Applications for New Awards; Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program, 71466-71470 [2021-27230]
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71466
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 239 / Thursday, December 16, 2021 / Notices
What are the terms of office for the
committee members?
The term of office of each member is
six years. Any member appointed to fill
a vacancy occurring prior to the
expiration of the term for which the
member’s predecessor was appointed
shall be appointed for the remainder of
such term.
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Who are the current members of the
committee?
The current members of the NACIQI
are:
Members Appointed by the Secretary
of Education with Terms Expiring
September 30, 2025:
• Ronnie L. Booth, Ph.D., Former
President, Tri-County Technical
College, Anderson, South Carolina.
• Wallace E. Boston, Ph.D., President
Emeritus, American Public University
System, Inc. Charles Town, West
Virginia.
• David A. Eubanks, Ph.D., Assistant
Vice President for Assessment and
Institutional Effectiveness, Furman
University, Greenville, South Carolina.
• Molly Hall-Martin, Student
Member, University of Iowa, College of
Education, Higher Education & Student
Affairs, Coralville, Iowa.
• D. Michael Lindsay, Ph.D.,
President, Taylor University, Upland,
Indiana.
• Mary Ellen Petrisko, Ph.D., Former
President, WASC Senior College and
University Commission, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Members Appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives with
Terms Expiring September 30, 2026:
• Kathleen Sullivan Alioto, Ed.D.,
Strategic Advisor, Fundraiser, and
Consultant, New York, New York, San
Francisco, California, and Boston,
Massachusetts.
• Roslyn Clark Artis, Ed.D., President,
Benedict College, Columbia, South
Carolina.
• Jennifer Blum, J.D., Principal, Blum
Higher Education Advising, PLLC,
Washington, DC.
• Arthur E. Keiser, Ph.D., Chancellor,
Keiser University, Fort Lauderdale,
Florida.
• Robert Mayes, Jr., CEO, Columbia
Southern Education Group, Elberta,
Alabama.
• Robert Shireman, Director of Higher
Education Excellence and Senior
Fellow, The Century Foundation,
Berkeley, California.
Members Appointed by the President
Pro Tempore of the Senate with Terms
Expiring September 30, 2022:
• Jill Derby, Ph.D., Senior Consultant,
Association of Governing Boards of
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Universities and Colleges, Gardnerville,
Nevada.
• Paul J. LeBlanc, Ph.D., President,
Southern New Hampshire University,
Manchester, New Hampshire.
• Claude O. Pressnell Jr., Ed.D.,
President, Tennessee Independent
Colleges and Universities Association,
Nashville, Tennessee.
• Steven Van Ausdle, Ph.D.,
President Emeritus, Walla Walla
Community College, Walla Walla,
Washington.
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
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available free at the site. You may also
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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.
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1011c.
Miguel A. Cardona,
Secretary of Education.
Pre-Application Webinar information:
The Department held a pre-application
meeting via webinar for prospective
applicants on November 10, 2021. The
link for the webinar is located on the
International and Foreign Language
Education website at https://
www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsnrc/
applicant.html.
Additionally, for new potential
grantees unfamiliar with grantmaking at
the Department, please consult our
funding basics resources at https://
www2.ed.gov/documents/funding-101/
funding-101-basics.pdf.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-201902-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Timothy Duvall, U.S. Department of
Education, International and Foreign
Language Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW, Room 2B225, Washington,
DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453–7521.
Email: NRC-FLAS@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[FR Doc. 2021–27271 Filed 12–15–21; 8:45 am]
Full Text of Announcement
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
I. Funding Opportunity Description
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Foreign
Language and Area Studies
Fellowships Program
Office of Postsecondary
Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for
the Foreign Language and Area Studies
Fellowships (FLAS) Program,
Assistance Listing Number 84.015B.
This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB
control number 1840–0807.
DATES:
Applications Available: December 16,
2021.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: February 14, 2022.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: April 15, 2022.
SUMMARY:
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Purpose of Program: The FLAS
Program allocates academic year and
summer fellowships to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) and consortia of
such institutions to assist meritorious
undergraduate and graduate students
receiving modern foreign language
training in combination with area
studies, international studies, or the
international aspects of professional
studies. FLAS fellowships may also
assist graduate students engaged in
predissertation-level study, preparation
for dissertation research, dissertation
research abroad, or dissertation writing.
