 |
 |
| 12.553 NATIONAL FLAGSHIP LANGUAGE PROGRAM FELLOWSHIPS |
| National Security Education Program (NSEP) |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PERSONNEL AND READINESS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| 50 U.S.C. 1901-1911. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| The National Flagship Language Program (NFLP) is designed to address the urgent and growing need for Americans with professional levels of competency in languages critical to national security. NFLP offers advanced language training in Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Russian, and Urdu. NFLP is designed to train participants to reach professional working proficiency in a target language, as measured by the federal Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) level 3 and/or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) superior level. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Fellowships). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Fellowship awards are made to U.S. citizens with at least a bachelor's degree who enroll in domestic and overseas study through one of the designated NFLP institutions. Flagship Fellowship recipients agree to seek employment with the U.S. federal government, and serve for a period of time equal to the length of the award but no less than one year. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| (1) Must be a U.S. citizen at the time of application; (2) Must have a minimum proficiency in the appropriate foreign language of advanced low (as defined by ACTFL) or level 2 (as defined by ILR). You must also possess excellent skills in English (ILR level 3/ACTFL superior language proficiency or higher in all modalities of English); (3) Must complete an undergraduate degree by the time you would begin the NFLP Fellowship. Past recipients of NSEP Boren Undergraduate Scholarships or Graduate Fellowships are eligible and are encouraged to apply to this program; and (4) may not be a current U.S. government employee. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, their students. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| Proof of U.S. citizenship and at least a bachelor's degree by the time participation in the NFLP begins. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| All eligible, U.S. citizens may apply for fellowships in response to the relevant agency announcement. |
| Award Procedure |
| Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals resulting from an independent merit review. |
| Deadlines |
| Specified in annual application, usually in January. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Between 70 and 90 days. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| None. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| None. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Eligible students may receive a fellowship from NSEP to study for no less than one academic year, and no more than two (2) years in a combination of domestic and overseas study. The duration of study is dependent upon proficiency in the target language upon entering the NFLP and the progress made to reach ILR level 3. Typical duration is either one or two academic years. |
| Reports |
| Semi-annual progress reports are required on initiatives to fulfill service obligations incurred. |
| Audits |
| None. |
| Records |
| Not applicable. |
| Account Identification |
| 97-0100-0-1-051. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 $12,000,000; FY 08 est $12,000,000; and FY 09 est not reported. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| Awards cover all program costs for one or two academic years. Average awards are approximately $38,000 per fellow, and range from approximately $30,000 to $60,000. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| Since 2003, NSEP has awarded over 100 Flagships Fellowships to U.S. citizens. This unprecedented program is achieving consistent proficiency results among its graduates of ILR level 3 in Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, and Russian. New programs are underway in Persian, Hindi, and Urdu. Graduates of these programs are proceeding into national security positions throughout the federal government. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| 50 U.S.C. 1901-1911 (Chap. 37); Department of Defense Instructions 1025.02, "National Security Education Program," March 09, 2006; and Department of Defense Instruction 1025.6, "National Security Education Program Service Agreement," December 20, 1996. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| Not applicable. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Ms. Stacia Falat, Department of Defense, National Security Education Program, Rosslyn P.O. Box 20010, 1101 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1210, Arlington, VA 22209-2248. Telephone: (703) 696-1991, E-Mail Address: nsepo@ndu.edu or Ms. Sharon Nishizaki, Institute for International Education, National Flagship Language Program, 1400 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005-2403. Telephone: (800)618-6737, E-mail Address: flagship@iie.org. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/flagship/ |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| 12.550, National Flagship Language Program Grants To U.S. Institutions Of Higher Education. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| A Flagship Fellow attended the NFLP Russian Language Program at St. Petersburg State University (SPSU) in St. Petersburg, Russia, and developed superior-level Russian language and culture skills. During his studies, he presented a formal academic paper in Russian to the faculty at SPSU, and interned as a consultant on international project development. Programs for Flagship Fellows are highly individualized and are typically two consecutive academic years in duration: first year in language and culture study domestically at a NFLP university program institution, second year overseas in a combination of university study and professional internships. Those with very high advanced-level proficiency upon entering a program may be awarded to study one academic year of overseas study only. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Flagship Fellowship recipients are selected based on merit including (1) academic record and potential to succeed in the proposed study, (2) commitment to federal service, (3) language interests and aptitude, and (4) quality and appropriateness of the proposed program and its relevance to the National Security Education Program. |
|
General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
|