[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 50005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24461]



[[Page 50005]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.015]


National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area 
Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies and Foreign 
Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
1997
    Purpose of Program: The National Resource Centers Program makes 
awards to institutions of higher education for general assistance in 
strengthening nationally recognized centers of excellence in foreign 
language and area or international studies. National Resource Centers 
awards are used to support undergraduate centers or comprehensive 
centers, which include undergraduate, graduate, and professional school 
components. The Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program 
makes awards to institutions of higher education for fellowship 
assistance to meritorious students undergoing graduate training in 
modern foreign languages and related area or international studies. 
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship monies are used to support 
academic year and summer fellowships.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, public and 
private, or combinations of those institutions.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 4, 1996.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 3, 1997.
    Applications Available: September 27, 1996.
    Available Funds: For FY 1997 the Administration has requested 
$19,035,400 for new awards under the National Resource Centers Program 
and $13,400,000 for the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships 
Program. However, the actual level of funding is contingent on final 
congressional action.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $125,000 to $225,000 for the National 
Resource Centers Program.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $173,050 for the National 
Resource Centers Program.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 110 grant awards for the National 
Resource Centers Program; for the Foreign Language and Area Studies 
Fellowships Program 580 academic year fellowships and 300 summer 
fellowships. It is anticipated that 130 institutions will receive 
grants of fellowship allocations.
    Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program Cost-of-
Education Allowance: For the new grant cycle, student subsistence 
allowance levels will be $10,000 for an academic year fellowship and 
$2,400 for a summer fellowship. Institutional payments in lieu of 
tuition will be $10,000 for an academic year fellowship and $3,600 for 
a summer fellowship. Summer fellowships to be used on campuses other 
than that of the student's home institution may also include travel 
awards of $1,000 or the actual cost of travel, whichever is less. The 
amount of the award will not include allowances for dependents. Foreign 
Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program budgets should, 
therefore, reflect costs of $20,000 per academic year fellowship, 
$6,000 per summer fellowship requested, and summer travel awards, if 
requested.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: 36 months, beginning August 15, 1997.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
85, and 86; (b) The regulations in 34 CFR Part 655; and (c) The final 
regulations as published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register, which will be codified in 34 CFR Parts 656 and 657.

Priorities for National Resource Centers

    Absolute Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 34 CFR 
656.23(a)(1), (a)(2), and (a)(4), the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The 
Secretary funds under this program only applications that meet this 
absolute priority:
    Projects that include teacher training activities on the language, 
languages, area studies, or general topic of the center.
    Invitational Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary is 
particularly interested in applications that meet the following 
invitational priorities. However, an application that meets these 
invitational priorities does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications:
    Projects that include the following activities:
    (1) Development and implementation of plans for evaluating and 
improving foreign language programs in ways compatible with developing 
national standards.
    (2) Summer intensive language programs that are conducted in 
cooperation with other institutions of higher education and offer 
instruction providing the equivalent of a full academic year's work in 
language training.
    (3) Special library projects for acquiring or cataloging, or both, 
unique collections carried out in cooperation with other institutions 
of higher education.
    (4) Initiating or strengthening linkages between language and area 
studies programs and professional disciplines, including, but not 
limited to, business, education, forestry, hotel management, 
journalism, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public administration, public 
health, and social work.
    (5) Developing new courses or curricula in disciplines and issues 
that are currently underrepresented in the Center's basic program.
    Page Limits for the Application Narrative: 35 pages for a single 
institution application; 45 pages for a consortium application. FOR
    Applications or Information Contact: Cheryl Gibbs, Karla Ver Bryck 
Block, or Sara West, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence 
Avenue, S.W., Suite 600-B, Portals Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-
5331. Telephone (202) 401-9798. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including 
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can 
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board), 
telephone (202) 260-9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at gopher://
gcs.ed.gov/); or on the World Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov). However, 
the official application notice for a discretionary grant competition 
is the notice published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122.

    Dated: September 18, 1996.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 96-24461 Filed 9-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P