Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information: Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad (FRA) Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, 62969-62973 [E8-25184]
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Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9543.
Dated: October 17, 2008.
Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. E8–25185 Filed 10–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information: Fulbright-Hays
Faculty Research Abroad (FRA)
Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.019A.
DATES: Applications Available: October
22, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: December 3, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The FulbrightHays Faculty Research Abroad
Fellowship Program offers opportunities
to faculty of Institutions of Higher
Education (IHEs) to engage in research
abroad in modern foreign languages and
area studies.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from the
regulations for this program (34 CFR
663.21(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 663.21(d),
we award an additional five (5) points
to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Projects that focus on any of the
seventy-eight (78) languages deemed
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critical on the U.S. Department of
Education’s list of Less Commonly
Taught Languages (LCTLs).
The LCTL list includes the following
languages: 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,
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 663.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants
redistributed as fellowships to
individual beneficiaries.
Estimated Available Funds: The
Administration has requested
$13,372,000 for the International
Education and Foreign Language
Studies Overseas programs for FY 2009,
of which we propose to allocate
$1,395,000 for new awards for this
program. 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: $25,000–$115,000.
Estimated Average Size of Fellowship
Awards: $70,000.
Estimated Number of Fellowship
Awards: 23.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
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Project Period: The institutional
project period is 18 months beginning
July 1, 2009. Faculty may request
funding for a period of no less than
three months and no more than twelve
months.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs. As part of
the application process, faculty submit
individual applications to the IHE. The
IHE then officially submits all eligible
individual faculty 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 faculty
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 email: 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 faculty applicant addresses
the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate the application. The faculty
applicant must limit the application
narrative to no more than 10 pages and
the bibliography to no more than 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, faculty
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). However, faculty
applicants may use a 10 point font in
charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes,
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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.
The page limit does 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,
faculty applicants must include their
complete responses to the selection
criteria in the application narrative.
We will reject a faculty applicant’s
application if the faculty applicant
exceeds the page limits.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 22,
2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: December 3, 2008.
Applications for grants under this
program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application)
available through the Department’s eGrants 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
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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 Faculty Research Abroad
Fellowship Program, CFDA Number
84.019A, must be submitted
electronically using e-Application
available through the Department’s eGrants system, accessible through the eGrants 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 submit, 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
faculty applicant will be entering data
online that will be saved into a
database. Neither the IHE nor the faculty
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 Faculty 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
carla.white@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 2 weeks prior
to the application deadline date, in
order to facilitate timely submission of
their applications; (2) Faculty must
complete their individual applications
and submit them to their IHE’s project
director using e-Application; (3) Persons
providing references for individual
faculty must complete and submit
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reference forms for the faculty to the
IHE’s project director using eApplication; and (4) The IHE’s project
director must officially submit the IHE’s
application, which must include all
eligible individual faculty applications,
reference forms, and other required
forms, using e-Application. Unless an
IHE applicant qualifies for an exception
to the electronic submission
requirement in accordance with the
procedures in this section, all portions
of the application must be submitted
electronically.
• 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 faculty 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
between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 6:00
a.m. on Mondays, 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.
• Faculty applicants will not receive
additional point value because the
faculty applicant submits his or her
application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize the IHE or faculty
applicant if the IHE or the faculty
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
electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF
424), the Supplement to the SF 424, and
all necessary assurances and
certifications. Both IHEs and faculty
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 faculty 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.
• Both the IHE’s and the faculty
applicant’s electronic application must
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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 faculty
applicant electronically submits his or
her application to the IHE, the faculty
member 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 faculty 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.
We must acknowledge and confirm
these periods of unavailability before
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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 (Section VII.
Agency Contact) or (2) the e-Grants help
desk at 1–888–336–8930. If the eApplication system is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system
and, therefore, the application deadline
is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an eApplication. 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 faculty applicant does
not have access to the Internet; or
• The IHE or a faculty 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 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., 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
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Department at the applicable following
address: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.019A), LBJ Basement
Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202–4260.
You must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the
date of mailing stamped by the U.S.
Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or
receipt from a commercial carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing
acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
If 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.
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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 84.019A) 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 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;
and
(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
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Application Control Center at (202) 245–
6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. General: Faculty 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 faculty 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 663.21 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
or plans for 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 with scholars and officials of
the host country or countries and the
American scholarly community (10
points); and (6) The objectives of the
project regarding the sponsoring
institution’s plans for developing or
strengthening, or both, curricula in
modern foreign languages and area
studies (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 academic
record (teaching, research,
contributions, professional association
activities) (10 points); (2) The
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applicant’s excellence as a teacher or
researcher, or both, in his or her area or
areas of specialization (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 previous
overseas experience, or documentation
provided by the sponsoring institution,
or both (5 points).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If a faculty
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 faculty 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
International Resource Information
System (IRIS) to complete the final
report.
