Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Business and International Education Program, 2349-2353 [2011-653]
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(formerly titled Survey of Placement
Tests and Cut-Scores in Higher
Education Institutions).
Use: The congressionally authorized
National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) reports to the public on
the achievement of students at grades 4,
8, and 12 in core subjects. The National
Assessment Governing Board oversees
and sets policy for NAEP. NAEP and the
Governing Board are authorized under
the National Assessment of Educational
Progress Authorization Act (Pub. L.
107–279).
Among the Board’s responsibilities is
‘‘to improve the form, content, use, and
reporting of [NAEP results].’’ Toward
this end, the Governing Board plans to
enable NAEP at the 12th grade to report
on the academic preparedness of 12th
grade students in reading and
mathematics for entry level college
credit coursework.
The Governing Board has planned a
program of research studies to support
the validity of statements about 12th
grade student preparedness that would
be made in NAEP reports, beginning
with the 2009 assessments in 12th grade
reading and mathematics. Among the
studies planned is a survey of 2-year
and 4-year institutions of higher
education about the tests and test scores
used to place students into entry level
college credit coursework leading to a
degree and into non-credit remedial or
developmental programs in reading
and/or mathematics. The data resulting
from this survey will be used to help
develop valid statements that can be
made about the preparedness of 12th
grade students in NAEP reports.
Frequency: One operational study:
one time only; Affected Public: State,
Local or Tribal Governments (2-year and
4-year public higher education
institutions); Private Sector For-Profit
and Not-For-Profit Institutions (2-year
and 4-year private higher education
institutions);
Number of Respondents: 1,700; Total
Annual Responses: 1,700; Total Annual
Hours: 975.
To obtain copies of the proposed
survey and/or supporting statement for
the proposed paperwork collection
referenced above, e-mail your request,
including your address and phone
number, to Ray.Fields@ed.gov or call
202–357–0395.
To be assured consideration,
comments and recommendations for the
proposed information collection must
be received by the OMB desk officer at
the address below, no later than 5 p.m.
on February 14, 2011: OMB, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Education Desk Officer, New
Executive Office Building, Room 10235,
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Washington, DC 20503, Fax Number:
(202) 395–6974.
Dated: January 10, 2011.
Ray Fields,
Authorized Agency Paperwork Contact,
National Assessment Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 2011–613 Filed 1–12–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information; Business and
International Education Program
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.153A.
DATES:
Applications Available: January 13,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 2, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 2, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Business
and International Education (BIE)
Program provides grants to enhance
international business education
programs and to expand the capacity of
the business community to engage in
international economic activities.
Priorities: Under this competition we
are particularly interested in
applications that address the following
priorities.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2011,
these priorities are invitational
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1),
we do not give an application that meets
these invitational priorities a
competitive or absolute preference over
other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority I
Applications from Minority Serving
Institutions (MSIs) and community
colleges (including those that are
eligible to receive assistance under part
A or B of Title III or under Title V of
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended).
Invitational Priority II
Applications that promote sustainable
economic growth through export
education and support high quality
postsecondary programs of study that
prepare students for success in the
context of a global economy.
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Invitational Priority III
Applications that focus on language
instruction in any of the following
seventy-eight (78) languages selected
from the U.S. Department of Education’s
list of Less Commonly Taught
Languages (LCTLs):
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: 20 U.S.C. 1130–1130b.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The
regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and 661.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to institutions of higher education
only.
Areas of National Need
In accordance with section 601(c) of
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1121(c), the
Secretary has consulted with and
received recommendations regarding
the national need for expertise in
foreign languages and world regions
from the head officials of a wide range
of Federal agencies. These
recommendations have been taken into
account in developing the request for
applications for funding during this
grant cycle. A list of foreign languages
and world regions identified as areas of
national need may be found on the
following Web sites: https://www.ed.gov/
about/offices/list/ope/policy.html,
https://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsbie/
legislation.html.
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Also included on these Web sites are
the specific recommendations the
Secretary received from Federal
agencies.
