[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55825-55827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22275]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.016A]


Office of Postsecondary Education; Undergraduate International 
Studies and Foreign Language Program; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Purpose of Program: The Undergraduate International Studies and 
Foreign Language Program provides grants to strengthen and improve 
undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign 
languages.
    Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2) 
combinations of institutions of higher education, (3) partnerships 
between nonprofit educational organizations and institutions of higher 
education, and (4) public and private non-profit agencies and 
organizations, including professional and scholarly associations. 
applications available: September 13, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 4, 2002.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 3, 2003.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$4,700,000 for this program for FY 2003. 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: $40,000-$130,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $78,028 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 30.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months for grants to single institutions 
of higher education, and up to 36 months for grants to combinations of 
institutions of higher education and partnerships.
    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 narrative to the equivalent of 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.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures and graphs.
     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.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-to-two page abstract or the appendices. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in 
responding to the selection criteria.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

[[Page 55826]]

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
85, 86, 97, 98 and 99; and (b) the regulations for this program in 34 
CFR parts 655 and 658.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Matching requirement: Under section 
604(a)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 
U.S.C. 1124(a)(3), Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign 
Language 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 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 of the HEA, or under title V of the HEA.

Priorities

Competitive Priority

    This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the statutory 
priority contained in section 604(a)(5) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 
1124(a)(5)). That section gives priority to institutions of higher 
education or combinations of institutions of higher education that 
either require entering students to have successfully completed at 
least two years of secondary school foreign language instruction or 
require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary 
credit in a foreign language or have demonstrated equivalent competence 
in the foreign language. It also gives priority to two-year degree 
granting institutions that offer two years of postsecondary credit in a 
foreign language. We award five points to an application that meets 
this priority.

Invitational Priority

    We are particularly interested in applications that meet the 
following invitational priority:
    Applications from (1) institutions of higher education, (2) 
combinations of institutions of higher education, (3) partnerships 
between nonprofit educational organizations and institutions of higher 
education, and (4) public and private non-profit agencies and 
organizations, including professional and scholarly associations of 
higher education that propose educational projects that include 
activities focused in the targeted world areas of Central and South 
Asia, the Middle East, Russia, the Independent States of the former 
Soviet Union, and Africa. These projects should be integrated into the 
curricula of the home institutions or organizations.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets 
the invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over 
other applications.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

    Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make 
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. 
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined 
that proposed rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of this Application

    In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign 
Language Program-- CFDA No. 84.016A is one of the programs included in 
the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Undergraduate 
International Studies and Foreign Language Program, you may submit your 
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the 
following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     Within three working days of submitting your electronic 
application fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Assistance 
(ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program at: 
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.

    Note:  Please note that due to the Department's end of the 
fiscal year close out activities, the e-APPLICATION system will be 
unavailable from October 1 through October 5. It will become 
available for users again on Monday, October 7.

    For Applications and further Information Contact: Christine Corey, 
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, U.S. 
Department of Education, International Education and Graduate Programs 
Service, 1990 K Street, NW., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006-8521. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7629 or via Internet: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under For 
Applications and Further Information Contact.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package

[[Page 55827]]

in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, the 
Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the 
standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124.

    Dated: August 26, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-22275 Filed 8-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P