Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

Number: 84.021A

DATES:

Applications Available: September 23, 2004.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 2, 2004.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 3, 2005.

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 $4,312,450 for new awards for this program for FY 2005. 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-$80,000 for short-term seminars, curriculum development or group research or study; $50,000-$310,000 for advanced overseas intensive language projects.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $70,696.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for short-term seminars, curriculum development, or group research or study. We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $325,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for advanced overseas intensive language projects. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 61.

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 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. This competition will support advanced overseas intensive language projects.

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 2005 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 2005 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 studies at elementary and secondary schools.

Invitational Priority

For FY 2005 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, redistributed as fellowships to individual beneficiaries in accordance with 34 CFR 662.2 and 662.3. As part of its FY 2005 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 $4,312,450 for new awards for this program for FY 2005. 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-$350,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $70,696.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $350,000 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: 61.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 36 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, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or by e-mail: lungching.chiao@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 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.

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: September 23, 2004.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 2, 2004.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

We are requiring that applications for grants under this program 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 through the e-GRANTS system or to request a waiver of the electronic submission requirement, please refer to Section IV. 6. Procedures for Submitting Applications in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 3, 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. Procedures for Submitting Applications

We are requiring that applications for grants under this program be submitted electronically, unless the applicant requests a waiver of 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 e-Application available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov .

Unless a waiver of the electronic submission requirement has been requested by the applicant in accordance with the procedures in this section, all portions of the application must be submitted electronically.

If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS system, you must submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. You should address this request to: Dr. Lungching Chiao, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Please submit the request no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper application in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice. The paper application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your application.

When using e-Application to complete the application, you will be entering data online. Do not e-mail an electronic copy of any part of a grant application to us. The data that is entered online will be saved into a database.

If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:

• You must submit the grant application electronically through the Internet using the software provided on the e-Grants Web site ( http://e-grants.ed.gov ) by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 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 after 7 p.m. on Wednesdays for maintenance, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-Application package.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit the application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you request a waiver and submit the application in paper format because you were prevented from submitting the application electronically as required.
• You must submit all documents electronically, including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• Your e-Application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you submit your application to the Department, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your application).
• Within three working days after you submit your electronic application, you must fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education Assistance (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. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 245-6272.

• We may request that you give us original signatures on other forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If you are prevented from 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. The applicant's Project Director is a registered user of e-Application and has initiated an e-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 during the last hour of operation (that is, 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 acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you 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.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail

If you have requested a waiver of the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your paper application to the Department. The original and two copies of the application must be mailed on or before the application deadline date to the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.021A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

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 U.S. Secretary of Education.

If you mail the application through the U.S. Postal Service, please note that 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 post marked after the application deadline date, we will notify you that we will not consider the application.

Note:

Applicants should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, applicants should check with their local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery

If you have requested a waiver of the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver the paper application to the Department by hand. The original and two copies of your application must be hand-delivered on or before the application deadline date to 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 deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays. A person delivering an application must show identification to enter the building.

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 Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA number—and suffix letter, if any—of the competition under which you are submitting the application.

2. The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the notification of application receipt within 15 days from the mailing of your application, 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: The selection criteria for this program are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (25 points), (b) quality of key personnel (15 points), (c) budget and cost effectiveness (10 points), (d) evaluation plan (10 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. 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. The applicant is required to use the electronic data instrument

Evaluation of Exchange, Language, International, and Area Studies (EELIAS) system to complete the final report.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Lungching Chiao, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7624 or by e-mail: lungching.chiao@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 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: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html .