Program Assurances: Each
application must include an assurance
that, where applicable, the activities
funded by this grant will reflect diverse
perspectives and a wide range of views
on world regions and international
affairs. (20 U.S.C. 1130a(c)).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The
Administration has requested
$108,360,000 for the Title VI
International Education and Foreign
Language Studies Programs (also
referred to as the International Domestic
Programs) for FY 2011, of which we
intend to allocate $2,619,500 for new
awards under the Business and
International Education 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 Awards: $50,000–
$95,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$84,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $95,000 for a single budget
period of 12 months. The Assistant
Secretary for Postsecondary Education
may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the
Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 31.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of
higher education that have entered into
agreements with business enterprises,
trade organizations, or associations that
are engaged in international economic
activity—or a combination or
consortium of these enterprises,
organizations, or associations—for the
purposes of pursuing the activities
authorized under this program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The
matching requirement is described in
section 613(d) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1130a(d)). The HEA provides that the
applicant’s share of the total cost of
carrying out a program supported by a
grant under the Business and
International Education Program must
be no less than 50 percent of the total
cost of the project in each fiscal year.
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The non-Federal share of the cost may
be provided either in-kind or in cash.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Susanna Easton, International
Education Programs Service, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street,
NW., room 6093, Washington, DC
20006–8521. FAX: (202) 502–7860.
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 accessible format (e.g., braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the program
contact person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
program.
Page Limit: The application narrative
is where you, the applicant, address the
selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. You must
limit the application narrative [Part III]
to no more than 40 pages, using the
following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides. Page numbers and an
identifier may be outside of the 1″
margin.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, except titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, captions, and all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs. These
items may be single-spaced. Charts,
tables, figures, and graphs in the
application narrative count toward the
page limit.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger, or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch). However, you may
use a 10 point font in charts, tables,
figures, and graphs.
• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial. An application submitted
in any other font (including Times
Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part
I, the Application for Federal Assistance
face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental
information form required by the
Department of Education; Part II, the
budget information summary form (ED
Form 524); and Part IV, the assurances
and certifications. The page limit also
does not apply to a table of contents.
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However, the page limit does apply to
all of the application narrative section
[Part III]. If you include any attachments
or appendices not specifically
requested, these items will be counted
as part of the application narrative [Part
III] for purposes of the page limit
requirement. You must include your
complete response to the selection
criteria in the application narrative.
We will reject your application if you
exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 13,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 2, 2011.
Applications for grants under this
program must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery if you qualify for
an exception to the electronic
submission requirement, please refer to
section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of 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 of 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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 2, 2011.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System
Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor
Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must—
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN);
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b. Register both your DUNS number
and TIN with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government’s
primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration
with current information while your
application is under review by the
Department and, if you are awarded a
grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from
Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency,
institution, or organization, you can
obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue
Service. If you are an individual, you
can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security
Administration. If you need a new TIN,
please allow 2–5 weeks for your TIN to
become active.
The CCR registration process may take
five or more business days to complete.
If you are currently registered with the
CCR, you may not need to make any
changes. However, please make certain
that the TIN associated with your DUNS
number is correct. Also note that you
will need to update your CCR
registration on an annual basis. This
may take three or more business days to
complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your
application via Grants.gov, you must (1)
be designated by your organization as an
Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these
steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3Step Registration Guide (see https://
www.grants.gov/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
7. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under this
program must be submitted
electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in
accordance with the instructions in this
section.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
Applications for grants under the BIE
Program, CFDA number 84.153A, must
be submitted electronically using the
Government-wide Grants.gov Apply site
at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,
you will be able to download a copy of
the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit
your application. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to
us.
We will reject your application if you
submit it in paper format unless, as
described elsewhere in this section, you
qualify for one of the exceptions to the
electronic submission requirement and
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submit, no later than two weeks before
the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you
qualify 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.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the BIE Program at
https://www.Grants.gov. You must search
for the downloadable application
package for this program by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA
number’s alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.153, not 84.153A).
