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< Back to current issue of Immigration Daily < Back to current issue of Immigrant's Weekly
[Federal Register: December 7, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 236)]
[Notices]
[Page 76693-76695]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de00-114]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3491]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; College and
University Affiliations Program for Algeria; Request for Grant
Proposals
SUMMARY: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an
assistance award program to support the development of programs of
instruction and faculty training at one or more universities in Algeria
in business management and entrepreneurship, public administration, or
another field with significant potential impact on the Algerian
economy. Accredited, post-secondary educational institutions meeting
the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to
pursue institutional or departmental objectives in partnership with
(an) Algerian institution(s) with support from the College and
University Affiliations Program. The means for achieving the objectives
of the applicant and its partner(s) may include mentoring, teaching,
consultation, research, distance education, internship training, and
professional outreach to public and private sector managers and
entrepreneurs.
Overview and Project Objectives: The project is designed to assist
one or more Algerian universities to develop a modern curriculum and
program in business management or public administration to facilitate
the development of business activity and the quality, efficiency and
integrity of the private and public sectors in Algeria. While priority
will be given to competitive proposals in business management,
proposals in public administration and other fields are also eligible
if the proposals demonstrate their potential impact on the Algerian
economy.
In business management, proposals emphasizing practical strategies
to assist the faculty to develop a new curriculum in business
management focusing in accounting, finance, banking, and
entrepreneurship are particularly encouraged.
In public administration proposals with potential economic impact
through assistance with curriculum reform and faculty training in
fields such as taxation, financial management, land registry/ownership
and property rights are also eligible. All proposals should explain
potential impact on the Algerian economy.
For each project, applicants are encouraged to develop outreach to
and collaboration with practitioners by including them, together with
junior and senior instructors, in working groups for faculty
development and curriculum design and development.
Bureau policy stipulates that awards to organizations with less
than four years' experience in conducting international exchanges are
limited to $60,000. The Bureau anticipates awarding one or two grants
from a total of $240,000 that is expected to be available to support
this program. Funds will be awarded for a period up to three years to
defray the costs of exchanges, to provide educational materials, and to
increase library holdings and improve Internet connections. Up to 25%
of the grant total may be used to defray the costs of project
administration. Indirect administrative costs are not an eligible
expense for Bureau funding under this competition, but may be presented
as part of the U.S. institutional contribution.
The project should pursue these objectives through a strategy that
coordinates the participation of junior and senior level faculty,
administrators or graduate students for any appropriate combination of
teaching, mentoring, internships, in-service training and outreach, for
exchange visits ranging from one week to an academic year. Visits of
one semester for participants from Algeria are strongly encouraged and
program activities must be tied to the goals and objectives of the
program. Proposals may also include English language training for
selected participants whose prior knowledge of English needs to be
activated or refreshed. Visits by representatives of the American
partner institution to Algeria are not required, but short visits may
be proposed for eventual implementation should conditions permit. All
applicants should read the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning for
Algeria dated March 31, 2000.
U.S. Institution and Participant Eligibility: In the United States,
participation in the program is open to accredited two and four-year
colleges and universities, including graduate schools, as well as to
other organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation
26 CFR 1.501(c). Applications from consortia or other combinations of
U.S. colleges and universities are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners
may include governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as
non-profit service and professional organizations. The lead U.S.
university in the consortium or other combination of cooperating
institutions is responsible for submitting the application. Each
application must document the lead organization's authority to
represent all U.S. cooperating partners.
Participants representing the U.S. institution must be U.S.
citizens. With the exception of an outside consultant reporting on the
degree to which project objectives have been achieved, participants who
are traveling under the Bureau's grant funds must be teachers, advanced
graduate students, who are teaching or research assistants, or
administrators from the participating institution(s). Advanced graduate
students are eligible for Bureau-funded participation in this program
only if they are working under the direction of an accompanying faculty
participant.
Algerian Institution and Participant Eligibility: In Algeria, the
partner must be a recognized institution of post-secondary education.
Secondary foreign partners may include relevant governmental and non-
governmental organizations, as well as non-profit service and
professional organizations concerned with issues in business
development or public administration training in Algeria.
