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[Federal Register: May 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 98)]
[Notices]
[Page 28009-28014]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21my01-113]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3673]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals (ECA/PE/C/CU-01-64): Creative Arts Exchange Programs for
Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, and Central Asia
SUMMARY: The Cultural Programs Division of the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for assistance
awards for international Creative Arts Exchanges. Public and private
U.S. non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to conduct programs for
Cultural Tourism in Africa; Performing Arts Presenters in East Asia and
the Pacific; or Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film And Documentary
Archives In Central Asia.
Program Information
Overview: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
invites applicants to submit proposals that promote the institutional
capacity, professional expertise and economic viability of arts
institutions and cultural entities in Africa, East Asia and the
Pacific, and Central Asia. Programs supported by the Creative Arts
Exchanges grants should create or expand ongoing institutional
partnerships, and offer experiential learning activities, and share
methods and materials that will enhance the development of their
cultural institutions and management skills. This program is not
academic in nature; programs should be designed to provide practical,
hands-on experience.
Guidelines: The proposal should anticipate a grant period that will
begin no earlier than September 1, 2001.
Competitive proposals usually have the following characteristics:
(1) An active, existing partnership between a U.S. organization and the
foreign partner institution(s), or strong potential to develop a
sustainable, productive partnership; (2) a proven successful track
record for conducting similar program activity; (3) experienced staff
with knowledge of the region and local language(s) ability; (4) a clear
and reasonable implementation plan and well-articulated expected
outcomes; (5) a two-way exchange; and (6) concrete ideas for possible
follow-on activities to take place after the funded grant period.
Proposals should reflect a practical understanding of the current
cultural, political, economic and social environment that is relevant
to the theme addressed in the proposal.
[[Page 28010]]
Proposals should also indicate a strong knowledge of cultural
activities and organizations working in the region. Applicants should
identify the U.S. and foreign partner organizations and individuals
with whom they are proposing to collaborate and describe in detail
previous cooperative projects in the section on ``Institutional
Capacity.'' Proposals should give an indication that the program ideas
were jointly developed between the American and foreign
organization(s). Resumes for proposed U.S. and foreign staff, trainers,
consultants should be included in the proposal.
Unless otherwise specified below: (1) Program activities may
include: A cost-effective needs assessment; an open, merit-based
selection process; short-term training; study tours; consultations;
site visits; internships; performances or exhibits; a specific group
project; and extended, intensive workshops; (2) Programming should
include a U.S. exchange component for foreign participants; (3) In-
country activities should be designed to reach a wide audience and give
the exchange participants an opportunity to be co-leaders on workshops,
(4) Orientation sessions are required for both foreign and U.S.
participants, and (5) The project should include activities that
promote two-way exchanges and allow the foreign program participants to
experience American life and culture, and that will provide Americans
an opportunity to learn about the culture of the partner's country.
Programs should be designed so that collaboration and information
sharing that occurs during the grant period will continue long after
the grant period is over. Proven methods of sustainability include, but
are not limited to: A commitment to create or support joint or in-
country cultural projects; joint activities recognized by the
international community; regularly published electronic and/or hard-
copy newsletters; and ongoing mentoring through Internet communication
or other means.
To be considered for a grant award in this competition, the
proposed exchange program must address one of the following themes:
Cultural Tourism (Single-Country Program with Ghana, Mali
or Niger)
Performing Arts Presenters (Single-Country/City Program
with Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam or Hong Kong)
Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film And Documentary
Archives In Central Asia (Single- or Multiple-Country Program with the
Central Asian countries of the New Independent States: Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
Cultural Tourism
Overview: For many African countries there are few opportunities on
a local or regional level to carve out a viable sector of the nation's
economy. Africa's rich culture and traditions, and historical links to
the global community, provide an environment unmatched in its potential
for establishing a strong cultural tourism industry. Cultural tourism
encourages increased involvement in the historical growth of a region,
responsible stewardship of local resources, develops the local economy,
and strengthens educational institutions. An established tourist
industry will also provide a foundation for grassroots business
development.
Museums and other culturally important sites are the gateway to
tourism development, the focal point from which the tourist industry
expands. Each African country has its own history, resources and
professional expertise from which to establish the historical cultural
tourism industry. The goals of this program are threefold: (1) To
create and enhance ongoing international partnerships between specific
sites in the U.S. and the African countries participating in this
program, (2) to bring African and American visual arts and cultural
heritage professionals together in a global arena, and (3) to
comprehensively improve a specific culturally important site that will
result in increased cultural tourism for the region.
