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.
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices 64247

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time

on 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 proposals are received by

the above deadline. Approximate

institute program dates should be June

29–August 9, 1996. Participants will

likely be scheduled to arrive in the U.S.

on or about June 28, and depart on or

about August 10, 1996. In order to

assure adequate time for the host

institution to make program

arrangements and send pre-program

materials to grantees, USIA will make

every effort to award the approved

cooperative agreement by April 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 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 The

Branch for the Study of the United

States, E/AAS, room 252, U.S.

Information Agency, 301 4th Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20547, Attention,

Program Officer Gretchen Christison.

Tel: (202) 619–4557; FAX: (202) 619–

6790; internet address:

gchristi@usia.gov.

Please specify USIA Program Officer

Ms. Gretchen Christison 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.

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 Solicitation

Package. The original and 14 copies of

the application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/AAS–96–

07, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,

room 326, 301 4th Street SW.,

Washington, DC 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 of

American political, social, and cultural

life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be interpreted

in the broadest sense and encompass

differences including, but not limited to

ethnicity, race, gender, religion,

geographic location, socio-economic

status, and physical challenges.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to

adhere to the advancement of this

principle both in program

administration and in program content.

Please refer to the review criteria under

the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for

specific suggestions on incorporating

diversity into the total proposal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

The purpose of the Institute, ‘‘The

Making of U.S. Foreign Policy,’’ is to

deepen understanding among

participants of how U.S. foreign policy

is made and to provide them with a

multi-dimensional view of United

States, its society, culture, and

institutions, past and present.

Accordingly, the successful proposal

will focus not only on the Constitutional

roles and requirements that govern the

foreign policy process, but also on the

role that other political, economic,

social and cultural forces play in the

making of U.S. foreign policy.

Ultimately, the purpose of the Institute

is to improve the teaching of courses

abroad that address the subject of U.S.

foreign policy. The Institute is a sixweek program, involving a minimum of

four weeks at a college or university

campus in the U.S., followed by up to

two weeks of travel to at least one other

region of the U.S. with activities

designed to directly complement and

substantively enrich the academic

segment of the institute.

Objectives

(1) To conduct an intensive,

academically stimulating program that

presents an in-depth view of the

complex process by which U.S. foreign

policy is conceived, formulated and

carried out;

(2) to offer a multi-dimensional view

of that process that will enable

participants to increase their

understanding of the ways in which

domestic political, economic, social and

cultural factors contribute, directly and

indirectly, to that process;

(3) to enhance teaching about the

United States in foreign universities by

making appropriate scholarly resources,

pedagogical materials, and ideas

available to participants.

Participants

The 18 participants will be drawn

from all areas of the world, and will be

experienced in the teaching of courses

in fields of Politics and Government,

Comparative Politics and International

Relations, and History where there is

significant U.S. content involved. All

will be fluent in the English language.

They will be nominated by U.S.

Information Service posts abroad, and

selected by the staff of USIA’s Branch

for the Study of the United States in

Washington, D.C. USIA will cover the

international travel costs for

participants directly.

Guidelines

—The Institute should be specifically

designed for experienced foreign

university-level teachers. While it is

important that the topics and readings

of the Institute be clearly organized,

the Institute should not simply

replicate a lecture course or a

graduate seminar. Through a

combination of lectures, roundtable

discussions, guest presentations,

consultations and site visits, the

Institute should facilitate the

development of a collegial

atmosphere in which foreign

participants become fully engaged in

the exchange of ideas.

—In addition to the core faculty from

the host institution, and consistent

with the program’s design, the

Institute should bring in presenters

from outside academic life. Such

individuals might come from foreign

policy institutes, think tanks,

lobbying organizations, embassies,

consulates, development

organizations, media, and

government, as appropriate.

Presenters should be fully briefed

about the Institute, its goals, general

themes, 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 submission.

