FR Doc E9-7224[Federal Register: March 31, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 60)] [Notices] [Page 14538-14543] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr31mr09-46] Download:----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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) 2009 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A. Dates: Applications Available: March 31, 2009. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2009. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 29, 2009. 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 four 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 2009, 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 to have [[Page 14539]] 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 2009, 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 foreign languages and international studies in teacher education programs. Invitational Priority 2: Applications that propose projects that include a plan for assessment of student foreign language competency. A plan of assessment should include clearly defined student-learning outcomes and externally validated assessment approaches. The applicant should describe procedures for utilizing the assessment data to improve foreign language program effectiveness. Invitational Priority 3: Applications that propose projects that support an increase in the number of underrepresented minorities who are studying foreign languages and area and international studies. Invitational Priority 4: Applications that focus on any of the seventy-eight (78) priority languages listed below that were selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs): 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, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu. 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 applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) only. Areas of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1121(c)(1), the Secretary has consulted with and received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into account and a list of foreign languages and world regions identified by the Secretary as areas of national need may be found on the following Web sites: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/policy.html http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsugisf/legislation.html. Also included on these Web sites are the specific recommendations the Secretary received from Federal agencies. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $2,565,000. Estimated Range of Awards: Single Institution: $50,000-$90,000. Consortia/Organizations/Associations: $80,000-$140,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: Single Institution: $82,000. Consortia/Organizations/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: 27. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Single Institutions: Up to 24 months. Consortia/ Organizations/Associations: Up to 36 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. 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. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has a matching requirement under section 604(a)(3) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(3), 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 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 that have submitted an application that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction. 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), 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 accessible 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 competition. 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] that addresses the selection criteria 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, [[Page 14540]] 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, figures and graphs. These items may be single spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the program 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 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 and certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a table of contents. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part III]. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the application narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit requirement. 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. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 31, 2009. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2009. 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 of 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: June 29, 2009. 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 competition. 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 competition 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 (UISFL) Program, CFDA number 84.016A, 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 UISFL Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.016, not 84.016A). 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 competition 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 (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 [[Page 14541]] 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. 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 of 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 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: Christine Corey, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, 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 following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.016A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. 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 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: [[Page 14542]] (CFDA Number 84.016A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 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, applications will be randomly divided and reviewed by separate panels of language and area studies experts. A rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed and used for funding purposes. 2. 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); and (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 language at the undergraduate level (30 points). 3. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7) of the HEA requires that each application must include-- (A) Evidence that the applicant has conducted extensive planning prior to submitting the application; (B) An assurance that the faculty and administrators of all relevant departments and programs served by the applicant are involved in ongoing collaboration with regard to achieving the stated objectives of the application; (C) An assurance that students at the applicant institutions, as appropriate, will have equal access to, and derive benefits from, the UISFL program; (D) An assurance that each institution, combination or partnership will use the Federal assistance provided under the UISFL program to supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds the institution expends for programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages; (E) A description of how the applicant will provide information to students regarding federally funded scholarship programs in related areas; (F) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs, where applicable; and (G) A description of how the applicant will encourage service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary. 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 Notice (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 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data instrument International Resource Information System (IRIS) 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: 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 UISFL performance measures to evaluate its success in meeting this objective: Performance measure 1: Percentage of priority languages addressed/ covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs created or enhanced, by language courses created or enhanced, or by faculty or instructor positions created with UISFL or matching funds in the reporting period. Performance measure 2: Percentage of projects judged to be successful by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual performance reports. Efficiency measure: Cost per high-quality, successfully completed project. The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures. Reporting screens for institutions may be viewed at: http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/uisfl.pdf. 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 TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339. VIII. Other Information Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible 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 of 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. [[Page 14543]] 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. Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education to perform the function of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. Dated: March 25, 2009. Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis. [FR Doc. E9-7224 Filed 3-30-09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P