Program Guidelines: Applicants are invited to submit a proposal for
a two-way exchange program focusing on cultural tourism in Ghana, Mali
or Niger. The program may be centered on a specific cultural site (e.g.
museum, nature preserve, historical landmark, archaeological site,
etc.). The program plan should indicate a balanced exchange of
participants, build on an existing foundation, and include joint work
for the enhancement of interpretive and educational programming and
other components marketable in the area of international tourism.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus on the following themes
when developing proposals:
Ghana: Slave Routes within Ghana. The program should focus on the
northern region in Ghana, using lessons learned from the existing,
well-established tourist trade on the coast of the central region.
Mali: Archaeological Tourism and Cultural Heritage. The proposal
should focus on conserving and developing for tourism the
archaeological sites of Jenne-Jenna and/or Mopti. This program will
build on an assessment conducted by American Cultural Specialists on a
previous ECA grant.
Niger: Eco/Cultural Tourism with Rock Art or Dinosaur Fossil Beds.
The program should analyze the potential to study, conserve and develop
for tourism Niger's dinosaur fossil beds and 8,000-year-old rock art.
The program plan should follow the program and budget guidelines
included in this RFGP. In addition, the proposal should include the
following components:
Assessment site visit, if necessary.
Video Documentation of the cultural site development
throughout the grant period, conducted jointly with local staff to
ensure the continuation of documentation after the grant period ends.
At least one seminar on general museology, the role of
museums in cultural tourism, and other relevant topics in cultural
tourism for a wide audience. Target audience may include government
officials at the local to ministry level, museum professionals,
cultural specialists, tourist board, land management office, tourist
agencies, national arts council and museums association. African and
American participants should jointly plan and co-conduct the in-country
seminars.
Additional program elements can include, but are not limited to:
Creation of work plans to develop and run a cultural site
or museum for the purpose of tourism development.
Study tour of U.S. cultural heritage sites.
Modest purchases of equipment or services.
Development of educational and interpretive presentations
and materials.
Program Participants: The U.S. grantee organization will recruit a
mix of upper and mid-level professionals (decision makers and hands-on
professionals) to participate in this program. The partner
organizations will advertise to a wider target audience for the in-
country seminar(s) on topics in cultural tourism.
Organizations planning to submit a proposal for Cultural Tourism in
Africa are encouraged to contact the program office for a consultation
before the submission deadline: Susie Baker sbaker@pd.state.gov; Tel:
(202) 205-2209. Before calling, organizations should be ready to
discuss a concrete concept specific to the guidelines supplied in this
request for grant proposals.
[[Page 28011]]
Performing Arts Presenters
Overview: This project is intended to present opportunities for
performing arts presenters in the U.S. to learn about management styles
in Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia or Hong Kong and for their presenters to
gain knowledge about the field in the U.S. The exchange will offer
opportunities for arts managers to acquaint themselves with the range
of performing artists in each other's country. Performing arts tours
can help solve problems and reduce tensions caused by deep-rooted
differences between the mindsets of Americans and citizens of other
countries. Carrying out such exchanges is often hampered by the very
cultural misperceptions that such tours hopefully can address, along,
of course, with contractual misunderstanding, incompatible management
styles, country-specific labor idiosyncrasies, intellectual property
issues, mismatched venue expectations, etc. This program should create
an arts management infrastructure that increases the access countries
have to each other's performing arts groups and the cultural insight
that such access brings. This cultural insight is particularly valuable
to the U.S. at this time vis-a-vis Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia or Hong
Kong--countries in which trade can be increased, human rights issues
resolved, and bilateral tensions decreased more easily within a context
of greater mutual understanding.
Program Guidelines: Applicants are invited to submit proposals for
the Performing Arts Presenters program. The proposed program should
facilitate the exchange of ideas and joint projects between arts
presenters in the U.S. and one of the eligible countries listed above.
Through joint collaboration and program elements designed to remove
cross-cultural barriers, participants should examine the ideas,
motivations, and presentation practices of their international
counterparts, develop work plans, and participate in program activities
that will help each side better understand how the other side operates.
Ideally, the program would culminate in an artistic exchange of
performers from Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam or Hong Kong to the U.S.
through cost sharing and/or third party funding. The goal of the
program is to create an environment of mutual understanding and ongoing
collaboration between performing arts presenters from different
countries in order to achieve fruitful artistic exchanges.
Competitive proposals should include, but are not limited to, the
following four components:
Consultation/assessment visit by American arts presenters
to Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia or Hong Kong: A team of seasoned American
arts presenters will travel overseas to meet with leading arts
presenters in the region, to increase their knowledge of performing
arts presentations and assess performance philosophy and venues.
