[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59054-59058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20366]


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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) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.019A

    Dates: Applications Available: October 11, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See the chart listed 
under section IV. Application and Submission Information, 3. Submission 
Dates and Times (chart).
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs). 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 
$1,395,000 for this program for FY 2006. 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: $60,000.
    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, 2006. 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 IHEs 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 2006 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. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 663.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants, redistributed as fellowships 
to individual beneficiaries.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$1,395,000 for this program for FY 2006. 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: $60,000.

[[Page 59055]]

    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, 2006. Faculty may request funding for 3-12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs. 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: Either an IHE or a 
faculty applicant may obtain an application package via Internet by 
downloading the package from the program Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsfra/applicant.html
    An IHE or a faculty applicant may also obtain a copy of the 
application package by contacting Amy Wilson, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW, room 6094, Washington, DC 20006-8521. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7689 or by e-mail: [email protected]
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms that 
must be submitted, are in the application package for this competition.
    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 
application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 10 pages and 
the accompanying bibliography to the equivalent of no more than two (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, faculty applicants may 
single space all text in 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).
     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.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman, Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limits only apply to the application narrative and 
bibliography. However, faculty applicants must include their complete 
responses to the selection criteria in the application narrative.
    We will reject a faculty applicant's application if--
     A faculty applicant applies these standards and exceed the 
page limits; or
     A faculty applicant applies other standards and exceed the 
equivalent of the page limits.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: October 11, 
2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: In light of the damage 
caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita we are establishing two separate 
deadlines for the submission of applications for grants under this 
competition to permit potential applicants affected by Hurricanes 
Katrina and/or Rita additional time to submit their applications. We 
are establishing a General Deadline for all applicants, and an Extended 
Deadline for potential applicants who have been affected by Hurricanes 
Katrina and/or Rita and are located in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, 
Mississippi, and Florida. Specifically, the Extended Deadline applies 
only to: (1) Institutions of higher education, SEAs, LEAs, non-profit 
organizations and other public or private organization applicants that 
are located in a federally-declared disaster area as determined by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (see http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema) and that were adversely affected by Hurricanes 
Katrina and/or Rita, and (2) individual applicants who reside or 
resided, on the disaster declaration date, in a federally-declared 
disaster area as determined by FEMA (see http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema) and were adversely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/
or Rita. These applicants must provide a certification in their 
application that they meet the criteria for submitting an application 
on the Extended Deadline, and be prepared to provide appropriate 
supporting documentation, if requested. If the applicant is submitting 
the application electronically, submission of the application serves as 
the applicant's attestation that they meet the criteria for submitting 
an application on the Extended Deadline.
    The following chart provides the applicable deadlines for the 
submission of applications. If this program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372, the relevant deadline for intergovernmental review is also 
indicated in the chart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Transmittal of   Intergovernmental
                                       applications          review
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Deadline..................           11/10/05                N/A
Extended Deadline.................            12/1/05                N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 the IHE's 
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if an IHE 
qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, 
please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements 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.

[[Page 59056]]

    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically unless an IHE qualifies 
for an exception to 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, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
    We will reject an application if it is submitted in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, an IHE qualifies for 
one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and 
submits, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, 
a written statement to the Department that the IHE qualifies for one of 
these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date 
that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided 
later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission 
Requirement.
    While completing the electronic application, both the IHE and 
faculty applicant will be entering data online that will be saved into 
a database. Neither the IHE nor faculty applicant may e-mail an 
electronic copy of the grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     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, 2005, in order to facilitate timely submission of their 
applications; (2) Faculty must complete their individual applications 
and submit them to their IHE's project director using e-Application; 
(3) Persons providing references for individual faculty must 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 must officially submit the IHE's application, which must 
include all eligible individual faculty applications, reference forms, 
and other required forms, using e-Application. Unless an IHE applicant 
qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement in 
accordance with the procedures in this section, all portions of the 
application must be submitted electronically.
     The IHE must complete the electronic submission of the 
grant application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that both 
the IHE and faculty applicant not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process.
     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 between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     Faculty applicants will not receive additional point value 
because he/she submits his/her application in electronic format, nor 
will we penalize an IHE if it qualifies for an exception to the 
electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this 
section, and the IHE or faculty applicants submits their applications 
in paper format.
     IHEs must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications. Both IHEs and faculty 
applicants must attach any narrative sections of the application as 
files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable 
Document) format. If an IHE or faculty applicant uploads a file type 
other than the three file types specified above, or submit a password 
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Both the IHE's and faculty applicant's 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 the individual faculty applicant electronically 
submits his/her application to his/her IHE, the faculty member will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment. In addition, the application IHE's 
Project Director will receive a copy of this acknowledgment by e-mail. 
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 
acknowledgment, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to the IHE's application).
     Within three working days after submitting the IHE's 
electronic application, the IHE must fax a signed copy of the 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.
    (4) Fax the signed ED 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 System 
Unavailability: If an IHE is prevented from electronically submitting 
the application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant the IHE an extension 
of one business day in order to transmit the application 
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this 
extension if--
    (1) The IHE is a registered user of e-Application and the IHE has 
initiated an electronic 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 
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 IHE an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our

