[Federal Register: February 28, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 40)]
[Notices]
[Page 9347-9349]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28fe02-158]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3928]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals (ECA/PE/C-02-27): Intercultural Public-Private Fellows
Program for Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East, and South
Asia
Summary: Subject to the availability of funds, the Office of
Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
(ECA) announces an open grant competition to conduct a new initiative
entitled, ``The Intercultural Public Private Fellows Program'' (ICPP
Fellows Program). Public and private non-profit organizations meeting
the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26USC
501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct this exchange program. The
goal of the ICPP Fellows Program is to foster mutual understanding by
bringing together American and foreign arts practitioners for an
intercultural educational dialogue. The program will achieve this by
introducingAmerica's most talented visual, performing, film and
literary arts professionals around the world; bringing foreign
counterparts to various regions of the United States in order to expose
American audiences to other cultural arts traditions; and building
linkages between the most prominent foreign and American arts education
and cultural institutions. The proposal should include an equal number
of foreign and American fellows in this reciprocal exchange program.
Each applicant's program design must specify an appropriate theme and a
proposed geographic region and/or list of countries that will
participate. Multi-country programs are strongly encouraged. Cross-
regional programs are also eligible where the program theme relates to
multiple regions. Proposals for countries and regions with significant
Muslim populations are strongly encouraged. ECA is committed to
geographic diversity in its programs and invites proposal submissions
for the ICPP Fellows Program from the many notable and prestigious
institutions and organizations located throughout the geographic
regions of the U.S.
ECA expects to award 2-4 grants of up to $250,000 in ECA funding
(subject to funding availability), with significant cost sharing
(approximately 50%) from the applicant institution and/or other
sources. Organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs are not eligible for this
competition.
Program Information
Overview
The ``Intercultural Public Private Fellows Program'' is designed to
foster mutual understanding and encourage an international cultural
arts and educational dialogue through exchange activities, community
outreach and joint projects. The ICPP Fellows Program is intended to be
a reciprocal exchange of highly accomplished individuals or groups that
builds linkages and promotes joint projects between prominent arts
education and cultural institutions, during the grant period and
continuing after the program ends. The eligible regions for FY 2002 are
Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia. ECA
strongly encourages proposals for countries and regions with
significant Muslim populations.
Proposals for the ICPP Fellows Program should provide opportunities
for American and foreign ICPP Fellows to travel on exchange visits,
bringing their art and expertise to the most notable halls, galleries,
museums and institutions in the U.S. and overseas. The fellows would
also participate in workshops and master classes led by well-known and
highly regarded artists and cultural arts professionals. To address
mutual understanding and respect, and as a main component of this
program, American and foreign fellows would engage in community
outreach and presentation of educational programs in their host
communities and at home upon their
[[Page 9348]]
return. The proposal should indicate that an approximately equal number
of foreign and American fellows will participate in a reciprocal
exchange program, and that the program design will contribute to
building and supporting strong linkages between and among American and
foreign ICPP Fellows, and with their home and host institutions. These
linkages would continue after the ICPP Fellows Program grant period has
ended.
Applicant organizations must demonstrate the ability to administer
all aspects of the ICPP Fellows Program--recruitment and selection of
an equal number of American and foreign fellows, orientations, program
activities, monitoring and support of ICPP Fellows including all
logistics, financial management and evaluation. Applicant organizations
must demonstrate the ability to recruit and select a diverse pool of
candidates from various geographic regions in the U.S. and abroad, and
will be expected to help ICPP fellows develop follow-on ideas and
projects to be implemented upon return to their home countries. Further
detail and clarification of specific program responsibilities can be
found in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI)
Statement, which is part of the formal solicitation package.
Organizations planning to submit a proposal for the ICPP Fellows
Program should contact the program office for a consultation before the
submission deadline. Before contacting ECA, organizations should read
the entireFederal Register announcement and be ready to discuss a
concrete concept specific to the guidelines supplied in this request
for grant proposals. To schedule a consultation, contact Karen Turner
at (202) 205-3003; Fax: (202) 619-4350; e-mail: kturner@pd.state.gov.
Guidelines
Pending availability of funds, all grants will begin on
approximately September 1, 2002. ECA anticipates awarding up to four
grants under this competition.
Proposals should reflect a practical understanding of the 4144ent
cultural, political, economic and social environment relevant to the
applicant organization's proposed program theme and the countries or
regions involved. If applicable, applicants should identify the U.S.
and foreign partner organizations with whom they are proposing to
collaborate, and describe previous cooperative projects in the section
on ``Institutional Capacity.''
Program activities may include, but are not limited to: An open,
merit-based recruitment and selection process; orientations; workshops
and master classes; performances, readings, productions, screenings,
exhibits and other similar activities; community outreach & educational
activities; development and implementation of joint projects;
monitoring & support; and evaluation. Orientations are required for
both American and foreign fellows, and should include all program
staff. The program should include activities that specifically promote
mutual understanding and that allow the foreign program participants to
experience American life and culture, and that will provide Americans
an opportunity to learn about the cultures of the foreign host
countries.
