Faculty Development and Administrative Training for the American University in Kyrgyzstan Program; Request for Proposals

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 223 (Thursday, November 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64316-64318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30648]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Faculty Development and Administrative Training for the American 
University in Kyrgyzstan Program; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award program. Public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to assist the 
American University in Kyrgyzstan (AUK) with faculty development and 
administrative training.

Program Information

Overview

    This program is part of a collaborative effort to support 
curriculum and faculty development at the American University in 
Kyrgyzstan (AUK). The program will award up to $1,950,000 for a three 
year period for faculty development and administrative training for the 
American University in Kyrgyzstan. Approximately $300,000 of the total 
program budget should be devoted to the administrative training 
component, and the rest should be devoted to the faculty development 
component and administrative costs. The grantee organization or 
organizations will be expected to assist AUK to develop its faculty and 
administrative capacity through a comprehensive program of exchange and 
support activities.

Objectives

    The overall objective of this effort is to support the American 
University in Kyrgyzstan in adapting U.S. educational curricula and 
practices to meet educational needs in Kyrgyzstan, and in fostering 
respect for principles of academic integrity and excellence. This 
assistance program will be divided into two parts: a faculty 
development component and an administrative training component. The 
objective of the faculty development component is to carry out a 
comprehensive program of faculty and curriculum development for the 
American University in Kyrgyzstan, including collaboration on the 
general education program and support in the following targeted fields: 
Journalism/Communications, Economic, Psychology, Sociology, American 
Studies, International Relations/Political Sciences, and other fields 
as needed. Applicants should describe a program of support for the 
targeted disciplines as well as an overall view of support for AUK. 
Applicants are encouraged to undertake exchange activities within each 
discipline in cooperation with one U.S. college or university 
department in that discipline in order to ensure program continuity and 
to enhance the mutual understanding of the participants. The faculty 
development program may take the shape of a series of exchanges between 
a U.S. and an AUK department in each targeted field. The exchanges in 
the several targeted fields may all be concentrated in one U.S. college 
or university; they may be concentrated in institutions in the same 
U.S. region; or they may involve several individual departments in 
colleges and universities across the U.S. These exchanges should 
provide participating AUK junior faculty with the possibility of 
earning the master's degree at a U.S. institution. Faculty exchange in 
a given discipline with a college department which does not offer the 
master's degree is allowable as long as appropriate arrangements can be 
made with another U.S. institution for study towards the master's 
degree where required. One small to medium sized institution of higher 
education may be designated as a model institution for AUK participants 
to consider as they adapt to the educational needs of Kyrgyzstan what 
they are learning in the U.S The model institution should also 
participate in faculty development in one or more of the targeted 
disciplines and/or in administrative training for AUK. Site visits to 
the model institution by all AUK exchange participants in the U.S. are 
encouraged where feasible.
    The objective of the administrative training component is to carry 
out a comprehensive program of administrative support and training for 
AUK. Proposals should plan for training and support in the following 
priority areas: admissions, registrar's office (including registration, 
records and scheduling), financial aid, finance, accounting and 
budgeting, and library collections. Proposals may also plan for support 
in the areas of academic advising, student services, public relations, 
institutional development, and other services as needed. The goal of 
the administrative training exchanges is to facilitate a mentoring 
program for AUK administrators with U.S. counterparts through a series 
of exchange visits that should include visits to Kyrgyzstan by U.S. 
administrators with practical experience in these activities. Proposals 
may coordinate the administrative training components with a program of 
research on international educational development.
    USIA encourages applications from consortia of colleges and 
universities or from U.S. partnerships developed for the purposes of 
this grant, as well as from any single organization with the capacity 
to administer this program. If a lead U.S. institution in a consortium 
is responsible for submitting an application on behalf of a consortium, 
the application must document the lead school's stated authority to 
represent the consortium.

Guidelines

Participants

    The project is designed for the following participants: faculty, 
administrators, staff and students at

[[Page 64317]]

AUK and at the U.S. colleges or universities identified as partners in 
the faculty development and administrative training for AUK; 
postdoctoral specialists or doctoral candidates from the U.S. who are 
qualified to teach courses at AUK and to train AUK faculty and 
students; and other qualified educational and administrative 
specialists as appropriate. Applicant organizations do not need to 
obtain a letter of commitment from AUK, which has indicated its 
interest and commitment directly to USIA.

