[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 162 (Monday, August 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51818-51821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19276]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education


Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad 
Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.019A.
    DATES:
    Applications Available: August 27, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 19, 2004.

[[Page 51819]]

    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHE). As 
part of the application process, faculty submit individual applications 
to the IHE. The IHE then officially submits all eligible individual 
faculty applications with its grant application to the Department.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$1,395,654 for this program for FY 2005. 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 Fellowship Awards: $20,000-$100,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Fellowship Awards: $55,826.
    Estimated Number of Fellowship Awards: 25.


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


    Project Period: The institutional project period is 18 months 
beginning June 1, 2005. Faculty may request funding for 3-12 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad 
Fellowship Program offers opportunities to faculty of institutions of 
higher education to engage in research abroad in modern foreign 
languages and area studies.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority 
is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 663.21(d)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    A research project that focuses on one or more of the following 
areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South 
Asia, the Near East, East Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Western 
Hemisphere (Canada, Central and South America, Mexico and the 
Caribbean). Please note that applications that propose projects focused 
on Western Europe will not be funded.
    Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 663.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants redistributed, as fellowships 
to individual beneficiaries.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$1,395,654 for this program for FY 2005. 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 Fellowship Awards: $20,000--$100,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Fellowship Awards: $55,826.
    Estimated Number of Fellowship Awards: 25.


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


    Project Period: The institutional project period is 18 months 
beginning June 1, 2005. Faculty may request funding for 3-12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHE). As 
part of the application process, faculty submit individual applications 
to the IHE. The IHE then officially submits all eligible individual 
faculty applications with its grant application to the Department.
    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: Ms. Eliza Washington or 
Ms. Amy Wilson, International Education Programs Service, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7633 or 7689 or by e-mail: [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 a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
persons 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.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where the faculty 
applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate the application. The faculty applicant must limit the 
narrative to the equivalent of 10 pages and the bibliography to the 
equivalent of 2 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. However, you may single space 
all text in the charts, tables, figures, graphs, titles, headings, 
footnotes, endnotes, quotations, bibliography and captions.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10-pitch (characters per inch).
     You may use a 10-point font in charts, tables, figures, 
graphs, footnotes, and endnotes. However, these items are included as 
part of the narrative and counted within the 10 page limit.
    The page limit only applies to the application narrative and 
bibliography. However, faculty applicants must include the complete 
response to the selection criteria in the application narrative.
    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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 27, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 19, 2004.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically through the e-GRANTS system or to request a 
waiver of the electronic submission requirement, please refer to 
Section IV.6. Procedures for Submitting Applications in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    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. Procedures for Submitting Applications:
    We are requiring that applications for grants under this program be 
submitted electronically, unless the applicant IHE

[[Page 51820]]