Workshops in the U.S.: American experts in performing arts
presentation will conduct workshops in the U.S. for foreign
participants. Workshop topics should focus on legal, contractual,
marketing, commercial and logistical issues involved with presenting
American performing artists. Workshops should also address similarities
and differences between performing arts organizations in the U.S. and
overseas region, and an overview of the difficulties that American
performing artists encounter when conducting overseas tours.
Experiential workshops could also include case studies and problem
solving exercises.
National or regional conference for arts presenters: An
opportunity for leading performing arts presenters from the overseas
region to attend one of the national or regional conferences for arts
presenters in the U.S., where the participants would have an
opportunity to increase their understanding, with the aid of mentors,
of trends in the arts presentation field and to view a wide range of
performing artists. At the conclusion of this component, the American
and foreign arts presenters will develop proposals and timelines to
present specific artists in each other's country.
Seminar or presentation for performing arts presenters in
the overseas region: The proposed plan should include at least one in-
country seminar or presentation for a group of performing arts
presenters on an issue related to the grant theme, to maximize cost-
effectiveness and share expertise with a wider audience.
Program Participants: (1) The grantee organization will recruit
American performing arts presenters for the initial assessment visit
and final phase of the project, and (2) The grantee organization will
recruit qualified foreign performing arts presenters in the overseas
region.
Protecting Cultural Heritage: Film and Documentary Archives in
Central Asia
Overview: Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the national
film archive in Moscow was the central and official government
repository of most of the country's feature films, documentary films,
and other historical audiovisual materials. With independence, the
former Soviet Central Asian countries became responsible for preserving
their own film and documentary heritage for use within their country
and to share with foreign professionals and public audiences. But their
archives lack the means to fully achieve this.
Program Guidelines: ECA invites applicants to submit proposals for
an exchange program with documentary and film archives in Central Asia
that will help them become economically viable, self-sustaining
cultural and scientific institutions with the structure and specialized
personnel able to maintain, preserve and restore the film and
documentary records of Central Asia and make them available for
research, study, public screenings and film exchanges with American
archives. The proposed program would link a non-profit American
cultural institution with a partner organization in some or all of the
following countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan. Through site inspections, film collection assessments,
workshops, seminars, training sessions and other relevant activities,
the American and overseas partners would cooperate in identifying and
resolving priority preservation problems requiring immediate attention.
Further program components should yield steps toward long-term
solutions to other problems as identified and prioritized through a
joint decision making process. These program elements should deal with
such matters as copyright protection and intellectual property rights,
archive administration and management, film and documentary exchanges
with other institutions, technology development, economic growth and
sustainability as well as cataloguing, conservation, and other film
preservation practices.
The goal of the proposed exchange is to upgrade and strengthen
Central Asian archives so they qualify for membership in the
International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), whose members include
more than 100 institutions in over 63 countries which collect, restore,
document and exhibit films. FIAF membership would provide the Central
Asian archives with a number of benefits, including film loans and
information on congresses, symposia and workshops on film preservation.
More importantly, the archives would become part of an international
network of technical advice and information exchange among the world's
largest association of moving image archives, thus multiplying and
maximizing the institutional linkage of the proposed exchange described
here. Priority consideration will be given to the proposal that can
achieve this goal.
[[Page 28012]]
In addition to the activities included in this RFGP's general
program and budget guidelines, proposed funding would support the
following specific activities.
Site inspection to assess immediate and long-term
preservation and archival issues, and to jointly plan an exchange visit
to the U.S.
Assessment of archival film holdings, examination of their
cultural and historical significance, and evaluation of potential for
film exchanges between the U.S. and the countries of Central Asia.
Examination of archival relationships to local film
production and distribution companies.
In-country presentation(s) and discussions with a larger
group of Central Asian film professionals on issues related to film
preservation and archives, to maximize cost-effectiveness and share
expertise with a wider audience.
The organization(s) awarded this grant will work closely with the
program office on all aspects of program implementation and will
maintain contact with the Public Affairs Section(s) of the U.S.
embassy/ies regarding in-country phases of the program.
Organizations planning to submit a proposal for Film and
Documentary Archives in Central Asia are strongly encouraged to contact
the program office for a consultation before the submission deadline:
Susan Cohen scohen@pd.state.gov; Tel: (202) 619-5792. Before calling,
organizations should be ready to discuss a concrete concept specific to
the guidelines supplied in this request for grant proposals.
