Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices 19655

related work will now be conducted

under the TCG.

BACKGROUND: The Land Transportation

Standards Subcommittee (LTSS) was

established by the North American Free

Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) Committee

on Standards-Related Measures to

examine the land transportation

regulatory regimes in the United States,

Canada, and Mexico, and to seek to

make certain standards more

compatible. The Transportation

Consultative Group (TCG) was formed

by the three countries’ departments of

transportation to address non-standardsrelated issues that affect cross-border

movements among the countries, but

that are not included in the NAFTA.

The LTSS Working Group on Rail

Safety Standards has completed its

NAFTA-mandated work, and has

determined that safety regulations for

rail operating personnel involved in

cross-border operations and for

locomotives and other rail equipment

are mostly compatible. The working

group’s final report is available for

review at the U.S. Department of

Transportation (DOT) at the address

below. A working group has been

created under the TCG to analyze

economic aspects of rail operations and

to seek to increase compatibility of

certain regulations not covered by the

NAFTA’s LTSS work program.

MEETINGS AND DEADLINES: The third

annual joint LTSS/TCG plenary session

will be held June 17–20, 1996, at the

Holiday Inn On-the-Bay, 1355 North

Harbor Drive, San Diego, California. All

LTSS and TCG working groups (with

the exception of the TCG working group

on Maritime & Ports Policy) will meet

during the same week and at the same

location. The following working groups

continue to operate under the LTSS:

Compliance, Driver and Vehicle

Standards; Vehicle Weights and

Dimensions; Traffic Control Devices for

Highways; and Hazardous Materials

Standards. Five working groups operate

under the TCG: Cross-Border Operations

and Facilitation; Rail Safety and

Economic Issues; Automated Data

Exchange; Science and Technology; and

Maritime and Ports Policy.

Also at the same San Diego site, on

June 18, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, a

listening session will be held for

representatives of the truck, bus, rail,

and chemical manufacturing industries,

transportation labor unions, brokers and

shippers, public safety advocates, and

others who have notified us of their

interest to attend and have submitted

copies of their presentations, in English

and Spanish, to the address below by

May 24. This is an opportunity for

presenters to voice their concerns,

provide technical information, and offer

suggestions relevant to achieving greater

standards compatibility and improving

cross-border trade.

A briefing to report on the outcome of

the San Diego meetings will be

conducted at DOT at the address below,

in Room 9230, on July 23, from 10:00

a.m. to noon. Interested parties may

notify DOT of their interest to attend

this briefing by calling the phone

number listed below by July 16.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: LTSSrelated documents, including working

group reports and statements received

by DOT from industry associations,

transportation labor unions, public

safety advocates, and others, will be

available for review in Docket no. OST–

95–246, at the address below, Room PL–

401, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,

e.s.t., Monday through Friday, except

national holidays.

Address and Phone Numbers

Individuals and organizations

interested in participating in the

listening session may send notice of

their interest and copies of their

presentations to Ronaˇle Taylor, U.S.

Department of Transportation, OST/X–

20, Room 10300, 400 Seventh Street,

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

Respondents may also send information

by fax at (202) 366–7417.

For additional information, call (202)

366–2892.

Dated: April 29, 1996.

Nancy K. MacRae,

Acting Director, Office of International

Transportation and Trade.

[FR Doc. 96–10934 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

Federal Aviation Administration

Deadline for Submission of Application

for Airport Grant Funds Under the

Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for

Fiscal Year 1996

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) announces June

30, 1996, as the deadline for having on

file with the FAA an acceptable

application for airport grant funds under

the Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

for fiscal year 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Stanley Lou, Manager, Programming

Branch, Airports Financial Assistance

Division, Office of Airport Planning and

Programming, APP–520, on (202) 267–

8809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

47105(f) of the Codification of Certain

U.S. Transportation Laws as Title 49,

United States Code, Public Law No.

103–272, (July 5, 1994), provides that

the sponsor of each airport to which

entitlement funds are apportioned shall

notify the Secretary, by such time and

in a form as prescribed by the Secretary,

of the sponsor’s intent to apply for

passenger and cargo entitlement funds.

Notification of the sponsor’s intent to

apply during fiscal year 1996 for any of

its entitlement funds, including those

unused from prior years, shall be in the

form of a project application (SF 424)

submitted to the FAA field office no

later than June 30, 1996.

This notice is promulgated to

expedite and prioritize grants in the

final quarter of the fiscal year. Absent an

acceptable application by June 30, FAA

intends to defer an airport’s entitlement

funds until the next fiscal year.

Issued in Washington, D.C., April 25, 1996.

Stan Lou,

Manager, Programming Branch.