[[Page 59057]]

acknowledgment of any system unavailability, an IHE 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 the system is down 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 the 
Department's e-Application system.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: An IHE may qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may 
submit its application in paper format, if the IHE is unable to submit 
an application through the e-Application system because--
     The IHE or a faculty applicant does not have access to the 
Internet; or
     The IHE or a faculty applicant does not have the capacity 
to upload large documents to the Department's e-Application system; 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), the IHE mails or faxes a written 
statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an 
exception prevent the IHE from using the Internet to submit its 
application. If an IHE mails its written statement to the Department, 
it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application 
deadline date. If an IHE faxes its 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 this statement to: Amy Wilson, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW, room 6094, Washington, DC 
20006-8526. FAX: (202) 502-7859.
    The IHE's 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 an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, the IHE may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) its application to the Department. The IHE must 
mail the original and two copies of the application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.019A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.019A), 
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address the IHE uses, the 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 Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If the IHE mails its application through the U.S. Postal Service, 
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 IHE's application is postmarked after the application 
deadline date, we will not consider its application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, the IHE should check with 
its local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If the IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, the IHE (or a courier service) may deliver its paper 
application to the Department by hand. The IHE must deliver the 
original and two copies of the 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 84.019A), 550 12th Street, SW, Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and 
Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If an IHE 
mails or hand delivers its application to the Department:
    (1) The IHE must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided 
by the Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and 
suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which the IHE is 
submitting its application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to the IHE. If the IHE does not receive the 
grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 days from the 
application deadline date, the IHE should call the U.S. Department 
of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this 
competition are from 34 CFR 663.21. The maximum score for all of the 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criteria is 
indicated in parenthesis. (a) Quality of proposed project (60 points): 
In determining the quality of the research project proposed by the 
applicant, the Secretary considers (1) The statement of the major 
hypotheses to be tested or questions to be examined, and the 
description and justification of the research methods to be used (10 
points); (2) The relationship of the research to the literature on the 
topic and to major theoretical issues in the field, and the project's 
importance in terms of the concerns of the discipline (10 points); (3) 
The preliminary research already completed or plans for research prior 
to going overseas, and the kinds, quality and availability of data for 
the research in the host country or countries (10 points); (4) The 
justification for overseas field research, and preparations to 
establish appropriate and sufficient research contacts and affiliations 
abroad (10 points); (5) The applicant's plans to share the results of 
the research in progress with scholars and officials of the host 
country or countries and the American scholarly community (10 points); 
and (6) The objectives of the project regarding the sponsoring 
institution's plans for developing or strengthening, or both, curricula 
in modern foreign language and area studies (10 points).
    (b) Qualifications of the applicant (40 points): In determining the 
qualifications of the applicant, the Secretary considers (1) The 
overall strength of the applicant's academic record (teaching, 
research, contributions, professional association activities) (10 
points); (2) The applicant's excellence as a teacher or researcher, or 
both, in his or her area or areas of specialization (10 points); (3) 
The applicant's proficiency in one or more of the languages (other than 
English and the applicant's native language) of the country or 
countries of research, and the specific measures to be taken to 
overcome any anticipated language barriers (15 points); and (4) The 
applicant's ability to conduct

[[Page 59058]]

research in a foreign cultural context, as evidenced by the applicant's 
previous overseas experience, or documentation provided by the 
sponsoring institution, or both (5 points).

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If a faculty application is successful, we notify 
the IHE's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send the IHE a 
Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify the IHE informally.
    If a faculty application is not evaluated or not selected for 
funding, we notify the IHE.
    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 the IHE's approved application as part of its binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of the project period, the IHE 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 IHE and faculty fellows are required to use the 
electronic reporting system, the Evaluation of Exchange, Language, 
International and Area Studies (EELIAS) to complete the final report.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the following measure will be used by the 
Department in assessing the performance of the Fulbright-Hays Faculty 
Research Abroad Program:
    The average language competency score of Fulbright-Hays Training 
Grants--Faculty Research Abroad fellows at the end of the research 
period (post-test) minus the average competency score at the beginning 
of the research period (pre-test). 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: Amy Wilson, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW, room 6094, Washington, DC 20006-8526. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7689 or e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: October 5, 2005.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-20366 Filed 10-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U