Priorities: This notice contains two
competitive preference priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 1 is
from the notice of final priorities for the
FLAS Program published in the Federal
Register on May 30, 2014 (79 FR 31031)
(NFP), and Competitive Preference
Priority 2 is from 34 CFR 657.22(a),
which provides that the Secretary may
designate specific languages as a
priority for the allocation of fellowships.
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Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2022, these priorities are competitive
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(C)(2)(i), we award an additional
five points to an application that meets
Competitive Preference Priority 1, and
an additional five points to an
application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 2. An applicant may
receive a total of up to 10 additional
points under the competitive preference
priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
FLAS Fellowships for Students Who
Demonstrate Financial Need. (0 or 5
points)
Applications that propose to give
preference when awarding fellowships
to undergraduate students, graduate
students, or both, to students who
demonstrate financial need as indicated
by the students’ expected family
contribution, as determined under part
F of title IV of the Higher Education Act
of 1965, as amended (HEA). This need
determination will be based on the
students’ financial circumstances and
not on other aid. The applicant must
describe how it will ensure that all
fellows who receive such preference
show potential for high academic
achievement based on such indices as
grade point average, class ranking, or
similar measures that the institution
may determine.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—
Academic Year FLAS Fellowships
Awarded in the Less Commonly Taught
Languages. (0 or 5 points)
Applications that propose to award at
least 25 percent of academic year FLAS
fellowships in modern foreign languages
other than French, German, and
Spanish.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122.
Note: Projects will be awarded and
must be operated in a manner consistent
with the nondiscrimination
requirements contained in Federal civil
rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
and 99. (b) The Office of Management
and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on
Governmentwide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR
part 180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 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 2 CFR part 3474. (d)
The regulations for this program in 34
CFR parts 655 and 657. (e) The NFP.
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Areas of National Need: In
accordance with section 601(c) of the
HEA (20 U.S.C. 1121(c)), the Secretary
consulted with a wide range of Federal
agencies and received recommendations
regarding national need for expertise in
foreign language and world regions.
These agencies’ recommendations may
be viewed on this web page: https://
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/
iegps/languageneeds.html.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$31,236,116.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FYs
2023, 2024, and 2025 from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$154,500–$351,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$202,500 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 100.
FLAS Fellowship Subsistence
Allowances: The subsistence allowance
for a graduate student academic year
fellowship is $20,000; the subsistence
allowance for an undergraduate student
academic year fellowship is $5,000. The
subsistence allowance for a summer
fellowship is $2,500 for graduate and
undergraduate students.
FLAS Fellowship Institutional
Payments: The institutional payment for
a graduate student academic year
fellowship is $18,000; the institutional
payment for an undergraduate student
academic year fellowship is $10,000.
The institutional payment for a summer
fellowship is $5,000 for graduate and
undergraduate students.
Note: The Department is not bound by
any estimates in this notice. The
estimated range and average size of
awards are based on a single 12-month
budget period.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs (as
defined in section 101 of the HEA (20
U.S.C. 1001)) or consortia of IHEs.
2. Eligible Participants: A student is
eligible to receive a fellowship if the
student—
(a)(1) Is a citizen or national of the
United States; or (2) Is a permanent
resident of the United States;
(b) Is accepted for enrollment or is
enrolled—
(1) In an institution receiving an
allocation of fellowships; and
(2) In a program that combines
modern foreign language training with
(i) area or international studies; or (ii)
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research and training in the
international aspects of professional and
other fields of study;
(c) Shows potential for high academic
achievement based on such indices as
grade point average, class ranking, or
similar measures that the institution
may determine;
(d) Is enrolled in a program of modern
foreign language training in a language
for which the institution has developed
or is developing performance-based
instruction;
(e) In the case of an undergraduate
student, is in the intermediate or
advanced study of a less commonly
taught language; and
(f) In the case of a graduate student,
is engaged in—
(1) Predissertation-level study;
(2) Preparation for dissertation
research;
(3) Dissertation research abroad; or
(4) Dissertation writing.
