[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59058-59062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20367]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; 
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021A

    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). Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See 
chart.
    Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2) 
State departments of education, (3) private nonprofit educational 
organizations, and (4) consortia of these entities.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$2,505,408 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 Awards: $50,000-$90,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $69,595.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 36.

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


    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) 
Program supports overseas projects in training, research, and 
curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for 
groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor. 
Projects may include short-term seminars, curriculum development, or 
group research or study.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these 
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.32)
    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:
    Specific geographic regions of the world: A group project funded 
under this priority must focus on one or more of the following 
geographic regions of the world: Africa, East Asia, South Asia, 
Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and 
South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and 
Eurasia, and the Near East.
    Within this absolute priority, we are establishing the following 
competitive preference and invitational priorities.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), 
664.30(b), and 664.31(g) we award up to an additional five (5) points 
to an application, depending on how well the application meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Short-term seminars that develop and improve foreign language and 
area

[[Page 59059]]

studies at elementary and secondary schools.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an invitational 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(1) we do not give an application that 
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications.
    This priority is:
    Group Study projects that provide opportunities for nationally 
recruited undergraduate students to study in a foreign country for 
either a semester or a full academic year.


    Program Authority:  22 U.S.C. 2452.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 
34 CFR part 664.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants. As part of its FY 2006 budget 
request, the Administration proposed to continue to allow funds to be 
used to support the participation of individuals who plan to apply 
their language skills and knowledge of countries vital to the United 
States national security in fields outside teaching, including 
government, the professions, or international development. Therefore, 
institutions may propose projects for visits and study in foreign 
countries by individuals in these fields, in addition to those planning 
a teaching career. However, authority to use funds for participants 
outside of the field of teaching depends on final Congressional action. 
Applicants will be given an opportunity to amend their applications if 
such authority is not provided.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$2,505,408 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 Awards: $50,000-$90,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $69,595.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 36.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education, (2) 
State departments of education, (3) private nonprofit educational 
organizations, and (4) consortia of these entities.
    2. Cost sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Dr. Lungching Chiao or 
Ms. Michelle Guilfoil, International Education Programs Service, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or (202) 502-7625 or by e-mail: 
[email protected] or [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 you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program. Page 
Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address 
the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. 
You must limit Part III 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.
     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 limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances 
and certifications; the one-page abstract; or the appendices. However, 
you must include your 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: 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

[[Page 59060]]

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             1/9/06
Extended deadline.................            12/1/05             2/1/06
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 13, 2005.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 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 Group Projects 
Abroad--CFDA Number 84.021A 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 your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify 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 your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your 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 you do 
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.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications. You must attach any narrative sections 
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or 
.PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than 
the three file types specified above or submit a password protected 
file, we will not review that material.
     Your 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 you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, 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'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 you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, 
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
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 you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this

[[Page 59061]]

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: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the e-Application system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do 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), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your 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 your statement to: Dr. Lungching Chiao or 
Mrs. Michelle Guilfoil, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 
NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7859.
    Your 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 you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your 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: 84.021A, 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: 84.021A, 7100 Old 
Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you 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 you mail your 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 your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


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


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your 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: 
84.021A, 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 you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:

    (1) You 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 you are submitting your 
application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20 
points), (b) quality of key personnel (10 points), (c) budget and cost 
effectiveness (10 points), (d) evaluation plan (20 points), (e) 
adequacy of resources (5 points), (f) impact (15 points), (g) relevance 
to institutional development (5 points), (h) need for overseas 
experiences (10 points), and (i) the extent to which the proposed 
project addresses the competitive preference priority (5 points).

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 your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. Grantees are required to use the electronic data 
instrument Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and Area 
Studies (EELIAS) system to complete the final report.

VII. Agency Contacts

For Further Information Contact:  Dr. Lungching Chiao or Ms. Michelle 
Guilfoil, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or (202) 502-7625 or by e-mail: 
[email protected] or [email protected]
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call

[[Page 59062]]

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. 05-20367 Filed 10-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U