of the Department of the

Treasury. On–line access to the

information in the database is limited to

authorized individuals, and each

individual has been issued a nontransferable identifier or password.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Records are periodically updated to

reflect changes and maintained as long

as needed.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Deputy Chief Counsel for

Enforcement, Office of Thrift

Supervision, 1700 G Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20552.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

The system is exempt from

notification and record-access

requirements and requirements that an

individual be permitted to contest its

contents under 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) and

(k)(2) as relating to investigatory

material compiled for law enforcement

purposes.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

See ‘‘Notification procedure’’ above.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

See ‘‘Notification procedure’’ above.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Suspicious activity reports and

related historical information and

updating forms compiled by financial

institutions, the OTS, and other Federal

financial regulatory agencies for law

enforcement purposes. The OTS will

also include information from

applicants, inter agency and intraagency correspondence, memoranda,

and reports.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:

This system is exempt from 5 U.S.C.

552a(c)(3), (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3), (d)(4),

(e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) and (I), and (f) of the

Privacy Act pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a

(j)(2) and (k)(2).

[FR Doc. 95–30435 Filed 12–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6720–01–F

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Study of the United States Summer

Institute; Focus on U.S. Society

AGENCY: United States Information

Agency.

ACTION: Notice—Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of

the U.S. of the Office of Academic

Programs of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program for the Study

of the United States Summer Institute:

Focus on U.S. Society. Public and

private non-profit organizations meeting

the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26CFR 1.501(c)(3)–1 may

apply to develop a six-week graduatelevel program designed for a group of 18

foreign university educators from

around the world, in order to deepen

their understanding of U.S. society,

culture, and values by examining key

social institutions in the United States,
64244 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices

and to give participants further

grounding in American studies, so that

textbooks, curricular materials, and

course sin foreign universities will

benefit.

USIA is seeking detailed proposals

form colleges, universities, consortia of

college sand universities, and other notfor-profit academic organizations that

have an established reputation in

American studies and related subdisciplines, and that can demonstrate

expertise in conducting graduate-level

programs for foreign educators.

Applciant institutions must have a

minimum of four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs. The project director or one of

the key program staff responsible for the

academic program must have an

advanced degree in American studies or

a related discipline. Staff escorts

traveling under the USIA cooperative

agreement support must be U.S. citizens

with demonstrated qualifications for

this service.

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.’’

Programs and projects must conform

with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. USIA projects and programs

are subject to the availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All

communications with USIA concerning

this announcement should refer to the

above title and reference number E/

AAS–96–08.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received the U.S. Information

Agency by 5:00 p.m. Washington D.C.

time on Friday, February 9, 1996. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked February 9,

1996 but received at a later date. It is the

responsibility of each applicant to

ensure that proposal submissions arrive

by the deadline. Tentative program

dates are June 29 to August 9, 1996.

Participants will arrive in the U.S. on or

about June 28, and depart on August 10,

1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a Solicitation Package, which

includes more detailed award criteria;

all application forms, and guidelines for

preparing proposals, including specific

criteria for preparation of the proposal

budget, applicants should contact: U.S.

Information Agency, Office of Academic

Programs, Branch of the Study of the

United States, E/AAS, Room 256, 301

4th Street., S.W., Washington, D.C.

20547, Attn: Program Officer Ilaya

Rome; telephone number (202) 619–

4557; fax number (202) 619–6790;

internet address irome@usia.gov. Please

specify USIA Program Officer Illaya

Rome on all inquiries and

correspondence. Interested applicants

should read the complete Federal

Register announcement before

addressing inquiries to the office listed

above or submitting their proposals.

Once the RFP deadline has passed,

USIA staff may not discuss this

competition in any way with applicants

until after the Bureau proposal review

process has been completed.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE

VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation Package

may be downloaded from USIA’s

website at http://www.usia.gov, or from

the Internet Gopher at gopher.usia.gov,

under ‘‘New RFPs on Educational and

Cultural Exchanges.’’

SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the RFP and the

complete Solicitation Package. The

original and 13 copies of the complete

application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/AAS–96–

08, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,

Room 326, 301 4th Street, S.w.,

Washington, D.C. 20547.

DIVERSITY GUIDELINES: Pursuant to the

Bureau’s authorizing legislation,

programs must maintain a non-political

character, and should be balanced and

representative of the diversity and broad

range of responsible views present in

American political, social, and cultural

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted

in the broadest sense and encompass

differences including, but not limited to

ethnicity, race, gender, religion,

geographic location, socio-economic

status, and physical challenges.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to

adhere to the advancement of this

principle both in program

administration and in program content.

Please refer to the review criteria under

the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for

specific suggestions on incorporating

diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview:

The Study of the U.S. Summer Institute:

Focus on U.S. Society is intended to

provide foreign university teachers of

social studies and/or American studies

with opportunities to deepen their

understanding of the U.S., especially its

society, culture, and values, past and

present, through an in-depth

examination of key social institutions. It

is intended to encourage and support

participants’ efforts to improve the

quality of teaching and curricular

materials about the United States at

universities abroad.

The program should be six weeks in

length, including a residency segment at

a U.S. college or university campus (a

minimum of four weeks in length), and

a study tour segment (a maximum of

two weeks in length, including visits to

at least one but no more than two other

regions of the U.S.). The program should

offer participants a specially-designed

series of lectures, presentations,

discussions, and site visits, each related

to the central program theme.

Institute Objectives

—To conduct an intensive,

academically rigorous program that

presents an in-depth view of the

evolution and current role of key U.S.

social institutions;

—To offer a multi-dimensional view of

contemporary U.S. society that will

enable participants to better

understand the nature of American

social structure, social change, and

cultural values; and

—To enhance teaching about the United

States in foreign universities by

making appropriate scholarly

resources, pedagogical materials, and

ideas available to participants.

Participants should return home with

an ability to communicate a better

informed and more thoughtful picture of

the U.S. to students and colleagues, thus

contributing to broad-based foundation

that supports future study, research, and

teaching about the United States.

Participants: The program should be

designed for a total of 18 highlymotivated foreign university educators,

including teachers, administrators,

department chairs, curriculum

developers and textbook writers, who

have expressed interest in enhancing

the understanding of the U.S. in their

home countries and institutions.

Participants will be experienced in

fields of social sciences and in the

teaching of courses where there is

significant U.S. content involved.

Participants will be drawn from all

regions of the world and will be fluent

in the English language.

Participants will be nominated by

U.S. Information Service posts abroad,

and selected by the staff of USIA’s
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices 64245

Branch of the Study of the United States

in Washington, D.C. USIA will cover all

international travel costs directly.

Guidelines

The conception and structure of the

program is entirely the responsibility of

the organizers. However, as the

possibilities are enormously broad for

the design of a program focusing on

aspects of institutions in U.S. society, an

overarching theme for the Institute

should be chosen to focus the content

and scope of the program. The best

proposals will clearly articulate the

overall Institute theme, essential topics

and sub-topics to be covered, and the

means (activities, schedule) by which

the program content will be

communicated to participants.

Proposals should also provide

bibliographies of texts and materials to

be used in the program.

Contents

At the outset, the program should

review the recent history and current

status of the field of social science as an

academic discipline, surveying major

schools of interpretation and examining

any current debates pertinent to the

overall theme. The program should also

explore how social sciences have

informed and been informed by the

interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary

approaches to the study of the U.S.

represented by the field of American

Studies. The program itself should

include a balanced mix of traditional

and contemporary approaches for

examining the Institute theme.

The program should ideally bring in

outside presenters (representatives from

academia, community and volunteer

organizations, media, government) in

addition to the core faculty of the host

institution. Presenters must be fully

briefed about the Institute, its goals,

general themes and content, readings,

and especially the background and

needs of the participants themselves.

Information about presenters and how

they will be utilized should be included

in the proposal narrative.