[FR Doc. 96–10970 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Training Programs in Bosnia, Request

for Proposals; Notice

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen

Exchanges 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 media and parliamentary

training programs for Bosnia. Projects

should include both in-country and U.S.

training programs for professionals in

the above-mentioned fields.

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
19656 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices

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 Exchanges appropriation.

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/P–

96–35.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time

on Friday, June 14, 1996. Faxed

documents will not be accepted, nor

will documents postmarked June 7,

1996, but received at a later date. It is

the responsibility of each applicant to

ensure the proposals are received by the

above deadline.

Grants should begin after September

9, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The

Office of Citizen Exchanges, European

Division, Room 224, U.S. Information

Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone

(202) 619–5319, fax (202) 619–4350,

Internet address [cminer@usia.gov] to

request a Solicitation Package

containing more detailed award criteria,

required application forms, and

standard guidelines for preparing

proposals, including specific criteria for

preparation of the proposal budget.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE

VIA INTERNET: The Solicitation Package

may be downloaded from USIA’s

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

the Internet Gopher at gopher://

gopher.usia.gov. Select ‘‘Education and

Cultural Exchanges’’, then select

‘‘Current Request for Proposals (RFPs).’’

Please read ‘‘About the Following RFPs’’

before beginning to download.

Please specify USIA Program Officer

Christina Miner on all inquiries and

correspondences. Interested applicants

should read the complete Federal

Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once

the RFP deadline has passed, Agency

staff may not discuss this competition in

any way with applicants until the

Bureau proposal review process has

been completed.

SUBMISSIONS: Applicants must follow all

instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and eight copies

of the application should be sent to:

U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P–96–

35, 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 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

Proposals must focus on one of the

following topics:

Media Training

Programs in this general topic should

fall under one or more of three subcategories: journalistic training (both

print and broadcast); management of

media organizations; and/or

government/press relations. Media

projects should include cities outside of

Sarajevo.

Journalistic training should

emphasize skills such as effective

writing, investigative reporting,

objectivity, evaluation of sources, clear

labeling of editorials and opinion

pieces, conformance to copyright laws,

and ethics.

Media management training should

focus on management of media as a

profitable business. Topics to be

addressed might include management

techniques, desk top publishing, sales,

and advertising, marketing, distribution,

staff development, and accountability.

Public affairs training should cover

the relationship between journalists and

spokespersons for political parties and/

or government agencies. Following the

Fall elections the interaction between

both national and municipal

government spokespersons and the

media will be critical to the

development of democracy.

Parliamentary Training

Training should focus on the

administration and structure of a

parliamentary government. The role of

support offices, the structure of

parliamentary committees and

parliamentary procedures and process,

including the basics of drafting

legislation, should all be addressed.

These projects may be regional in focus.

Guidelines

Projects must be two-way exchanges

and include in-country workshops,

consultations, and U.S.-based training

(including internships, where possible).

University faculty are invited to work

as project directors; however, the U.S.-

based training should include

professional development and the

Bosnian participants should be

professionals working in the fields of

media or government.

Exchange programs for students or

faculty or proposals that request support

for the development of university

curricula or for degree-based programs

are ineligible under this RFP. Proposals

to link university departments or to

exchange faculty and/or students are

funded by USIA’s Office of Academic

Programs (E/AE) under the University

Affiliation Program and should not be

submitted in response to this RFP.

In the selection of all foreign

participants, USIA and USIS posts

retain the right to nominate participants

and to approve or reject participants

recommended by the program

institution. Programs must also comply

with J–1 visa regulations.

Programs that include internships in

the U.S. should provide letters

tentatively committing host institutions

to support the internships.

Funding

Proposals for less than $135,000 will

receive preference.

Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000.

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

program. There must be a summary

budget as well as a breakdown reflecting

both the administrative budget and the

program budget. For better

understanding or further clarification,

applicants may provide sub-budgets for

each program component, phase,

location, or activity in order to facilitate

USIA decisions on funding.

Allowable costs for the program

include the following:

1. International and domestic air

fares; visas; transit costs; ground

transportation costs.

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

organizations have the option of using a

flat $140/day for program participants

or the published U.S. federal per diem
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices 19657

rates for individual American cities. For

activities outside the U.S., the published

Federal per diem rates must be used.

Note: U.S. escorting staff must use the

published Federal per diem rates, not the flat

rate.

3. If needed, interpreters for the U.S.

program may be provided by the U.S.

State Department Language Services

Division. A pair of simultaneous

interpreters is provided for every four

participants. USIA grants do not pay for

foreign interpreters to accompany

delegations from their home country.

Grant proposal budgets should contain

a flat $140/day per diem for each

Department of State interpreter, as well

as home-program-home air

transportation of $400 per interpreter

plus any U.S. travel expenses during the

program. Salary expenses are covered

centrally and should not be part of an

applicant’s proposed budget.

