Applications for New Awards; Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program-Short-Term Projects, 22855-22860 [2013-09045]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket No.: ED–2013–ICCD–0054] Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Annual Performance Report for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Master’s Degree Program (HBCU) Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 17, 2013. ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ED–2013–ICCD–0054 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 2E103, Washington, DC 20202–4537. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Electronically mail ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please do not send comments here. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department’s information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records. Title of Collection: Annual Performance Report for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Master’s Degree Program (HBCU). OMB Control Number: 1840–0813. Type of Review: an extension of an existing information collection. Respondents/Affected Public: Private sector. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 18. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 360. Abstract: The Department is requesting authorization to annually collect performance report data for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Masters Degree Program. This information is being collected to comply with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, Section 4 (1115), and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.253. EDGAR states that recipients of multi-year discretionary grants must submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) demonstrating that substantial progress has been made towards meeting the approved objectives of the project. Further, the APR lends itself to the collection of quantifiable data for this program. Grantees will be required to report on their progress towards meeting the performance measures established for the HBCU Master’s Degree Program. Dated: April 11, 2013. Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management. [FR Doc. 2013–09009 Filed 4–16–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program—Short-Term Projects Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22855 Overview Information: Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program—Short-Term Projects Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021A. DATES: Applications Available: April 18, 2013. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2013. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The FulbrightHays Group Projects Abroad (FulbrightHays GPA) Program supports overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor. Shortterm projects may include seminars, curriculum development, or group research or study. Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority, two competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priority is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.32). Competitive Preference Priority I is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.32), and Competitive Preference Priority II is from the notice of final priorities published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2010 (75 FR 59050). Absolute Priority: For FY 2013 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Specific Geographic Regions of the World. A group project funded under this priority must focus on one or more of the following geographic regions of the world: Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Near East. Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address the following priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), each competitive preference priority is worth a maximum of five points. An applicant can address one or both priorities. We E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1 22856 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices award up to an additional 10 total points to an application, depending on how well the application meets Competitive Preference Priorities I and II. sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Note: In order to receive preference under these competitive preference priorities, the applicant must identify the priority or priorities that it believes it meets and provide documentation supporting its claims. These priorities are: Competitive Preference Priority I— Training and Focus on Priority Languages. (5 points) Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that provide substantive training and thematic focus on any of the 78 priority 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. Competitive Preference Priority II— Inclusion of K–12 Educators. (5 points) Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that develop and improve foreign language studies, area studies, or both at elementary and secondary schools by including K–12 teachers or K–12 administrators as at least 50 percent of the project participants. Invitational Priority: For FY 2013 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 This priority is: Applications from any one of the following: (a) Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), 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). (b) Community colleges (as defined in this notice). (c) New applicants (as defined in this notice). Definitions: Community college is defined in section 312(f) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or it means an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50% of which are not bachelor’s degrees (or an equivalent); or master’s, professional, or other advanced degrees. New applicant means any applicant who has not received a discretionary grant from the Department of Education under a program authorized by Title VI of the HEA or the Fulbright-Hays Act for five years prior to the deadline date for applications under this program. Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6). Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 664. (c) The notice of final priorities for this program, published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2010 (75 FR 59050). Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $1,388,330. Estimated Range of Awards: Shortterm projects: $50,000–$125,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: Short-term projects: $86,770. Maximum Award: We will reject any short-term GPA application that proposes a budget exceeding $125,000 for a single budget period of 18 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum award through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: Shortterm projects: 16. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Short-term projects: Up to 18 months. PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs, (2) State departments of education, (3) Private nonprofit educational organizations, and (4) Consortia of these entities. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: https:// grants.gov. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1–877–433–7827. FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734. You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program as follows: CFDA number 84.021A. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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 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. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single spaced and will 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. E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1 sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices • 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 40-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, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs(ED 524); Part IV, assurances, certifications, and the response to section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA); the table of contents; the one-page project abstract; the appendices; or the line item budget. 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 program narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit requirement. We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: April 18, 2013. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2013. 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. 4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 5. Funding Restrictions: See 34 CFR 664.33. We reference additional regulations outlining funding VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 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)—and, after July 24, 2012, with the System for Award Management (SAM), the Government’s primary registrant database; c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and d. Maintain an active CCR or SAM 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 or SAM 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 registration annually. This may take three or more business days to complete. Information about SAM is available at SAM.gov. 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 at the following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/ applicants/get_registered.jsp. 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 Fulbright-Hays GPA Program, CFDA number 84.021A, must be submitted PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22857 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 email 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 Fulbright-Hays GPA 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 84.021, not 84.021A). 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. E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1 sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 22858 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices • 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 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—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. • You must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable 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 email. 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 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 prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 for Fulbright-Hays GPA shortterm projects (CFDA 84.021A) to: Pamela Maimer, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., room 6100, 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 84.021A), 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, E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices 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 84.021A), 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. sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 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. General Information: For FY 2013, short-term project applications will be reviewed by separate panels according to world area. Each panel reviews, scores, and ranks its applications separately from the applications assigned to the other world area panels. However, all applications will be ranked against each other from the highest to the lowest score for funding purposes. A rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed and will be used for funding purposes. 2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20 points); (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost effectiveness (10 points); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); (e) Adequacy of resources (5 points); (f) Potential impact of the project on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in American education (15 points); (g) The project’s relevance to the applicant’s educational goals and its relationship to its program development in modern foreign languages and area studies (5 points); and (h) The extent to which direct experience abroad is necessary to achieve the project’s objectives and the effectiveness with which relevant host country resources will be utilized (10 points). Additional information about these criteria is in the application package for this program. 3. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 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). 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 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 in this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates 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 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22859 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/ apply/appforms/appforms.html. 4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, the following measure will be used by the Department to evaluate the success of the program: Percentage of all Fulbright-Hays GPA Program projects judged to be successful by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual performance reports. The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for this measure. Reporting screens for institutions can be viewed at: https:// iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/gpa_director.pdf and https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/ gpa_participant.pdf. VII. Agency Contact For Fulbright-Hays GPA Program short-term projects (84.021A): Pamela Maimer, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6100, Washington, DC 20006–8521. Telephone: (202) 502–7704 or by email: pamela.maimer@ed.gov. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1–800–877–8339. The agency contact person does not mail application materials and does not accept applications. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 compact disk) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1 22860 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2013 / Notices at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site, you can view this document, as well as all other documents of the Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at www.federalregister.gov. Specifically through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department. Dated: April 12, 2013. Martha Kanter, Under Secretary for Education. [FR Doc. 2013–09045 Filed 4–16–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research—Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program—Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Overview Information: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)— Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program— Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs)—Hearing Enhancement Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133E–1. DATES: Applications Available: April 17, 2013. Date of Pre-Application Meeting: May 8, 2013. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 17, 2013. Full Text of Announcement sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, including international activities, to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies that maximize the full inclusion and integration of individuals with disabilities into society, and VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Apr 16, 2013 Jkt 229001 support the employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities; and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act). Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) Program The purpose of NIDRR’s RERCs program, which is funded through the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act. It does so by conducting advanced engineering research, developing and evaluating innovative technologies, facilitating service delivery system changes, stimulating the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and providing training opportunities. RERCs seek to solve rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers to improvements in employment, community living and participation, and health and function outcomes of individuals with disabilities. Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Absolute Priority: For FY 2013 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Hearing Enhancement. Note: The full text of this priority is included in the pertinent notice of final priority published in this issue of the Federal Register and in the application package for this competition. Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(3). Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 86, and 97. (b) The Education Department suspension and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 350. (d) The notice of final priority for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $925,000. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $950,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 1. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 60 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: States; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies; public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/ fund/grant/apply/grantapps/. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1–877–433–7827. FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734. You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.133E. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under Accessible Format in section VIII 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 (Part III of the application) is where you, E:\FR\FM\17APN1.SGM 17APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 74 (Wednesday, April 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22855-22860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09045]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad 
Program--Short-Term Projects

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overview Information:
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program--Short-Term Projects
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2013.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021A.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: April 18, 2013.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2013.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad 
(Fulbright-Hays GPA) Program supports overseas projects in training, 
research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and 
area studies for groups of teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a 
common endeavor. Short-term projects may include seminars, curriculum 
development, or group research or study.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority, two 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priority is from 
the regulations for this program (34 CFR 664.32). Competitive 
Preference Priority I is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 
664.32), and Competitive Preference Priority II is from the notice of 
final priorities published in the Federal Register on September 24, 
2010 (75 FR 59050).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2013 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Specific Geographic Regions of the World.
    A group project funded under this priority must focus on one or 
more of the following geographic regions of the world: Africa, East 
Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western 
Hemisphere (Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East 
Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Near East.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, 
we give competitive preference to applications that address the 
following priorities.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), each competitive preference priority 
is worth a maximum of five points. An applicant can address one or both 
priorities. We

[[Page 22856]]

award up to an additional 10 total points to an application, depending 
on how well the application meets Competitive Preference Priorities I 
and II.

    Note: In order to receive preference under these competitive 
preference priorities, the applicant must identify the priority or 
priorities that it believes it meets and provide documentation 
supporting its claims.

    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority I--Training and Focus on Priority 
Languages. (5 points)
    Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that provide 
substantive training and thematic focus on any of the 78 priority 
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.
    Competitive Preference Priority II--Inclusion of K-12 Educators. (5 
points)
    Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that develop 
and improve foreign language studies, area studies, or both at 
elementary and secondary schools by including K-12 teachers or K-12 
administrators as at least 50 percent of the project participants.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2013 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    This priority is:
    Applications from any one of the following:
    (a) Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), 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).
    (b) Community colleges (as defined in this notice).
    (c) New applicants (as defined in this notice).
    Definitions:
    Community college is defined in section 312(f) of the HEA (20 
U.S.C. 1058(f)); or it means an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees 
and certificates, more than 50% of which are not bachelor's degrees (or 
an equivalent); or master's, professional, or other advanced degrees.
    New applicant means any applicant who has not received a 
discretionary grant from the Department of Education under a program 
authorized by Title VI of the HEA or the Fulbright-Hays Act for five 
years prior to the deadline date for applications under this program.
    Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this 
program in 34 CFR part 664. (c) The notice of final priorities for this 
program, published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2010 (75 FR 
59050).

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,388,330.
    Estimated Range of Awards: Short-term projects: $50,000-$125,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Short-term projects: $86,770.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any short-term GPA application that 
proposes a budget exceeding $125,000 for a single budget period of 18 
months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change 
the maximum award through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Short-term projects: 16.

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

    Project Period: Short-term projects: Up to 18 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs, (2) State departments of 
education, (3) Private nonprofit educational organizations, and (4) 
Consortia of these entities.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: https://grants.gov. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, 
or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 
22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: 
(703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program as follows: CFDA number 84.021A.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION 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 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.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single spaced 
and will 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.

[[Page 22857]]

     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 40-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, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs(ED 524); Part 
IV, assurances, certifications, and the response to section 427 of the 
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA); the table of contents; the 
one-page project abstract; the appendices; or the line item budget. 
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 
program narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit 
requirement.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 18, 2013.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2013.
    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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: See 34 CFR 664.33. 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)--and, after July 24, 2012, with the System 
for Award Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR or SAM 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 or SAM 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 registration annually. This may take three or more 
business days to complete. Information about SAM is available at 
SAM.gov.
    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 at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    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 Fulbright-Hays GPA Program, CFDA 
number 84.021A, 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 email 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 Fulbright-
Hays GPA 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 84.021, not 84.021A).
    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.

[[Page 22858]]

     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 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 upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable 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 email. 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 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 for Fulbright-Hays GPA 
short-term projects (CFDA 84.021A) to: Pamela Maimer, Fulbright-Hays 
Group Projects Abroad Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street NW., room 6100, 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 84.021A), 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,

[[Page 22859]]

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 84.021A), 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. General Information: For FY 2013, short-term project 
applications will be reviewed by separate panels according to world 
area. Each panel reviews, scores, and ranks its applications separately 
from the applications assigned to the other world area panels. However, 
all applications will be ranked against each other from the highest to 
the lowest score for funding purposes. A rank order from highest to 
lowest score will be developed and will be used for funding purposes.
    2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20 
points); (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost 
effectiveness (10 points); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); (e) 
Adequacy of resources (5 points); (f) Potential impact of the project 
on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area 
studies in American education (15 points); (g) The project's relevance 
to the applicant's educational goals and its relationship to its 
program development in modern foreign languages and area studies (5 
points); and (h) The extent to which direct experience abroad is 
necessary to achieve the project's objectives and the effectiveness 
with which relevant host country resources will be utilized (10 
points). Additional information about these criteria is in the 
application package for this program.
    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, 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).
    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 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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the following measure will be used by the 
Department to evaluate the success of the program: Percentage of all 
Fulbright-Hays GPA Program projects judged to be successful by the 
program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual 
performance reports.
    The information provided by grantees in their performance reports 
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for this measure. 
Reporting screens for institutions can be viewed at: https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/gpa_director.pdf and https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/gpa_participant.pdf.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Fulbright-Hays GPA Program short-
term projects (84.021A): Pamela Maimer, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects 
Abroad Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 
6100, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7704 or by email: 
pamela.maimer@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
    The agency contact person does not mail application materials and 
does not accept applications.

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 compact disk) on request to 
the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 
section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System

[[Page 22860]]

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site, you can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of the Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: April 12, 2013.
Martha Kanter,
Under Secretary for Education.
[FR Doc. 2013-09045 Filed 4-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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