DOS Freedom Support Educational Partnership

see
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/dec6rfgp.htm
FREEDOM Support Educational Partnerships Program
(Formerly NIS College and University Partnerships Program and NIS Community
College Partnerships Program)

SUMMARY
The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs in the Department of State announces an open competition
for the FREEDOM Support Educational Partnerships Program. Accredited,
post-secondary educational institutions meeting the provisions described in
Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may apply to pursue
institutional or departmental objectives in partnership with foreign
counterpart institutions with support from the FREEDOM Support Educational
Partnerships Program. These objectives should support the overall goals of
the Program: to support democratic systems and market economies in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, and to strengthen mutual understanding and
cooperation between these countries and United States on subjects of
enduring common interest to the participating countries and institutions.
The means for achieving these objectives may include teaching, scholarship,
and outreach to professionals and other members of the communities served by
the participating institutions.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The FREEDOM Support Educational Partnerships Program, formerly known as the
NIS College and University Partnerships Program and as the NIS Community
College Partnerships Program, supports institutional linkages in higher
education with partners in eligible countries with funding available through
the FREEDOM Support Act. In each of the three prior years, the Bureau issued
a separate solicitation for community colleges. This year, in an effort to
streamline the administration of grants, both programs are combined in this
RFGP.

The Bureau also supports institutional linkages in higher education with
partners worldwide through the Fulbright Educational Partnerships Program.
Pending availability of FY 2003 funding, it is anticipated that a separate
Request for Grant Proposals for the Fulbright Educational Partnerships
Program will appear on the State Department Website at
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps. Other RFGPs for educational
partnerships may also be published this fiscal year.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
This RFGP does not prescribe specific project objectives, but establishes
the parameters within which applicants are invited to propose projects.
Proposals should explain how project activities will enable participants to
achieve specific institutional changes. Institutional objectives should be
consistent with the Program's goal of supporting democratic systems based on
market economies in the eligible countries. While the benefits of the
project to each of the participating institutions may differ significantly
in nature and scope based on their respective needs and resource bases,
proposals should outline well-reasoned strategies that are designed to meet
specific objectives for each participating U.S. and foreign department or
institution as a whole. Proposals to pursue a limited number of related
thematic objectives at each institution are generally preferred to proposals
addressing a large number of unrelated objectives.

For example, proposals may outline the parameters and possible content of
new courses; new research or teaching specializations or methodologies; new
or revised curricula; new programs for outreach to educators, professional
groups, or the general public. Proposals should explain clearly their
strategies to promote curriculum, faculty, and staff development, as well as
administrative reform, at the foreign partner institution(s). Projects may
result in the development of a new academic program or the restructuring of
an existing program, and should equip institutions of higher education to
contribute to democracy and open markets in the foreign partner country.
Plans to enable participants to extend the benefits of the project to larger
audiences through outreach to foreign government, NGO, and business
representatives are especially encouraged. Proposals should also outline
benefits that would accrue to the US institutional partner(s).

In addition to demonstrating how each participating institution can assist
its partner(s) to meet institutional goals, proposals should also explain
how this cooperation will enable each institution to address its own needs.
Accordingly, applicants are encouraged to describe the needs and
deficiencies as well as the capabilities and strengths of each participating
department and institution, and how each institution will contribute to and
benefit from the achievement of project objectives. Proposals that
realistically assess institutional capacities will be better able to outline
compelling objectives that address institutional needs and justify a request
for support. To be competitive, proposals should demonstrate that the
participating institutions understand one another and are committed to
mutual support and cooperation in project implementation.

If the proposed partnership would occur within the context of a previous or
ongoing project, the proposal should explain how the request for Bureau
funding would build upon the pre-existing relationship or complement
previous and concurrent projects. Previous projects should be described,
with details about the amounts and sources of support and the results of
previous cooperative efforts.

Institutions receiving partnership grant awards will be expected to submit
periodic reports on the results of program activities. Proposals should
outline and budget for a methodology for project evaluation. The evaluation
plan should include an assessment of the current status of each
participating department's and institution's needs at the time of program
inception with specific reference to project objectives; formative
evaluation to allow for mid-course revisions in the implementation strategy;
and, at the conclusion of the project, summative evaluation of the degree to
which the project's objectives have been achieved together with observations
about the project's continuing potential to influence the participating
institutions and their surrounding communities or societies. The final
evaluation should also include recommendations about how to build upon
project achievements. Evaluative observations by external consultants with
appropriate subject and regional expertise are especially encouraged.

