Summer Institute in Social Science Research and Public Policy for Ukrainian Social Scientists; Notice: Request for Proposals (RFP)

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 237 (Thursday, December 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68337-68341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32830]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Summer Institute in Social Science Research and Public Policy for 
Ukrainian Social Scientists; Notice: Request for Proposals (RFP)

SUMMARY: The Branch for the Study of the United States of the U.S. 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award. Public and 
private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in 
IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(C) may apply to develop and implement a 
post-graduate level academic institute and related programs

[[Page 68338]]

for a group of 18 Ukrainian social scientists.
    The U.S. Information Agency proposes to assist Ukraine through a 
joint initiative with the European Union (EU) to train young Ukrainian 
social scientists through an intensive six-week academic Summer 
Institute in the United States and through joint follow-on activities 
in Ukraine. Additionally, the EU plans to award a grant to a European 
``partner'' organization that will implement a parallel academic 
institute in Europe. The program is intended to provide participants 
with a deeper understanding of contemporary social science theory and 
research methods, together with an understanding of how theoretical and 
empirical research informs the development and implementation of public 
policy in the United States in the fields of economics, political 
science and public administration. USIA-funded activities will include 
a U.S.-based academic institute in the Summer of 1999; joint follow-on 
workshops in Ukraine during the 1999-2000 academic year; and, a wrap-up 
conference in Ukraine in Fall of 2000. The EU-funded academic institute 
will be held in the Summer of 2000 at a European site yet to be 
determined.
    USIA 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: public policy, public administration, 
political science, economics, and/or other disciplines or sub-
disciplines related to the program theme. 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. The project director of 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 USIA cooperative agreement must have demonstrated 
qualifications for this service.
    Programs must conform with Agency requirements and guidelines 
outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA programs are subject to the 
availability of funds.

Program Information

    Overview: The U.S. Information Agency, in cooperation with the 
European Union, proposes to assist Ukraine through a joint initiative 
aimed at Ukrainian social scientists. Envisioned is a program on social 
science research methods and public policy that will offer Ukrainian 
faculty in the early stages of their careers the opportunity for an 
intensive program on how contemporary social science theory and methods 
in the fields of political science, economics and public administration 
are brought to bear on public policy issues.
    The program will proceed in five separate phases. Proposals for 
USIA funding should present a program plan and tentative budget for 
each of the activities below:
    (1) In the first phase, a representative from the U.S. grantee 
institution will travel to Ukraine with a colleague from the European 
grantee institution that will be designated as the ``partner'' 
organization (to be identified by the EU). These individuals will 
survey the current status of social science research at Ukrainian 
universities and make a preliminary identification of candidates for 
the Summer Institute programs in the U.S. and Europe. The proposal for 
USIA funding should estimate the travel and subsistence costs of U.S. 
staff for this trip.
    (2) In the second phase, the U.S. grantee institution will conduct 
an intensive U.S.-based academic Summer Institute of six weeks' 
duration, the elements of which are outlined in detail below. From the 
perspective of the U.S. grantee institution, this second phase will be 
the central activity of the grant award, and a detailed program 
proposal and comprehensive budget should be submitted.
    (3) In the third phase, to be implemented during the 1999-2000 
academic year, the U.S. grantee institution and European partner 
organization will conduct approximately five days of joint follow-on 
workshops in Ukraine. The exact focus of these workshops will be 
determined at a later date, based on issues and interests identified 
during the U.S.-based Summer Institute, and on consultations with the 
European partner organization. The proposal for USIA funding should 
estimate all of the costs associated with these workshops, including 
local administrative and venue costs, as well as travel and subsistence 
for U.S. staff and 18 Ukrainian participants. However, costs for 
participation of staff from the European partner organization need not 
be included.
    (4) In the fourth phase, which will take place in the Summer of 
2000, the European partner organization will plan and implement an 
academic institute in Europe for a separate group of 18 Ukrainian 
social scientists. This Institute will be fully funded by the European 
Union, and the U.S. grantee organization will not be directly involved. 
However, a representative of the U.S. grantee institution should plan 
to travel to Europe to observe at least one week of this activity, and 
estimated travel and subsistence costs associated with this trip should 
be included in the budget submission.
    (5) The fifth phase of the project will take place in the Fall of 
2000, and will consist of a joint U.S.-European Union wrap-up 
conference in Ukraine, approximately three days in length. The proposal 
for USIA funding should estimate all of the costs associated with the 
conference, including local administrative costs and venue costs, and 
travel and subsistence for U.S. staff and a total of 36 Ukrainian 
participants. However, costs for participation of staff from the 
European partner organization need not be included.
    Objectives: In the United States, public policy issues are debated 
within an institutional framework that is informed by the theoretical 
and empirical findings of social science scholarship--in economics, 
political science and public administration--thus impacting the daily 
work of officials in the public policy arena, be they elected 
officials, government managers, or public policy professionals, who are 
required to make decisions and implement concrete courses of action on 
a range of issues.
    Public policy issues often resist easy solution--partly because of 
the difficulty in bringing scholarly research (whether theoretical or 
empirical) to bear on daily institutional practice; partly because of 
the complex nature of the issues themselves, which frequently involve 
political, economic and management elements that overlap in complex and 
often unexpected ways; and, partly by the constraints inherent in 
democratic decision-making.
    The purpose of the six-week Summer Institute is to offer 18 
Ukrainian social scientists the opportunity to explore current theory 
in the social sciences and to examine how the available theoretical 
models and empirical methodologies can be brought to bear on 
contemporary public policy issues. In so doing, the program should 
illuminate how social science scholarship influences the way in which 
public policy issues are framed, addressed, debated, and resolved.
    The program should proceed thematically by examining selected 
concrete problems, or case studies, in public policy at various levels 
of government. Among the possible areas that might be examined through 
the case studies presented are Education, Labor, Banking and Financial 
markets,

