[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58005-58009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27122]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
International Research and Studies (IRS) Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.017A-1
and 84.017A-3.
Dates:
Applications Available: November 10, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The IRS Program provides grants to conduct
research and studies to improve and strengthen instruction in modern
foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 660.10 and
660.34).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2010, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award an additional five points to an application that meets one or
more of these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Instructional Materials
Applications.
The development of specialized instructional or assessment
materials focused on any of the following seventy-eight (78) languages
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.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Research, Surveys, and Studies
Applications.
Research, surveys, or studies relating to current needs for
improving internationalization (including foreign language instruction,
area studies, and international studies) in Historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs),
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and
Universities (TCCUs), Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Native American-serving
Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), or Alaskan Native and/or Native
Hawaiian institutions (as defined in Title III and Title V of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended).
Note: You will receive an additional five points for meeting a
competitive preference priority in your application. Applicants are
expected to address only one competitive preference priority in each
application, but regardless of how many priorities are addressed, no
more than five points in total can be awarded to a single
application.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1125.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34
CFR parts 655 and 660.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Areas of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the
[[Page 58006]]
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1121(c), 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 links on the following Web sites: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/policy.html and http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsirs/legislation.html.
Also included on these Web sites and links 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 International Education and Foreign Language
Studies: Domestic Programs for FY 2010, of which we intend to use an
estimated $1,637,000 for awards under these competitions (84.017A-1 and
84.017A-3). 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: $50,000-$200,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $164,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies, organizations,
institutions, and individuals.
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: Carla White, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6085, Washington, DC
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7636; or by e-mail:
[email protected].
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. The IRS
Program has two application packages. Research, surveys, and studies
applicants must use the application package for 84.017A-1.
Instructional materials applicants must use the application package for
84.017A-3.
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 the
equivalent of no more than 30 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 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 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); or 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 in the application package, these items will be counted as
part of your 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 10, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2010.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. 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 of 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
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 IRS Program, CFDA number 84.017A,
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
[[Page 58007]]
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
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: Carla White, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6085, 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 following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.017A), 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.
[[Page 58008]]
(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 84.017A), 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: Applications are divided into two groups, instructional
materials (CFDA 84.017A-3) and research, surveys, and studies (CFDA
84.017A-1). Review panels will be assigned to read either instructional
materials applications or research, surveys, and studies applications.
The number of panels for each category will depend on the number of
applications received. Each panel reviews, scores, and ranks its
applications separately from the applications assigned to other panels.
All instructional materials applications will be ranked together from
the highest to the lowest score for funding purposes; and, all
research, surveys, and studies applications will be ranked together
from the highest to the lowest score for funding purposes.
2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 655.31, 660.31, 660.32, and 660.33 and are as follows:
For instructional materials--
Need for the project (10 points); Potential for the use of
materials in other programs (5 points); Account of related materials
(10 points); Likelihood of achieving results (10 points); Expected
contribution to other programs (5 points); Plan of operation (10
points); Quality of key personnel (5 points); Budget and cost
effectiveness (5 points); Evaluation plan (15 points); Adequacy of
resources (5 points); Description of final form of materials (5
points); and Provisions for pretesting and revision (15 points).
For research, surveys and studies--
Need for the project (10 points); Usefulness of expected results
(10 points); Development of new knowledge (10 points); Formulation of
problems and knowledge of related research (10 points); Specificity of
statement of procedures (5 points); Adequacy of methodology and scope
of project (10 points); Plan of operation (10 points); Quality of key
personnel (10 points); Budget and cost effectiveness (5 points);
Evaluation plan (15 points); and Adequacy of resources (5 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 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. Electronically formatted instructional
materials such as CDs, DVDs, videos, computer diskettes and books
produced by the grantee as part of the grant approved activities are
also acceptable as final reports. The Secretary may also require more
frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific
requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The objective for the IRS Program is to
support surveys, studies, and the development of instructional
materials to improve and strengthen instruction in modern foreign
languages, area studies, and other international fields. The Department
will use the following measures to evaluate the success of the IRS
Program:
Performance Measure 1: Percentage of IRS Program projects judged to
be successful by the program officer, based on a review of information
provided in annual performance reports.
Performance Measure 2: Number of outreach activities that are
adopted or disseminated within a year, divided by the total number of
IRS outreach activities conducted in the current reporting period.
Efficiency Measure: Cost per high-quality, successfully completed
IRS project.
The information provided by grantees in their performance reports
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures.
Reporting screens can be viewed at: http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/IRS.pdf.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Beth MacRae, International
Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., room 6088, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202)
502-7596; or by e-mail: [email protected].
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
[[Page 58009]]
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 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.
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 4, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-27122 Filed 11-9-09; 8:45 am]
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