4. Performance Measures: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993, the objective of the
Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad
(FRA) Fellowship Program is to provide
grants to institutions of higher
education to fund faculty to maintain
and improve their area studies and
language skills by conducting research
abroad for periods of 3-to-12 months.
The Department will use the
following FRA measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective.
Performance Measure 1: The average
language competency score of FulbrightHays Faculty Research Abroad program
recipients at the end of their period of
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / Notices
research minus their average language
competency 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/
FRA_ fellow.pdf, https://www.iepsiris.org/iris/pdfs/FRA_director.pdf.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carla White, International Education
Programs Service, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room
6000, Washington, DC 20006–8521.
Telephone: (202) 502–7631 or by e-mail:
carla.white@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, tollfree, 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 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.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
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: October 17, 2008.
Cheryl A. Oldham,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. E8–25184 Filed 10–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:50 Oct 21, 2008
Jkt 217001
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Senior Executive Service; Performance
Review Board Chair
U.S. Department of Energy.
SES Performance Review Board
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Chair.
SUMMARY: This notice provides as the
designation of Sarah J. Bonilla as the
Performance Review Board Chair for the
Department of Energy. This listing
supersedes all previously published
lists of the PRB Chair.
DATES: This appointment is effective as
of September 22, 2008.
Sarah J. Bonilla,
Director, Office of Human Capital
Management.
[FR Doc. E8–25157 Filed 10–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request
Energy Information
Administration (EIA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The EIA has submitted the
Biodiesel Surveys package to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and a three-year extension under
section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13)
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
DATES: Comments must be filed by
November 21, 2008. If you anticipate
that you will be submitting comments
but find it difficult to do so within that
period, you should contact the OMB
Desk Officer for DOE listed below as
soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to OMB
Desk Officer for DOE, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget. To
ensure receipt of the comments by the
due date, submission by FAX at 202–
395–7285 or e-mail to
Nathan_J._Frey@omb.eop.gov is
recommended. The mailing address is
726 Jackson Place, NW., Washington,
DC 20503. The OMB DOE Desk Officer
may be telephoned at (202) 395–7345.
(A copy of your comments should also
be provided to EIA’s Statistics and
Methods Group at the address below.)
PO 00000
Frm 00025
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Sfmt 4703
62973
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information
should be directed to Grace Sutherland.
To ensure receipt of the comments by
the due date, submission by FAX (202–
586–5271) or e-mail
(grace.sutherland@eia.doe.gov) is also
recommended. The mailing address is
Statistics and Methods Group (EI–70),
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of
Energy, Washington, DC 20585–0670.
Ms. Sutherland may be contacted by
telephone at (202) 586–6264.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
section contains the following
information about the energy
information collection submitted to
OMB for review: (1) The collection
numbers and title; (2) the sponsor (i.e.,
the Department of Energy component);
(3) the current OMB docket number (if
applicable); (4) the type of request (i.e.,
new, revision, extension, or
reinstatement); (5) response obligation
(i.e., mandatory, voluntary, or required
to obtain or retain benefits); (6) a
description of the need for and
proposed use of the information; (7) a
categorical description of the likely
respondents; and (8) an estimate of the
total annual reporting burden (i.e., the
estimated number of likely respondents
times the proposed frequency of
response per year times the average
hours per response).
1. Forms EIA–22M, ‘‘Monthly Survey
of Biodiesel Production,’’ and EIA–22S,
‘‘Supplement to the Monthly Survey of
Biodiesel Production.’’
2. Energy Information Administration.
3. OMB Number 1905–NEW.
4. Three-year approval.
5. Mandatory.
6. The purpose of the survey is to
collect information from biodiesel
producers regarding the following: Plant
location, capacity, and operating status;
Biodiesel and co-product production;
Inputs to production; Sales for end-use
and resale; Sales revenue; and Biodiesel
stocks.
7. Business or other for-profit.
8. 5,550 hours.
Please refer to the supporting
statement as well as the proposed forms
and instructions for more information
about the purpose, who must report,
when to report, where to submit, the
elements to be reported, detailed
instructions, provisions for
confidentiality, and uses (including
possible nonstatistical uses) of the
information. For instructions on
obtaining materials, see the ‘‘FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT’’ section.
