International Educational and Cultural Activities Discretionary Grant Program

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

International Educational and Cultural Activities Discretionary

Grant Program

ACTION: Notice--Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/P) of the United States

Information Agency's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs announces

an open competition for an assistance award program. Public or private

non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 501 (c) (3) may apply to develop projects that link their

international exchange interests with counterpart institutions/groups

in ways supportive of the aims of the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs.

Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the

Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended,

Public Law 87-256, also known as the Fulbright Hays Act. The purpose of

the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase

mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the

people of other countries. . .; to strengthen the ties which unite us

with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural

interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United

States and other nations.* * * and thus to assist in the development of

friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States

and the other countries of the world.'' Programs and projects must

conform with Agency requirements and guidelines outlined in the

Application Package. USIA projects and programs are subject to the

availability of funds.

Interested applications should read the complete Federal Register

announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Citizen

Exchanges or submitting their proposals. Once the RFP deadline has

passed, the Office of Citizen Exchanges may not discuss this

competition in any way with applicants until after the Bureau program

and project review process has been completed.

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: All communications concerning this announcement

should refer to the Fall Discretionary Grant Program. The announcement

number is E/P-95-1. Please refer to title and number in all

correspondence or telephone calls to USIA.

DATES: Deadline for Proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S.

Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, September

16, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents

postmarked on September 16, 1994, but received at a later date. It is

the responsibility of each grant applicant to ensure that proposals are

received by the above deadline. This action is effective from the

publication date of this notice through September 16, 1994, for

projects where activities will begin between January 1, 1995 and June

30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested organizations/institutions

must contact the Office of Citizen Exchanges, E/PL, room 216, United

States Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,

(202) 619-5326, to request detailed application packets, which include

award criteria, all application forms; and guidelines for preparing

proposals, include specific criteria for preparation of the proposal

budget. Please specify the USIA Program Officer Laverne Johnson on all

inquiries and correspondences.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instruction given in the

Application Package and send only complete applications to: U.S.

Information Agency, REF: E/P-95-1 Fall Discretionary Grant Competition,

Grants Management Division (E/XS), 301 4th Street, SW., room 336,

Washington, DC 20547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-

economic status, and physical challenges, Applicants are strongly

encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.

Overview: The Office of Citizen Exchanges works with U.S. private

sector non-profit organizations on cooperative international group

projects that introduce American and foreign participants to each

others' social, economic, and political structures; and international

interests. The Office supports international projects in the United

States or overseas involving leaders or potential leaders in the

following fields and professions: Urban planners, jurists, specialized

journalists (specialists in economics, business, political analysis,

international affairs), business professionals, NGO leaders,

environmental specialists, parliamentarians, educators, economics

planning, and other government officials.

Guidelines: Applicants should carefully note the following

restrictions/recommendations for proposals in specific geographical

areas:

The Newly Independent States: USIA and other agencies of the U.S.

government have numerous programs in the countries of the NIS (Armenia,

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). As such, the amount

of funds for that part of the world in this competition will be

extremely limited. Proposals which would normally be considered for

other USIA grant competitions will not be accepted. E/P encourages

organizations to seek clarification on these points before presenting a

proposal.

Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Baltics (EU): Projects are

encouraged involving Western Europe. Due to the fact that the office

has or is in the process of conducting specific competitions in Eastern

Europe and the Baltics, we will not accept proposals for youth exchange

programs or for programs in the following thematic areas: public

administration, business management, independent media development,

journalism training, and local government administration and municipal

management. Priority will be given to projects relating to conflict

resolution, tolerance, and diversity.

East Asia and the Pacific (EA): Priority consideration will be

given to the following: (1) Projects for journalists (print or

electronic). Priorities are projects for Hong Kong and Singapore

combined or for Thailand on press freedom, the press/government

relationship, and the role of a free press in society. Other projects

for journalists include regional/subregional projects that focus on

APEC-related economic and trade issues and policies or regional/

subregional projects that focus on security issues. The projects may

consist of but are not limited to workshops, site tours, seminars and

discussions and internships. (2) Projects concerned with the

strengthening of democracy in Cambodia, with priority given to projects

that focus on education and representative government. (3) Projects

concerned with the organization, management, and administration of

citizen action groups or other non-governmental organizations in the

Peoples' Republic of China and Southeast Asian countries. Priority will

be given to subject areas, such as grass roots democracy, the

environment, and human rights.

