Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, 50942-50945 [E7-17526]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50942-50945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17526]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; 
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship 
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2008

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.022A.

    Dates: 
    Applications Available: September 5, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 5, 2007.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation 
Research Abroad Fellowship Program provides opportunities to doctoral 
candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in 
modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is designed to 
contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern 
foreign languages and area studies in the United States.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this 
priority is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 662.21(d)).
    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:
    A research project that focuses on one or more of the following 
geographic areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific 
Islands, South Asia, the Near East, East Central Europe and Eurasia, 
and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the United States and its 
territories). Please note that applications that propose projects 
focused on Western Europe are not eligible.
    Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we 
give competitive preference to applications that address the following 
priority.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR 662.21(d) we award an 
additional five (5) points to an application that meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    A research project that utilizes one or more of the following 
critical languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, as well 
as Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families.

    Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6).

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 662.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to Institutions of 
Higher Education (IHEs) only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants redistributed as fellowships to 
individual beneficiaries. As part of its FY 2008 budget request, the 
Administration proposed to continue to allow funds to be used to 
support the applications of individuals who plan both to utilize their 
language skills in world areas vital to the United States national 
security and to apply their language skills and knowledge of these 
countries in the fields of government, international development, and 
various professions. Therefore, students planning to apply their 
language skills in such fields are eligible to apply for this program, 
in addition to those planning teaching careers. However, authority to 
use funds in this manner 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 
$4,400,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2008. 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 Fellowship Awards: $15,000-$60,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Fellowship Awards: $37,000.
    Estimated Number of Fellowship Awards: 118.

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

    Project Period: The institutional project period is 18 months 
beginning July 1, 2008. Students may request funding for a period of no 
less than six months nor more than twelve months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs. As part of the application process, 
students submit individual applications to the IHE. The IHE then 
officially submits all eligible individual student applications with 
its grant application to the Department.
    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: Both IHEs and student 
applicants can obtain an application package via the Internet. To 
obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: http://
www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap/.
    IHEs and student applicants may also obtain a copy of the 
application package by contacting Carla White, International Education 
Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7700 or by 
e-mail: ddra@ed.gov.
    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 the student 
applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate the application. The student applicant must limit the 
application narrative to 10 pages and the bibliography to two (2) 
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. However, student applicants may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, titles, 
headings, footnotes, endnotes, quotations, bibliography, and captions.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Student applicants may use a 10 point font in charts, 
tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes. However, these items 
are considered part of the narrative and counted within the 10 page 
limit.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit only applies to the application narrative and 
bibliography.

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However, student applicants must include their complete responses to 
the selection criteria in the application narrative.
    We will reject a student applicant's application if the student 
applicant exceeds the page limits.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: September 5, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 5, 2007.
    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. Please 
note that the application availability date for this competition is 
September 5, 2007. The application will not be available on the e-
Application system until September 5, 2007. For information (including 
dates and times) about how to submit an IHE's application 
electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if an IHE 
qualifies 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 in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
in 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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We specify allowable costs in 34 CFR part 
662. We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the 
Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically, unless an IHE qualifies 
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 Doctoral 
Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program, CFDA Number 84.022A, 
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 an application if an IHE submits it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, the IHE qualifies for 
one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and 
submits, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, 
a written statement to the Department that the IHE qualifies 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 the electronic application, both the IHE and the 
student applicant will be entering data online that will be saved into 
a database. Neither the IHE nor the student applicant may e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     The process for submitting applications electronically 
under the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad 
Fellowship Program has several parts. The following is a brief summary 
of the process; however, all applicants should review and follow the 
detailed description of the application process that is contained in 
the application package. In summary, the major parts are as follows: 
(1) IHEs must e-mail the following information to ddra@ed.gov: Name of 
university, and full name and e-mail address of potential project 
director. We recommend that applicant IHEs submit this information as 
soon as possible to ensure that applicant IHEs obtain access to the e-
Application system well before the application deadline date. We 
suggest that applicant IHEs send this information no later than August 
29, 2007, in order to facilitate timely submission of their 
applications; (2) Students must complete their individual applications 
and submit them to their IHE's project director using e-Application; 
(3) Persons providing references for individual students must complete 
and submit reference forms for the students and submit them to the 
IHE's project director using e-Application; and 4) The IHE's project 
director must officially submit the IHE's application, which must 
include all eligible individual student applications, reference forms, 
and other required forms, using e-Application. Student transcripts, 
however, must be mailed or hand delivered to the Department on or 
before the application deadline date using the applicable mail or hand 
delivery instructions for paper applications in this notice.
     The IHE must complete the electronic submission of the 
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 both 
the IHE and the student applicant 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.
     Student applicants will not receive additional point value 
because the student submits his or her application in electronic 
format, nor will we penalize the IHE or student applicant if the 
applicant qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submits an 
application in paper format.
     IHEs must submit all documents, except for student 
transcripts, electronically, including the Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424), the Supplement to the SF 424, and all necessary 
assurances and certifications. Both IHEs and student applicants must 
attach any narrative sections of the application as files in a .DOC 
(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If an 
IHE or a student applicant uploads a file type other than the three 
file types specified above or submits a password protected file, we 
will not review that material.
     Student transcripts must be mailed or hand delivered to 
the Department on or before the application deadline date in accordance 
with the applicable mail or hand delivery instructions for paper 
applications described in this notice.
     Both the IHE's and the student applicant's 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 the individual student applicant electronically 
submits his or