Selection of Participants
To be competitive, proposals should include a description of an
open, merit-based participant selection process, including recruitment
methods, selection criteria and proposed reviewers. A sample
application should be submitted with the proposal. In some cases, the
applicant pool may be small due to the level of expertise required or
nature of the program. An application process should still be carried
out to (1) ensure fair selection, (2) give applicants a forum in which
to address their personal and professional needs and program goals, (3)
provide the ECA program office and U.S. embassy an opportunity to
participate in the selection process, and (4) collect necessary
information for travel documents and visas. Applicants should expect to
carry out the entire selection process, but the ECA Program Office and
the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy abroad should be
consulted. ECA and the U.S. Embassies retain the right to nominate
participants and to approve or reject participants recommended by the
grantee institution. Priority must be given to foreign participants who
have not traveled to the United States.
Visa Regulations
Foreign participants on programs sponsored by The Bureau are
granted J-1 Exchange Visitor visas by the U.S. Embassy in the sending
country. All programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please
refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for further
information.
Project Funding
The funding available for Creative Arts Exchanges will be disbursed
through grants to several organizations. Priority will be given to
grant proposals with budgets ranging from $45,000 to $90,000.
Organizations should not submit a budget that exceeds $90,000 in costs
to be paid by ECA, however the overall budget may exceed $90,000
through cost sharing by the U.S. and foreign partner organization(s)
and/or a third party funder. Approximately $270,000 has been allotted
for this competition, but may be subject to change. ECA expects to
announce the assistance awards recipients around late July 2001.
Organizations with less than four years of experience in managing
international exchange programs are limited to $60,000. Grants are
subject to the availability of funds.
Budget Guidelines
Applicants must submit a comprehensive line item budget for the
entire program based on the model in the Proposal Submission
Instructions. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns
reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Applicants should
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase,
location, or activity. Applicants should include a budget narrative or
budget notes for clarification of each line item.
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, 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. Transportation. International and domestic airfares (per the Fly
America Act), transit costs, ground transportation costs, and visas for
U.S. participants to travel to the partner organization's country (J-1
visas for foreign participants to travel to the U.S. for travel funded
by ECA's grant assistance are issued at no charge).
2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. For
activities in the partner organization's country, ECA strongly
encourages applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the local
economy. Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://
www.policyworks.gov/ and foreign per diem rates can be accessed at:
http://www.state.gov/www/perdiems/index.html.
3. Interpreters. Local interpreters with adequate skills and
experience should be used for program activities. Typically, one
interpreter is provided for every four visitors who require
interpreting, with a minimum of two interpreters. ECA grants do not pay
for foreign interpreters to accompany delegations from their home
country. Salary costs for local interpreters must be included in the
budget under general program costs. Costs associated with using their
services may not exceed rates for U.S. Department of State
interpreters.
4. Book and cultural allowance. Foreign participants are entitled
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for
expenses only when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S.
program staff, consultants, trainers and participants are not eligible
to receive these benefits.
5. Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized
expertise or to conduct program components. Daily honoraria cannot
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. Subcontracts must be
itemized in the budget.
6. Room rental. Room rental may not exceed $250 per day.
7. Materials development. Proposals may contain costs to purchase,
develop and translate materials for participants.
[[Page 28013]]
ECA strongly discourages the use of automatic translation software for
the preparation of training materials or any information distributed to
the group of participants or network of organizations. Costs for high-
quality translation of materials should be anticipated and included in
the budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all
program materials to the ECA Program Office with interim and final
reports.
8. Equipment. Proposals may contain costs to purchase equipment for
programming and partner organizations in the target country. Use of
equipment purchased with grant funds must be significantly incorporated
into the program plan. Eligible items include: Computers, printers,
scanners, digital cameras, audio/video equipment, fax machines, copy
machines, or other computer or office equipment. Costs for furniture
are not allowed. Equipment costs must be kept to a minimum and are
subject to approval by ECA.
9. Working meal. Only one working meal may be provided during the
program. 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.
Interpreters must be included as participants.
10. Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for
each foreign participant may be included in the budget. The allowance
may be used for incidental expenses incurred during international
travel.
11. Health Insurance. Foreign participants will be covered under
the terms of the ECA-sponsored ASPE health insurance policy. U.S.
staff, consultants, trainers and participants will not be covered by
the ECA-sponsored ASPE health insurance policy. Applicants are
permitted to include costs in the program budget for U.S. participants'
international travel insurance, for travel funded under this program.
12. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. While there is no
rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, priority will be given
to proposals whose administrative costs are less than twenty-five (25)
per cent of the total requested from the Bureau. Proposals should show
strong administrative cost-sharing contributions from the applicant,
the partner organization and other sources.
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) for
complete budget guidelines.
Announcement Title and Number
All communications with ECA concerning this Request for Grant
Proposals (RFGP) should refer to the announcement title ``Creative Arts
Exchanges FY01'' and reference number ECA/PE/C/CU-01-64.
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.
1. Program Planning and Ability To Achieve Objectives
Program objectives should be stated clearly and precisely and
should reflect the applicant's expertise in the subject area and the
region. Objectives should respond to the priority topics in this
announcement and should relate to the current conditions in the
included countries. Objectives should be reasonable and attainable. A
detailed work plan should explain step-by-step how objectives will be
achieved and should include an overall timetable for completion of
major tasks for the entire grant period, and sample schedules for
program components wherever possible. The substance of workshops,
internships, seminars, presentations and/or consulting should be
described in detail. Responsibilities of foreign partners should be
clearly described.
2. Institutional Capacity
The proposal should include: (1) The U.S. institution's mission and
date of establishment, (2) detailed information about the foreign
partner institution's capacity and the history of joint projects, (3)
descriptions of experienced staff members who will implement the
program, and (4) relevant information that establishes a successful
track record. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be
adequate and appropriate to achieve the program's goals. The narrative
should demonstrate proven ability to handle logistics. The proposal
should reflect the institution's expertise in the subject area and
knowledge of the conditions in the target country/region(s).
3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing
Overhead and administrative costs for the proposal, including
salaries, honoraria and subcontracts for services, should be kept to a
minimum. Administrative costs should be less than twenty-five (25) per
cent of the total funds requested from the Bureau. Applicants are
encouraged to cost share a portion of overhead and administrative
expenses. Cost-sharing, including contributions from the applicant, the
foreign partner, and other sources should be included in the budget.
4. Program Evaluation
Proposals must include a plan and methodology to evaluate the
program. The evaluation plan should show a clear link between program
objectives and expected outcomes in the short- and medium-term, and
provide a well-thought-out description of performance indicators and
measurement tools. ECA recommends that the proposal include a draft
survey questionnaire or other evaluation tool.
5. Multiplier Effect/Impact
Proposals should show how the program will strengthen long-term
mutual understanding, institutionalization of program goals, and
widespread sharing of information. Applicants should describe how
responsibility and ownership of the program will be transferred to the
foreign participants to ensure continued activity and impact. Programs
that include convincing plans for sustainability will be given top
priority.
6. Follow-On Activities
Proposals should provide a plan for continued follow-on activity
(beyond the ECA-funded grant period) ensuring that the ECA-supported
programs are not isolated events. Concrete examples of potential
follow-on activities should be clearly described.
7. Support of Diversity
Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of ECA's policy on
diversity. Program content (orientation, evaluation, program sessions,
resource materials, follow-on activities) and program administration
(selection process, orientation, evaluation) should address diversity
in a comprehensive and innovative manner. Applicants should refer to
the ``Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines'' on page
[[Page 28014]]
four of the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI).
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.
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 forwarded to
panels of Bureau 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 the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Submissions
Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Application
Package. The applicant's original proposal and ten (10) copies should
be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-01-64, Program
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC
20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' and ``Budget'' sections of the proposal on a
3.5" diskette. The Bureau will transmit these files electronically to
the Public Affairs section at the U.S. Embassy for its 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.
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
Thursday, June 21, 2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any
time. The mailroom closes at 5:00 p.m. sharp; no late submissions will
be accepted. Documents postmarked or sent by express mail or courier to
arrive by June 21, 2001, 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 and PSI) may be downloaded
from the Bureau's website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/
rfps/.
For Further Information Contact: By mail: United States Department
of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of
Citizen Exchanges (ECA/PE/C), Room 220, Washington, D.C. 20547 attn:
Creative Arts Exchanges ECA/PE/C/CU-01-64;
By phone: Tel: (202) 619-4779; fax: 202-619-6315;
By e-mail: lproctor@pd.state.gov.
Interested applicants may request the Application Package, which
includes the Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) and the Proposal
Submission Instructions (PSI). Please specify Creative Arts Exchanges
ECA/PE/C/CU-01-64 on all inquiries and correspondence. All potential
applicants should read the complete announcement before sending
inquiries or submitting proposals.
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 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.
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal U.S. Department of
State procedures.
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: May 7, 2001.
Helena Kane Finn,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S.
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-12571 Filed 5-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
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