[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60645-60646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24435]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.017A]


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

    Purpose of Program: The International Research and Studies Program 
provides grants to conduct research and studies to improve and 
strengthen instruction in modern foreign languages, area studies, and 
other international fields.
    For FY 2003, the competition focuses on projects designed to meet 
the priorities we describe in the Priorities section of this notice.
    Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies, organizations, 
institutions, and individuals.
    Applications Available: September 25, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 4, 2002.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$5,200,000 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: $55,000--$155,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $109,818 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 26.


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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    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 30 pages, using the following standards:
    [sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] 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-page abstract or the appendices. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Section 
C.
    We will reject your application if--
    [sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
    [sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 82, 
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655; and (c) 
The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 660.

Priorities

Absolute Priority

    This competition focuses on projects designed to meet a priority in 
the regulations for this program (34 CFR 660.34(a)(2)).
    Materials development: Projects to develop instructional materials 
for the languages or regions of the Near or Middle East, South Asia, 
Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Inner Asia, the Far East, Africa or 
Latin America.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet 
the priority.
Invitational Priorities
    Within the absolute priority specified in this application notice, 
we are particularly interested in applications that meet the following 
invitational priorities.
Invitational Priority 1
    The development of specialized materials for use in teaching the 
languages of the Islamic nations of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Invitational Priority 2
    The development of specialized materials for use in teaching the 
languages of South Asia.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets 
one or more of the invitational priorities 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

[[Page 60646]]

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 Applications

    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 International Research and Studies Program--
CFDA 84.017A is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If 
you are an applicant under the International Research and Studies 
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 the 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:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
    [sbull] You can submit all documents, except transcripts, 
electronically, including the Application for Federal Assistance (ED 
424), Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.


    Note: Please note that due to the Department's end of the fiscal 
year close out activities, the e-APPLICATION system will be 
unavailable on October 1. It will become available for users again 
on Wednesday, October 2.

    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
International Research and Studies 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.

FOR APPLICATIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The application for 
this program is available at: www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/iegps/irs.html. Jose L. Martinez, U.S. Department of Education, International 
Education and Graduate Programs Service, 1990 K Street NW., Suite 6000, 
Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7635, 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 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 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 any 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. 1125.

    Dated: September 23, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-24435 Filed 9-25-02; 8:45 am]
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