3.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
b. Administrative Cost Limitation:
This program does not allow
administrative expenses.
4. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR
75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under the
FLAS Program may not award subgrants
to entities to directly carry out project
activities described in its application.
5. Other: (a) Reasonable and
Necessary Costs: Applicants must
ensure that all costs included in the
proposed budget are necessary and
reasonable to meet the goals and
objectives of the proposed project. Any
costs determined by the Secretary to be
unreasonable or unnecessary will be
removed from the final approved
budget.
(b) Audits: (i) A non-Federal entity
that expends $750,000 or more during
the non-Federal entity’s fiscal year in
Federal awards must have a single or
program-specific audit conducted for
that year in accordance with the
provisions of 2 CFR part 200. (2 CFR
200.501(a))
(ii) A non-Federal entity that expends
less than $750,000 during the nonFederal entity’s fiscal year in Federal
awards is exempt from Federal audit
requirements for that year, except as
noted in 2 CFR 200.503 (Relation to
Other Audit Requirements), but records
must be available for review or audit by
appropriate officials of the Federal
agency, pass-through entity, and
Government Accountability Office
(GAO). (2 CFR 200.501(d))
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Application Submission
Instructions: Applicants are required to
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follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education
Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
program.
3. Funding Restrictions: We specify
unallowable costs in 34 CFR 656.30(b)
and 657.33. We reference additional
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The
application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant,
address the priorities, selection criteria,
and application requirements that
reviewers use to evaluate your
application. We recommend that you (1)
limit the application narrative to no
more than 50 pages for single institution
applications, and to no more than 60
pages for consortia applications and (2)
use 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, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• 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.
The recommended page limit applies
to the entirety of the application
narrative. The recommended page limit
does not apply to the Application for
Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424);
the supplemental SF 424 form; Budget
Information—Non-Construction
Programs (ED 524); the detailed line
item budget; the assurances and
certifications, and the response to
section 427 of the General Education
Provisions Act; the project abstract, the
table of contents, the list of acronyms,
the response to the diverse perspectives/
areas of need requirements, the FLAS
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project profile form, the FLAS-eligible
languages form, or the appendices
(curriculum vitae, course list, letters of
support).
5. Award Basis: In determining
whether to approve a grant award and
the amount of such award, the
Department will consider, among other
things, the applicant’s performance and
use of funds under a previous or
existing award under any Department
program (34 CFR 75.217(d)(3)(ii) and
75.233). In assessing the applicant’s
performance and use of funds under a
previous or existing award, the
Secretary will consider, among other
things, the outcomes the applicant has
achieved and the results of any
Departmental grant monitoring,
including the applicant’s progress in
remedying any deficiencies identified in
such monitoring.
V. Application Review Information
1. General: For the FY 2022 FLAS
competition, all applications will be
assigned to peer review panels based on
world region—such as Africa, South
Asia, the Middle East—or international
in focus as specified in the FLAS
application. Readers who serve on the
peer review panels are selected based on
their expertise in the specialized area
studies, international studies, and
modern foreign language(s) necessary to
effectively review, score, and rank the
applications assigned to them. For the
FLAS competition, the Department will
select applications for funding
consideration based on the ranking of
each application within its distinct
regional panel.
2. Selection Criteria: The following
selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 657.21. The maximum
score under the selection criteria, taken
together with the maximum number of
points awarded to applicants that
address the competitive preference
priorities, is 110 points.
(a) Commitment to the subject area on
which the applicant focuses (up to 5
points). The Secretary reviews each
application for information to
determine—
(1) The extent to which the institution
provides financial and other support to
the operation of the applicant, teaching
staff for the applicant’s subject area,
library resources, and linkages with
institutions abroad; and
(2) The extent to which the institution
provides financial support to students
in fields related to the applicant’s
teaching program.
(b) Quality of the applicant’s language
instructional program (up to 14 points).