COSTS
A US college or university must submit the proposal and must be prepared to
serve as the grant recipient with responsibility for project coordination.
Proposals must include letters of commitment from all institutional partners
including the institution submitting the proposal. Each letter must be
signed by an official who is authorized to commit institutional resources to
the project.

The commitment of all partner institutions to the proposed project should be
reflected in the cost-sharing which they offer in the context of their
respective institutional capacities. Although the contributions offered by
US and foreign institutions with relatively few resources may be less than
those offered by applicants with greater resources, all participating
institutions should identify appropriate cost-sharing. These costs may
include estimated in-kind contributions. Proposed cost-sharing will be
considered an important indicator of each participating institution's
interest in the project and potential to benefit from it.

The Bureau's support may be used to assist with the costs of the exchange
visits as well as the costs of the administration of the project by the US
grantee institution. US administrative costs that may be covered by the
Bureau include administrative salaries, faculty replacement costs, and
direct administrative costs but not indirect costs. In addition to the US
administrative costs, the cost of administering the project at the foreign
partner organization(s) is eligible for the Bureau's support and may be
listed within the program budget. Although each grant will be awarded to a
single US institutional partner, adequate provision in the proposal for the
administrative costs of the project at all partner institutions, including
the foreign partner(s), is strongly encouraged especially if a foreign
partner has relatively few resources. More information on partner
institution eligibility in this competition is found in this RFGP under the
headings "US Institution and Participant Eligibility"; and"Foreign
Institution and Participant Eligibility."

The proposal may include a request for funding to reinforce the activities
of exchange participants through the establishment and maintenance of
Internet and/or electronic mail facilities as well as through interactive
technology or non-technology-based distance-learning programs.

Funding may not be used for the establishment or maintenance of these
facilities at governmental organizations in the US or at foreign
governmental organizations other than universities. Projects focusing
primarily on technology or physical infrastructure development are not
eligible for consideration under this competition. The funding requested for
educational and technical materials in support of project activities should
not exceed 25 percent of the Bureau's funding for the project. Proposals
with distance learning components should describe pertinent course delivery
methods, audiences, and technical requirements. Proposals that include
Internet, electronic mail, and other interactive technologies in countries
where these technologies are not easily maintained or financed should
discuss how the foreign partner institution will cover their costs after the
project ends.

See the associated document entitled "Project Objectives, Goals, and
Implementation" (POGI) for additional information on the funding the Bureau
may provide and on restrictions and maximum amounts that apply to certain
budget categories.

Applicants may propose other project activities not specifically mentioned
in this solicitation if the activities reinforce the impact of the project.

Pending the availability of FY 2003 funds, the maximum award in the FY 2003
competition will be $300,000. The program awards grants for approximately
three years. Awards may be extended on a no-cost basis beyond the initial
grant period by mutual agreement if progress toward project goals is
satisfactory. Requests for amounts smaller than the maximum are eligible.
Budgets and budget notes should carefully justify the amounts requested.
Grants awarded to organizations with less than four years of experience in
conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000.

FOREIGN COUNTRY AND LOCATION ELIGIBILITY
Foreign partners from the following countries are eligible:
- Armenia;
- Azerbaijan;
- Georgia;
- Kazakhstan;
- Kyrgyzstan;
- Moldova;
- Russia: Proposals for partnerships with institutions located in Moscow or
St. Petersburg should clearly indicate how those partnerships would have an
impact on other regions. Proposals which designate a partner institution in
the Russian Far East and in Tomsk are especially encouraged.
- Tajikistan: In consideration of the current State Department warning
advising US citizens to defer travel to Tajikistan, proposals should not
include travel to Tajikistan by US participants for at least the first year
of the project. In the event a grant is awarded, the grantee should consult
with the program office regarding possible travel by US participants.
- Ukraine: Proposals which designate partner institutions outside Kiev are
encouraged;
- Uzbekistan.

Partnerships including a secondary foreign partner in a country not included
in the above list are eligible; however, with the exception noted below
under the heading "Central European Partners," the Bureau will not cover
overseas partner costs of partners that are not from the eligible countries
listed in this section.

