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) 2009, 55055-55059 [E8-22421]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 24, 2008 / Notices
proposed information collection,
grouped by office, contains the
following: (1) Type of review requested,
e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or
reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of
the collection; (4) Description of the
need for, and proposed use of, the
information; (5) Respondents and
frequency of collection; and (6)
Reporting and/or Recordkeeping
burden. OMB invites public comment.
The Department of Education is
especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) Is
this collection necessary to the proper
functions of the Department; (2) will
this information be processed and used
in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate
of burden accurate; (4) how might the
Department enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (5) how might the
Department minimize the burden of this
collection on the respondents, including
through the use of information
technology.
Dated: September 19, 2008.
Angela C. Arrington,
IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of Management.
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Institute of Education Sciences
Type of Review: Revision.
Title: Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System (IPEDS), WebBased Collection System.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Not-for-profit
institutions (primary); Businesses or
other for-profit State, Local, or Tribal
Gov’t, SEAs or LEAs.
Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour
Burden:
Responses: 58,090.
Burden Hours: 173,802.
Abstract: The National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) is
requesting an amendment to its threeyear clearance for the Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS) to run for the 2008–09, 2009–
10, and 2010–2011 web-based data
collections. Current authorization for
IPEDS expires July 31, 2011 (OMB No.
1850–0582). The Higher Education
Opportunity Act (HEOA), which became
law on August 14, 2008, after OMB had
already granted IPEDS a three-year
clearance, has several implications for
the IPEDS annual Web-based data
collection. The law requires the
immediate implementation of several
new institutional reporting
requirements so that the data may be
made available on the College Navigator
Web site by August 2009. A change
memo was sent to OMB on August 19,
2008, that included a small number of
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non-substantive changes to the 2008–09
data collection based on the new
requirements; OMB provided clearance
for those changes in a notice on August
26, 2008. NCES now requests in this
document a limited number of
additional substantive changes to spring
cycle of the 2008–09 IPEDS Web-based
data collection, which opens on March
4, 2009, in order to implement HEOA
requirements. These changes are to: (1)
Make previously approved changes to
financial aid reporting required, rather
than optional, in spring 2009; (2) collect
additional financial aid data; (3) collect
data on students with disabilities; and
(4) collect additional graduation rate
data.
Requests for copies of the proposed
information collection request may be
accessed from https://edicsweb.ed.gov,
by selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending
Collections’’ link and by clicking on
link number 3823. When you access the
information collection, click on
‘‘Download Attachments’’ to view.
Written requests for information should
be addressed to U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed
to 202–401–0920. Please specify the
complete title of the information
collection when making your request.
Comments regarding burden and/or
the collection activity requirements
should be electronically mailed to
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
[FR Doc. E8–22480 Filed 9–23–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.022A.
DATES: Applications Available:
September 24, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: November 13, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The FulbrightHays Doctoral Dissertation Research
Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program
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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 2009, 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.
Within this absolute priority, we give
competitive preference to applications
that address the following priority.
Competitive Preference Priority: For
FY 2009, this priority is a competitive
preference priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR
662.21(d)(2)(iii), we award an additional
five (5) points to an application that
meets this priority.
This priority is:
A research project that focuses on any
of the seventy-eight (78) languages
deemed critical on the U.S. Department
of Education’s list of Less Commonly
Taught Languages (LCTLs) found below.
This list includes the following: Akan
(Twi-Fante), Albanian, Amharic, Arabic
(all dialects), Armenian, Azeri
(Azerbaijani), Balochi, Bamanakan
(Bamana, Bambara, Mandikan,
Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula), Belarusian,
Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all languages),
Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cebuano
(Visayan), Chechen, Chinese
(Cantonese), Chinese (Gan), Chinese
(Mandarin), Chinese (Min), Chinese
(Wu), Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Georgian,
Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew (Modern),
Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Japanese,
Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh,
Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz, Korean,
Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish (Sorani),
Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or
Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi,
Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi,
Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish,
Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua,
Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala
(Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog,
Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan,
Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian,
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Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek,
Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and
Zulu.
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 2009 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
$13,372,000 for International Education
and Foreign Language Studies Overseas
Programs, of which we propose to
allocate $4,731,000 for new awards for
this program for FY 2009. 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: 127.
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Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: The institutional
project period is 18 months beginning
July 1, 2009. Students may request
funding for a period of no less than six
months nor more than twelve months.
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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 by contacting Carla White,
International Education Programs
Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6000,
Washington, DC 20006–8521.
Telephone: (202) 502–7700 or by e-mail:
carla.white@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 no more than 10 pages and
the bibliography to no more than 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
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in any other font (including Times
Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
The page limits only apply to the
application narrative and bibliography.
The page limits do not apply to the
Application for Federal Assistance face
sheet (SF 424); the supplemental
information form required by the
Department of Education; and the
assurances and certification. 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
24, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: November 13, 2008.
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. 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 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.
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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: https://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 two weeks
prior to the closing date, 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
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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 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The eApplication system will not accept an
application for this program after
4:30:00 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 6:00 a.m.
Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday;
and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please
note that the system is unavailable on
Sundays after 8:00 p.m., and between
7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 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.
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• 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
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 e-mail. 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 hardcopy 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 eApplication 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.
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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 section 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 eApplication 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 eApplication 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 prevents 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: Amy Wilson, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street,
NW., room 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
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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.
(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.
(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
8:00:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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:
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(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
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
1. General: For FY 2009, 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 areabased 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.