The Secretary reviews each application
for information to determine—
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(1) The extent to which the applicant
provides instruction in the languages of
the applicant’s subject area and the
extent to which students enroll in the
study of the languages of the subject
area through programs or instruction
offered by the applicant or other
providers;
(2) The extent to which the applicant
provides three or more levels of
language training and the extent to
which courses in disciplines other than
language, linguistics, and literature are
offered in appropriate foreign languages;
(3) Whether sufficient numbers of
language faculty are available to teach
the languages and the levels of
instruction described in the application
and the extent to which language
teaching staff (including faculty and
instructional assistants) have been
exposed to current language pedagogy
training appropriate for performancebased teaching; and
(4) The quality of the language
program as measured by the
performance-based instruction being
used or developed, the adequacy of
resources for language teaching and
practice, and language proficiency
requirements.
(c) Quality of the applicant’s nonlanguage instructional program (up to
14 points). The Secretary reviews each
application for information to
determine—
(1) The quality and extent of the
applicant’s course offerings in a variety
of disciplines, including the extent to
which courses in the applicant’s subject
matter are available in the institution’s
professional schools;
(2) The extent to which the applicant
offers depth of specialized course
coverage in one or more disciplines on
the applicant’s subject area;
(3) The extent to which the institution
employs a sufficient number of teaching
faculty to enable the applicant to carry
out its purposes and the extent to which
instructional assistants are provided
with pedagogy training; and
(4) The extent to which
interdisciplinary courses are offered for
students.
(d) Quality of curriculum design (up
to 13 points). The Secretary reviews
each application to determine—
(1) The extent to which the
applicant’s curriculum provides training
options for students from a variety of
disciplines and professional fields and
the extent to which these programs and
their requirements (including language
requirements) are appropriate for an
applicant in this subject area and result
in graduate training programs of high
quality;
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(2) The extent to which the applicant
provides academic and career advising
services for students; and
(3) The extent to which the applicant
has established formal arrangements for
students to conduct research or study
abroad and the extent to which these
arrangements are used; and the extent to
which the institution facilitates student
access to other institutions’ study
abroad and summer language programs.
(e) Quality of staff resources (up to 13
points). The Secretary reviews each
application to determine—
(1) The extent to which teaching
faculty and other staff are qualified for
the current and proposed activities and
training programs, are provided
professional development opportunities
(including overseas experience), and
participate in teaching, supervising, and
advising students;
(2) The adequacy of applicant staffing
and oversight arrangements and the
extent to which faculty from a variety of
departments, professional schools, and
the library are involved; and
(3) The extent to which the applicant,
as part of its non-discriminatory
employment practices, encourages
applications for employment from
persons who are members of groups that
have been traditionally
underrepresented, such as members of
racial or ethnic minority groups,
women, persons with disabilities, and
the elderly.
(f) Strength of library (up to 6 points).
The Secretary reviews each application
to determine—
(1) The strength of the institution’s
library holdings (both print and nonprint, English and foreign language) for
students; and the extent to which the
institution provides financial support
for the acquisition of library materials
and for library staff in the subject area
of the applicant; and
(2) The extent to which research
materials at other institutions are
available to students through
cooperative arrangements with other
libraries or on-line databases.
(g) Impact and evaluation (up to 25
points). The Secretary reviews each
application to determine—
(1) The extent to which the
applicant’s activities and training
programs have contributed to an
improved supply of specialists on the
program’s subject area as shown through
indices such as undergraduate and
graduate enrollments and placement
data; and the extent to which the
applicant supplies a clear description of
how the applicant will provide equal
access and treatment of eligible project
participants who are members of groups
that have been traditionally
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underrepresented, such as members of
racial or ethnic minority groups,
women, persons with disabilities, and
the elderly;
(2) The applicant’s record of placing
students into post-graduate
employment, education, or training in
areas of national need and the
applicant’s stated efforts to increase the
number of such students that go into
such placements;
(3) The degree to which fellowships
awarded by the applicant address
national needs; and
(4) The extent to which the applicant
provides an evaluation plan that is
comprehensive and objective and that
will produce quantifiable, outcomemeasure-oriented data; and the extent to
which recent evaluations have been
used to improve the applicant’s
program.
(h) Foreign language and area studies
fellowships awardee selection
procedures (up to 10 points). The
Secretary reviews each application to
determine whether the selection plan is
of high quality, showing how awards
will be advertised, how students apply,
what selection criteria are used, who
selects the fellows, when each step will
take place, and how the process will
result in awards being made to
correspond to any announced priorities.
