[Federal Register: October 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 197)]
[Notices]
[Page 60123-60126]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12oc06-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A.
Dates: Applications Available: October 13, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 17, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 17, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education (IHEs);
(2) combinations of IHEs; (3) partnerships between nonprofit
educational organizations and IHEs; and (4) public and private
nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and
scholarly associations.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$2,555,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2007. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards:
Single Institution: $50,000-$90,000.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: $80,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Single Institution: $77,069.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: $110,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for a
single institution application and $140,000 for a single budget period
of 12 months for a consortia/organization/association application. The
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 33.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period:
Single Institution: Up to 24 months.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Undergraduate International Studies and
Foreign Language (UISFL) Program provides grants to strengthen and
improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign
languages.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), Competitive
Preference Priority 1 is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR
658.35). Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from the notice of final
priorities for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal
Register on October 11, 2006.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: For FY 2007 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
Applications that: (a) Require entering students to have
successfully completed at least two years of secondary school foreign
language instruction; (b) require each graduating student to earn two
years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language or have
demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language; or (c) in
the case of a two-year degree granting institution, offer two years of
postsecondary credit in a foreign language.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: For FY 2007 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
up to an additional five points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Projects that support activities to enable students to achieve
proficiency or advanced proficiency or to develop programs in one or
more of the following less commonly taught languages: Arabic, Chinese,
Korean, Japanese, Russian, and languages in the Indic, Iranian, and
Turkic language families.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and
658. (c) The notice of final priorities for discretionary grant
programs, published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2006.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$2,555,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2007. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards:
Single Institution: $50,000-$90,000.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: $80,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Single Institution: $77,069.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: $110,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for a
single institution application and $140,000 for a single budget period
of 12 months for a consortia/organization/association application. The
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 33.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period:
Single Institutions: Up to 24 months.
Consortia/Organization/Associations: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs; (2) combinations of IHEs; (3)
partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and
(4) public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including
professional and scholarly associations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has a matching
requirement under title VI, part A, section 604(a)(3) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(3) (HEA), and the
regulations for this program in 34 CFR 658.41. UISFL Program grantees
must provide matching funds in either of the following ways: (a) Cash
[[Page 60124]]
contributions from private sector corporations or foundations equal to
one-third of the total project costs; or (b) a combination of
institutional and non-institutional cash or in-kind contributions
including State and private sector corporation or foundation
contributions, equal to one-half of the total project costs. The
Secretary may waive or reduce the required matching share for
institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or
part B of title III or under title V of the HEA.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Christine Corey,
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202) 502-7629 or by e-mail: christine.corey@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit the narrative to the equivalent of no more
than 40 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may
single space all text in charts, tables, figures and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point
font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances
and certifications; the one-page abstract; or the appendices. However,
you must include your complete response to the selection criteria in
the application narrative.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 13, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 17, 2006.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 17, 2007.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Undergraduate International
Studies and Foreign Language program must be submitted electronically
using the Grants.gov Apply site at: http://www.grants.gov. Through this
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language program at:
http://www.grants.gov/. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at: http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsphttp://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These
get_registered.jsp). These
yourself as an Authorized
[[Page 60125]]
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also must provide
on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application
via Grants.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information typically included on the Application for Federal
Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. You must attach
any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC
(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If
you upload a file type other than the three file types specified above
or submit a password protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the application deadline date because of
technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an
extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business
day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the
mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you
submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this
notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an
explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov,
along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We
will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Ms. Christine Corey,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor,
Washington, DC 20006-8521. Fax: (202) 502-7659.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 84.016A, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: 84.016A, 7100 Old
Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
84.016A, 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8
[[Page 60126]]
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays and
Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the Application for Federal Assistance
(SF 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the
competition under which you are submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 658.31 through 658.34. The following criteria are used to
evaluate all applications: (a) Plan of operation (15 points); (b)
quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) budget and cost effectiveness
(10 points); (d) adequacy of resources (5 points); (e) evaluation plan
(20 points). The following additional criteria are applied to
applications submitted by an IHE or a combination of IHEs: (a)
Commitment to international studies (10 points); (b) elements of the
proposed international studies program (10 points); and (c) Need for
and prospective results of the proposed program (10 points). The
following additional criterion is applied to applications from
organizations and associations: need for and potential impact of the
proposed project in improving international studies and the study of
modern foreign languages at the undergraduate level (30 points), (f)
competitive priority (5 points).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118. The applicant is required to use the electronic data
instrument Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and Area
Studies (EELIAS), to complete the final report.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the objective for the UISFL program is to
meet the nation's security and economic needs through the development
of a national capacity in foreign languages, and area and international
studies.
The Department will use the following measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective.
UISFL Performance Measures: (1) Percentage of critical languages
addressed/covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate
programs created or enhanced; or by language courses created or
enhanced; or by faculty or instructor positions created with UISFL or
matching funds in the reporting period. (2) Percentage of projects
judged to be successful by the program officer, based on a review of
information provided in annual performance reports.
If funded, information from your final performance report submitted
via the electronic Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and
Area Studies system will be used to record and evaluate the performance
of your project.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Christine Corey, International
Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202)
502-7629 or by e-mail: christine.corey@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Dated: October 6, 2006.
James F. Manning,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6-16932 Filed 10-11-06; 8:45 am]
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