[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 169 (Friday, August 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50339-50343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17365]


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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) 2008

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

    Dates: Applications Available: August 31, 2007. Deadline for 
Transmittal of Applications: October 4, 2007. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: December 4, 2007.

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 are short-term and include seminars, curriculum development, 
or group research or study. This competition also will support advanced 
overseas intensive language projects, which give advanced language 
students the opportunity to study languages overseas.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these 
priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.31(g) 
and 664.32).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2008, 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 give competitive preference to 
applications that address the following priorities.
    Competitive Preference Priority I: For FY 2008 this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), and 
664.31(g) we award an additional five (5) points to an application that 
meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    Applications that propose short-term projects abroad and advanced 
overseas intensive language programs in the countries in which the 
following critical languages are spoken: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, 
Korean, Russian, as well as

[[Page 50340]]

the Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families.
    Competitive Preference Priority II: For FY 2008, this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), and 
664.31(g) we award an additional five (5) points to a short-term 
project abroad application, that meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    Short-term seminars that develop and improve foreign language and 
area studies at elementary and secondary schools.
    Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 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.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$12,610,000 for the Overseas programs for FY 2008, of which we intend 
to allocate $4,263,000 for the GPA competition. 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.

    Note: As part of its FY 2008 budget request, the Administration 
proposed to continue to allow funds under this program 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 of higher education 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 this authority 
is not provided.

    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$90,000 for short-term projects; 
$50,000-$375,000 for the advanced overseas intensive language projects.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $74,000 for short-term abroad 
projects and $104,000 for the advanced overseas intensive language 
projects.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any short-term abroad project 
application that proposes a budget exceeding $90,000 for a single 
budget period of 12 months. We will reject any advanced overseas 
intensive language application that proposes a budget exceeding 
$375,000 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: 45.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months for short-term abroad projects and 
up to 48 months for the advanced overseas intensive language projects.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of higher education (IHE), 
(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 require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet by downloading the package from 
the program Web site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsgpa/index.html. 
    You can also obtain a copy of the application package by contacting 
Dr. Lungching Chiao or Ms. Michelle Guilfoil, 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), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can 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 the section of the narrative that addresses 
the selection criteria to 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. 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 not be accepted.
    The page limit only applies to the application narrative and 
bibliography. 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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: August 31, 
2007. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 4, 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.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid

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in connection with the application process should contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to 
an individual with a disability in connection with the application 
process, the individual's application remains subject to all other 
requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: December 4, 2007.
    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 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 Fulbright-Hays, Groups Projects 
Abroad Program--CFDA Number 84.021A must be submitted electronically 
using the Governmentwide 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 the 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 can access the electronic grant application for the GPA 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 (e.g., search for 84.021, 
not 84.021A).
    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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date and 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 the 
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline 
date. When we retrieve the application from Grants.gov, we will notify 
you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     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 the 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: 
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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipts by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to its 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 experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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.,

[[Page 50342]]

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 
described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact either of the persons 
listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
in section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 can submit the 
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: Lungching Chiao, 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 
84.021A), 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: (CFDA Number 
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.
    (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 84.021A), 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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

    1. General: For FY 2008, short-term project applications will be 
reviewed by separate panels according to world area. Advanced overseas 
intensive language projects will be reviewed by one panel across world 
areas. A rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed for 
each of the two types of projects and will be used for funding 
purposes.
    2. 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) potential impact of the project 
on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area 
studies in American education (15 points), (g) relevance to the 
institution's educational goals and its relationship to its program 
development in modern foreign languages and area studies (5 points), 
(h) the extent to which direct experience abroad is necessary to 
achieve the project's objectives and the effectiveness with which 
relevant host country resources will be utilized (10 points), and (i) 
the extent to which the proposed project addresses the competitive 
preference priorities (10 points).

[[Page 50343]]

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 Notice 
(GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
    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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 International Resource Information System (IRIS) system to 
complete the final report. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the objective for the GPA program is to 
provide overseas training opportunities in area studies and foreign 
languages for faculty, teachers, and students in areas of the world 
where less commonly taught languages are spoken.
    The Department will use the following measures to evaluate the 
success of the program in meeting this objective.
    GPA Performance Measure:
    a. The difference between the average language competency of the 
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program recipients at the end of 
their period of instruction and their average competency at the 
beginning of the period.
    b. Percentage of GPA 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 International Resource Information System 
(IRIS) will be the source of data for this measure. Reporting screens 
for institutions can be viewed at: http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/GPA.pdf.

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 TDD, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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 28, 2007.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E7-17365 Filed 8-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P