American Republics (AR): Priority will be given to projects in the

following areas: Good governance, public administration,

decentralization of government, judicial reform, and the protection/

promotion of minority and indigenous rights.

Africa (AF): While proposals in all fields are encouraged, emphasis

will be given to proposals which focus on strengthening democratic

institutions. Proposals involving South Africa are encouraged.

North Africa, Near East and South Asia (NEA): Priority will be

given to projects which promote democratization, economic reform, free

markets, tolerance and pluralism, conflict resolution, and Israeli and

Palestinian understanding. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly

encourages the coordination of activities with respected universities,

professional associations, and major cultural institutions in the U.S.

and abroad, but particularly in the U.S. Projects should be

intellectual and cultural, not technical. Vocational training (an

occupation other than one requiring a baccalaureate or higher academic

degree; i.e., clerical work, auto maintenance, etc. and other

occupations requiring less than two years of higher education) and

technical training (special and practical knowledge of a mechanical or

a scientific subject which enhances mechanical, narrowly scientific, or

semi-skilled capabilities) are ineligible for support. In addition,

scholarship programs are ineligible for support.

The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or

seminars (i.e., one to fourteen-day programs with plenary sessions,

main speakers, panels, and a passive audience). It will support

conferences only insofar as they are part of a larger project in

duration and scope which is receiving USIA funding from this

competition. USIA-supported projects may include internships; study

tours; short-term, non-technical training; and extended, intensive

workshops taking place in the United States or overseas.

The themes addressed in exchange programs must be of long-term

importance rather than focused exclusively on current events or short-

term issues. In every case, a substantial rationale must be presented

as part of the proposal, one that clearly indicates the distinctive and

important contribution of the overall project, including where

applicable the expected yield of any associated conference.

No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to

conferences or conference-type seminars overseas; neither is funding

available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine

professional association meetings in the United States.

Projects that duplicate what is routinely carried out by private

sector and/or public sector operations will not be considered. The

Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly recommends that applicants consult

with host country USIS post, prior to submitting proposals.

Section of Participants

All grant proposals should clearly describe the type of persons who

will participate in the program as well as the process by which

participants will be selected. It is recommended that programs in

support of U.S. internships include letters tentatively committing host

institutions to support the internships.

In the selection of foreign participants, USIA and USIS posts

retain the right to nominate all participants and to accept or deny

participants recommended by grantee institutions. However, grantee

institutions are often asked by USIA to suggest names of potential

participants. The grantee institution will also provide the names of

American participants and brief (two pages) biographical data on each

American participant to the Office of Citizen Exchanges for information

purposes. Priority will be given to foreign participants who have not

previously travelled to the United States.

Additional Guidance

The Office of Citizen Exchanges offers the following additional

guidance to prospective applicants:

1. The Office of Citizen Exchanges encourages project proposals

involving more than one country. Pertinent rationale which links

countries in multi-country projects should be included in the

submission. Single-country projects that are clearly defined and

possess the potential for creating and strengthening continuing

linkages between foreign and U.S. institutions are also welcome.

2. Proposals for bilateral programs are subject to review and

comment by the USIS post in the relevant country, and pre-selected

participants will also be subject to USIS post review.

3. Bilateral programs should clearly identify the counterpart

organization and provide evidence of the organization's participation.

4. The Office of Citizen Exchanges will consider proposals for

activities which take place exclusively in other countries when USIS

posts are consulted in the design of the proposed program and in the

choice of the most suitable venues for such programs.

5. Office of Citizen Exchanges grants are not given to support

projects whose focus is limited to technical or vocational subjects, or

for research projects, for publications funding, for student and/or

teacher/faculty exchanges, for sports and/or sports related programs.

Nor does this office provide scholarships or support for long-term (a

semester or more) academic studies. Competitions sponsored by other

Bureau offices are also announced in the Federal Register.

For projects that would begin after July 1, 1995, competition

details will be announced in the Federal Register on or about December

1, 1994. Inquiries concerning technical requirements are welcome prior

to submission of applications.

