FR Doc E8-18965[Federal Register: August 15, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 159)]
[Notices]
[Page 47937-47940]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15au08-50]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021A.
DATES:
Applications Available: August 15, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 26, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 25, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA)
Program supports overseas projects in training, research, and
curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for
groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor.
Projects are short-term and include seminars, curriculum development,
or group research or study.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.31(g)
and 664.32).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2009, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Specific geographic regions of the world: A group project funded
under this priority must focus on one or more of the following
geographic regions of the world: Africa, East Asia, South Asia,
Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and
South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and
Eurasia, and the Near East.
Competitive Preference and Invitational Priorities: Within this
absolute priority, we are establishing the following competitive
preference and invitational priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority I: For FY 2009, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and
664.31(g) we award an additional five (5) points to an application that
meets this priority.
This priority is:
Projects that focus on any of the seventy-eight (78) languages
deemed critical on the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less
Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) found below.
This list includes the following: Akan (Twi-Fante), Albanian,
Amharic, Arabic (all dialects), Armenian, Azeri (Azerbaijani), Balochi,
Bamanakan (Bamana, Bambara, Mandikan, Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula),
Belarusian, Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all languages), Bosnian,
Bulgarian, Burmese, Cebuano (Visayan), Chechen, Chinese (Cantonese),
Chinese (Gan), Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Min), Chinese (Wu),
Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew (Modern),
Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh,
Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz, Korean, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish
(Sorani), Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi,
Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish,
Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian,
Sinhala (Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu,
Thai, Tibetan, Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukranian, Urdu, Uyghur/
Uigur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu.
Competitive Preference Priority II: For FY 2009, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and
664.31(g), we award up to an additional five (5) points to a short-term
project abroad application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
Short-term seminars that develop and improve foreign language and
area studies at elementary and secondary schools.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2009 this priority is an invitational
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference
over other applications.
This priority is:
Projects that support increasing participation of underrepresented
minorities in foreign languages and in area and international studies
are encouraged.
Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this
program in 34 CFR part 664.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$13,372,000 for the Overseas programs for FY 2009, of which we intend
to allocate $2,353,370 for new short-term projects under the Fulbright-
Hays Group Projects Abroad Program. 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.
Note: As part of its FY 2009 budget request, the Administration
proposed to continue to allow funds under this program to be used to
support the participation of individuals who plan to apply their
language skills and knowledge of countries vital to the United
States's national security in fields outside teaching, including
government, the professions, or international development.
Therefore, institutions of higher education may propose projects for
visits and study in foreign countries by individuals in these
fields, in addition to those planning a teaching career. However,
authority to use funds for participants outside of the field of
teaching depends on final congressional action. Applicants will be
given an opportunity to amend their applications if this authority
is not provided.
Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$90,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $78,446.
Estimated Number of Awards: 30.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2)
State departments of education, (3) Private nonprofit educational
organizations, and (4) Consortia of these entities.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Michelle Guilfoil, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6088, Washington, DC
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7625 or by e-mail:
michelle.guilfoil@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer
[[Page 47938]]
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 application narrative [Part III] to 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. Page numbers
and an identifier may be outside of the 1'' margin.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts,
tables, and graphs may be single spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and
graphs in the application narrative count toward the page limit.
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.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit only applies to the application narrative [Part
III]. It does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal
Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information form
required by the Department of Education; Part II, the budget
information summary form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the assurances,
certifications, and survey forms. In addition, the page limit does not
apply to the one-page abstract, appendices, line item budget, or a
table of contents. If you include any attachments or appendices not
specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the
program narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit
requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection
criteria in the program narrative.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 15, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 26, 2008.
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 in paper format 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.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 25, 2008.
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 in 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 GPA Program, CFDA Number 84.021A, must be submitted
electronically using the Governmentwide 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 GPA Program
at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.021,
not 84.021A).
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 date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process
[[Page 47939]]
(see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps
include (1) registering your organization, a multi-part process that
includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized 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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
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 you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application 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 experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
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 4:30:00 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 described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. 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 4:30:00
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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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
prevents 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: Michelle Guilfoil, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6088, Washington, DC
20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7860.
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: (CFDA Number
84.021A), 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: (CFDA Number
84.021A), 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.
(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
[[Page 47940]]
accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(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: (CFDA Number
84.021A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your
application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this
notification 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
1. General: For FY 2009, short-term project applications will be
reviewed by separate panels according to world area.
2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20
points), (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points), (c) Budget and cost
effectiveness (10 points), (d) Evaluation plan (20 points), (e)
Adequacy of resources (5 points), (f) Potential impact of the project
on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area
studies in American education (15 points), (g) Relevance to the
applicant's educational goals and its relationship to its program
development in modern foreign languages and area studies (5 points),
(h) The extent to which direct experience abroad is necessary to
achieve the project's objectives and the effectiveness with which
relevant host country resources will be utilized (10 points), and (i)
The extent to which the proposed project addresses the competitive
preference priorities (10 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 notify you informally, also.
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 in this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data
instrument International Resource Information System (IRIS) system to
complete the final report. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the Department will use the following measure to
evaluate the success of the program: Percentage of all Fulbright-Hays
Group Projects Abroad program projects judged to be successful by the
program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual
performance reports.
The information provided by grantees in their performance reports
submitted via the electronic International Resource Information System
(IRIS) will be the source of data for this measure. Reporting screens
for institutions can be viewed at:
http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/GPA_director.pdf and
http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/GPA_participant.pdf .
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Guilfoil, International
Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., Room 6088, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202)
502-7625 or by e-mail: michelle.guilfoil@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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: August 12, 2008.
Cheryl A. Oldham,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-18965 Filed 8-14-08; 8:45 am]
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