The ICPP Fellows Program must conform to ECA requirements and
guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. ECA programs are
subject to the availability of funds and must comply with J-1 Visa
regulations. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further
information.
Budget Guidelines
ECA grant guidelines limit organizations with less than four years
experience conducting international exchanges to $60,000 in Bureau
grant support. Because of the scope and complexity of this program,
organizations with less than four years experience in conducting
international exchanges are not eligible to apply under this
competition.
ECA encourages applicant organizations to provide maximum levels of
cost sharing and funding from private sources in support of its
programs. Applicant organizations must submit a comprehensive line item
budget to include a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting
both administrative and program budgets. Applicants may provide
separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or
activity to provide clarification. A comprehensive budget narrative
must accompany the line item budget, clearly explaining all proposed
costs. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
Cost sharing: Organizations should provide approximately fifty (50)
percent cost sharing. Since the Bureau's grant assistance constitutes
only a portion of total project funding, proposals should list and
provide evidence of other sources of cost sharing, including financial
and in-kind support. In-kind contributions may include, but are not
limited to, donations of airfares, hotel and/or housing costs,
consultant fees, ground transportation, interpreters, room rentals and
equipment. Proposals with substantial private sector support from
foundations, corporations, and other institutions will be considered
highly competitive. Please refer to the statement on cost sharing in
the Proposal Submission Instructions.
Allowable costs for the program include the following:
(1) General Program Costs.
(2) Participant Program Costs.
(3) Administrative Expenses.
Review of your budget will benefit from your professional judgment
of costs for activities in the proposal. The Bureau is committed to
containment of administrative expenses, consistent with overall program
objectives and sound management principles. Program activities and line
items to be cost-shared should be included in the narrative and the
budget. Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) in
the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines.
Project Funding
Proposals may include budgets of up to $250,000 in ECA funding, not
including cost sharing from the applicant institution and/or other
sources. All applicants must demonstrate in the proposal narrative a
minimum of four years experience conducting international exchanges.
Announcement Title and Number
All communications with ECA concerning this Request for Grant
Proposals (RFGP) should refer to the announcement title: ``ICPP Fellows
Program'' and reference number: ECA/PE/C-02-27.
Deadline for Proposals
All copies must be received by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on
Wednesday, April 24, 2002. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any
time. The mailroom closes at 5 p.m. sharp; no late submissions will be
accepted. Documents postmarked or sent by express mail or courier to
arrive by April 24, 2002, but received at a later date, will not be
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by
the above deadline.
To Download an Application Package via the Internet
The entire Application Package (RFGP, POGI and PSI) may be
downloaded from the Bureau's website
[[Page 9349]]
at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/.
For Further Information Contact: Mailing address: United States
Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Office of Citizen Exchanges (ECA/PE/C), Room 220, Washington, DC 20547,
attn: ICPP Fellows Program ECA/PE/C-02-27. Tel: (202) 205-3003; Fax:
202-619-4350; E-mail: kturner@pd.state.gov.
Interested applicants may request a copy of the Application
Package. Please specify: ``ICPP Fellows Program ECA/PE/C-02-27'' on
all inquiries and correspondence. All potential applicants should read
the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting
proposals.
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 Affairs Sections
of the U.S. embassies overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals
will be forwarded to panels of ECA officers 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 Acting Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for
assistance awards resides with ECA's Grants Officer.
Submissions
Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation
Package (RFGP, POGI, PSI). The applicant's original proposal and ten
(10) copies should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Ref.: ECA/PE/
C-02-27, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary,'' ``Proposal
Narrative'' and ``Budget'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5" diskette.
The Bureau will transmit these files electronically to the Public
Affairs Sections at the U.S. Embassies for review, with the goal of
reducing the time it takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's
grants review process. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff
may not discuss this competition in any way with applicants until the
proposal review process has been completed.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. Proposals should adequately
address each area of review. These criteria are not rank ordered and
all are given equal weight.
1. Quality of the Program Idea
2. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives
3. Institutional Capacity
4. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing
5. Program Evaluation
6. Multiplier Effect/Impact
7. Follow-on Activities
8. Support of Diversity
Applicants should refer to the POGI in the Solicitation Package for
more detailed information on the review criteria.
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.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural ExchangeAct 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 above is provided through legislation.
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 or program officers that contradicts published
language will not be binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute
an award commitment on the part of the U.S. 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. Organizations will be expected to cooperate with the
Bureau in evaluating their programs under the principles of the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, which requires
federal agencies to measure and report on the results of their programs
and activities.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal U.S. Department of
State procedures.
Dated: February 21, 2002.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S.
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 02-4854 Filed 2-27-02; 8:45 am]
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