No. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education in the U.S. The student's application must be submitted through the appropriate channels at his/her university, and transmitted to US/ED via e-Application by the university's Project Director.

A student should check the list of Project Directors listed in this application package. If a university has submitted applications for DDRA funding before, chances are there is already an experienced Project Director appointed. If an institution does not appear on the list, it may be necessary for that university's administration to appoint a Project Director, and ensure that he/she registers in the e-Application system.

The student's advisor will continue to serve as his/her mentor regarding the academic details of his/her research, and any changes to the student's research plans as proposed in the application will require the advisor's written approval. The advisor should not serve as the student's Project Director. There can be only one Project Director at an institution, and that person administers the grant and serves as the point of contact for all of that institution's fellows, regardless of research topic or discipline.

There are two primary sections to the e-Application - the student's individual section and the section to be completed by the Project Director. Upon completion of his/her section, the student submits his/her application to the Project Director via e-Application. The Project Director is responsible for reviewing the student's individual application and submitting it, along with the Project Director's portion, which contains the required federal forms, to US/ED. Included in this submission are the graduate and language reference forms that were transmitted to the Project Director by the references. Only the Project Director can submit an application to US/ED.

When the student submits his/her application via the e-Application system, it is transmitted to his/her university's Project Director for review and submission to US/ED. Student applicants are not able to transmit their applications directly to US/ED.

The Project Director determines the internal deadline by which all sections of the application must be submitted. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the graduate and language references are submitted by references no later than the institution's internal deadline.

The Closing Date is the date by which the university's Project Director must submit all components of the application to US/ED via e-Application. It is recommended that the Project Director have access to all sections of the application well in advance of this date. Application materials may not be submitted after the published Closing Date.

After the student submits his/her application via e-Application, he/she will receive a notification e-mail stating that his/her application has been received by the Project Director at his/her university. If he/she does not receive this e-mail, the student should contact the Help Desk immediately. The Project Director will be copied on the email notification; nevertheless, the student may want to contact the Project Director to let the Project Director know that the student has submitted an application.

The student will not receive a notification e-mail when the Project Director transmits the application to US/ED. Only the Project Director will receive a notification e-mail. The student must check with his/her institution's Project Director to determine whether the application has been submitted.

Students are responsible for obtaining an official copy of their graduate transcripts, and submitting these to the Project Director in time for the Project Director to transmit them to US/ED by the Closing Date.

Yes, a student may propose research in multiple countries.

Yes.

No, eligible applicants are institutions of higher education in the U.S.

The page limit is extremely important. If the student's application narrative exceeds the page limit, the application will be disqualified and will not be reviewed for funding. Please adhere strictly to the page limit guidelines in the Closing Date Notice.

Endnotes, footnotes, or a bibliography will certainly strengthen an application. However, footnotes and endnotes will be subject to the page limit restrictions specified in the Closing Date Notice for the application narrative and bibliography.

The student should call IEPS at (202) 502-7700. We will gladly assist students in finding qualified evaluators. An application will be significantly less competitive if a language reference form is not included.

Yes, these letters are helpful to the panel in evaluating an application. Students may submit them electronically with their applications or submit them to Project Directors with their transcripts well in advance of the Closing Date.

No, all travel must comply with the Fly America Act. International travel budget estimates ought to be based on jet economy high season rates on U.S. Flag carriers where available. Reviewers do not evaluate a student's budget request as part of the application review process.

Availability of funds and the date of the marriage or birth will determine whether an allowance can be awarded.

No signatures are necessary for the student's application at the time of application submittal. However, signatures from a student's doctor/nurse practitioner and advisor may be requested at a later date.

If the student experiences any technical difficulties, he/she should contact the e-Application Help Desk at 1-888-336-8930 (TTY: 1-866-697-2696, local (202) 401-8363) Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Washington D.C., time.

If the student has programmatic questions, he/she should contact Ms. Amy Wilson at (202) 502-7689; amy.wilson@ed.gov.

The review process for DDRA Program applications is lengthy and multi-faceted, so announcement times may vary. Regret letters are sent to the institutional applicant usually in February or March. Candidate status is announced usually in April and as late as September. It is the responsibility of the institution to inform students of their status. US/ED does not inform students directly. Awards are issued between April and September.

A fellowship may be activated after a Grant Award Notification (GAN) has been issued, host country visa and research requirements have been met; human subject research clearance, if required, has been given by the student's institution; and travel approval has been obtained by the Project Director from US/ED. The GAN will specify the performance and budget periods. All research must be completed during these periods.

No, students should provide that information to their Project Directors.

Yes, provided the student has not received a fellowship that duplicates the DDRA award benefits. The student should leave a letter with the Project Director authorizing him/her to accept the award on the student's behalf.

Yes.

No. All reviewer comments will be a mailed to the institutional project director at the time of the award notification. Please contact your institutional project director for a copy.

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