[Federal Register: October 17, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 201)]
[Notices]
[Page 64189-64192]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17oc02-112]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 4164]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Fulbright American Studies Institutes for Foreign University
Faculty
NOTICE: Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP).
SUMMARY: The Study of the U.S. Branch, Office of Academic Exchange
Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, announces an open
competition for two (2) assistance awards. Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal
Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(C)(3) may apply to develop and
implement one of the following two post-graduate level Fulbright
American Studies Institute programs designed for multinational groups
of 18 experienced foreign university faculty and educators:
A. Managing Diversity: The American Experience
B. American Political Development: Ideas and Institutions.
These programs are intended to provide participants with a deeper
understanding of American life and institutions, past and present, in
order to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching
about the United States at universities abroad. Programs should
therefore be designed to elucidate the topic or theme of the Institute
as well as American civilization as a whole.
Programs are six weeks in length and will be conducted during the
Summer of 2003.
The Bureau is seeking detailed proposals from colleges,
universities, consortia of colleges and universities, and other not-
for-profit academic organizations that have an established reputation
in one or more of the following fields: political science,
international relations, law, history, sociology, literature, American
studies, and/or other disciplines or sub-disciplines related to the
program themes.
It is the Bureau's intention to fund one institute in each of the
above two thematic areas, subject to the number and quality of
proposals received and the availability of funding.
Applicant institutions must demonstrate expertise in conducting
post-graduate programs for foreign educators, and must have a minimum
of four years experience in conducting international exchange programs.
Bureau guidelines stipulate that grants to organizations with less than
four years experience in conducting international exchanges are limited
to $60,000. As it is expected that the budget for these programs will
exceed $60,000, organizations that can not demonstrate at least four
years experience will not be eligible to apply under this competition.
The project director or one of the key program staff responsible
for the academic program must have an advanced degree in one of the
fields listed above. Staff escorts traveling under the cooperative
agreement must have demonstrated qualifications for this service.
Programs must conform with Bureau requirements and guidelines outlined
in the Solicitation Package. Bureau programs are subject to the
availability of funds.
Program Information
Overview and Objectives: Fulbright American Studies Institutes are
intended to offer foreign scholars and teachers whose professional work
focuses on the United States the opportunity to deepen their
understanding of American society, culture and institutions. Their
ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of
teaching about the U.S. in universities abroad.
Programs should be six weeks in length and must include an academic
residency segment of at least four weeks duration at a U.S. college or
university campus (or other appropriate location). A study tour segment
of not more than two weeks should also be planned and should directly
complement the academic residency segment; the study tour should
include visits to one or two additional regions of the United States.
All institutes should be designed as intensive, academically
rigorous seminars intended for an experienced group of fellow scholars
from outside the United States. The institutes should be organized
through an integrated series of lectures, readings, seminar
discussions, regional travel and site visits, and they should also
include some opportunity for limited but well-directed independent
research.
Applicants are encouraged to design thematically coherent programs
in ways that draw upon the particular strengths, faculty and resources
of their institutions as well as upon the nationally recognized
expertise of scholars and other experts throughout the United States.
All Fulbright American Studies Institute programs, regardless of their
particular thematic focus, should seek to:
1. Provide participants with a survey of contemporary scholarship
within the institute's governing academic discipline, delineating the
current scholarly debates within the field. In this regard, the seminar
should indicate how prevailing academic practice in the discipline
represents both a continuation of and a departure from past scholarly
trends and practices. It is therefore critical that a variety of
scholarly viewpoints be represented, including bringing in presenters
from other institutions, as appropriate. Please note that the ways
these alternative schools of thought will be presented should be
clearly described in the proposal;
2. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary focus to bear
on the program content if appropriate;
3. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. society and
institutions that reflects a broad and balanced range of perspectives
and responsible views. Programs should include the views not only of
scholars, cultural critics and public intellectuals, but also those of
other professionals outside the university such as government
officials, journalists and others who can substantively contribute to
the topics at issue; and,
4. Insure access to library and material resources that will enable
grantees to continue their research, study and curriculum development
upon returning to their home institutions.