Statutory Authority: Section 3507(h)(1) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62969-62973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25184]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information:
Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad (FRA) Fellowship Program; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.019A.
DATES: Applications Available: October 22, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 3, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad
Fellowship Program offers opportunities to faculty of Institutions of
Higher Education (IHEs) to engage in research abroad in modern foreign
languages and area studies.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this
priority is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 663.21(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 663.21(d), we award an additional five (5) points to an application
that meets this priority.
This priority is:
Projects that focus 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).
The LCTL list includes the following languages: 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,
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 663.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants redistributed as fellowships to
individual beneficiaries.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$13,372,000 for the International Education and Foreign Language
Studies Overseas programs for FY 2009, of which we propose to allocate
$1,395,000 for new awards for this program. 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: $25,000-$115,000.
Estimated Average Size of Fellowship Awards: $70,000.
Estimated Number of Fellowship Awards: 23.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
[[Page 62970]]
Project Period: The institutional project period is 18 months
beginning July 1, 2009. Faculty may request funding for a period of no
less than three months and no more than twelve months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs. As part of the application process,
faculty submit individual applications to the IHE. The IHE then
officially submits all eligible individual faculty 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 faculty
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 faculty
applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate the application. The faculty applicant must limit the
application narrative to no more than 10 pages and the bibliography to
no more than 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, faculty 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). However, faculty
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. The page limit does 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, faculty applicants must include their complete
responses to the selection criteria in the application narrative.
We will reject a faculty applicant's application if the faculty
applicant exceeds the page limits.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 22, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 3, 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.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research
Abroad Fellowship Program, CFDA Number 84.019A, 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
submit, 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
faculty applicant will be entering data online that will be saved into
a database. Neither the IHE nor the faculty 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 Faculty 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 carla.white@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 2 weeks
prior to the application deadline date, in order to facilitate timely
submission of their applications; (2) Faculty must complete their
individual applications and submit them to their IHE's project director
using e-Application; (3) Persons providing references for individual
faculty must complete and submit
[[Page 62971]]
reference forms for the faculty 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
faculty applications, reference forms, and other required forms, using
e-Application. Unless an IHE applicant qualifies for an exception to
the electronic submission requirement in accordance with the procedures
in this section, all portions of the application must be submitted
electronically.
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 faculty 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 between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 6:00 a.m. on
Mondays, 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.
Faculty applicants will not receive additional point value
because the faculty applicant submits his or her application in
electronic format, nor will we penalize the IHE or faculty applicant if
the IHE or the faculty 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 electronically, including
the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Supplement to the
SF 424, and all necessary assurances and certifications. Both IHEs and
faculty 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 faculty 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.
Both the IHE's and the faculty 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 faculty applicant electronically
submits his or her application to the IHE, the faculty member 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 faculty 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 (Section VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the e-Application system is
unavailable due to technical problems with the system 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 faculty applicant does not have access to the
Internet; or
The IHE or a faculty 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., 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
[[Page 62972]]
Department at the applicable following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.019A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If 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 84.019A) 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 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; and
(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: Faculty 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 faculty 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 663.21 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 or plans for 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 with scholars and officials of the host country or
countries and the American scholarly community (10 points); and (6) The
objectives of the project regarding the sponsoring institution's plans
for developing or strengthening, or both, curricula in modern foreign
languages and area studies (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 academic record (teaching,
research, contributions, professional association activities) (10
points); (2) The applicant's excellence as a teacher or researcher, or
both, in his or her area or areas of specialization (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 previous overseas experience, or
documentation provided by the sponsoring institution, or both (5
points).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If a faculty 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 faculty 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
International Resource Information System (IRIS) to complete the final
report.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the objective of the Fulbright-Hays Faculty
Research Abroad (FRA) Fellowship Program is to provide grants to
institutions of higher education to fund faculty to maintain and
improve their area studies and language skills by conducting research
abroad for periods of 3-to-12 months.
The Department will use the following FRA measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective.
Performance Measure 1: The average language competency score of
Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad program recipients at the end of
their period of
[[Page 62973]]
research minus their average language competency 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/FRA_ fellow.pdf, https://www.ieps-
iris.org/iris/pdfs/FRA_director.pdf.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carla White, International Education
Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Room 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7631 or by
e-mail: carla.white@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 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: October 17, 2008.
Cheryl A. Oldham,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-25184 Filed 10-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