Please note the following:
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov
are date and time stamped. Your
application must be fully uploaded and
submitted and must be date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system no
later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this
section, we will not accept your
application if it is received—that is, date
and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
DC time, on the application deadline
date. We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements. When we retrieve your
application from Grants.gov, we will
notify you if we are rejecting your
application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to
upload an application will vary
depending on a variety of factors,
including the size of the application and
the speed of your Internet connection.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the submission
process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this program to
ensure that you submit your application
in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education
Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov under News and Events on
the Department’s G5 system home page
at https://www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional
point value because you submit your
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application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize you if you qualify for
an exception to the electronic
submission requirement, as described
elsewhere in this section, and submit
your application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents
electronically, including all information
you typically provide on the following
forms: The Application for Federal
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for
SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must attach any narrative
sections of your application as files in
a .PDF (Portable Document) format only.
If you upload a file type other than a
.PDF or submit a password-protected
file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must
comply with any page-limit
requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive from
Grants.gov an automatic notification of
receipt that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number. (This notification
indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not
receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send a
second notification to you by e-mail.
This second notification indicates that
the Department has received your
application and has assigned your
application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified identifying number unique to
your application).
• We may request that you provide us
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of Technical Issues with the
Grants.gov System: If you are
experiencing problems submitting your
application through Grants.gov, please
contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,
toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must
obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from
electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline
date because of technical problems with
the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, the following
business day to enable you to transmit
your application electronically or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your
application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this
notice.
If you submit an application after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date, please
contact the person listed under FOR
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in
section VII of this notice and provide an
explanation of the technical problem
you experienced with Grants.gov, along
with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number. We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the
Grants.gov system and that that problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your
application will be accepted.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
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Note: The extensions to which we refer in
this section apply only to the unavailability
of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
system. We will not grant you an extension
if you failed to fully register to submit your
application to Grants.gov before the
application deadline date and time or if the
technical problem you experienced is
unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission
Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission
requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are
unable to submit an application through
the Grants.gov system because—
• You do not have access to the
Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to
upload large documents to the
Grants.gov 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), you mail or fax a written
statement to the Department, explaining
which of the two grounds for an
exception prevent you from using the
Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to
the Department, it must be postmarked
no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. If you fax
your 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 your
statement to: Susanna Easton,
International Education Programs
Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6093,
Washington, DC 20006–8521. FAX:
(202) 502–7860.
Your 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 you qualify for an exception
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to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial
carrier) your application to the
Department. You must mail the original
and two copies of your application, 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 84.153A), 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.
(4) Any other proof of mailing
acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
If you mail your 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 your application is postmarked after
the application deadline date, we will
not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before
relying on this method, you should check
with your local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications
by Hand Delivery. If you qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service)
may deliver your paper application to
the Department by hand. You must
deliver the original and two copies of
your 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 84.153A), 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,
and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper
Applications: If you mail or hand deliver
your application to the Department—
(1) You must indicate on the envelope
and—if not provided by the Department—in
Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,
including suffix letter, if any, of the
competition under which you are submitting
your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will
mail to you a notification of receipt of your
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grant application. If you do not receive this
notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call
the U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center at (202) 245–
6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this program are in 34 CFR
661.31 and are as follows: (a) Need for
the project (25 points); (b) plan of
operation (20 points); (c) qualifications
of the key personnel (10 points); (d)
budget and cost effectiveness (15
points); (e) evaluation plan (25 points);
and (f) adequacy of resources (5 points).
2. General: For FY 2011, applications
are randomly divided into groupings.
International business and outreach
experts, organized into panels of three,
will review each application. Each
panel reviews, scores, and ranks its
applications separately from the
applications assigned to the other
panels. However, ultimately, all
applications, without being divided into
groups, will be ranked from the highest
to the lowest score for funding
purposes.
3. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department of
Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
108.8, and 110.23).
