[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3123-3127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1019]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information: 
International Research and Studies Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.017A.

    Dates: Applications Available: January 24, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 12, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies, organizations, 
institutions, and individuals.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$5,822,000 for the International Research and Studies Program for FY 
2007, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,553,000 for new awards. 
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-$200,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $129,420.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.

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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    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.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these 
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 660.10, 
660.34).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2007 these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award up to an additional five points to an application, depending on 
the extent to which the application meets this priority.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Instructional Materials Applications

    This priority is:
    The development and publication of instructional materials that 
serve to enhance international understanding for use by students and 
teachers of the following critical language areas: Arabic, Chinese, 
Japanese, Korean, Russian, as well as Indic, Iranian, and Turkic 
language families.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Research, Surveys and Studies 
Applications

    This priority is:
    Research, surveys, proficiency assessments, or studies that foster 
linkages between K-12 and postsecondary language training.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1125.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR parts 655 and 660.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

[[Page 3124]]

    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$5,822,000 for the International Research and Studies Program for FY 
2007, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,553,000 for new awards. 
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-$200,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $129,420.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.


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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies, organizations, 
institutions, and individuals.
    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: Mr. Ed McDermott, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., suite 600, Washington, DC 
20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7636 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 you 
must submit, are in the application package and instructions 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 the section of the narrative 
that addresses the selection criteria to the equivalent of no more than 
30 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. Page numbers and an 
identifier may be outside of the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, 
tables, and graphs may be single spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and 
graphs in the application narrative count toward the page limit.
     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 and Arial Narrow) will be rejected.
     The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application 
for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental 
information form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the 
budget information summary form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the 
assurances and certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a 
table of contents. If you include any attachments or appendices not 
specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the 
Program Narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit 
requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection 
criteria in the program 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: January 24, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 12, 2007. 
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). 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.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of 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 the 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 International Research and 
Studies Program--CFDA Number 84.017A must be submitted electronically 
using the Grants.gov Apply site at: http://www.grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
International Research and Studies Program at: http://www.grants.gov. 
You must search for the downloadable application package for this 
program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha 
suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are

[[Page 3125]]

rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov at: http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps 
include (1) registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as 
an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting 
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are 
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also 
must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this 
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five 
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all 
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application 
via Grants.gov.
    For individuals who plan to submit a grant application, you must 
follow the registration steps for individuals (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp).
     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 all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 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.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically 
submitting your application on the application deadline date because of 
technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an 
extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business 
day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by 
hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the 
mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you 
submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
deadline date, please contact either of the persons listed elsewhere in 
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an 
explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, 
along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We 
will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem 
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after 
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov 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 Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov 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: Ed McDermott, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7860.
    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: (CFDA Number 84.017A), 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 
84.017A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.


[[Page 3126]]


    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: 
(CFDA Number 84.017A), 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 11 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (SF 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 655.31, 660.31, 660.32, and 660.33 and are as follows--
    For instructional materials--
    Need for the project. (10 points); Potential for the use of 
materials in programs to others (5 points); Account of related 
materials (10 points); Likelihood of achieving results (10 points); 
Expected contribution to other programs (10 points); Plan of operation 
(10 points); Quality of key personnel (10 points); Budget and cost 
effectiveness (5 points); Evaluation plan (15 points); Adequacy of 
resources (5 points); Description of final format (5 points); and 
Provisions for pre-testing and revision (5 points).
    For research, surveys and studies--
    Need for the project (10 points); Usefulness of expected results 
(10 points); Development of new knowledge (10 points); Formulation of 
problems and knowledge of related research (10 points); Specificity of 
statement of procedures (5 points; Adequacy of methodology and scope of 
project (10 points); Plan of operation (10 points); Quality of key 
personnel (10 points); Budget and cost effectiveness (5 points); 
Evaluation plan (15 points); and Adequacy of resources (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. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data 
instrument Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and Area 
Studies (EELIAS) to complete the final report. Electronically formatted 
instructional materials such as CDs, DVDs, videos, computer diskettes 
and books produced by the grantee as part of the grant approved 
activities are also acceptable as final reports.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the objective for the IRS program is to 
support the development of materials and conduct of research in less 
commonly taught languages and area studies to inform international 
education.
    The Department will use the following measures to evaluate its 
success in meeting this objective.
    IRS Performance Measure 1: Number of outreach activities that are 
adopted or further disseminated within a year, divided by the total 
number of IRS projects conducted in the current year.
    IRS Performance Measure 2: Percent of projects judged to be 
successful by the program officer, based on a review of information 
provided in annual performance reports.
    The information provided by grantees in their performance reports 
submitted via the electronic Evaluation of Exchange, Language, 
International, and Area Studies system will be the source of data for 
these measures.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Ed McDermott, International 
Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street, NW., suite 6082, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 
502-7636 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 this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to one of 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.

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    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: January 18, 2007.
James F. Manning,
Delegated the Authority of Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. E7-1019 Filed 1-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P