4. Book and cultural allowance.

Participants are entitled to and escorts

are reimbursed a one-time cultural

allowance of $150 per person, plus a

participant book allowance of $50. U.S.

staff do not get these benefits.

5. Consultants can be used to provide

specialized expertise or to make

presentations. Daily honoraria generally

do not exceed $250 per day.

6. Room rental, which generally

should not exceed $250 per day.

7. Materials development. Proposals

may contain costs to purchase, develop,

and translate materials for participants.

8. One working meal per project. Per

capital costs may not exceed $5–8 for a

lunch and $14–20 for a dinner,

excluding room rental. The number of

invited guests may not exceed

participants by more than a factor of

two-to-one.

9. A return travel allowance of $70 for

each participant which is to be used for

incidental expenditures incurred during

international travel.

10. Other costs necessary for the

effective administration of the program,

including salaries for grant organization

employees, benefits, and other direct

and indirect costs per detailed

instructions in the application package.

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions, including

information on audit requirements.

Review Process

USIA will acknowledge receipt of all

proposals and will review them for

technical eligibility. Proposals will be

deemed ineligible if they do not fully

adhere to the guidelines stated herein

and in the Solicitation Package. Eligible

proposals will be forwarded to panels of

USIA officers for advisory review. All

eligible proposals will be reviewed by

the program office, as well as the USIA

Office of Eastern European and NIS

Affairs and the USIA post overseas,

where appropriate. Proposals may be

reviewed by the Office of the General

Counsel or by other Agency elements.

Funding decisions are at the discretion

of the USIA Associate Director for

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final

technical authority for assistance

awards (grants or cooperative

agreements) resides with the USIA

grants officer.

Review Criteria

Technical eligible applications will be

competitively reviewed according to the

criteria stated below. These criteria are

not rank ordered and all carry equal

weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of the program idea:

Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and relevance to

Agency mission. Program objectives

should be reasonable, feasible, and

flexible.

2. Program planning: Detailed agenda

and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive undertakings

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan

should adhere to the program overview

and guidelines described above.

3. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed

programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

4. Cross Cultural/Area Expertise:

Proposals should reflect the institution’s

expertise in the subject area and should

address specific areas of concern facing

countries involved in the project.

Additionally, projects should show

evidence of sensitivity to historical,

linguistic and other cross cultural

factors and should demonstrate how

this sensitivity will be used in practical

aspects of the program, such as predeparture orientations or briefings of

American hosts.

5. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate substantive support

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity.

Achievable and relevant features should

be cited in both program administration

(selection of participants, program

venue and program evaluation) and

program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource

materials and follow-up activities).

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program or project’s goals.

7. Institution’s Record/Ability:

Proposals should demonstrate an

institutional record of successful

exchange programs, including

responsible fiscal management and full

compliance with all reporting

requirements for past Agency grants as

determined by USIA’s Office of

Contracts. The Agency will consider the

past performance of prior recipients and

the demonstrated potential of new

applicants.

8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-on activity (without USIA

support) which ensures that USIA

supported programs are not isolated

events.

9. Project Evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

activity’s success, both as the activities

unfold and at the end of the program. A

draft survey questionnaire or other

technique plus description of a

methodology to use to link outcomes to

original project objectives is

recommended. Successful applicants

will be expected to submit intermediate

reports after each project component is

concluded or quarterly, whichever is

less frequent.

10. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead

and administrative components of the

proposal, including salaries and

honoraria, should be kept as low as

possible. All other items should be

necessary and appropriate.

11. Cost-sharing: Proposals should

maximize cost-sharing through other

private sector support as well as

institutional direct funding

contributions.

12. Value to U.S.–Partner Country

Relations: Proposed projects should

receive positive assessments by USIA’s

geographic area desk and overseas

officers of program need, potential

impact, and significance in the partner

country(ies).

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 funds. Awards made will

be subject to periodic reporting and

evaluation requirements.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal USIA procedures.
19658 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices

Dated: April 23, 1996.

Dell Pendergrast,

Deputy Associate Director for Educational

and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 96–10596 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

United States Information Agency

Regional Scholar Exchange Program

With the New Independent States;

Freedom Support Act Fellowships in

Contemporary Issues

ACTION: Notice—Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs, Academic Exchanges

Division, European Programs Branch of

the United States Information Agency’s

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces an open competition

for two assistance awards. Public and

private non-profit organizations with at

least four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs with the New Independent

States and meeting the provisions

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR

1.501(c)(3)–1 may apply to develop and

administer one or both of the following

two categories of academic exchange

programs:

Category A: USIA Regional Scholar

Exchange Program with the New

Independent States for approximately

60 to 70 pre-doctoral and/or postdoctoral scholars, researchers, and

university faculty in the social sciences

and humanities who are citizens of

Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Georgia,

Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the

Russian Federation, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan

and for approximately 10 pre- and/or

post-doctoral scholars, researchers, and

university faculty in the social sciences

and humanities who are citizens of the

United States.