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her application to the student's IHE, the student will receive an 
automatic acknowledgment. In addition, the applicant IHE's Project 
Director will receive a copy of this acknowledgment by email. After a 
person submits a reference electronically, he or she will receive an 
online confirmation. After the applicant IHE submits its application, 
including all eligible individual student applications, to the 
Department, the applicant IHE will receive an automatic acknowledgment, 
which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to 
the IHE's application).
     Within three working days after submitting the IHE's 
electronic application, the IHE must fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to 
the Application Control Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant IHE'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 SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272
    We may request that you provide us original signatures on the SF 
424 and other forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date 
Extension in Case of e-Application System Unavailability: If an IHE is 
prevented from electronically submitting its application on the 
application deadline date because the e-Application system is 
unavailable, we will grant the IHE an extension of one business day to 
enable the IHE to transmit its application electronically, by mail, or 
by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) The IHE is a registered user of e-Application and the IHE has 
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 the IHE an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, an IHE 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. 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: An IHE qualifies 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may 
submit its application in paper format, if the IHE is unable to submit 
an application through the e-Application system because--
     The IHE or a student applicant does not have access to the 
Internet; or
     the IHE or a student applicant does 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), the IHE mails or faxes a written 
statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an 
exception prevent the IHE from using the Internet to submit its 
application. If an IHE mails a written statement to the Department, it 
must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application 
deadline date. If an IHE faxes its 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 this statement to: Carla White, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K. Street, NW., Suite 6000, Washington, 
DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7860.
    The IHE's 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 an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, the IHE may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) its application to the Department. The IHE must 
mail the original and two copies of the 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 
84.022A), 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 
84.022A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address the IHE uses, the IHE 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 the IHE mails its 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 the IHE's application is postmarked after the application 
deadline date, we will not consider its application.

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

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
    If an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, the IHE (or a courier service) may deliver its paper 
application to the Department by hand. The IHE must deliver the 
original and two copies of the 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 84.022A), 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 an IHE 
mails or hand delivers its application to the Department:
    (1) The IHE must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided 
by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, and 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which the IHE is 
submitting its application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt

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acknowledgment to the IHE. If the IHE does not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, the IHE should call the U.S. Department 
of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Student applications are divided into seven categories based on the 
world area focus of their research projects, as described in the 
absolute priority listed in this notice. Language and area studies 
experts in seven discrete world area-based panels will review the 
student applications. Each panel reviews, scores and ranks its 
applications separately from the applications assigned to the other 
world area panels. However, all fellowship applications will be ranked 
together from the highest to lowest score for funding purposes.
    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 662.21 and are listed in the following paragraphs. The 
maximum score for all of the criteria, including the competitive 
preference priority, is 105 points. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    Quality of proposed project (60 points): In determining the quality 
of the research project proposed by the applicant, the Secretary 
considers: (1) The statement of the major hypotheses to be tested or 
questions to be examined, and the description and justification of the 
research methods to be used (10 points); (2) the relationship of the 
research to the literature on the topic and to major theoretical issues 
in the field, and the project's originality and importance in terms of 
the concerns of the discipline (10 points); (3) the preliminary 
research already completed in the United States and overseas or plans 
for such research prior to going overseas, and the kinds, quality and 
availability of data for the research in the host country or countries 
(10 points); (4) the justification for overseas field research and 
preparations to establish appropriate and sufficient research contacts 
and affiliations abroad (10 points); (5) the applicant's plans to share 
the results of the research in progress and a copy of the dissertation 
with scholars and officials of the host country or countries (10 
points); and (6) the guidance and supervision of the dissertation 
advisor or committee at all stages of the project, including guidance 
in developing the project, understanding research conditions abroad, 
and acquainting the applicant with research in the field (10 points).
    Qualifications of the applicant (40 points): In determining the 
qualifications of the applicant, the Secretary considers (1) the 
overall strength of the applicant's graduate academic record (10 
points); (2) the extent to which the applicant's academic record 
demonstrates strength in area studies relevant to the proposed project 
(10 points); (3) the 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 (15 points); and 
(4) the applicant's ability to conduct research in a foreign cultural 
context, as evidenced by the applicant's references or previous 
overseas experience, or both (5 points).

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If a student application is successful, we notify 
the IHE's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send the IHE a 
Grant Award Notice (GAN). We may notify the IHE informally, also.
    If a student application is not evaluated or not selected for 
funding, we notify the IHE.
    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 its approved application as part of its binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of the project period, the IHE must submit 
a final performance report, including the final reports of all of the 
IHE's fellows, and financial information, as directed by the Secretary. 
The IHE and fellows are required to use the electronic reporting system 
International Resource Information System (IRIS) to complete the final 
report.
    4. Performance Measures: The objective of the Fulbright-Hays 
Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program is to maintain 
a U.S. higher education system able to produce experts in less commonly 
taught languages and area studies who are capable of contributing to 
the needs of the U.S. government, academic, and business institutions.
    The following performance measure has been developed to evaluate 
the overall effectiveness of the DDRA program--the improvement of 
language proficiency of fellows. All grantees will be expected to 
provide documentation of the improved language proficiency of the 
fellows through the IRIS system. Reporting screens for institutions and 
fellows may be viewed at: http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_
fellow.pdf. http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_director.pdf.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carla White, International Education 
Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7700 or by 
e-mail: ddra@ed.gov.
    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/.


    Dated: August 30, 2007.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E7-17526 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P