FR Doc E9-27579[Federal Register: November 17, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 220)]
[Notices]
[Page 59135-59139]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17no09-30]
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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) 2010.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A.
Dates: Applications Available: November 17, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 17, 2009.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 16, 2010.
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 2010, 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 from institutions of higher education or combinations
of these institutions 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
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 2010, 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, through collaborative
efforts between colleges, departments, or schools of education and
other colleges, departments, or schools of education within a single
higher education institution or consortium of higher education
institutions, propose projects that will strengthen instruction in
foreign languages and international studies in teacher education
programs that provide pre-service training for K-12 teachers in foreign
languages and international studies.
Invitational Priority 2: Applications that propose programs or
activities primarily focused on language instruction or applications
that propose the development of area or international studies programs
to include language instruction 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.
[[Page 59136]]
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 and
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: The Administration has requested
$102,335,000 for the Title VI International Education and Foreign
Language Studies Programs (also referred to as the International
Domestic Programs) for FY 2010, of which we intend to allocate
$2,105,000 for new awards under the UISFL 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.
Estimated Range of Awards: Single IHE: $50,000-$100,000. Consortia
of IHEs/Organizations/Associations: $80,000-$160,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Single IHE: $92,000. Consortia of
IHEs/Organizations/Associations: $130,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for a
single IHE application, and $160,000 for a single budget period of 12
months for a consortia of IHEs/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: 23.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Single IHE: Up to 24 months.
Consortia of IHEs/Organizations/Associations: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs; (2) Consortia 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: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following
address: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following:
Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.
Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-
576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.016A.
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
under Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
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, 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 exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: November 17, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 17, 2009.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application site (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system. For
information
[[Page 59137]]
(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: February 16, 2010.
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 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 UISFL program, CFDA number
84.016A, must be submitted electronically using e-Application,
accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
program after 4:30:00 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 hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m.
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. 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
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
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.
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 SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 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 SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 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
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you 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) E-Application 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) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 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 e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system 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 e-Application.
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 e-Application because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
[[Page 59138]]
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
e-Application; 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: 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:
(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 grant 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 2010, 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 consortium 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
[[Page 59139]]
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).
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 Undergraduate International
Studies and Foreign Language Program projects judged to be successful
by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in
the annual performance reports.
Performance measure 2: Percentage of critical languages addressed/
covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs
created or enhanced; or by language courses created or enhanced; or by
faculty or instructor positions created with Undergraduate
International Studies and Foreign Language or matching funds in the
reporting period.
Efficiency measure: Cost per high quality, successfully-completed
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language 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://iris.ed.gov/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. To
use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
this site.
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
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
Dated: November 12, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-27579 Filed 11-16-09; 8:45 am]
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