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR
74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may
impose special conditions on a grant if
the applicant or grantee is not
financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a
financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 34
CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has
not fulfilled the conditions of a prior
grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
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send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN). We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a multi-year award, you must
submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are
required to use the electronic data
instrument International Resource
Information System (IRIS), to complete
the final report. Electronically formatted
instructional materials such as CDs,
DVDs, videos, computer diskettes and
books produced by the grantee as part
of the grant approved activities are also
acceptable as final reports. The
Secretary may also require more
frequent performance reports under 34
CFR 75.720(c). For specific
requirements on reporting, please go to
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The
purpose of the BIE Program is to provide
funds to institutions of higher education
that enter into agreements with trade
associations or businesses for one or
both of the following purposes: to
improve the academic teaching of the
business curriculum at institutions of
higher education and to conduct
outreach activities that expand the
capacity of the business community to
engage in international economic
activities.
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The Department will use the
following BIE measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective:
Performance Measure 1: The number
of outreach activities that are adopted or
disseminated within a year, divided by
the total number of BIE outreach
activities conducted in the current
reporting period.
Performance Measure 2: Percentage of
BIE projects judged to be successful by
the program officer, based on a review
of information provided in annual
performance reports.
Efficiency Measure: Cost per highquality, successfully completed project.
The Department will use information
provided by grantees in their
performance reports submitted via IRIS
as the source of data for these measures.
Reporting screens for institutions can be
viewed at: https://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/
pdfs/BIE.pdf.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Secretary may
consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the
extent to which a grantee has made
‘‘substantial progress toward meeting the
objectives in its approved application.’’
This consideration includes the review
of a grantee’s progress in meeting the
targets and projected outcomes in its
approved application, and whether the
grantee has expended funds in a manner
that is consistent with its approved
application and budget. In making a
continuation grant, the Secretary also
considers whether the grantee is
operating in compliance with the
assurances in its approved application,
including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance
from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susanna Easton, International Education
Programs Service, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room
6093, Washington, DC 20006–8521 or by
e-mail: susanna.easton@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll
free, at 1–800–877–8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document
and a copy of the application package in
an accessible 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 of
this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document:
You can view this document, as well as
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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.
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: January 10, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2011–653 Filed 1–12–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information; International
Research and Studies (IRS) Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Numbers: 84.017A–1 and 84.017A–3.
Dates: Applications Available:
January 13, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 1, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The IRS Program
provides grants to eligible applicants to
conduct research and studies to improve
and strengthen instruction in modern
foreign languages, area studies, and
other international fields.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), these priorities are from
the regulations for this program (34 CFR
660.10 and 660.34).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2011, these priorities are competitive
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional
five points to an application that meets
one or more of these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
Instructional Materials Applications.
The development of specialized
instructional or assessment materials
focused on any of the following seventyeight (78) languages selected from the
U.S. Department of Education’s list of
Less Commonly Taught Languages
(LCTLs):
Akan (Twi-Fante), Albanian,
Amharic, Arabic (all dialects),
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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2349-2353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-653]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Business
and International Education Program
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2011.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.153A.
DATES:
Applications Available: January 13, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 2, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 2, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Business and International Education (BIE)
Program provides grants to enhance international business education
programs and to expand the capacity of the business community to engage
in international economic activities.
Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested
in applications that address the following priorities.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2011, these priorities are
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority I
Applications from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and
community colleges (including those that are eligible to receive
assistance under part A or B of Title III or under Title V of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended).
Invitational Priority II
Applications that promote sustainable economic growth through
export education and support high quality postsecondary programs of
study that prepare students for success in the context of a global
economy.
Invitational Priority III
Applications that focus on language instruction in any of the
following seventy-eight (78) languages selected from the U.S.
Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages
(LCTLs):
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: 20 U.S.C. 1130-1130b.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR parts
655 and 661.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Areas of National Need
In accordance with section 601(c) of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1121(c), the Secretary has consulted
with and received recommendations regarding the national need for
expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head
officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. These recommendations
have been taken into account in developing the request for applications
for funding during this grant cycle. A list of foreign languages and
world regions identified as areas of national need may be found on the
following Web sites: https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/policy.html, https://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsbie/legislation.html.
[[Page 2350]]
Also included on these Web sites are the specific recommendations
the Secretary received from Federal agencies.
Program Assurances: Each application must include an assurance
that, where applicable, the activities funded by this grant will
reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views on world regions
and international affairs. (20 U.S.C. 1130a(c)).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$108,360,000 for the Title VI International Education and Foreign
Language Studies Programs (also referred to as the International
Domestic Programs) for FY 2011, of which we intend to allocate
$2,619,500 for new awards under the Business and International
Education 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 Awards: $50,000-$95,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $84,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $95,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 31.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education that have
entered into agreements with business enterprises, trade organizations,
or associations that are engaged in international economic activity--or
a combination or consortium of these enterprises, organizations, or
associations--for the purposes of pursuing the activities authorized
under this program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The matching requirement is described
in section 613(d) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1130a(d)). The HEA provides
that the applicant's share of the total cost of carrying out a program
supported by a grant under the Business and International Education
Program must be no less than 50 percent of the total cost of the
project in each fiscal year. The non-Federal share of the cost may be
provided either in-kind or in cash.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Susanna Easton,
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6093, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202)
502-7860.
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 accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed
in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit the application narrative [Part III] to no
more than 40 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an
identifier may be outside of the 1'' margin.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, captions, and all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs. These items may be single-spaced. Charts,
tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward
the page limit.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10
point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for
Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information
form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the budget
information summary form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the assurances and
certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a table of
contents. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application
narrative section [Part III]. If you include any attachments or
appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as
part of the application narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page
limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the
selection criteria in the application narrative.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 13, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 2, 2011.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of 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
of 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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 2, 2011.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
[[Page 2351]]
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the BIE Program, CFDA number 84.153A,
must be submitted electronically using the Government-wide Grants.gov
Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to
download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and
then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify 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 you qualify 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.
You may access the electronic grant application for the BIE Program
at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.153,
not 84.153A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home
page at https://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must attach any narrative sections of your application
as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a
file type other than a .PDF or submit a password-protected file, we
will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR
[[Page 2352]]
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide
an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you
after a determination is made on whether your application will be
accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov 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), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your 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 your statement to: Susanna Easton,
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., room 6093, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202)
502-7860.
Your 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 you qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail
(through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your
application to the Department. You must mail the original and two
copies of your application, 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
84.153A), 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.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your 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 your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you
qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you
(or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the
Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of
your 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
84.153A), 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
in 34 CFR 661.31 and are as follows: (a) Need for the project (25
points); (b) plan of operation (20 points); (c) qualifications of the
key personnel (10 points); (d) budget and cost effectiveness (15
points); (e) evaluation plan (25 points); and (f) adequacy of resources
(5 points).
2. General: For FY 2011, applications are randomly divided into
groupings. International business and outreach experts, organized into
panels of three, will review each application. Each panel reviews,
scores, and ranks its applications separately from the applications
assigned to the other panels. However, ultimately, all applications,
without being divided into groups, will be ranked from the highest to
the lowest score for funding purposes.
3. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, and compliance with grant conditions. The
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and
[[Page 2353]]
send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may notify you
informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data instrument
International Resource Information System (IRIS), to complete the final
report. Electronically formatted instructional materials such as CDs,
DVDs, videos, computer diskettes and books produced by the grantee as
part of the grant approved activities are also acceptable as final
reports. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The purpose of the BIE Program is to
provide funds to institutions of higher education that enter into
agreements with trade associations or businesses for one or both of the
following purposes: to improve the academic teaching of the business
curriculum at institutions of higher education and to conduct outreach
activities that expand the capacity of the business community to engage
in international economic activities.
The Department will use the following BIE measures to evaluate its
success in meeting this objective:
Performance Measure 1: The number of outreach activities that are
adopted or disseminated within a year, divided by the total number of
BIE outreach activities conducted in the current reporting period.
Performance Measure 2: Percentage of BIE projects judged to be
successful by the program officer, based on a review of information
provided in annual performance reports.
Efficiency Measure: Cost per high-quality, successfully completed
project.
The Department will use information provided by grantees in their
performance reports submitted via IRIS as the source of data for these
measures. Reporting screens for institutions can be viewed at: https://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/BIE.pdf.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susanna Easton, International
Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., room 6093, Washington, DC 20006-8521 or by e-mail:
susanna.easton@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible 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 of 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.
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: January 10, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-653 Filed 1-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P