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 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 (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
4. Risk Assessment and Specific
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under
this program the Department conducts a
review of the risks posed by applicants.
Under 2 CFR 200.208, the Secretary may
impose specific conditions and, under 2
CFR 3474.10, 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
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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.
5. Integrity and Performance System:
If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period
may exceed the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $250,000), under 2
CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through the System for
Award Management (SAM). You may
review and comment on any
information about yourself that a
Federal agency previously entered and
that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that if the total value of
your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts
from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.
Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you
receive exceed $10,000,000.
6. In General: In accordance with the
Office of Management and Budget’s
guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all
applicable Federal laws, and relevant
Executive guidance, the Department
will review and consider applications
for funding pursuant to this notice
inviting applications in accordance
with:
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to
be successful in delivering results based
on the program objectives through an
objective process of evaluating Federal
award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain
telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in
alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of
2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the
extent permitted by law, to maximize
use of goods, products, and materials
produced in the United States (2 CFR
200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole
or in part to the greatest extent
authorized by law if an award no longer
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effectuates the program goals or agency
priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
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
version of your GAN. We may also
notify you informally.
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. Open Licensing Requirements:
Unless an exception applies, if you are
awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license
to the public grant deliverables created
in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds. When the deliverable
consists of modifications to pre-existing
works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that
open licensing is permitted under the
terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing
works. Additionally, a grantee or
subgrantee that is awarded competitive
grant funds must have a plan to
disseminate these public grant
deliverables. This dissemination plan
can be developed and submitted after
your application has been reviewed and
selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing
requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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 multiyear award, you must
submit an annual performance report
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:54 Dec 15, 2021
Jkt 256001
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. 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.
Performance reports for the FLAS
Program must be submitted
electronically into the Office of
International and Foreign Language
Education web-based reporting system,
International Resource Information
System (IRIS). For information about
IRIS and to view the reporting
instructions, please go to: https://
iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the
Secretary may provide a grantee with
additional funding for data collection
analysis and reporting. If a grantee is
provided additional funding for this
purpose, the Secretary establishes a data
collection period.
5. Performance Measures: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993, the following measures will
be used by the Department to evaluate
the success of the FLAS program:
(a) Percentage of FLAS-graduated
fellows who secured employment that
utilizes their foreign language and area
studies skills within eight years after
graduation, based on the FLAS tracking
survey.
(b) Percentage of FLAS master’s and
doctoral graduates who studied priority
languages as defined by the Secretary of
Education.
(c) Percentage of FLAS fellows who
increased their foreign language reading,
writing, and/or listening/speaking
scores by at least one proficiency level.
(d) Efficiency: Cost per FLAS
fellowship program fellow who
increased his/her reading, writing, and/
or listening/speaking language score by
at least one proficiency level.
The information provided by grantees
in their performance reports submitted
via IRIS will be the source of data for
these measures. Reporting screens for
institutions can be viewed at: https://
iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf.
6. 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 in achieving
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, whether the grantee has
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
made substantial progress in achieving
the performance targets in the grantee’s
approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the
program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,
individuals with disabilities can obtain
this document and a copy of the
application package in an accessible
format. The Department will provide the
requestor with an accessible format that
may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or
text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3
file, braille, large print, audiotape,
compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document Format
(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
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.
Annmarie Weisman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy,
Planning and Innovation, Office of
Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2021–27230 Filed 12–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Eligibility Designations and
Applications for Waiving Eligibility
Requirements; Programs Under Parts
A and F of Title III and Programs Under
Title V of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as Amended (HEA)
Office of Postsecondary
Education, Department of Education
(Department).
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\16DEN1.SGM
16DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71466-71470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27230]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Foreign Language and Area Studies
Fellowships Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the Foreign
Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) Program, Assistance
Listing Number 84.015B. This notice relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number 1840-0807.
DATES:
Applications Available: December 16, 2021.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 14, 2022.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 15, 2022.
Pre-Application Webinar information: The Department held a pre-
application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants on November
10, 2021. The link for the webinar is located on the International and
Foreign Language Education website at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsnrc/applicant.html.