Logistics

    The recipient organization will be responsible for most 
arrangements associated with this program. These include providing 
international and domestic travel arrangements for all participants, 
making lodging and local transportation arrangements for visitors, 
orienting and debriefing participants, preparing any necessary support 
material, and working with AUK, U.S. host institutions and individual 
grantees to achieve maximum program effectiveness.

Visa/Insurance/Tax Requirements

    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations, including those 
pertaining to insurance. Please refer to Solicitation Package for 
further information. Administration of the program must be in 
compliance with reporting and withholding regulations for federal, 
state and local taxes as applicable. Recipient organizations should 
demonstrate tax regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and 
budget.

Budget Guidelines

    Organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting 
international exchange programs are ineligible for this grant 
competition.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. There must be a summary budget as well as a breakdown 
reflecting the administrative budget, the budget for the faculty 
development component, the budget for the administrative training 
component, and detailed budgets for each of the three years of the 
grant. The total administrative costs funded by USIA may not exceed 20% 
of the total request. Approximately $300,000 should be devoted to the 
administrative training component. Applicants may provide separate sub-
budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to 
provide clarification. Please refer to the Solicitation Package for 
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement Title and Number: All correspondence with USIA 
concerning this RFP should reference the above title and number E/ASU-
99-07.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of Academic Programs; Advising, Teaching and Specialized 
Programs Division; Specialized Programs Branch, U.S. Information 
Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone: (202) 
619-4097, fax: (202) 401-1433, internet: seisen@usia.gov to request a 
Solicitation Package containing more detailed award criteria, required 
application forms, specific budget instructions, and standard 
guidelines for proposal preparation. Pleas specify USIA Program Officer 
Sam Eisen on all inquiries and correspondence.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, Agency staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

Contact Information for AUK

    Applicants are encouraged to consult with the American University 
in Kyrgyzstan while planning their proposals. The primary contact 
person at AUK in Martha Merrill, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum 
Development:

Martha C. Merrill, c/o USIS-Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, Department of 
State, Washington, DC 20521-7040, 996-3312-21-37-72 or 21-36-32 phones 
at USIS, 996-3312-21-09-48 fax at USIS, E-mail: mmerrill@hotmail.com

    Applicants may also contact:

ED Kulakowski, Public Affairs Officer, USIS Bishkek, tel: (996)-3312-
213-632, 213-772, fax: (996)-3312-210-948, e-mail: pao@usis.gov.kg.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA'S 
website at www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be requested from the Bureau's 
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by 
calling 202/401-7616. The ``Table of Contents'' listing available 
documents and order numbers should be the first order when entering the 
system.
    Deadline for Proposals: All proposal copies must be received at the 
U.S. Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on March 8, 
1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents 
postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be 
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by 
the above deadline.
    Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about July 1, 
1999.
    Duration: July 1, 1999-June 30, 2002.

Submissions

    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 8 copies of the application should be sent 
to:

U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU-9-07, Office of Grants Management, 
E/XE, Room 32,6 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547

    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5' diskette, for 
matted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for 
the Agency's grants review process.

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,'' USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide 
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and 
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

[[Page 64318]]

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)

    The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting 
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing 
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific 
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to 
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could 
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been 
accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately 
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both 
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust 
for leap years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at www.itpolicy.gsa.gov.

Review Process

    USIA 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 USIA Office of East European and NIS 
affairs and USIS Bishkek. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to 
panels of USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be 
reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency 
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USIA's 
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative 
agreements) resides with the USIA Grants Officer.

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 the Freedom for Russia and Emerging 
Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1993 (Freedom 
Support Act). Programs and projects must conform with Agency 
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA 
projects and programs are subject to the availability of funds.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on 
the part of the Government. The Agency 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 USIA procedures.

    Dated: November 9, 1998.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-30648 Filed 11-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M