Program Descriptions
A. Managing Diversity: The American Experience
The ``Fulbright American Studies Institute on Managing Diversity:
The American Experience'' should provide 18 experienced foreign
university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of the
American experience with immigration and race and ethnic relations. The
institute should impart an appreciation for how the U.S. has responded
to both the challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing
national-origin, ethnic and religious diversity of its population.
While program might focus on the experience of selected immigrant/
ethnic groups, it should include attention to the development of laws
and policies governing immigration and citizenship and the impact of
immigration on American society, politics and culture more broadly.
Other topics/issues that might be addressed include: identity formation
in immigrant/ethnic communities; the politics of bilingualism; social,
economic, and cultural adaptation and political incorporation of
immigrants; coalitions and conflicts among ethnic/racial groups; the
role of ethnic lobbies in
[[Page 64190]]
foreign and domestic policies; and contemporary debates surrounding
issues of citizenship and membership in the U.S.
B. American Political Development: Ideas and Institutions
The ``Fulbright American Studies Institute on American Political
Development: Ideas and Institutions'' should provide 18 experienced
foreign university faculty and scholars with a deeper understanding of
how the interplay between ideas and developments in the spheres of
polity, society and economy together have shaped the evolution of
American political institutions. Political institutions whose evolution
might be examined include (but are not necessarily limited to) the
presidency, Congress, the two-party system, the civil service system,
interest groups, or the welfare/regulatory state. The institute
curriculum might include a focus on the role of labor and/or race and/
or gender in American political development. It might involve attention
to the evolution of a particular idea, value or principle (e.g.,
representation, equality, democracy) and its interpretation by
institutional and other actors over time. Regardless of the particular
perspective adopted or approach taken, the program should aim to
provide the institute participants with a clearer understanding of how
policy is formulated and the character of public policy debates in the
contemporary United States.
Program Dates
Ideally, the programs should be 44 days in length (including
participant arrival and departure days) and should begin in late June
or early July, 2003.
Participants
As specified in the guidelines in the solicitation package,
programs should be designed for multinational groups of 18 highly-
motivated and experienced foreign university faculty and scholars who
are interested in participating in an intensive seminar on aspects of
U.S. civilization as a means to develop or improve courses and teaching
about the United States at their home institutions. Most participants
can be expected to come from educational institutions where the study
of the U.S. is relatively well developed. Thus, while they may not have
in-depth knowledge of the particular institute program theme, most will
have had some experience in teaching about the United States. Many will
have had sustained professional contact with American scholars and
American scholarship, and some may have had substantial prior
experience studying in the United States. Participants will be drawn
from all regions of the world and will be fluent in the English
language.
Participants will be nominated by Fulbright Commissions and by U.S.
Embassies abroad. Nominations will be reviewed by the Study of the U.S.
Branch at the Department of State. Final selection of grantees will be
made by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Program Guidelines
While the conception and structure of the institute program is the
responsibility of the organizers, it is critically important that
proposals provide a full, detailed and comprehensive narrative
describing the objectives of the institute; the title, scope and
content of each session; and, how each session relates to the overall
institute theme. The syllabus must therefore indicate the subject
matter for each lecture or panel discussion, confirm or provisionally
identify proposed lecturers and discussants, and clearly show how
assigned readings will support each session. A calendar of all
activities for the program must also be included. Overall, proposals
will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity,
and attention to detail.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the
Solicitation Package for further details on program design and
implementation, as well as additional information on all other
requirements.
Budget Guidelines
Based on groups of 18 participants, the total Bureau-funded budget
(program and administrative) for either program should be approximately
$200,000, and Bureau-funded administrative costs as defined in the
budget details section of the solicitation package should be
approximately $60,000. Justifications for any costs above these amounts
must be clearly indicated in the proposal submission. Proposals should
try to maximize cost-sharing in all facets of the program and to
stimulate U.S. private sector, including foundation and corporate,
support. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program, and
availability of U.S. government funding.
Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for
complete institute budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
Announcement Name and Number
All communications with the Bureau concerning this announcement
should refer to the following titles and reference numbers:
Fulbright American Studies Institute on Managing Diversity: The
American Experience--(ECA/A/E/USS-03-01A-Benda).
Fulbright American Studies Institute on American Political
Development: Ideas and Institutions --(ECA/A/E/USS-03-01B-Benda).
For Further Information: To request a Solicitation Package containing
more detailed program information, award criteria, required application
forms, specific budget instructions, and standard guidelines for
proposal preparation, applicants should contact:
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Study of the U.S.
Branch, State Annex 44, ECA/A/E/USS--Room 252, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, Attention: Peter Benda.
Telephone number: (202) 619-5893.
Fax number: (202) 619-6790.
Internet address: pbenda@pd.state.gov.
Please specify Program Officer Peter Benda on all inquiries and
correspondence. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal
Register announcement before addressing inquiries to the office listed
above or submitting their proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed,
Bureau staff may not discuss this competition in any way with
applicants until after 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 Monday, January 13, 2003. Faxed documents will NOT be accepted,
nor will documents postmarked January 13, 2003 but received at a later
date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that
proposal submissions arrive by the deadline.
Submissions: Applicants must follow all instructions in the
Solicitation Package. The original and 13 copies of the complete
application should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Reference: (insert appropriate
reference number from above, e.g. ECA/A/E/USS-
[[Page 64191]]
03-01x-Benda), Program Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, State
Annex 44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants should 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.
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, provision of pre-arrival information and
orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper
maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other
requirements. ECA 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 the program office. Eligible proposals will then be
forwarded to panels of senior Bureau officers for advisory review.
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by
other Bureau 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
(cooperative agreements) resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria: Technically eligible applications will be
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. More
weight will be given to items one and two, and all remaining criteria
will be evaluated equally.
1. Overall Quality: Proposals should exhibit originality and
substance, consonant with the highest standards of American teaching
and scholarship. Program design should reflect the main currents as
well as the debates within the subject discipline of each institute.
Program elements should be coherently and thoughtfully integrated.
Lectures, panels, field visits and readings, taken as a whole, should
offer a balanced presentation of issues, reflecting both the continuity
of the American experience as well as the diversity and dynamism
inherent in it.
2. Program Planning and Administration: Proposals should
demonstrate careful planning. The organization and structure of the
institute should be clearly delineated and be fully responsive to all
program objectives. A program syllabus (noting specific sessions and
topical readings supporting each academic unit) should be included, as
should a calendar of activities. The travel component should not simply
be a tour, but should be an integral and substantive part of the
program, reinforcing and complementing the academic segment. Proposals
should provide evidence of continuous administrative and managerial
capacity as well as the means by which program activities and
logistical matters will be implemented.
3. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel, including faculty
and administrative staff as well as outside presenters, should be fully
qualified to achieve the project's goals. Library and meeting
facilities, housing, meals, transportation and other logistical
arrangements should fully meet the needs of the participants.
4. Support for Diversity: Substantive support of the bureau's
policy on diversity should be demonstrated. This can be accomplished
through documentation, such as a written statement, summarizing past
and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of
diversity within the organization and its activities. Program
activities that address this issue should be highlighted.
5. Experience: Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record
of successful exchange program activity, indicating the experience that
the organization and its professional staff have had in working with
foreign educators.
6. Evaluation and Follow-up: A plan for evaluating activities
during the Institute and at its conclusion should be included.
Proposals should discuss provisions made for follow-up with returned
grantees as a means of establishing longer-term individual and
institutional linkages.
7. Cost Effectiveness: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing
through direct institutional contributions, in-kind support, and other
private sector support. Overhead and administrative components,
including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible.
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
[[Page 64192]]
relations between the United States and the other countries of the
world.''
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 this 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, and allocated and committed through internal
Bureau procedures.
Dated: October 7, 2002.
Patricia S. Harrison,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. 02-26426 Filed 10-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-11-P
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