Office of Postsecondary Education, Overview Information, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011., 6769-6774 [2011-2775]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices 2003; however, it continued to extend program appropriations for each additional year in each subsequent annual appropriation law. Section 211(b)(1) of AEFLA requires that states have an approved State plan on file in order to receive their allotments of federal adult education funds. The Department is taking a targeted approach to ensure States not duplicate their efforts in submitting information. Office of Vocational and Adult Education’s State Plan Guide for AEFLA emphasizes that the information requested is simply updating current original plans to reflect performance targets and any proposed new uses for program funds in upcoming years. Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from https://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and by clicking on link number 4499. When you access the information collection, click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202–401–0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 8339. DC 20503, be faxed to (202) 395–5806 or e-mailed to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov with a cc: to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The OMB is particularly interested in comments which: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. [FR Doc. 2011–2699 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am] Federal Student Aid BILLING CODE 4000–01–P Type of Review: Extension. Title of Collection: Lender’s Application for Payment of Insurance Claim, ED Form 1207. OMB Control Number: 1845–0042. Agency Form Number(s): ED Form 1207. Frequency of Responses: On Occasion. Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 12. Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 3. Abstract: Department of Education (ED) Form 1207, Lender’s Application for Payment of Insurance Claim, is completed for each borrower for whom the lender is filing a Federal claim. Lenders must file for payment within 90 days of the default, depending on the type of claim filed. ED uses the information on the ED Form 1207 to match disbursement data already on file for claim payment validation. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Submission for OMB Review Department of Education. Comment Request. AGENCY: ACTION: The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13). DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before March 10, 2011. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, New Executive Office Building, Washington, srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 Dated: February 2, 2011. Darrin A. King, Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management. PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6769 Requests for copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from the RegInfo.gov Web site at https://www.reginfo.gov/ public/do/PRAMain or from the Department’s Web site at https:// edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and by clicking on link number 4418. When you access the information collection, click on ‘‘Download Attachments ’’ to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202– 401–0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 8339. [FR Doc. 2011–2701 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education, Overview Information, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A. DATES: Applications Available: February 8, 2011. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 2011. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 31, 2011. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) program provides grants to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages. Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 658.35 and 658.11). Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES 6770 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. These priorities are: Competitive Preference Priority 1: Applications from institutions of higher education or consortia of these institutions that require entering students to have successfully completed at least two years of secondary school foreign language instruction or that require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language) or in the case of a 2-year degree granting institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language. Competitive Preference Priority 2: Applications that propose projects that conduct pre-service and in-service training for K–12 teachers in foreign languages and international studies. Under this competition, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following invitational priorities. Invitational Priorities: 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 1: Applications that propose programs or activities primarily focused on language instruction or applications that propose the development of area or international studies programs to include language instruction in any of the seventy-eight (78) priority languages listed below that were 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, VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 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. Invitational Priority 2: 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 (HEA)). Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124. Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and 658. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only. Areas of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the 20 U.S.C. 1121(c)(1), the Secretary has consulted with and received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into account and a list of foreign languages and world regions identified by the Secretary 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/iegpsugisf/legislation.html. Also included on these Web sites are the specific recommendations the Secretary received from Federal agencies. 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 $2,409,660 for new awards under the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) 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 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Estimated Range of Awards: Single IHE: $50,000–$100,000. Consortia of IHEs/Organizations/Associations: $80,000–$160,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: Single IHE: $92,000. Consortia of IHEs/ Organizations/Associations: $130,000. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for an applicant that is a single IHE, and $160,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for an applicant that is a consortium of IHEs/ organizations/associations. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 28. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Single IHE: Up to 24 months. Consortium of IHEs/Organizations/ Associations: Up to 36 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs; (2) Consortia of IHEs; (3) Partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and (4) Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has a matching requirement under section 604(a)(3) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(3), and the regulations for this program in 34 CFR 658.41. UISFL program grantees must provide matching funds in either of the following ways: (a) Cash contributions from private sector corporations or foundations equal to one-third of the total project costs; or (b) a combination of institutional and non-institutional cash or in-kind contributions including State and private sector corporation or foundation contributions, equal to onehalf of the total project costs. The Secretary may waive or reduce the required matching share for institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA that have submitted an application that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Christine Corey, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices 20006–8521. Telephone: (202) 502– 7631; or by e-mail: Christine.corey@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 accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed under Agency Contact in section VII of this notice. 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 competition. 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] that addresses the selection criteria 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 program 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 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: February 8, 2011. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 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 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 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 31, 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 competition. 5. Funding Restrictions: See 34 CFR 658.10. We reference additional 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); 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 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6771 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 (seehttps:// 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 UISFL program—CFDA number 84.016A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES 6772 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices 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 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program at 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 84.016, not 84.016A). 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 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 .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 other 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 prevents 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: Christine Corey, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, 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 E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices 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 84.016A), 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. srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES 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 84.016A), 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 grant notification within 15 business days VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 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. General: For FY 2011, applications will be randomly divided and reviewed by separate panels of language and area studies experts. A rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed and used for funding purposes. 2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 658.31, 658.32, 658.33, and 655.32. The following criteria are used to evaluate all applications: (a) Plan of operation (15 points); (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost effectiveness (10 points); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); and (e) Adequacy of resources (5 points). The following additional criteria are applied to applications submitted by an IHE or a consortium of IHEs: (a) Commitment to international studies (10 points); (b) Elements of the proposed international studies program (10 points); and (c) Need for and prospective results of the proposed program (10 points). The following additional criterion is applied to applications from organizations and associations: Need for and potential impact of the proposed project in improving international studies and the study of modern foreign language at the undergraduate level (30 points). Additional information regarding these criteria is in the application package for this program. 3. Additional Factors: Under 34 CFR 658.34, in addition to applying the selection criteria described in the preceding section, the Secretary, to the extent practicable and consistent with the criterion of excellence, also may encourage diversity by ensuring that a variety of types of projects and institutions receive funding. In the past, the Secretary has funded mostly fouryear institutions and only a few minority-serving institutions. In the FY 2011 competition, the Secretary may seek to achieve greater diversity in the types of institutions assisted under this program by selecting applicants that represent a variety of types of institutions, including minority-serving institutions eligible for assistance under Part A or B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA and community colleges. 4. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6773 award, such as the applicant’s use of funds, achievement of project objectives, 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). 5. 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. 6. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7) of the HEA requires that each application include— (A) Evidence that the applicant has conducted extensive planning prior to submitting the application; (B) An assurance that the faculty and administrators of all relevant departments and programs served by the applicant are involved in ongoing collaboration with regard to achieving the stated objectives of the application; (C) An assurance that students at the applicant institutions, as appropriate, will have equal access to, and derive benefits from, the UISFL program; (D) An assurance that each institution, combination or partnership will use the Federal assistance provided under the UISFL program to supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds the institution expends for programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages; (E) A description of how the applicant will provide information to students regarding federally funded scholarship programs in related areas; (F) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs, where applicable; and (G) A description of how the applicant will encourage service in E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1 6774 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary. VI. Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice (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. 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 objective for the UISFL program is to meet the Nation’s security and economic needs through the development of a national capacity in foreign languages and area and international studies. The Department will use the following UISFL performance measures to evaluate its success in meeting this objective: Performance measure 1: Percentage of Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program projects judged to be successful by the program VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 officer, based on a review of information provided in the annual performance reports. Performance measure 2: Percentage of critical languages addressed/covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs created or enhanced; or by language courses created or enhanced; or by faculty or instructor positions created with Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language or matching funds in the reporting period. Efficiency measure: Cost per high quality, successfully-completed Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language project. The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures. Reporting screens for institutions may be viewed at: https:// iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/uisfl.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: Christine Corey, International and Foreign Language Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006–8521. Telephone: (202) 502–7629 or by e-mail: christine.corey@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. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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/ index.html. Dated: February 3, 2011. Eduardo M. Ochoa, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 2011–2775 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Equity and Excellence Commission Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of an Open Meeting. AGENCY: This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the Equity and Excellence Commission (Commission). The notice also describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of this meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend. DATES: February 22, 2011. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The Commission will meet in Washington, DC at 400 Maryland Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20202, in the Barnard Auditorium. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Chen, Designated Federal Official, Equity and Excellence Commission, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20202. E-mail: Stephen.Chen@ed.gov. Telephone: (202) 453–6624. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Commission is to collect information, analyze issues, and obtain broad public input regarding how the Federal government can increase educational opportunity by improving school funding equity. The Commission will also make recommendations for restructuring school finance systems to achieve equity in the distribution of educational resources and further SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM 08FEN1