The program may also be enrich by

the occasional engagement of other

disciplines and sub-disciplines that

make up American studies (e.g. history,

political science, economics, geography,

sociology, demography, etc.). The

program should provide participants

with a clearer understanding of the

diversity, complexity, and unity of U.S.

life and society.

Design

A residential program of a minimum

of four weeks on a college/university

campus is mandatory. The program

should also include or integrated study

tour segment of up to two weeks (it

must be directly supportive of the

academic program content) to one or

two other regions of the country. If a

visit to Washington, D.C. makes

programmatic sense, applicants are

encouraged to arrange such a visit

which should include a half-day session

at the United States Information

Agency. The selected grantee

organization will be asked to consult

closely with USIA in the planning of the

Washington itinerary. Day trips to

various locations (historical sites,

classrooms, community centers) are also

encouraged if such trips will further

enhance understanding of the U.S. and

enrich the participants’ experience.

The equivalent of one day a week

should be available to participants to

pursue individual research interests,

curriculum development projects, or to

do assigned readings. Participants

should be paired with faculty mentors

to guide them in their research, and

assist them in adjustment to the U.S.

academic environment.

It is extremely important that the

Institute organizers devise a way to

integrate all aspects of the program.

Assigned readings, lectures,

discussions, and field trips should relate

to and further illuminate the central

Institute theme, and contribute to a

better understanding of the U.S. The

Institute should not simply replicate an

existing lecture course or a graduate

seminar. Rather, through a combination

of lectures, presentations, discussions,

and site visits, it should be designed to

facilitate the development of a collegial

atmosphere in which faculty and

participants discuss relevant texts,

issues, and concepts.

Details of the academic and tour

programs may be modified in

consultation with USIA’s Branch for the

Study of the U.S. following the grant

award.

Resources

The program should provide access to

leading American scholars and

scholarly resources (libraries, archives,

databases, computer labs, etc.). An

essential element of the program is the

exposure to and accumulation of

teaching ideas and scholarly resources,

including primary texts, supplementary

works, and curricular materials

(including Internet resources and

training). The Summer Institute should

facilitate participants’ acquisition of the

maximum amount of such materials to

take back to their home countries, to be

used in the development of new courses

and programs, and the improvement of

existing ones.

Additional Responsibilities

The selected grant organization will

be responsible for most arrangements

associated with this program. This

includes the organization and

implementation of all presentations and

program activities, arrangement of all

domestic travel, lodging, subsistence,

airport reception and ground

transportation for participants,

orientation and briefing of participants,

preparation of any necessary support

materials (including a pre-program and

post-program mailings to participants),

and working with program presenters to

achieve maximum program

coordination and effectiveness. Please

refer to the Solicitation Package for

further details on program design and

implementation.

Additional Information: Confirmation

letters from U.S. co-sponsors noting

their intention to participate in the

program will enhance a proposal.

Proposals incorporating participant/

observer site visits will be more

competitive if letters committing

prospective host institutions to support

these efforts are provided.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements:

Programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Visas will be issued by

USIS posts abroad. USIA insurance will

be provided to all participants, unless

otherwise indicated in the proposal

submission. Grantee organization will

be responsible for enrolling participants

in the chosen insurance plan. Please

indicate in the proposal if host

institutions have any special tax

withholding requirements on

participant or staff escort stipends or

allowances.

Proposed Budget: Total USIA-funded

budget award may not exceed $157,000.

USIA-funded administrative costs

should be as low as possible and should

not exceed $47,000. The U.S. recipient

should try to maximize cost-sharing in

all facets of the program and to

stimulate U.S. private sector (foundation

and corporate) support. Applicants must

submit a comprehensive budget for the

entire program. There must be a

summary budget as well as break-down

reflecting both the administrative

budget and the program budget. For

better understanding or further

clarification, applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity

in order to facilitate USIA decisions on

funding. Please refer to the ‘‘POGI’’ in

the Solicitation Package for complete

budget guidelines and formatting

instructions for the Institute program.