Additionally, for new potential grantees unfamiliar with
grantmaking at the Department, please consult our funding basics
resources at https://www2.ed.gov/documents/funding-101/funding-101-basics.pdf.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Duvall, U.S. Department of
Education, International and Foreign Language Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW, Room 2B225, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-7521.
Email: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The FLAS Program allocates academic year and
summer fellowships to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and
consortia of such institutions to assist meritorious undergraduate and
graduate students receiving modern foreign language training in
combination with area studies, international studies, or the
international aspects of professional studies. FLAS fellowships may
also assist graduate students engaged in predissertation-level study,
preparation for dissertation research, dissertation research abroad, or
dissertation writing.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the notice of
final priorities for the FLAS Program published in the Federal Register
on May 30, 2014 (79 FR 31031) (NFP), and Competitive Preference
Priority 2 is from 34 CFR 657.22(a), which provides that the Secretary
may designate specific languages as a priority for the allocation of
fellowships.
[[Page 71467]]
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2022, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(C)(2)(i), we
award an additional five points to an application that meets
Competitive Preference Priority 1, and an additional five points to an
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. An applicant
may receive a total of up to 10 additional points under the competitive
preference priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--FLAS Fellowships for Students
Who Demonstrate Financial Need. (0 or 5 points)
Applications that propose to give preference when awarding
fellowships to undergraduate students, graduate students, or both, to
students who demonstrate financial need as indicated by the students'
expected family contribution, as determined under part F of title IV of
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This need
determination will be based on the students' financial circumstances
and not on other aid. The applicant must describe how it will ensure
that all fellows who receive such preference show potential for high
academic achievement based on such indices as grade point average,
class ranking, or similar measures that the institution may determine.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Academic Year FLAS Fellowships
Awarded in the Less Commonly Taught Languages. (0 or 5 points)
Applications that propose to award at least 25 percent of academic
year FLAS fellowships in modern foreign languages other than French,
German, and Spanish.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 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 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 655 and
657. (e) The NFP.
Areas of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the
HEA (20 U.S.C. 1121(c)), the Secretary consulted with a wide range of
Federal agencies and received recommendations regarding national need
for expertise in foreign language and world regions. These agencies'
recommendations may be viewed on this web page: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/languageneeds.html.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $31,236,116.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FYs 2023, 2024, and 2025
from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $154,500-$351,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $202,500 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 100.
FLAS Fellowship Subsistence Allowances: The subsistence allowance
for a graduate student academic year fellowship is $20,000; the
subsistence allowance for an undergraduate student academic year
fellowship is $5,000. The subsistence allowance for a summer fellowship
is $2,500 for graduate and undergraduate students.
FLAS Fellowship Institutional Payments: The institutional payment
for a graduate student academic year fellowship is $18,000; the
institutional payment for an undergraduate student academic year
fellowship is $10,000. The institutional payment for a summer
fellowship is $5,000 for graduate and undergraduate students.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
The estimated range and average size of awards are based on a single
12-month budget period.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs (as defined in section 101 of the HEA
(20 U.S.C. 1001)) or consortia of IHEs.
2. Eligible Participants: A student is eligible to receive a
fellowship if the student--
(a)(1) Is a citizen or national of the United States; or (2) Is a
permanent resident of the United States;
(b) Is accepted for enrollment or is enrolled--
(1) In an institution receiving an allocation of fellowships; and
(2) In a program that combines modern foreign language training
with (i) area or international studies; or (ii) research and training
in the international aspects of professional and other fields of study;
(c) Shows potential for high academic achievement based on such
indices as grade point average, class ranking, or similar measures that
the institution may determine;
(d) Is enrolled in a program of modern foreign language training in
a language for which the institution has developed or is developing
performance-based instruction;
(e) In the case of an undergraduate student, is in the intermediate
or advanced study of a less commonly taught language; and
(f) In the case of a graduate student, is engaged in--
(1) Predissertation-level study;
(2) Preparation for dissertation research;
(3) Dissertation research abroad; or
(4) Dissertation writing.
3.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
b. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not allow
administrative expenses.
4. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under the
FLAS Program may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out
project activities described in its application.
5. Other: (a) Reasonable and Necessary Costs: Applicants must
ensure that all costs included in the proposed budget are necessary and
reasonable to meet the goals and objectives of the proposed project.