2. 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
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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: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993, the objective for The
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:36 Sep 23, 2008
Jkt 214001
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation
Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship
Program is to provide grants to colleges
and universities to fund individual
doctoral students to conduct research in
other countries in modern foreign
languages and area studies for periods of
6 to 12 months.
The Department will use the
following DDRA measures to evaluate
its success in meeting this objective:
Performance Measure 1: The average
language competency score of FulbrightHays Doctoral Dissertation Research
Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship recipients at
the end of their period of research
minus their average score at the
beginning of the period.
Performance Measure 2: Percentage of
projects judged successful by program
officers, based on information provided
in annual performance reports.
Efficiency measure: Cost per fellow
increasing language competency by at
least one level in one (or all three) area.
The information provided by grantees
in their performance report submitted
via IRIS will be the source of data for
this measure. Reporting screens for
institutions and fellows may be viewed
at: https://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/
DDRA_fellow.pdf and https://www.iepsiris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_director.pdf.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Wilson, International Education
Programs Service, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room
6000, Washington, DC 20006–8521.
Telephone: (202) 502–7700 or by e-mail:
amy.wilson@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: https://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–
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
55059
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: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: September 19, 2008.
Cheryl A. Oldham,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. E8–22421 Filed 9–23–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Availability of the Bonneville
Purchasing Instructions (BPI) and
Bonneville Financial Assistance
Instructions (BFAI)
Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), DOE.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Copies of the Bonneville
Purchasing Instructions (BPI), which
contain the policy and establish the
procedures that BPA uses in the
solicitation, award, and administration
of its purchases of goods and services,
including construction, are available in
printed form for $30, or without charge
at the following Internet address:
https://www.bpa.gov/corporate/business/
bpi. Copies of the Bonneville Financial
Assistance Instructions (BFAI), which
contain the policy and establish the
procedures that BPA uses in the
solicitation, award, and administration
of financial assistance instruments
(principally grants and cooperative
agreements), are available in printed
form for $15 each, or available without
charge at the following Internet address:
https://www.bpa.gov/corporate/business/
bfai.
ADDRESSES: Unbound copies of the BPI
or BFAI may be obtained by sending a
check for the proper amount to the Head
of the Contracting Activity, Routing
DGP–7, Bonneville Power
Administration, P.O. Box 3621,
Portland, Oregon 97208–3621.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Manager, Communications, 1–800–622–
4519.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BPA was
established in 1937 as a Federal Power
Marketing Agency in the Pacific
Northwest. BPA operations are financed
from power revenues rather than annual
appropriations. BPA’s purchasing
E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55055-55059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22421]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.022A.
DATES: Applications Available: September 24, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 13, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation
Research Abroad (DDRA) 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 2009, 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.
Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to
applications that address the following priority.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2009, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34
CFR 662.21(d)(2)(iii), we award an additional five (5) points to an
application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
A research project that focuses on any of the seventy-eight (78)
languages deemed critical on the U.S. Department of Education's list of
Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) found below.
This list includes the following: Akan (Twi-Fante), Albanian,
Amharic, Arabic (all dialects), Armenian, Azeri (Azerbaijani), Balochi,
Bamanakan (Bamana, Bambara, Mandikan, Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula),
Belarusian, Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all languages), Bosnian,
Bulgarian, Burmese, Cebuano (Visayan), Chechen, Chinese (Cantonese),
Chinese (Gan), Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Min), Chinese (Wu),
Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew (Modern),
Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh,
Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz, Korean, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish
(Sorani), Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi,
Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish,
Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian,
Sinhala (Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu,
Thai, Tibetan, Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian,
[[Page 55056]]
Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu.
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 2009 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
$13,372,000 for International Education and Foreign Language Studies
Overseas Programs, of which we propose to allocate $4,731,000 for new
awards for this program for FY 2009. 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: 127.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: The institutional project period is 18 months
beginning July 1, 2009. 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 by contacting Carla White,
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202) 502-7700 or by e-mail: carla.white@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 no more than 10 pages and the bibliography to
no more than 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 limits only apply to the application narrative and
bibliography. The page limits do not apply to the Application for
Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information
form required by the Department of Education; and the assurances and
certification. 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 24, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 13, 2008.
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. 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 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.
[[Page 55057]]
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: https://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 two
weeks prior to the closing date, 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an
application for this program after 4:30:00 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 6:00 a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday
until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the
system is unavailable on Sundays after 8:00 p.m., and between 7:00 p.m.
on Wednesdays and 6:00 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 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 e-mail.
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.
[[Page 55058]]
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 section 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 prevents 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: Amy Wilson, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 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.
(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.
(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 8:00:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 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
1. General: For FY 2009, 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.
2. 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
[[Page 55059]]
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: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the objective for The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral
Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program is to provide
grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral
students to conduct research in other countries in modern foreign
languages and area studies for periods of 6 to 12 months.
The Department will use the following DDRA measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective:
Performance Measure 1: The average language competency score of
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship
recipients at the end of their period of research minus their average
score at the beginning of the period.
Performance Measure 2: Percentage of projects judged successful by
program officers, based on information provided in annual performance
reports.
Efficiency measure: Cost per fellow increasing language competency
by at least one level in one (or all three) area.
The information provided by grantees in their performance report
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for this measure.
Reporting screens for institutions and fellows may be viewed at: http:/
/www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_fellow.pdf and https://www.ieps-
iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_director.pdf.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Wilson, International Education
Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW.,
room 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7700 or by
e-mail: amy.wilson@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: https://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: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.
Dated: September 19, 2008.
Cheryl A. Oldham,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-22421 Filed 9-23-08; 8:45 am]
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