Foreign participants must be citizens or permanent residents of
Algeria and qualified to receive a J-1 visa.
Budget Guidelines: Applicants may submit a budget of up to
$240,000. Requests for amounts smaller than the maximum are eligible.
Budget and budget notes should carefully justify the amounts needed.
There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown reflecting the
program and administrative budgets including unit costs. Cost sharing
will be considered an important indicator of institutional commitment.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete guidelines
and formatting instructions.
[[Page 76694]]
Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with the Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title ``College and University Affiliations Program
in Algeria'' and reference number ECA/A/S/U-01-13.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, SA-44;
U.S. Department of State, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
phone (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-1433, e-mail:
mpizarro@pd.state.gov to request a Solicitation Package.
The Solicitation Package contains detailed award criteria, required
application forms, and guidelines for preparing proposals, including
specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. Please
specify the above reference number on all inquiries and correspondence.
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 website at
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps. Please read all information
before downloading.
Deadline of Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C.
time on Friday, March 30, 2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at
any time. Documents postmarked by the due date but received on a later
date will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of each applicant
to ensure compliance with the deadline.
Approximate Program Dates: Grants should begin on or about August
1, 2001.
Duration: August 1, 2001-August 31, 2004.
Submissions: The U.S. institutional partner must submit the
proposal. Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent
to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-01-13, Program
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547.
All copies should include the documents specified under Tabs A
through E in the ``Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation''
(POGI) section of the Solicitation Package. The documents under Tab F
of the POGI should be submitted with the original application and with
one of the ten copies.
Proposals that do not follow RFGP requirements and the guidelines
appearing in the POGI and PSI may be excluded from consideration due to
technical ineligibility.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' Sections of the 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. The Bureau will
transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs Section of
the U.S. Embassy in Algiers for its review, with the goal of reducing
the time it takes to get the Embassy's comments for the Bureau's grants
review process.
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to the
Bureau's authorizing legislation, projects 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.
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 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
Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of
the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards
(grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants
Officer.
Review Criteria: State Department officers in Washington, D.C. and
overseas will use the criteria below to reach funding recommendations
and decisions. Technically eligible applications will be competitively
reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not
rank-ordered or weighed.
1. Quality of the Program Idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and resourcefulness. Proposals
should exhibit sensitivity to the region, and have reasonable and
feasible project objectives that are relevant to the needs of an
Algerian university. Proposals should describe projected benefits to
the institutions involved as well as to wider communities of educators
and practitioners in Algeria.
2. Program Planning: Proposals should include creative, realistic
and feasible program plans for the development of working groups for
faculty and curriculum development; a detailed schedule, which should
include a well-reasoned combination of useful and appropriate
mentoring, teaching techniques and outreach activities supporting the
project objectives.
3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity by explaining how issues of
diversity relate to project objectives and how these issues will be
addressed during project implementation. Proposals should also outline
the institutional profile of each participating institution with regard
to issues of diversity.
4. Institutional Capacity and Commitment: Proposals should
demonstrate significant understanding of the needs and capacities of
the Algerian university as well as the needs and capacity of the U.S.
institution, and should demonstrate a strong commitment to on-going
cooperation during and after the period of the grant activity. Relevant
factors include: the
[[Page 76695]]
match between participating organizations or departments, and
availability of sufficient number of faculty and/or administrators
willing and able to participate in project activities. Proposals should
demonstrate a promise of long-term impact and a plan for follow-on
activities.
5. Institutional Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of administering successful exchange programs,
including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all
reporting requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by the
State Department's contracts officers. The Bureau will consider the
past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of
new applicants. Reviewers will also consider the quality of exchange
participants' academic credentials, skills, commitment and experience
relative to the goals and activities of the project plan.
6. Project Evaluation: The proposal should outline a methodology to
assess progress toward the achievement of project goals. The final
evaluation should include an external component and observations about
anticipated long-term impact on the Algerian economy.
7. Cost-Effectiveness: Administrative and program costs should be
reasonable and appropriate with cost sharing provided as a reflection
of commitment to the pursuit of project objectives.
Authority: 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 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 U.S. North African
Economic Partnership.
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: November 29, 2000.
William B. Bader,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S.
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-31076 Filed 12-6-00; 8:45 am]
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