Agencies

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6769-6774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2775]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education, Overview Information,
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.016A.

DATES:
Applications Available: February 8, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 31, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Undergraduate International Studies and
Foreign Language (UISFL) program provides grants to strengthen and
improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign
languages.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priorities are from the
regulations for this program (34 CFR 658.35 and 658.11).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR

[[Page 6770]]

75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional five points to an application
that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to an additional
five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference
Priority 2.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Applications from institutions
of higher education or consortia of these institutions that require
entering students to have successfully completed at least two years of
secondary school foreign language instruction or that require each
graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a
foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the
foreign language) or in the case of a 2-year degree granting
institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign
language.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Applications that propose
projects that conduct pre-service and in-service training for K-12
teachers in foreign languages and international studies.
Under this competition, we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following invitational priorities.
Invitational Priorities: 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 1: Applications that propose programs or
activities primarily focused on language instruction or applications
that propose the development of area or international studies programs
to include language instruction in any of the seventy-eight (78)
priority languages listed below that were 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.
Invitational Priority 2: 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 (HEA)).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and
658.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.

Areas of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the 20
U.S.C. 1121(c)(1), the Secretary has consulted with and received
recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign
languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of
Federal agencies. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into
account and a list of foreign languages and world regions identified by
the Secretary 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/iegpsugisf/legislation.html. Also included on
these Web sites are the specific recommendations the Secretary received
from Federal agencies.