[[Page 68339]]

Economic Development, Trade, Macroeconomic Policy, the Environment, 
Security and Public Safety, Health and Welfare, and Media and 
Communications. For each case studied, attention should be given to 
current models used by researchers in political science, economics, and 
public administration.
    The Summer Institute program must be at least six weeks in length, 
and must include an academic residency segment of at least five weeks 
at a U.S. college or university campus (or other appropriate location). 
In addition, a study tour segment of up to one week in length may be 
added at the discretion of organizers. If so, the study tour segment 
should, directly and substantively complement the academic program and 
should, ideally, entail a visit to at least one other region of the 
United States. Alternately, the program might include shorter, 
occasional site visits throughout the program.
    The Summer Institute should be designed as an intensive, 
academically rigorous program that is organized through an integrated 
series of lectures, readings, seminar discussions, research and 
independent study opportunities, faculty consultations, site visits 
and, if appropriate, regional travel.
    Institutions submitting proposals are encouraged to design 
thematically coherent programs in ways that draw upon the particular 
strengths and resources of their institutions as well as upon the 
nationally recognized expertise of scholars and other experts 
throughout the United States. Within the limits of the program's 
organizing framework, the grantee institution should:
    A. Ensure that the program's introductory sessions, as well as any 
pre-departure materials sent to grantees, provide a broad historical 
and intellectual context for the program that will follow. In addition, 
opening lectures should provide an overview of the program in its 
entirety, delineating the Institute's overarching theme as well as the 
way in which the program's various topics will be integrated into the 
program and explicitly illuminate that theme;
    B. Provide participants with a survey of current scholarship and 
scholarly trends within the social sciences, with particular attention 
to current research methods and models in political science, economics, 
and public administration;
    C. Bring an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary perspectives to 
bear on each case study undertaken;
    D. Give participants a multi-dimensional view of U.S. social 
science and the complexity of public policy issues by reflecting a 
broad range of academic perspectives as well as a broad range of views 
from experts outside the university, such as government officials, 
public intellectuals, think tank representatives, and other 
professionals in the public policy arena; and,
    E. Ensure access to extensive bibliographic and material resources 
that will enable grantees to continue their research and study after 
returning to their home institutions. In addition, the bibliography for 
the program as a whole must include at least one major survey text for 
each of the Summer Institute's governing disciplines as well as a 
number of broad interpretive works directly related to the program's 
central theme.
    Program Dates: The initial trip to Ukraine to survey social science 
research at local universities (phase one) should be tentatively 
planned to take place during April-May of 1999. Tentative program dates 
for the U.S.-based academic Summer Institute program (phase two) are 
any six-week period between June 1 and August 15, 1999. USIA is willing 
to consider adjustment of these programs dates, based on the needs of 
the host institution. However, the Institute must be a minimum of 42 
program days in length, and a major portion of the program should take 
place within the above period. The follow-on workshops in Ukraine 
should be planned to take place during the 1999-2000 academic year, and 
the wrap-up conference in Ukraine should take place in the Fall of 
2000.
    Participants: Program activities should be designed for a total of 
18 highly-motivated and experienced Ukrainian social scientists who are 
interested in acquiring knowledge about how public policy issues are 
studied and addressed in the U.S. Participants will use the knowledge 
gained from the Institute to assist them with their own professional 
research and development, to improve social science instruction in 
universities in the Ukraine, and to advise government officials at 
various levels of government on public policy issues.
    Most participants can be expected to come from educational 
institutions where the social sciences are not well-developed. Most 
will be younger faculty members who are eager to participate in an 
intensive program on how social science research can be applied to 
pressing problems and issues in the public policy arena. Most will have 
had limited study or travel experience in the United States. 
Participants will be fluent in English.
    Participants will be nominated by U.S. Information Service in Kiev. 
USIA will cover all international travel costs for Ukrainian 
participants directly.
    Program Guidelines: The conception, structure and content of the 
program is entirely the responsibility of the organizers. However, 
given the multiple possibilities for the successful design of such a 
program, potential grant recipients are expected to submit proposals 
that articulate in concrete and specific detail how they intend to 
organize and implement it.
    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: Unless special circumstances warrant, based on a 
group of 18 participants, the total USIA-funded budget (program and 
administrative) should not exceed $264,000, and USIA-funded 
administrative costs as defined in the budget details section of the 
solicitation package should not exceed $80,000.
    Justifications for any costs above these amounts must be clearly 
indicated in the proposal submission. Any grants awarded to eligible 
organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting 
international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. Applicant 
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 Agency 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 note that these figures do not include costs for 
international travel of the Ukrainian grantees in Phase Two of the 
program (the U.S.-based Summer Institute). However, they do include 
costs for domestic and international travel and subsistence of U.S. 
personnel for all phases of the program. They also include all 
administrative and program costs associated with the Phase Three 
workshops and the Phase Five conference in Ukraine, including the 
subsistence and estimated in-country travel costs for Ukrainian 
participants.
    Please refer to the ``POGI'' in the Solicitation Package for 
complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.
    Announcement name and number: All communications with USIA 
concerning this announcement should refer to the following title and 
reference