Any costs determined by the Secretary to be unreasonable or unnecessary
will be removed from the final approved budget.
(b) Audits: (i) A non-Federal entity that expends $750,000 or more
during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have
a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in
accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR part 200. (2 CFR 200.501(a))
(ii) A non-Federal entity that expends less than $750,000 during
the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards is exempt from
Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR
200.503 (Relation to Other Audit Requirements), but records must be
available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal
agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office
(GAO). (2 CFR 200.501(d))
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
[[Page 71468]]
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
3. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
656.30(b) and 657.33. We reference additional regulations outlining
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the priorities,
selection criteria, and application requirements that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 50 pages for single institution
applications, and to no more than 60 pages for consortia applications
and (2) use 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, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
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.
The recommended page limit applies to the entirety of the
application narrative. The recommended page limit does not apply to the
Application for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the
supplemental SF 424 form; Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs
(ED 524); the detailed line item budget; the assurances and
certifications, and the response to section 427 of the General
Education Provisions Act; the project abstract, the table of contents,
the list of acronyms, the response to the diverse perspectives/areas of
need requirements, the FLAS project profile form, the FLAS-eligible
languages form, or the appendices (curriculum vitae, course list,
letters of support).
5. Award Basis: In determining whether to approve a grant award and
the amount of such award, the Department will consider, among other
things, the applicant's performance and use of funds under a previous
or existing award under any Department program (34 CFR 75.217(d)(3)(ii)
and 75.233). In assessing the applicant's performance and use of funds
under a previous or existing award, the Secretary will consider, among
other things, the outcomes the applicant has achieved and the results
of any Departmental grant monitoring, including the applicant's
progress in remedying any deficiencies identified in such monitoring.
V. Application Review Information
1. General: For the FY 2022 FLAS competition, all applications will
be assigned to peer review panels based on world region--such as
Africa, South Asia, the Middle East--or international in focus as
specified in the FLAS application. Readers who serve on the peer review
panels are selected based on their expertise in the specialized area
studies, international studies, and modern foreign language(s)
necessary to effectively review, score, and rank the applications
assigned to them. For the FLAS competition, the Department will select
applications for funding consideration based on the ranking of each
application within its distinct regional panel.
2. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this
program are from 34 CFR 657.21. The maximum score under the selection
criteria, taken together with the maximum number of points awarded to
applicants that address the competitive preference priorities, is 110
points.
(a) Commitment to the subject area on which the applicant focuses
(up to 5 points). The Secretary reviews each application for
information to determine--
(1) The extent to which the institution provides financial and
other support to the operation of the applicant, teaching staff for the
applicant's subject area, library resources, and linkages with
institutions abroad; and
(2) The extent to which the institution provides financial support
to students in fields related to the applicant's teaching program.
(b) Quality of the applicant's language instructional program (up
to 14 points). The Secretary reviews each application for information
to determine--
(1) The extent to which the applicant provides instruction in the
languages of the applicant's subject area and the extent to which
students enroll in the study of the languages of the subject area
through programs or instruction offered by the applicant or other
providers;
(2) The extent to which the applicant provides three or more levels
of language training and the extent to which courses in disciplines
other than language, linguistics, and literature are offered in
appropriate foreign languages;
(3) Whether sufficient numbers of language faculty are available to
teach the languages and the levels of instruction described in the
application and the extent to which language teaching staff (including
faculty and instructional assistants) have been exposed to current
language pedagogy training appropriate for performance-based teaching;
and
(4) The quality of the language program as measured by the
performance-based instruction being used or developed, the adequacy of
resources for language teaching and practice, and language proficiency
requirements.
(c) Quality of the applicant's non-language instructional program
(up to 14 points). The Secretary reviews each application for
information to determine--
(1) The quality and extent of the applicant's course offerings in a
variety of disciplines, including the extent to which courses in the
applicant's subject matter are available in the institution's
professional schools;
(2) The extent to which the applicant offers depth of specialized
course coverage in one or more disciplines on the applicant's subject
area;
(3) The extent to which the institution employs a sufficient number
of teaching faculty to enable the applicant to carry out its purposes
and the extent to which instructional assistants are provided with
pedagogy training; and
(4) The extent to which interdisciplinary courses are offered for
students.