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
$2,409,660 for new awards under the Undergraduate International Studies
and Foreign Language (UISFL) 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: Single IHE: $50,000-$100,000. Consortia
of IHEs/Organizations/Associations: $80,000-$160,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Single IHE: $92,000. Consortia of
IHEs/Organizations/Associations: $130,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for
an applicant that is a single IHE, and $160,000 for a single budget
period of 12 months for an applicant that is a consortium of IHEs/
organizations/associations. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 28.

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

Project Period: Single IHE: Up to 24 months.
Consortium of IHEs/Organizations/Associations: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs; (2) Consortia of IHEs; (3)
Partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and
(4) Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including
professional and scholarly associations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has a matching
requirement under section 604(a)(3) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(3),
and the regulations for this program in 34 CFR 658.41. UISFL program
grantees must provide matching funds in either of the following ways:
(a) Cash contributions from private sector corporations or foundations
equal to one-third of the total project costs; or (b) a combination of
institutional and non-institutional cash or in-kind contributions
including State and private sector corporation or foundation
contributions, equal to one-half of the total project costs. The
Secretary may waive or reduce the required matching share for
institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or
part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA that have submitted an
application that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: Christine Corey, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC

[[Page 6771]]

20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7631; or by e-mail:
Christine.corey@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 accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed
under Agency Contact in section VII of this notice.
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 competition.
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] that
addresses the selection criteria 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 program 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: February 8, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 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 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
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 31, 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 competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: See 34 CFR 658.10. We reference additional
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);
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 (seehttps://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 UISFL program--CFDA number
84.016A, 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

[[Page 6772]]

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 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign
Language Program at 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 84.016, not 84.016A).
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 .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
other 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 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
prevents 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: Christine Corey,
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, 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

[[Page 6773]]

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
84.016A), 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 84.016A), 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 grant 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. General: For FY 2011, applications will be randomly divided and
reviewed by separate panels of language and area studies experts. A
rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed and used for
funding purposes.
2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 658.31, 658.32, 658.33, and 655.32. The following criteria
are used to evaluate all applications: (a) Plan of operation (15
points); (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost
effectiveness (10 points); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); and (e)
Adequacy of resources (5 points). The following additional criteria are
applied to applications submitted by an IHE or a consortium of IHEs:
(a) Commitment to international studies (10 points); (b) Elements of
the proposed international studies program (10 points); and (c) Need
for and prospective results of the proposed program (10 points). The
following additional criterion is applied to applications from
organizations and associations: Need for and potential impact of the
proposed project in improving international studies and the study of
modern foreign language at the undergraduate level (30 points).
Additional information regarding these criteria is in the application
package for this program.
3. Additional Factors: Under 34 CFR 658.34, in addition to applying
the selection criteria described in the preceding section, the
Secretary, to the extent practicable and consistent with the criterion
of excellence, also may encourage diversity by ensuring that a variety
of types of projects and institutions receive funding. In the past, the
Secretary has funded mostly four-year institutions and only a few
minority-serving institutions. In the FY 2011 competition, the
Secretary may seek to achieve greater diversity in the types of
institutions assisted under this program by selecting applicants that
represent a variety of types of institutions, including minority-
serving institutions eligible for assistance under Part A or B of Title
III or under Title V of the HEA and community colleges.
4. 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, achievement of project objectives, 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).
5. 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.
6. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements
outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7)
of the HEA requires that each application include--
(A) Evidence that the applicant has conducted extensive planning
prior to submitting the application;
(B) An assurance that the faculty and administrators of all
relevant departments and programs served by the applicant are involved
in ongoing collaboration with regard to achieving the stated objectives
of the application;
(C) An assurance that students at the applicant institutions, as
appropriate, will have equal access to, and derive benefits from, the
UISFL program;
(D) An assurance that each institution, combination or partnership
will use the Federal assistance provided under the UISFL program to
supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds the institution expends
for programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international
studies and foreign languages;
(E) A description of how the applicant will provide information to
students regarding federally funded scholarship programs in related
areas;
(F) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will
reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate
debate on world regions and international affairs, where applicable;
and
(G) A description of how the applicant will encourage service in

[[Page 6774]]

areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice
(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. 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 objective for the UISFL program is to
meet the Nation's security and economic needs through the development
of a national capacity in foreign languages and area and international
studies.
The Department will use the following UISFL performance measures to
evaluate its success in meeting this objective:
Performance measure 1: Percentage of Undergraduate International
Studies and Foreign Language Program projects judged to be successful
by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in
the annual performance reports.
Performance measure 2: Percentage of critical languages addressed/
covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs
created or enhanced; or by language courses created or enhanced; or by
faculty or instructor positions created with Undergraduate
International Studies and Foreign Language or matching funds in the
reporting period.
Efficiency measure: Cost per high quality, successfully-completed
Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language project.
The information provided by grantees in their performance reports
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures.
Reporting screens for institutions may be viewed at: https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/uisfl.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: Christine Corey, International and
Foreign Language Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202)
502-7629 or by e-mail: christine.corey@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: February 3, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-2775 Filed 2-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

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