REVIEW PROCESS: USIA will

acknowledge receipt of all proposals
64246 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices

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 also be reviewed by the

Agency contracts office, as well as the

USIA geographic Area Offices and the

USIA post overseas, where appropriate.

Proposals may also 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: Technically 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. Overall Quality: Proposals should

exhibit originality and substance,

consonant with the highest standards of

American teaching and scholarship.

Program design should reflect the main

currents as well as the contemporary

debates within the discipline.

2. Program Planning: Proposals

should demonstrate careful planning.

The organization and structure of the

Institute should be clearly delineated

and be fully responsive to all program

objectives. The tour component should

be an integral and substantive part of

the program, reinforcing and

complementing its academic segment.

3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel, including faculty and

administrative staff as well as outside

presenters, should be fully qualified to

achieve the project’s goals. Library and

media resources should be accessible to

participants; housing, transportation

and other logistical arrangements

should be fully adequate to the needs of

participants and should be conducive to

a collegial atmosphere.

4. Diversity: Proposals should

demonstrate the recipient’s commitment

to promoting the awareness and

understanding of diversity throughout

the program. This can be accomplished

through documentation, such as a

written statement, summarizing past

and/or on-going activities and efforts

that further the principle of diversity

within the organization and its

activities. Program activities that

address this issue should be

highlighted.

5. Experience: The proposal should

demonstrate an institutional record of

successful exchange program activity,

indicating the experience that the

organization and its professional staff

have had in working with foreign

educators.

6. Evaluation and Follow-up: The

proposal should include a plan for

evaluating activities during the Institute

and at its conclusion. Proposals should

comment on provisions made for

follow-up with returned grantees as a

means of establishing longer-term

individual and institutional linkages.

7. Administration and Management:

The proposals should indicate evidence

of continuous on-site administrative and

managerial capacity as well as the

means by which program activities will

be implemented.

8. Cost Effectiveness: The proposal

should maximize cost-sharing through

direct institutional contributions, inkind support, and other private sector

support. Overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including

salaries and honoraria, should be kept

as low as possible.

NOTICE: The terms and conditions

published in this RFP are binding and

may not be modified by any USIA

representative. Explanatory information

provided by the Agency that contradicts

published language will not be binding.

Issuance of the RFP does not constitute

an award commitment on the part of the

Government. The Agency reserves the

right to reduce, revise, or increase

proposal budgets in accordance with the

needs of the program and availability of

funding. Final awards cannot be made

until funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal USIA procedures.

NOTIFICATION: All applications will be

notified of the results of the review

process on or about April 1, 1996.

Awards made will be subject to periodic

reporting and evaluation requirements.

Dated: December 5, 1995.

Dell Pendergrast,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 95–30025 Filed 12–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

Summer Institute for the Study of the

U.S.: The Making of U.S. Foreign Policy

AGENCY: United States Information

Agency.

ACTION: Notice—Request for Proposals.

SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of

the United States of 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)(3)–1 may apply to

develop a six week graduate level

program designed for a group of 18

foreign university educators from

around the world on the subject of the

making of U.S. foreign policy. The

purpose of the institute is to deepen the

participants’ understanding of the U.S.

foreign policy process in order to

improve the teaching of international

relations in their respective universities.

USIA is seeking detailed proposals

from colleges, universities, consortia of

colleges and universities, and other not

for profit academic organizations that

have an established reputation in fields

directly related to the study of U.S.

foreign policy and can demonstrate

expertise in conducting graduate level

programs for foreign educators.

Applicant institutions must have a

minimum of four years’ experience in

conducting international exchange

programs.

The project director or one of the key

program staff responsible for the

academic program must have an

advanced degree in the field related to

the topic of the institute. Staff escorts

traveling under the USIA cooperative

agreement must be U.S. citizens with

demonstrated qualifications for this

service.

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 cited above is provided

through the legislation.

Programs and projects must conform

with Agency requirements and

guidelines outlined in the Solicitation

Package. USIA projects and programs

are subject to the availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER: All

communications with USIA concerning

this announcement should refer to the

above title and reference number E/

AAS–96–07.