FR Doc E7-20762
[Federal Register: October 22, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 203)]
[Notices]
[Page 59516-59520]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22oc07-39]
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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) 2008
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A.
DATES:
Applications Available: October 22, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 26, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 25, 2008.
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 two competitive preference
priorities and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the
regulations for this program (34 CFR 658.35). Competitive Preference
Priority 2 is from the notice of final priorities for discretionary
grant programs, published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2006
(71 FR 60046).
Competitive Preference Priority 1: For FY 2008 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 these
priorities.
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
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.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: For FY 2008 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:
Projects that support activities to enable students to achieve
proficiency or advanced proficiency or to develop programs in one or
more of the following less commonly taught languages: Arabic, Chinese,
Korean, Japanese, Russian, and languages in the Indic, Iranian, and
Turkic language families.
Under this competition, we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following priorities.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2008, 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
[[Page 59517]]
assessment data to improve foreign language program effectiveness.
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. (c) The notice of final priorities for discretionary grant
programs, published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR
60046).
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.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$1,617,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2008. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: Single Institution: $50,000-$90,000.
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: 19.
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) IHEs; (2) combinations of IHEs; (3)
partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and
(4) public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including
professional and scholarly associations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has a matching
requirement under Title VI, part A, section 604(a)(3) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (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.
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 alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this 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) 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-point (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. Applications 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; Part II, the budget section, including
the narrative budget justification; and Part IV, the assurances and
certifications. The page limit also does not apply to 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: October 22, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 26, 2007.
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: January 25, 2008.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
[[Page 59518]]
CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for
this competition.
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 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 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 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
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 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 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 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
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, the Department of
Education 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 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 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the
[[Page 59519]]
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 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 applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.016A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-
4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Stop 4260,
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.016A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD
20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(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 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington,
DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:
If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 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 2008, 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 languages at the undergraduate level (30 points).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 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
[[Page 59520]]
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. 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 (GPRA), 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: (1) Percentage of
critical 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. (2) Percentage of
projects reported and validated as high quality or successfully
completed.
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.
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
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: October 17, 2007.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E7-20762 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]
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