(d) Quality of curriculum design (up to 13 points). The Secretary
reviews each application to determine--
(1) The extent to which the applicant's curriculum provides
training options for students from a variety of disciplines and
professional fields and the extent to which these programs and their
requirements (including language requirements) are appropriate for an
applicant in this subject area and result in graduate training programs
of high quality;
[[Page 71469]]
(2) The extent to which the applicant provides academic and career
advising services for students; and
(3) The extent to which the applicant has established formal
arrangements for students to conduct research or study abroad and the
extent to which these arrangements are used; and the extent to which
the institution facilitates student access to other institutions' study
abroad and summer language programs.
(e) Quality of staff resources (up to 13 points). The Secretary
reviews each application to determine--
(1) The extent to which teaching faculty and other staff are
qualified for the current and proposed activities and training
programs, are provided professional development opportunities
(including overseas experience), and participate in teaching,
supervising, and advising students;
(2) The adequacy of applicant staffing and oversight arrangements
and the extent to which faculty from a variety of departments,
professional schools, and the library are involved; and
(3) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its non-
discriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have been
traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic
minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
(f) Strength of library (up to 6 points). The Secretary reviews
each application to determine--
(1) The strength of the institution's library holdings (both print
and non-print, English and foreign language) for students; and the
extent to which the institution provides financial support for the
acquisition of library materials and for library staff in the subject
area of the applicant; and
(2) The extent to which research materials at other institutions
are available to students through cooperative arrangements with other
libraries or on-line databases.
(g) Impact and evaluation (up to 25 points). The Secretary reviews
each application to determine--
(1) The extent to which the applicant's activities and training
programs have contributed to an improved supply of specialists on the
program's subject area as shown through indices such as undergraduate
and graduate enrollments and placement data; and the extent to which
the applicant supplies a clear description of how the applicant will
provide equal access and treatment of eligible project participants who
are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented,
such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons
with disabilities, and the elderly;
(2) The applicant's record of placing students into post-graduate
employment, education, or training in areas of national need and the
applicant's stated efforts to increase the number of such students that
go into such placements;
(3) The degree to which fellowships awarded by the applicant
address national needs; and
(4) The extent to which the applicant provides an evaluation plan
that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quantifiable,
outcome-measure-oriented data; and the extent to which recent
evaluations have been used to improve the applicant's program.
(h) Foreign language and area studies fellowships awardee selection
procedures (up to 10 points). The Secretary reviews each application to
determine whether the selection plan is of high quality, showing how
awards will be advertised, how students apply, what selection criteria
are used, who selects the fellows, when each step will take place, and
how the process will result in awards being made to correspond to any
announced priorities.
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
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
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
4. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this program the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, 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.
5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM).
You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a
Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
6. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with:
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer
[[Page 71470]]
effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
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 version of your GAN. We may also notify you
informally.
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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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 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. 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.
Performance reports for the FLAS Program must be submitted
electronically into the Office of International and Foreign Language
Education web-based reporting system, International Resource
Information System (IRIS). For information about IRIS and to view the
reporting instructions, please go to: https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. If
a grantee is provided additional funding for this purpose, the
Secretary establishes a data collection period.
5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the following measures will be used by the
Department to evaluate the success of the FLAS program:
(a) Percentage of FLAS-graduated fellows who secured employment
that utilizes their foreign language and area studies skills within
eight years after graduation, based on the FLAS tracking survey.
(b) Percentage of FLAS master's and doctoral graduates who studied
priority languages as defined by the Secretary of Education.
(c) Percentage of FLAS fellows who increased their foreign language
reading, writing, and/or listening/speaking scores by at least one
proficiency level.
(d) Efficiency: Cost per FLAS fellowship program fellow who
increased his/her reading, writing, and/or listening/speaking language
score by at least one proficiency level.
The information provided by grantees in their performance reports
submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures.
Reporting screens for institutions can be viewed at: https://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf.
6. 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 in achieving 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, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance
targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document Format (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 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.
Annmarie Weisman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office
of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2021-27230 Filed 12-15-21; 8:45 am]
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