FR Doc 05-20395
[Federal Register: October 12, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 196)]
[Notices]
[Page 59325-59329]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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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) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A
Dates: Applications Available: October 12, 2005. Deadline for
Transmittal of Applications: See the chart listed under section IV.
Application and Submission Information, 3. Submission Dates and Times
(chart). Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See chart.
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
$1,926,721 for new awards for this program for FY 2006. 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.
Consortial/Organization/Associations: $80,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Single Institution: $77,069.
Consortial/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 consortial/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: 25.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period:
[[Page 59326]]
Single Institution: Up to 24 months.
Consortial/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 one competitive preference
priority and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priority is from the
regulations for this program (34 CFR 658.35).
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2006 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, depending on the
extent to which the application 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.
Under this competition we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following priorities.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority 1
Applications that propose projects that provide in-service training
for K-12 teachers in foreign languages and international studies and
that strengthen instruction in international studies and foreign
languages in teacher education programs.
Invitational Priority 2
Applications that propose educational projects that include
activities that are focused on the targeted world areas of Central and
South Asia, the Middle East, Russia, the Independent States of the
former Soviet Union, and Africa and that are integrated into the
curricula of the home institutions or organizations.
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.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all
applications 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
$1,926,721 for new awards for this program for FY 2006. 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.
Consortial/Organization/Associations: $80,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Single Institution: $77,069.
Consortial/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 consortial/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: 25.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period:
Single Institutions: Up to 24 months.
Consortial/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 658.40. UISFL Program grantees
must provide matching funds in either of the following ways: (a) Cash
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
[[Page 59327]]
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 12, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: In light of the damage
caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita we are establishing two separate
deadlines for the submission of applications for grants under this
competition to permit potential applicants affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita additional time to submit their applications. We
are establishing a General Deadline for all applicants, and an Extended
Deadline for potential applicants who have been affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita and are located in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Florida. Specifically, the Extended Deadline applies
only to: (1) Institutions of higher education, SEAs, LEAs, non-profit
organizations and other public or private organization applicants that
are located in afederally-declared disaster area as determined by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (see http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
) and that were adversely affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and/or Rita, and (2) individual applicants who reside or
resided, on the disaster declaration date, in a federally-declared
disaster area as determined by FEMA (see http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
) and were adversely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/
or Rita. These applicants must provide a certification in their
application that they meet the criteria for submitting an application
on the Extended Deadline, and be prepared to provide appropriate
supporting documentation, if requested. If the applicant is submitting
the application electronically, submission of the application serves as
the applicant's attestation that they meet the criteria for submitting
an application on the Extended Deadline.
The following chart provides the applicable deadlines for the
submission of applications. If this program is subject to Executive
Order 12372, the relevant deadline for intergovernmental review is also
indicated in the chart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transmittal of Intergovernmental
applications review
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Deadline..................... 11/17/05 1/17/06
Extended Deadline.................... 12/1/05 2/1/06
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. 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: See chart.
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--CFDA Number 84.016A must be
submitted electronically using e-Application available through the
Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal
page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
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.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
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
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 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.
[[Page 59328]]
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically,
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the
Department's e-Application 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 e-Application system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Department's e-Application 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) 502-7859.
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 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 4 of the ED 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
[[Page 59329]]
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).
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.
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 5, 2005.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-20395 Filed 10-11-05; 8:45 am]
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