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number: Summer Institute in Social Science Research (E/AES-99-13).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request a Solicitation Package containing more detailed award 
criteria, required application forms, specific budget instructions, and 
standard guidelines for proposal preparation, applicants should 
contact: U.S. Information Agency, Office of Academic Programs, Branch 
of the Study of the United States, E/AES--Room 252, 301 4th Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, Attention: William Bate; Telephone 
number: (202) 619-4557; Fax number: (202) 619-6790; Internet address: 
wbate@usia.gov.
    Please specify USIA Program Officer William Bate 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 RFP deadline has 
passed, USIA 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 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 5:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Monday, 
February 22, 1999. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will 
documents postmarked February 22, 1999 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. Information Agency, Reference: E/
AES-99-13, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 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,'' 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.

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 Geographic Area 
Offices. Eligible proposals will then be forwarded to panels of senior 
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 the USIA Associate Director 
for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) resides with the 
USIA Grants Officer.
    Review criteria: Technically eligible applications will be 
competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These 
criteria are not rank ordered, and all carry equal weight in the 
proposal evaluation:
    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 the institute. 
Program should reflect an overall design whose various elements are 
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 U.S. scholarship as well as 
its leading edge.
    2. Program Planning: 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, if included, should not simply be a tour, but 
should be an integral and substantive part of the program, reinforcing 
and complementing the academic segment.
    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 media resources 
should be accessible to participants; housing, transportation and other 
logistical arrangements should be fully adequate to the needs of 
participants and should be conducive to a collegial atmosphere.
    4. Support for Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. This can be accomplished 
through

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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: The proposal 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. Experience in working in the Ukraine or 
conducting Ukrainian exchanges is a positive factor.
    6. Evaluation and Follow-up: The proposal should include a plan for 
evaluating activities during the Summer Institute and at its 
conclusion. Proposals should comment on provisions made for follow-up 
with returned grantees as a means of establishing longer-term 
individual and institutional linkages.
    7. Administration and Management: The proposals should indicate 
evidence of continuous on-site administrative and managerial capacity 
as well as the means by which program activities will be implemented.
    8. Cost Effectiveness: The proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through direct institutional contributions, in-kind support, and other 
private sector support. Overhead and administrative components of the 
proposal, 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 
relations between the United States and the other countries of the 
world.''
    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, and allocated and committed through internal 
USIA procedures.

    Dated: December 5, 1998.
William Bader,
Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-32830 Filed 12-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M