—While the overall design and structure

of the Institute is entirely the

responsibility of the organizers, the

Institute should begin by reviewing

the recent history and current status

of U.S. Foreign Policy studies as an

academic discipline, surveying the

major schools of interpretation and

approaches, and examining the recent

trends and current debates within the

field and within the area of

international relations generally. This

part of the program should also

explore how the study of U.S. foreign

policy has informed and been

informed by other scholarly

disciplines, e.g., economics,

anthropology, history, and address

how the study of U.S. foreign policy
64248 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices

can be used to gain a greater

understanding of the development

and character of American

civilization, past and present. The

latest developments in curriculum

design, teaching methods, and

resources available in the fields of

international relations should also be

addressed.

—The best proposals will express a high

level of thematic articulation in

addition to demonstrating clearly the

means by which these themes will be

concretely communicated to

participants for discussion and

reflection. It is especially important

for the institute organizer to devise

ways to integrate all aspect of the

program, from the assigned readings,

lectures, and discussions, to any site

visits and fields trips.

—The equivalent of one day a week

should be available to participants to

pursue individual research and

reading. The Institute should provide

access to leading American scholars

and research resources (libraries,

archives, databases); provision should

be made to pair participants with

faculty mentors. A key element of the

Institute is to expose participants to

the full range of scholarly materials,

primary and secondary literature,

curricular materials and teaching

resources, including Internet and

computer training, that will allow

them to continue their use of such

materials in their home countries.

—A residential program of a minimum

of four weeks on a college or

university campus is mandatory. The

program should include an integrated

study tour segment of up to two

weeks in length to at least one other

region of the country outside the area

of the host institution. In the event

that Washington, D.C. is included in

the proposed study tour segment, a

half-day session at the U.S.

Information Agency should be

scheduled. In any case, the study tour

segment must be directly supportive

of the academic program content. Day

trips to various locations are also

encouraged if such trips will further

enhance understanding of the U.S.

and the participants’ experience.

—Details of programs may be modified

in consultation with USIA’s Branch

for the Study of the U.S. following the

grant award.

—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, arrangements

for all domestic travel, lodging,

subsistence, and group transportation

for participants, orientation and

briefing of participants, preparation of

any necessary support materials

including a pre-program mailing 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. The 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 a breakdown 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 Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions for the

institute program.

REVIEW PROCESS: The 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 also be reviewed by the

Agency contracts office, as well as the

USIA 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 following

criteria:

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 travel 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 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.

5. Experience: The proposal should

demonstrate an institutional record of

successful exchange program activity,

indicating the experience that the

organization’s 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
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 1995 / Notices 64249

of continuous on-site administrative and

managerial capacity, as well as the

means by which program activities will

be implemented.

8. Cost Effectiveness: The proposals

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 the

availability of funding. Final awards

cannot be made until funds have been

appropriated by Congress, allocated and

committed through internal USIA

procedures.

NOTIFICATION: All applicants 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. 95–30026 Filed 12–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

Summer Institute on the U.S. Political

System: Focus on Federalism

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

Summer Institute on the U.S. Political

System: Focus on Federalism. 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 graduatelevel program designed for a group of 18

foreign university educators from

around the world on the subject of the

U.S. political system, with a focus on

federalism. The purpose of the Institute

is to deepen the participants’

understanding of the foundations,

development, and current functioning of

the U.S. political system by

concentrating particularly on the topic

of federalism; the ultimate goal of the

institute is to improve the teaching of

political science and American

government at the participants’ home

institutions.

USIA is seeking detailed proposals

from colleges, universities, consortia of

colleges and universities, and other notfor-profit academic organizations that

have an established reputation in

political science and related

subdisciplines, and that 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

political science 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 to 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–96–05.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received at 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 likely be booked to

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 Susan

Zapotoczny; telephone number (202)

619–4557; fax number (202) 619–6790;

internet address szapotoc@usia.gov.

Please specify USIA Program Officer

Susan Zapotoczny 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 14 copies of the complete

application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/AAS–96–

05, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,

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

Washington, D.C. 20547.

Applicants are also requested to

submit the ‘‘Executive Summary’’ and

‘‘Proposal Narrative’’ sections of each

proposal on a 3.5’’ diskette, formatted

for DOS. This material must be provided

in ASCII text (DOS) format with a

maximum line length of 65 characters.

If a proposal is selected for funding,

USIA will transmit these files

electronically to USIS posts overseas to

assist in the program participant

identification process.

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