[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21184-21185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07419]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation 
Research Abroad Fellowship Program; Amendment of Selection Criteria and 
Extension of Application Deadline Date

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice; amendments.

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SUMMARY: On February 10, 2023, the Department of Education (Department) 
published in the Federal Register a notice inviting applications (NIA) 
for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation 
Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program, Assistance Listing Number 
84.022A. We are amending selection criterion (b)(3) and the selection 
criteria point allocations in the NIA and extending the deadline date 
for transmittal of applications until April 28, 2023. All other 
information in the NIA remains the same.

DATES: 
    Applicable Date: These amendments are applicable on April 10, 2023.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 28, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Marrion, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 258-24, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 453-5628. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 10, 2023, we published the NIA 
for the 2023 DDRA competition in the Federal Register (88 FR 8832). 
This NIA established selection criteria for the

[[Page 21185]]

2023 competition in accordance with 34 CFR 662.21. Consistent with 34 
CFR 662.21(c)(3), among these was selection criterion (b)(3), 
Qualifications of the applicant. Under selection criterion (b)(3), the 
Secretary would consider ``[t]he 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'' 
for a total of 1 point.
    On March 24, 2023, the Western District Court of Texas in the 
matter of Lujan v. Cardona, No. 3:22-CV-00158-DCG, ECF No. 37, granted 
in part a preliminary injunction, which ``vacates 34 CFR 662.21(c)(3) 
as to all 2023 Fulbright-Hays Fellowship applicants until the Court 
reaches a merits decision in this case or the U.S. Department of 
Education publishes a final rule amending 34 CFR 662.21(c)(3).'' 
Subsequently, on April 3, 2023, the Court amended its order to clarify 
``that its injunction applies only insofar as the Foreign Language 
Criterion prohibited considering an applicant's native language 
skills'' Lujan, ECF No. 40. As a result, the Department is amending the 
selection criteria for the 2023 DDRA competition, such that selection 
criterion (b)(3) allows native speakers to receive points for 
conducting research projects in any language in which they have 
proficiency, other than English. Additionally, the Department is 
increasing the number of points associated with selection criterion 
(b)(3) from 1 point to 10 points, and the number of points allocated to 
selection criterion (b) from 26 points to 35 points.
    In order to give all applicants the opportunity to apply under the 
amended NIA, the Department also extends the deadline date for 
transmittal of applications until April 28, 2023. All other information 
in the NIA remains the same.

Amendments

    In FR Doc. 2023-02827 appearing on pages 8832-8837 of the Federal 
Register of February 10, 2023, we make the following amendments:
    1. On page 8832, under DATES in the left column, after the heading 
``Deadline for Transmittal of Applications,'' remove ``April 11, 2023'' 
and add, in its place, ``April 28, 2023''.
    2. On page 8835, in the right column, in paragraph (b) introductory 
language, after the heading ``Qualifications of the Applicant,'' remove 
``26 points'' and add, in its place, ``35 points''.
    3. On page 8835, in the right column, in paragraph (b)(3):
    A. Remove ``and the applicant's native language''.
    B. Remove ``1 point'' and add, in its place, ``10 points''.
    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Nasser H. Paydar,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2023-07419 Filed 4-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P