Category B: FREEDOM Support Act

Fellowships in Contemporary Issues for

approximately 60 to 70 highly qualified

policymakers, public, private, and third

sector professionals, and scholars with

advanced degrees—Kandidat

preferred—who are citizens of Armenia,

Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Georgia,

Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the

Russian Federation, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan

and who are professionally engaged in

the building of democracy, free markets,

and a civil society in their countries in

the post-Soviet era. Interested

organizations should read the complete

Federal Register announcement and

request a Solicitation Package from

USIA prior to preparing a proposal.

*Please note: Programs with Azerbaijan are

subject to the restrictions of Section 907 of

the Freedom Support Act of 1992: Employees

of the Government of Azerbaijan or any of its

instrumentalities are excluded from

participation and no U.S. participant

overseas may work for the Government of

Azerbaijan or any of its instrumentalities.

The goals and objectives of both the

USIA Regional Scholar Exchange

Program with the NIS and the

FREEDOM Support Act Fellowships in

Contemporary Issues are to empower

outstanding citizens of the countries of

the NIS and U.S. to: (1) Obtain access to

the resource materials and specialists of

the host country so that they can

conduct the specific research proposed

in their applications; (2) Deliver

lectures, make presentations, and write

articles, books, policy papers, reports,

and/or produce other materials that

advance the state of knowledge and

practice in their fields in their home

countries and institutions; (3) Promote

long-term collaborative research projects

and cooperation between U.S. and NIS

scholars and practitioners.

For both categories, participants from

the NIS must demonstrate a high level

of fluency in written and spoken

English at a level appropriate to achieve

the goals and objectives of the program.

Participants from the U.S. must

demonstrate a high level of fluency in

written and spoken Russian and/or

another language of the NIS in order to

conduct research at NIS host

institutions. Escort interpreters will not

be provided, nor funded by USIA.

Both categories are open, merit-based

competitions that must be conducted

nationally in the home countries of the

applicants and all applicants must be

working or studying in their home

countries at the time of application and

selection. The fellowship periods for

both categories must be for a minimum

of three months (or the equivalent of

one academic semester), but must not

exceed a maximum of eight months (or

the equivalent of one academic year).

For both categories, all participants

must be affiliated with universities,

research institutes, or other

organizations in the host country which

have specialists and resources in the

field of the fellows’ research. All

participants must be matched with a

host advisor who serves as a research

mentor and guides their professional

development during the fellowship.

Applicants who have participated in a

USIA-funded academic exchange

program after June 1994 are not eligible

to receive fellowships in either category.

Each category has separate conditions

and requirements which are stated in

this announcement and detailed in the

full Solicitation Package. Organizations

may apply for an assistance award for

one or both categories, but must submit

a separate proposal and budget for each

category. Organizations that apply for

assistance awards in both categories are

strongly encouraged to craft each

proposal and budget in an innovative

way that maximizes resources,

streamlines program and administrative

operations, and achieves economies of

scale for the program and administrative

activities, practices, and procedures

which are common to both categories.

Organizations which wish to work in

partnership on one or both categories

may apply as a consortia, but must

submit one proposal and one budget for

each category. All proposals from

consortia must identify a lead

organization and cite the specific duties,

responsibilities, division of labor, and

budget for all members of the consortia

as well as subcontracts from a lead

organization to each member of the

consortia.

USIA anticipates awarding one

assistance award for each category cited

in this announcement. Grants awarded

to organizations through this

competition must begin no earlier than

August 1, 1996 and must be completed

by July 31, 1998. USIA expects that NIS

participants will begin their U.S.

programs as a group in late January 1997

and in late August 1997. However, in

instances when it is feasible and

advisable, some NIS participants may

begin their U.S. programs at other

appropriate times during the grant

period. USIA expects that U.S.

participants will begin their NIS

programs at various and appropriate

times in 1997 and 1998. At the end of

their fellowships, all participants are

required to return to their home

countries so that they can begin to apply

the knowledge, skills, and insights

gained as a result of their academic

exchange experience.

Overall grantmaking authority for the

USIA Regional Scholar Exchange

Program for the New Independent States

is contained in the Mutual Educational

and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,

Public Law 87–256, as amended, also

known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The

purpose of the Act is ‘‘to enable the

Government of the United States to

increase mutual understanding between

the people of the United States and the

people of other countries . . .; to

strengthen the ties which unite us with

other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations . . . and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic