Applications for New Awards; Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, 38153-38159 [2016-13933]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38153-38159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13933]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Undergraduate International Studies 
and Foreign Language Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) 
Program.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.

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

    Dates:
    Applications Available: June 13, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 22, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The UISFL Program provides grants for planning, 
developing, and carrying out programs to strengthen and improve 
undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign 
languages in the United States.
    Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference 
priorities and two invitational priorities. Competitive Preference 
Priority 1 is from the notice of final priority, published in the 
Federal Register on June 11, 2014 (79 FR 33432). Competitive Preference 
Priority 2 is from 34 CFR 658.35(a).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we 
award an additional two or three points depending on whether and how an 
application meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, and we award up to 
an additional two points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 2.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1. (2 or 3 points)
    Applications from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) (as defined 
in this notice) or community colleges (as defined in this notice), 
whether as individual applicants or as part of a consortium of 
institutions of higher education (IHEs) (consortium) or a partnership 
between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs (partnership).
    An application from a consortium or partnership that has an MSI or 
community college as the lead applicant will receive more points under 
this priority than applications in which the MSI or community college 
is a member of a consortium or partnership but not the lead applicant.
    A consortium or partnership must undertake activities designed to 
incorporate foreign languages into the curriculum of the MSI or 
community college and to improve foreign language and international or 
area studies instruction on the MSI or community college campus.
    For the purpose of this priority:
    Community college means an institution that meets the definition in 
section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) 
(20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an institution of higher education (as defined 
in section 101 of the HEA) that awards degrees and certificates, more 
than 50 percent of which are not bachelor's degrees (or an equivalent) 
or master's, professional, or other advanced degrees.
    Minority-Serving Institution means an institution that is eligible 
to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title 
III, under part B of title III, or under title V of the HEA.

    Note:  We will award either two or three points to an 
application that meets this priority. If an MSI or community college 
is a single applicant, or the lead applicant in a consortium or 
partnership, the application will receive three additional points. 
If an MSI or community college is a member of a consortium or 
partnership, but not the lead applicant, the application will 
receive two additional points. No application will receive more than 
three additional points for this priority.


    Note:  You may view lists of title III- and title V-eligible 
institutions at the following link:https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/t3t5-eligibles-2015.pdf. The eligibility 
status is still current for institutions listed at the link above. 
You may also view the list of Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities at 34 CFR 608.2.

    Competitive Preference Priority 2. (2 points)
    Applications from an institution of higher education (IHE), a 
consortium of institutions of higher education (consortium), or a 
partnership between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs 
(partnership) 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

[[Page 38154]]

foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the 
foreign language) or, in the case of a two-year degree granting 
institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign 
language.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2016, 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--Priority Languages Selected from the U.S. 
Department of Education's List of Less Commonly Taught Languages 
(LCTLs).
    Applications that propose programs or activities focused on 
language instruction or the development of area or international 
studies programs to include language instruction in any of the 78 
priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's 
list of 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.
    Area of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the HEA 
(20 U.S.C. 1121(c)), 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 site: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/consultation-2016.pdf.
    Invitational Priority 2--Developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum.
    Applicants that create innovative curricula that combine the 
teaching of international studies with one of the following academic 
fields of study: business, economics, public health, international and 
comparative education, science, technology, engineering, or 
mathematics. Programs can be located within the applicant's home IHE or 
within the IHE(s) that form(s) part of the consortium/partnership 
applying for the grant (including those that are eligible to receive 
assistance under part A or B of title III or under title V).
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 
86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB Guidelines to Agencies on 
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 
180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 34 CFR 
part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 34 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and 658. (e) The 
notice of final priority, published in the Federal Register on June 11, 
2014 (79 FR 33432).

    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,257,434.
    Estimated Range of Awards:
    For single applicant grants: $70,000-$95,000 each 12-month budget 
period.
    For consortia or partnership grants: $90,000-$150,000 each 12-month 
budget period.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards:
    For single applicant grants: $86,824.
    For consortia or partnership grants: $120,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application from a single 
applicant that proposes a budget exceeding $95,000 for a single budget 
period of 12 months, or from an applicant that is a consortium or 
partnership that proposes a budget exceeding $150,000 for a single 
budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 24.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 24.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period:
    For single applicant grants: Up to 24 months.
    For consortia or partnership grants: 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: 
(i) Cash contributions from private sector corporations or foundations 
equal to one-third of the total project costs; or (ii) 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.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. See paragraph 4(D) in section V of this 
notice for further information regarding this requirement.

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 program as follows: CFDA number 84.016A.

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    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 (Part III) is where you, the 
applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative 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.
     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. If 
you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, 
these items will be counted as part of the application narrative for 
the purpose of the page-limit requirement.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 13, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 22, 2016.
    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 Other Submission Requirements in section 
IV 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: We specify unallowable costs in 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 System for Award Management: 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 System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active 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 at the 
following Web site: https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be 
created within one to two business days.
    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 two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial 
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow 
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We 
strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours before you can access the information in, and 
submit an application through, Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, 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.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    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/web/grants/register.html.
    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 email 
an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as

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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 UISFL 
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 www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures 
for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the 
Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     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 read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the project 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF.
     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. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique a PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     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 the 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will 
contact you after we determine whether your application will be 
accepted.

    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability

[[Page 38157]]

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: Tanyelle Richardson, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 3E211, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260. FAX: (202) 453-5780.
    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 84.016A), 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.
    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.
    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    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 three 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 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:  If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope--and, if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 658.31, 658.32, 658.33, and 655.32 and are listed in this 
section. The maximum score for all of the criteria, including the 
competitive preference priorities, is 105 points.
    All Applications. All applications will be evaluated based on the 
following criteria: (a) Plan of operation (15 points); (b) Quality of 
key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost effectiveness (10 
points); and (d) Adequacy of resources (5 points).
    Applications from IHEs, Consortia, or Partnerships. All 
applications submitted by an IHE or a consortia or partnership will 
also be evaluated based on the following criteria: (e) Commitment to 
international studies (15 points); (f) Elements of the proposed 
international studies program (10 points); and (g) Need for and 
prospective results of the proposed program (15 points).
    Applications from Public and Private Nonprofit Agencies and 
Organizations, Including Professional and Scholarly Associations. All 
applications from public and private nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including professional and scholarly associations, will 
also be evaluated based on the following criterion: Need for and 
potential impact of the proposed project in improving international 
studies and the study of modern foreign language at the undergraduate 
level (40 points).
    The evaluation plan will be scored separately as described in the 
Review and Selection Process section of this notice.
    Additional information regarding these criteria is in the 
application package for this program. The total number of points 
available under these selection criteria, combined with the competitive 
preference priorities, is as follows:

[[Page 38158]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               UISFL public and
                                                                                               private nonprofit
                                                                                                 agencies and
                                                                                   UISFL        organizations,
                     Selection criteria                         UISFL IHEs     Consortia and       including
                                                                               partnerships    professional and
                                                                                                   scholarly
                                                                                                 associations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Plan of Operation.......................................              15              15                  15
(b) Quality of Key Personnel................................              10              10                  10
(c) Budget & Cost Effectiveness.............................              10              10                  10
(d) Adequacy of Resources...................................               5               5                   5
(e) Commitment to International Studies.....................              15              15                 n/a
(f) Elements of Proposed International Studies Program......              10              10                 n/a
(g) Need for & Prospective Results of Proposed Program......              15              15                 n/a
(h) Need for & Potential Impact of the Proposed Project in               n/a             n/a                  40
 Improving International Studies & the Study of Modern
 Foreign Languages at the Undergraduate Level...............
Competitive Preference Priority #1 (Optional)...............               3               3                 n/a
Competitive Preference Priority #2 (Optional)...............               2               2                 n/a
Sub-Total...................................................              85              85                  80
(i) Evaluation Plan.........................................              20              20                  20
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total Possible Points...................................             105             105                 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. 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.
    For the UISFL grant applications, the Department will use a two-
tier review process to review and score eligible applications. Under 
the first--tier review, content reviewers will review and score 
eligible applications on the following selection criteria: (a) Plan of 
operation; (b) Quality of key personnel; (c) Budget and cost 
effectiveness; (d) Adequacy of resources; (e) Commitment to 
international studies; (f) Elements of the proposed international 
studies program; (g) Need for and prospective results of the proposed 
program as applicable; as well as (h) Need for and potential impact of 
the proposed project in improving international studies and the study 
of modern foreign languages at the undergraduate level, if the 
applicant is from a public or private nonprofit agency or organization. 
These reviewers will also review and score the applications that 
address the competitive preference priorities. Under the second-tier 
review, the top 60 ranked applications from the first tier will have 
the remaining criterion, Evaluation plan, reviewed and scored by a 
different panel of peer reviewers with evaluation expertise. Evaluation 
peer reviewers will be responsible for assessing the feasibility of 
evaluation plans and the proposed performance measure form (PMF). The 
PMF includes the Project Goals, Performance Measures, and Activities 
that all applicants must submit to demonstrate how their projects' 
performance will be assessed. Both tier scores will then be combined 
and the combined score will be used to rank the top-scoring 
applications.
    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).
    3. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this program the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements 
outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7) 
of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(7), requires that each application from 
an IHE, consortia, or partnership 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 applicant, consortium, 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 
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 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic

[[Page 38159]]

version of your 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 specified by 
the Secretary. If you receive a multiyear 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 online data and 
reporting system, the International Resource Information System (IRIS), 
to complete their interim and final reports. The Secretary may also 
require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For 
specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case, the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, as updated by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 
on January 4, 2011, the Department will use the following performance 
measures to evaluate the success of the UISFL Program: percentage of 
UISFL projects that added or enhanced courses in international studies 
in critical world areas and priority foreign languages; and percentage 
of UISFL consortium projects that established certificate and/or 
undergraduate degree programs in international or foreign language 
studies.
    If funded, you will be required to collect and report data in IRIS 
on those measures and steps taken toward improving performance on those 
outcomes. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these 
outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation 
of their proposed projects. Their measurement should be a part of the 
proposed project evaluation plan, along with measures of progress and 
on the goals and objectives specific to your project.
    The information provided by grantees in their performance reports 
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these performance 
measures.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress toward meeting the goals and objectives 
of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that 
is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    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: Tanyelle Richardson, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW., room 3E211, Washington, 
DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6391 or by email: 
tanyelle.richardson@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 disc) on request to 
the program 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 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat 
Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search function 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: June 8, 2016.
Lynn B. Mahaffie,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, 
Delegated the Duties of Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2016-13933 Filed 6-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P