2012-11680. Applications for New Awards; Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program

AGENCY:

Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION:

Notice.

Overview Information:

Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program.

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.

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

Dates:

Applications Available: May 15, 2012.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 29, 2012.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 28, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The UISFL program provides grants to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), Competitive Preference Priority 1—Increasing Foreign Language Capacity is from section 604(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Competitive Preference Priority 2—Expanding Opportunities for Learning Foreign Languages and Increasing In-service Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Teachers is from section 604(a)(2)(B)(ii) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2012, 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—Increasing Foreign Language Capacity and up to an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2—Expanding Opportunities for Learning Foreign Languages and Increasing In-service Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Teachers.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1—Increasing Foreign Language Capacity. Applications from institutions of higher education (IHEs), consortia, or partnerships of these institutions that require entering students to have successfully completed at least two years of secondary school foreign language instruction or that require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language) or, in the case of a 2-year degree granting institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language.

Competitive Preference Priority 2—Expanding Opportunities for Learning Foreign Languages and Increasing In-service Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Teachers. Applications that expand opportunities for learning foreign languages, including less commonly taught languages; or that support in-service teacher professional development. Note: Applicants addressing the priority on expanding opportunities for learning foreign languages might want to consider projects that would expand curriculum offerings to include courses in any of the 78 priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) that would otherwise not be offered or courses that would enable undergraduates to achieve a more advanced level of proficiency in a less commonly taught language that would otherwise not have been possible.

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2012, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets either of these priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1—Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Community Colleges.

Background: In the past, recipients of international education funding consisted primarily of traditional four-year institutions and few MSIs. The Secretary believes that international education opportunities should be available to all U.S. postsecondary students from all types of IHEs. Thus, the Secretary is interested in increasing the diversity of institutions funded through the UISFL program by inviting applicants representing a variety of types of institutions, including MSIs eligible for assistance under Part A or B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA and community colleges, to apply for funding under this competition.

Priority:

We encourage applications MSIs, especially those that are eligible to receive assistance under Part A or B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA, and from community colleges.

Invitational Priority 2—Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs).

We encourage 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 Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs).

This list includes the following: 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.

Note:

The Secretary developed this list of languages in accordance with section 601(c) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1121(c), in consultation with the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. As part of this consultation, the Secretary also received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into account in developing this this list of priority languages. A list of foreign languages and world regions identified as areas of national need may be found using at the following Web sites: http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ope/​iegps/​languageneeds.html and http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ope/​iegps/​consultation-2012.pdf.

Also included on these Web sites are the specific recommendations the Secretary received from Federal agencies.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1124.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (b) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (c) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and 658.

Note:

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

Note:

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

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $1,794,040.

Estimated Range of Awards: For single applicant grants: $70,000-$120,000. For consortia grants: $80,000-$200,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: For single applicant grants: $89,000. For consortia grants: $140,000.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $120,000 from a single applicant for a 12-month budget period, or a budget exceeding $200,000 from an applicant that is a consortium of IHEs/organizations/associations for a 12-month budget period. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 15.

Note:

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

Project Period: For single applicant grants: Up to 24 months. For consortia 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. a. 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 contributions from State and private sector corporations or foundations, 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 Part V. paragraph 5.(D) 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: http://grants.gov. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: [phone]. 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: [e-mail].

If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the competition as follows: CFDA number 84.016A.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.

Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative 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 or 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, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification (ED Form 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; or the appendices. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the program narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit requirement.

We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: May 15, 2012.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 29, 2012.

Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 28, 2012.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the Department of Education, (1) you must—

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow two-to-five weeks for your TIN to become active.

The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp.

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Applications for grants under the 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 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 competition 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 competition 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 http://www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document Format) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by email. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time, or if the technical problems 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: Michelle Guilfoil, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., room 6098, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: [phone].

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.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note:

The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.016A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

1. General: For the FY 2012 UISFL competition, applications are randomly grouped regardless of language or area studies region. International education experts are organized into panels of three and will review each application.

2. 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.

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); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); and (e) Adequacy of resources (5 points).

Applications from IHEs, or combinations of IHEs.

All applications submitted by an IHE or a consortium/partnership of IHEs will also be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) Commitment to international education (15 points); (b) Elements of the proposed international studies program (10 points); and (c) Need for and prospective results of the proposed program (15 points).

Applications from Educational Organizations and Associations. All applications from non-profit educational organizations and associations will also be evaluated based on the following criterion: (a) Commitment to international education (10 points); and (b) Need for and potential impact of the proposed project in improving international studies and the study of modern foreign language at the undergraduate level (30 points).

Additional information regarding these criteria is in the application package for this program. The total number of points available under these selection criteria, combined with the competitive preference priorities is as follows:

Selection criteria	UISFL institutional applications	UISFL organizations & associations
Plan of Operation	15	15
Key Personnel	10	10
Budget & Cost Effectiveness	10	10
Evaluation Plan	20	20
Adequacy of Resources	5	5
Commitment to International Education	15	10
Elements of Proposed International Studies Program	10	n/a
Need for & Prospective Results of Proposed Program	15	n/a
Need for & Potential Impact of the Proposed Project in Improving International Studies & the Study of Modern Foreign Languages at the Undergraduate Level	n/a	30
Sub-Total	100	100
Additional Competitive Preference Priorities (Optional)	10	10
Total Possible Points	110	110

3. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

5. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7) of the HEA requires that each application include—

(A) Evidence that the applicant has conducted extensive planning prior to submitting the application;

(B) An assurance that the faculty and administrators of all relevant departments and programs served by the applicant are involved in ongoing collaboration with regard to achieving the stated objectives of the application;

(C) An assurance that students at the applicant institutions, as appropriate, will have equal access to, and derive benefits from, the UISFL program;

(D) An assurance that each institution, combination or partnership will use the Federal assistance provided under the UISFL program to supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds the institution expends for programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages;

(E) A description of how the applicant will provide information to students regarding federally funded scholarship programs in related areas;

(F) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs, where applicable; and

(G) A description of how the applicant will encourage service in 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). We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data instrument International Resource Information System (IRIS) to complete the final report. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, recently updated with the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 on January 4, 2011, the Department will use the following performance measure to evaluate the success of the UISFL program:

Percentage of critical languages addressed/covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs created or enhanced; or by language courses created or enhanced; or by faculty or instructor positions created with UISFL or matching funds in the reporting period.

The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for this measure. Reporting screens for institutions can be viewed at: http://iris.ed.gov/​iris/​pdfs/​uisfl.pdf.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes the review of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Guilfoil, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6098, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: [phone] or by email: [e-mail].

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 compact 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: http://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 Adobe 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.

Dated: May 9, 2012.

Eduardo M. Ochoa,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.