Central European Partners: The Bureau encourages proposals that build upon
established collaboration between US institutions and their partners in
Central and Eastern Europe in order to support faculty and curriculum
development in eligible countries and to promote regional cooperation. Funds
may be budgeted for the exchange of faculty between foreign partner
institutions and institutions of higher learning in Central and Eastern
Europe (applicants planning to submit proposals for trilateral partnerships
with a partner from Central and Eastern Europe are encouraged to contact the
program office).

ELIGIBLE FIELDS
The following fields are eligible:
- the social, political, and economic sciences;
- business, accounting and trade;
- journalism and media studies;
- law;
- public administration and public policy analysis;
- library science;
- education, continuing education, and educational administration. Projects
in educational administration may address institutional administrative
reform within one of the eligible fields above, may attempt to modernize
university governance, or may support the creation of a degree or
certificate program in educational administration.

US INSTITUTION AND PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
The lead institution and grant recipient in the project must be an
accredited US college or university. Applications from community colleges,
institutions serving significant minority populations, undergraduate liberal
arts colleges, comprehensive universities, research universities, and
combinations of these types of institutions are eligible. The lead US
organization in a consortium or other combination of cooperating
institutions is responsible for submitting the application. Each application
must document the lead organization's authority to represent all US
cooperating partners. Secondary US partners may include governmental or
non-governmental organizations at the federal, state, or local levels as
well as non-profit service, community and professional organizations.

With the exception of translators and outside evaluators, participation is
limited to teachers, advanced graduate students, and administrators from the
participating US institution(s). All participants who are funded by the
Bureau under the program budget and who represent the US institution must be
US citizens. Advanced graduate students at the US institution(s) are
eligible for support from the project as visiting instructors at a reign
partner institution.

FOREIGN INSTITUTION AND PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
In eligible countries, participation as a primary partner is open to
recognized degree granting institutions of post-secondary education.
Secondary partners may include independent research institutes, relevant
governmental organizations, and private nonprofit organizations with
project-related educational objectives. Except for translators and outside
consultants reporting on the status of project objectives, participation is
limited to teachers, administrators, researchers, or advanced students from
the participating foreign institution(s). Any advanced student participant
must have teaching responsibilities or be preparing for such
responsibilities. Foreign participants must be both qualified to receive US
J-1 visas and willing to travel to the US under the provisions of a J-1 visa
during the exchange visits funded by this Program. Foreign participants may
not be US citizens.

INELIGIBILITY
A proposal will be deemed technically ineligible for consideration if:
1) It does not fully adhere to the guidelines established in this document
and in the Solicitation Package;
2) It is not received by the deadline;
3) It is not submitted by the US partner;
4) One of the partner institutions is ineligible;
5) The foreign country or geographic location is ineligible.

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 cited above is provided through the Freedom for
Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of
1992 (FREEDOM Support Act).

Projects must conform with the Bureau's requirements and guidelines outlined
in the solicitation package for this RFGP. Proposals that do not follow RFGP
requirements and the guidelines appearing in the POGI and PSI will be
excluded from consideration due to technical ineligibility.

ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE AND NUMBER
All communications with the Bureau concerning this announcement should refer
to the FREEDOM Support Educational Partnerships Program and reference number
ECA/A/S/U-03-04.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS
All copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, December 6, 2002. Faxed
documents will not be accepted (although faxed letters of commitment from
non-U.S. institutional partners may be submitted as part of the original
proposal), nor will documents postmarked on Friday, December 6, 2002 but
received on a later date.

APPROXIMATE GRANT DURATION
Pending the availability of funds, grant activities should begin on or about
September 1, 2003 and should be planned to extend for approximately three
years.

TO DOWNLOAD A SOLICITATION PACKAGE VIA INTERNET
Projects must conform with the Bureau's requirements and guidelines outlined
in the Solicitation Package for this RFGP. The Solicitation Package includes
more detailed award criteria, all application forms, and guidelines for
preparing proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the
proposal budget. The Solicitation Package includes the Project Objectives,
Goals, and Implementation (hereafter, POGI) and the Proposal Submission
Instructions (hereafter, PSI). The entire Solicitation Package may be
downloaded from the Bureau's website at:
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps. Please read all information
before downloading.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information, contact the Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional
Linkages Branch (FREEDOM Support Educational Partnerships Program); Office
of Global Educational Programs; Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs;
ECA/A/S/U, Room 349; US Department of State; SA-44, 301 Fourth Street, S.W.;
Washington, DC 20547; phone: (202) 619-5289, fax: (202) 401-1433.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to communicate about their
proposals with one of the following regional program officers: Alanna Bailey
(telephone: (202) 205-8266, e-mail: [email protected]) on all inquiries
and correspondence regarding partnerships in the Central Asia or Caucasus
regions; Jonathan Cebra (telephone: (202) 205-8379, e-mail:
[email protected]) on all inquiries and correspondence regarding
partnerships with institutions in Ukraine; Marie Grant (telephone: (202)
619-5313, e-mail: [email protected]) on inquiries and correspondence
regarding partnerships in Moldova; Michelle Johnson (telephone: (202)
205-8434, e-mail: [email protected]) on all inquiries and
correspondence regarding partnerships with institutions in Russia.

Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Department staff may not discuss this
competition in any way with applicants until the Bureau proposal review
process has been completed.

SUBMISSIONS
Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation Package.
The original and 10 hard copies of the complete application package should
be sent by the project's lead US college or university to:

US Department of State
SA-44
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Ref: ECA/A/S/U-03-04
Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534
301 4th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20547

No later than one week after the deadline for receipt of the grant proposal,
applicants must also submit the "Proposal Title Page," "Executive Summary,"
and "Proposal Narrative,"; sections of the proposal as e-mail attachments in
Microsoft Word (preferred), WordPerfect, or as ASCII text files to the
following e-mail address: [email protected]. In the e-mail message
subject line, include the following: ECA/A/S/U-03-04 and the country or
countries of the foreign partner(s) together with the names of the US and
foreign partner institutions. To reduce the time needed to obtain advisory
comments from the Public Affairs Sections of US Embassies overseas, the
Bureau will transmit these files electronically to these offices.

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. All eligible proposals will be evaluated by
independent external reviewers. These reviewers, who will be professional,
scholarly, or educational experts with appropriate regional and thematic
knowledge, will provide recommendations and assessments for consideration by
the Bureau. The Bureau will consider for funding only those proposals which
are recommended for funding by the independent external reviewers.

Proposals may be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Advisor or by other
offices of the US Department of State. In addition, US Embassy officers may
provide advisory comment. 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 (grants or
cooperative agreements) will reside with the Bureau's grants officer.

REVIEW CRITERIA
All reviewers will use the criteria below to reach funding recommendations
and decisions. Technically eligible applications will be reviewed
competitively according to these criteria, which are not rank-ordered or
weighted.

1) Broad and Enduring Significance of Institutional Objectives: Project
objectives should have significant and ongoing results for the participating
institutions and for their surrounding societies or communities by providing
a deepened understanding of critical issues in one or more of the eligible
fields. Project objectives should relate clearly to institutional and
societal needs.

2) Creativity and Feasibility of Strategy to Achieve: Project Objectives:
Strategies to achieve project objectives should be feasible and realistic
within the projected budget and timeframe. These strategies should utilize
and reinforce exchange activities creatively to ensure an efficient use of
program resources.

3) Institutional Commitment to Cooperation: Proposals should demonstrate
significant understanding by each institution of its own needs and
capacities and of the needs and capacities of its proposed partner(s),
together with a strong commitment by the partner institutions, during and
after the period of grant activity, to cooperate with one another in the
mutual pursuit of institutional objectives.

4) Project Evaluation: Proposals should outline a methodology for
determining the degree to which a project meets its objectives, both while
the project is underway and at its conclusion. The final project evaluation
should include an external component and should provide observations about
the project's influence within the participating institutions as well as
their surrounding communities or societies.

5) Cost-effectiveness: Administrative and program costs should be reasonable
and appropriate with cost sharing provided by all participating institutions
within the context of their respective capacities. We view cost sharing as a
reflection of institutional commitment to the project. Although indirect
costs are eligible for inclusion as cost sharing by the applicant,
contributions should not be limited to indirect costs.

6) Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of
the Bureau's policy on diversity by explaining how issues of diversity are
included in project objectives for all institutional partners. Issues
resulting from differences of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, geography,
socioeconomic status, or physical challenge should be addressed during
project implementation. In addition, project participants and administrators
should reflect the diversity within the societies which they represent (see
the section of this document on "Diversity, Freedom, and Democracy
Guidelines"). Proposals should also discuss how the various institutional
partners approach diversity issues in their respective communities or
societies.

NOTICE
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may not be
modified by any State Department representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Department of State that contradicts published language will
not be binding. Issuance of the 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,
allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.