requests a waiver of this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research 
Abroad Fellowship Program--CFDA Number 84.019A must be submitted 
electronically using e-Application available through the Department's 
e-GRANTS system. The e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal 
page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
     The process for submitting applications electronically 
under the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship Program has 
several parts. The following is a brief summary of the process; 
however, all applicants should review and follow the detailed 
description of the application process that is contained in the 
application package. In summary, the major parts are as follows: (1) 
IHEs must e-mail the following information to [email protected]: name of 
university, full name and e-mail address of potential project director. 
We recommend that applicant IHEs submit this information as soon as 
possible to ensure that applicant IHEs obtain access to the e-
Application system well before the application deadline date. We 
suggest that applicant IHEs send this information no later than 
September 30, 2004, in order to facilitate timely submission of their 
applications; (2) Faculty complete their individual applications and 
submit them to their IHE's project director using e-Application; (3) 
Persons providing references for individual faculty complete and submit 
reference forms for the faculty and submit them to the IHE's project 
director using e-Application; and (4) The IHE's project director 
officially submits the IHE's application, which includes all eligible 
individual faculty applications, reference forms, and other required 
forms, using e-Application.
    Unless a waiver of the electronic submission requirement has been 
requested by the applicant, IHE in accordance with the procedures in 
this section all portions of the application must be submitted 
electronically.
    If the applicant IHE is unable to submit an application through the 
e-GRANTS system, the applicant IHE must submit a written request for a 
waiver of the electronic submission requirement. In its request, the 
applicant IHE should explain the reason or reasons that prevent it from 
using the Internet to submit its application. The applicant IHE should 
address its request to: Ms. Amy Wilson or Ms. Eliza Washington, 
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Please submit 
the request no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. The applicant IHE's paper application must be submitted in 
accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in 
this notice.
    If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, the 
applicant IHE is unable to submit an application electronically, it 
must submit a paper application in accordance with the mail or hand 
delivery instructions described in this notice. The paper application 
must include a written request for a waiver documenting the reasons 
that prevented the applicant IHE from using the Internet to submit its 
application.
    When using e-Application to complete their parts of the 
application, individual faculty members, persons providing references 
and the applicant IHE will be entering data online. Do not e-mail an 
electronic copy of any part of a grant application to us. The data that 
is entered online will be saved into a database.
    If the applicant IHE participates in e-Application, please note the 
following:
     The applicant IHE must submit its grant application 
electronically through the Internet using the software provided on the 
e-Grants Web site (http://e-grants.ed.gov) by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date. The regular hours of operation 
of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 
6 a.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please 
note that the system is unavailable on Sundays, and after 7 p.m. on 
Wednesdays for maintenance, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site. We strongly recommend 
that applicant IHEs do not wait until the application deadline date to 
initiate an e-Application package.
     An applicant IHE will not receive additional point value 
because it submits the application in electronic format, nor will we 
penalize the applicant IHE if it requests a waiver and submits the 
application in paper format because the applicant IHE was prevented 
from submitting the application electronically as required.
     The applicant IHE must submit all documents, 
electronically, including the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) and all necessary assurances and certifications.
     The e-Application must comply with any page limit 
requirements described in this notice.
     After the individual faculty applicant electronically 
submits his/her application to his/her IHE, the faculty member will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement. In addition, the applicant IHE's 
Project Director will receive a copy of this acknowledgement by email. 
After a person submits a reference electronically, he/she will receive 
an online confirmation. After the applicant IHE submits its 
application, including all eligible individual faculty applications, to 
the Department, the applicant IHE will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to the IHE's application).
     Within three working days after the applicant IHE submits 
its electronic application, it must fax a signed copy of the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) to the 
Application Control Center after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    2. The applicant IHE'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 ED 424. Fax the signed ED 424 to the 
Application Control Center at (202) 245-6272.
     We may request that the applicant IHE give us original 
signatures on other forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date 
Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If the applicant IHE is 
prevented from submitting its application on the application deadline 
date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant the 
applicant IHE an extension of one business day in order to transmit its 
application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant 
this extension if--
    1. The applicant IHE's Project Director is a registered user of e-
Application and has initiated an e-Application for this competition; 
and
    2. (a) The e-Application system 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) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting the applicant IHE an extension. To request this 
extension or to confirm our acknowledgement of any system 
unavailability, the applicant IHE may contact either (1) the person 
listed

[[Page 51821]]

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.
    Individual faculty, persons providing referrals and applicant IHEs 
may access the parts of the electronic grant application that they must 
complete at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If the applicant IHE has requested a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement, it may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or 
a commercial carrier) its paper application to the Department. The 
original and two copies of the application must be mailed on or before 
the application deadline date to the following address: U.S. Department 
of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.019A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.
    The applicant IHE 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; or
    4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the U.S. Secretary of 
Education.
    If the applicant IHE mails the application through the U.S. Postal 
Service, please note that we do not accept either of the following as 
proof of mailing:
    1. A private metered postmark, or
    2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If the applicant IHE's application is post marked after the 
application deadline date, we will notify the applicant IHE that we 
will not consider the application.


    Note: Applicants should note that the U.S. Postal Service does 
not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this 
method, applicants should check with their local post office.


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If the applicant IHE has requested a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement, it (or a courier service) may deliver the paper 
application to the Department by hand. The original and two copies of 
the applicant IHE's application must be hand-delivered on or before the 
application deadline date to the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.019A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts 
deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays. A person delivering an 
application must show identification to enter the building.


    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If the 
applicant IHE mails or hand delivers its application to the 
Department:
    1. It must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA number--and suffix 
letter, if any--of the competition under which it is submitting the 
application.
    2. The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application 
Receipt Acknowledgment to the applicant IHE. If the applicant IHE 
does not receive the notification of application receipt within 15 
days from the mailing of its application, the applicant IHE should 
call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
in 34 CFR 663.21.

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 also notify you informally.
    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 the project period, the grantee 
institution must submit a final performance report, including the final 
reports of all the grantee institution's fellows, and financial 
information, as directed by the Secretary. The applicant is required to 
use the electronic data instrument Evaluation of Exchange, Language, 
International and Area Studies (EELIAS) system to complete the final 
report.
    4. Performance Measures: The performance measure that has been 
developed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Fulbright-Hays 
Faculty Research Abroad Program is the improvement of language 
proficiency of fellows. All grantees will be expected to provide 
documentation of the improved language proficiency of the fellows 
through the EELIAS system.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Ms. Eliza Washington or Ms. Amy 
Wilson, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7633/7689 or by e-mail: [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 persons listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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: August 18, 2004.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 04-19276 Filed 8-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P