[Federal Register: February 6, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 25)]
[Notices]
[Page 6243-6245]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06fe03-157]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 4272]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals: Kyrgyz Republic Educational Partnerships Program in Cultural
and Comparative Religious Studies
SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the
Kyrgyz Republic Educational Partnerships Program in Cultural and
Comparative Religious Studies. Public and private non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to support mutually
beneficial partnerships which contribute to the development of
instruction in comparative religion, cultural studies/history, computer
science and English at the Bishkek Islamic Institute in the Kyrgyz
Republic. The means for achieving these objectives may include the
exchange of university and college faculty and research scholars,
administrators, and advanced students between the Kyrgyz Republic and
appropriate U.S. counterpart colleges and universities.
In a program announced in a separate RFGP, the Bureau supports
linkages in higher education with partners in the Eurasian states of
the former Soviet Union through the FREEDOM Support Educational
Partnerships Program. Applicants seeking support for educational
partnerships with partners in the Kyrgyz Republic other than the one
specified in this RFGP or for fields of study other than those
specified in this RFGP should consult the RFGP for the FREEDOM Support
Educational Partnerships Program or contact the Bureau's Humphrey
Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch at (202) 619-5289.
Program Information
Overview: The Kyrgyz Republic Educational Partnerships Program in
Cultural and Comparative Religious Studies will fund a three-year
project to permit one or more U.S. institutions to work with the
Bishkek Islamic Institute. Pending availability of funds, approximately
$200,000 is expected to be available under the FREEDOM Support Act for
the Kyrgyz Republic Educational Partnerships Program in Cultural and
Comparative Religious Studies in FY 2003.
Objectives: Proposals that benefit both partner institutions will
be the most competitive, although the benefits do not need to be
identical for each partner. The proposal should outline a plan to
cooperate with the Bishkek Islamic Institute to: (1) Develop courses
and curricula in eligible fields; (2) improve teaching methods; (3)
develop educational materials which support new courses and curricula;
(4) train teachers or other practitioners in the effective use of these
materials; and (5) foster self-sustaining relationships with U.S.
academic institutions and educators.
The program should equip the Bishkek Islamic Institute to provide
accurate and balanced information about religion, including Islam, and
cultural history framed within a contemporary understanding of human
rights and the role of cultural and religious pluralism in a democratic
society. At the conclusion of the program, teachers at the Bishkek
Islamic Institute should be capable of teaching the newly introduced or
revised courses and should be able to participate more fully in
international dialogue with U.S. and other educators. Students
graduating from the Bishkek Islamic Institute should have a better
understanding of the relationships between religion, politics, and
society in modern democracies and should be better prepared to apply
this understanding in public service, education, and the private
sector, and to contribute to building a democratic society.
The Bureau anticipates that the participating U.S. institution(s)
and individuals will benefit by developing or strengthening regional
expertise. Participating U.S. faculty may utilize
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this experience to develop new courses or incorporate comparative
content into existing courses. Students at participating U.S.
institutions will gain a better understanding of Central Asia through
interaction with visiting scholars and U.S. faculty that have
incorporated international content into their courses.
Pending availability of funds, the grant should begin on or about
June 15, 2003.
Participant Eligibility
All participants traveling to the Kyrgyz Republic funded under the
grant must be U.S. citizens. Foreign participants must be both
qualified to receive U.S. J-1 visas and willing to travel to the U.S.
under the provisions of a J-1 visa during the exchange visits funded by
this Program.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to
Solicitation Package for further information.
Budget Guidelines
The Bureau anticipates awarding one grant not to exceed $200,000.
Applicants may submit a budget not to exceed this amount. Organizations
with less than four years experience in conducting international
exchanges are limited to $60,000, and are not encouraged to apply. The
Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost-sharing
and funding from private sources in support of its programs.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns
reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Please refer to the
Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and formatting
instructions.
Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/A/
S/U-03-14.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a solicitation package,
contact the Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch;
Office of Global Educational Programs; Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs; ECA/A/S/U, Room 349; U.S. Department of State; SA-44,
301 Fourth Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547; phone: (202) 619-5289,
fax: (202) 401-1433. The Solicitation Package includes more detailed
award criteria, all application forms, and guidelines for preparing
proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal
budget. Applicants desiring more information may contact Program
Officer Jonathan Cebra at 202-205-8379 or jcebra@pd.state.gov.
Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been completed.
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's
Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all
information before downloading.
Deadline for Proposals
All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Tuesday, April 1,
2003. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents
postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by
the above deadline.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and ten copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-03-14, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
No later than one week after the competition deadline, applicants
must also submit the Proposal Title Sheet, Executive Summary, and
Proposal Narrative sections of the proposal as e-mail attachments in
Microsoft Word (preferred), WordPerfect, or as ASCII text files to the
following e-mail address: partnerships@pd.state.gov. In the e-mail
message subject line, include the following: ECA/A/S/U-03-14. To reduce
the time needed to obtain advisory comments from the Public Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, the Bureau will transmit these
files electronically to this office.
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, 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. Public
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that
the governments of the countries described above do not have
inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the
full extent deemed feasible.
Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is placing renewed
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J
visa) Programs and adherence by grantees and sponsors to all
regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should
demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing
the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR
6Z, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants,
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms,
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements. The Grantee will be
responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of State, Office
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734,
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 401-9810,
FAX: (202) 401-9809.
Review Process
The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will
review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed
ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein
and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be
reviewed by
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the program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas,
where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance
with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to
Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed
by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other elements of the
Department or the United States Government. Final funding decisions are
at the discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for grants
resides with the Bureau's 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) Broad and Enduring Significance of Institutional Objectives:
Program objectives should have significant and ongoing benefits for the
participating institutions and for their surrounding societies or
communities.
(2) Creativity and Feasibility of Strategy to Achieve Objectives:
Strategies to achieve program objectives should be feasible and
realistic within the budget and timeframe. These strategies should
utilize and reinforce exchange activities creatively to ensure an
efficient use of program resources.
(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) Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity by explaining how issues of
diversity are included in objectives for all institutional partners.
Issues resulting from differences of race, ethnicity, gender, religion,
geography, socio-economic status, or physical challenge should be
addressed during program implementation. In addition, program
participants and administrators should reflect the diversity within the
societies which they represent (see the section of this document on
``Diversity, Freedom, and Democracy Guidelines''). Proposals should
also discuss how the various institutional partners approach diversity
issues in their respective communities or societies.
(5) Institution's Capacity and Record/Ability: Proposed personnel
and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to
achieve the program or project's goals. Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
(6) Evaluation: Proposals should outline a methodology for
determining the degree to which the project meets its objectives, both
while it is underway and at its conclusion. The final program
evaluation should include an external component and should provide
observations about the program's influence within the participating
institutions as well as their surrounding communities or societies.
(7) Cost-effectiveness: Administrative and program costs should be
reasonable and appropriate with cost-sharing provided by all
participating institutions within the context of their respective
capacities. Cost-sharing is viewed as a reflection of institutional
commitment to the program.
(8) Value to U.S.-Partner Country Relations: Proposed projects
should receive positive assessments by the U.S. Department of State's
geographic area desk and overseas officers of program need, potential
impact, and significance in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 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 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 Freedom for Russia and
Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992
(FREEDOM Support Act).
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Dated: January 28, 2003.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 03-2925 Filed 2-5-03; 8:45 am]
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