Funding

Although no set funding limit exists, proposals for less than

$150,000 will receive preference. Organizations with less than four

years of successful experience in managing international exchange

programs are limited to $60,000. Applicants are invited to provide both

an all-inclusive budget as well as separate sub-budgets for each

program component, phase, location, or activity in order to facilitate

USIA decisions on funding. While an all-inclusive budget must be

provided with each proposal, separate component budgets are optional.

Competition for USIA funding support is keen.

The selection of grantee institutions will depend on program

substance, cross-cultural sensitivity, and ability to carry out the

program successfully. Since USIA grant assistance constitutes only a

portion of total project funding, proposals should list and provide

evidence of other anticipated sources of financial and in-kind support.

The Recipient must provide a minimum of 33 percent cost sharing of

the total project cost. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable

direct or indirect costs. The Recipient must maintain written records

to support all allowable costs which are claimed as being its

contribution to cost participation, as well as costs to be paid by the

Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for

determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in

accordance with OMB Circular A-110, Attachment E-Cost Sharing and

Matching and should be described in the proposal. In the event the

Recipient does not provide a minimum of 33 percent cost sharing, the

Agency's contribution will be reduced in proportion to the Recipient's

contribution. Proposals with cost sharing of less than 33 percent of

the total project cost will be considered ineligible. The recipient's

proposal shall include the cost of an audit that: (1) Complies with the

requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of Institutions of

Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Institutions; (2) complies with

the requirements of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

(AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 92-9; and (3) includes review

by the recipient's independent auditor of a recipient-prepared

supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate computation, if such a rate

is being proposed. The audit costs shall be identified separately for:

(1) Preparation of basic financial statements and other accounting

services; and (2) preparation of the supplemental reports and schedules

required by OMB Circular No. A-133, AICPA SOP 92-9, and the review of

the supplemental schedule of indirect cost rate computation. The

following project costs are eligible for consideration for funding:

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 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. Interpreters: If needed, interpreters for the U.S. program are

provided by the U.S. State Department Language Services Division.

Typically, a pair of simultaneous interpreters is provided for every

four visitors who need interpretation. 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. May be used to provide specialized expertise or to

make presentations. Daily honoraria generally do not 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.

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 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.

9. A return travel allowance of $70 for each participant which is

to be used for incidental expenditures incurred during international

travel.

10. All USIA-funded delegates will be covered under the terms of a

USIA-sponsored health insurance policy. The premium is paid by USIA

directly to the insurance company.

11. 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. Note: the 20 percent limitation of

``administrative costs'' included in previous announcements does not

apply to this RFP. Please refer to the Application Package for complete

budget guidelines.

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 established herein and in the

Application Packet. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of

USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be

reviewed by the budget and contract offices, as well as the USIA

geographic regional office and the USIS post overseas, where

appropriate. Proposals may also be reviewed by the USIA's Office of

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 grant awards resides

with USIA's contracting officer.

Review Criteria

USIA will consider proposals based on their conformance with the

objectives and considerations already stated in this RFP, as well as

the following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit originality,

substance, precision, and relevance to the Agency mission.

2. Program Planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substance undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and

plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described

above.

3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Objectives should be

reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposal should clearly demonstrate

how the institution will meet the program objectives and plan.

4. Multiplier Effect: Proposed programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages.

5. 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.

6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional

resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or

project's goal.

7. Institution Reputation/Ability: Proposal 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. Evaluation Plan: Proposals should provide a plan for a thorough

and objective evaluation of the program/project by the grantee

institution.

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. Support of Diversity: Proposal should demonstrate the

recipients' commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of

diversity throughout the program. This can be accomplished through

documentation (such as a written statement or account) summarizing past

and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of

diversity within both their organization and their activities.

Notice

The need of the program may require the award to reduced, revised,

or increased. The terms and conditions published in the RFP are binding

and may not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory

information provided by USIA that contradicts published language will

not be binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award

commitment on the part of the Government. Final awards cannot be made

until funds have been fully appropriated by the Congress, allocated and

committed through internal USIA procedures.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the results of the review

process on or about December 1, 1994. Awarded grants will be subject to

periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Dated: June 8, 1994.

John P. Loiello,

Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

[FR Doc. 94-14510 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]

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