2014-13653. Applications for New Awards; Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language 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) 2014.

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

DATES:

 

Applications Available: June 11, 2014.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 28, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The UISFL Program provides grants for planning, developing, and carrying out programs to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages in the United States.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the notice of final priority for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from 34 CFR 658.35(a).

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2014, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional three or five points depending on whether and how an application meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, and we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1. (3 or 5 points)

Applications from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) (as defined in this notice) or community colleges (as defined in this notice), whether as individual applicants or as part of a consortium of institutions of higher education (IHEs) (consortium) or a partnership between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs (partnership).

An application from a consortium or partnership that has an MSI or community college as the lead applicant will receive more points under this priority than applications where the MSI or community college is a member of a consortium or partnership but not the lead applicant.

A consortium or partnership must undertake activities designed to incorporate foreign languages into the curriculum of the MSI or community college and to improve foreign language and international or area studies instruction on the MSI or community college campus.

For the purpose of this priority:

Community college means an institution that meets the definition in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50 percent of which are not bachelor's degrees (or an equivalent) or master's, professional, or other advanced degrees.

Minority-Serving Institution means an institution that is eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of Title III, under part B of Title III, or under Title V of the HEA.

Note:

We will award either 3 or 5 points to an application that meets this priority. If an MSI or community college is a single applicant, or the lead applicant in a consortium or partnership, the application will receive 5 additional points. If an MSI or community college is a member of a consortium or partnership, but not the lead applicant, the application will receive 3 additional points. No application will receive more than 5 additional points for this priority.

Note:

You may view lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions at the following links: http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ope/​idues/​t3t5-eligibles-2014.pdf,, http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​iduesaitcc/​tribal-newgrantees2013.pdf,, http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​iduesaitcc/​tribal-f-nccgrantees2013.pdf.

The eligibility status is still current for institutions listed at the links above. You may also view the list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities at 34 CFR 608.2.

Competitive Preference Priority 2. (5 points) Applications from an institution of higher education, a consortium of institutions of higher education (IHEs) (consortium), or a partnership between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs (partnership) that require entering students to have successfully completed at least two years of secondary school foreign language instruction or that require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language) or, in the case of a two-year degree granting institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language.

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2014, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1—Priority Languages Selected From the U.S. Department of Education's List of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs)

Applications that propose programs or activities focused on language instruction or the development of area or international studies programs to include language instruction in any of the seventy-eight (78) priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of LCTLs: Akan (Twi-Fante), Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (all dialects), Armenian, Azeri (Azerbaijani), Balochi, Bamanakan (Bamana, Bambara, Mandikan, Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula), Belarusian, Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all languages), Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cebuano (Visayan), Chechen, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Gan), Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Min), Chinese (Wu), Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew (Modern), Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh, Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz, Korean, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish (Sorani), Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala (Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu.

Invitational Priority 2—Heritage Language Programs and Projects

Applications that propose:

(a) Activities to improve the preparation of foreign language teachers who are heritage language speakers or who conduct outreach to the heritage language community;

(b) Programs or projects that engage in collaborative activities with heritage language centers or schools to support the language maintenance and development of heritage language speakers; or

(c) Study-abroad programs for heritage language speakers to expand their opportunities for learning world languages.

For the purpose of the UISFL program, a heritage language speaker is a person who grew up using the language at home or received K-12 education in the language.

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

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655 and 658. (d) The notice of final priority, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

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.

Area of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1121(c)), the Secretary has consulted with and received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into account, and a list of foreign languages and world regions identified by the Secretary as areas of national need may be found on the following Web site: http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ope/​iegps/​consultation-2014.doc.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $2,928,529.

Estimated Range of Awards

For single applicant grants: $70,000-$95,000 each budget year.

For consortia or partnership grants: $80,000-$200,000 each budget year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards

For single applicant grants: $90,000.

For consortia or partnership grants: $150,000.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $95,000 from a single applicant for a 12-month budget period, or a budget exceeding $200,000 from an applicant that is a consortium or partnership 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: 31.

Note:

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

Project Period

For single applicant grants: Up to 24 months. For consortia or partnership grants: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: (1) IHEs; (2) consortia of IHEs; (3) partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and (4) public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations.

2. 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 State and private sector corporation or foundation contributions, equal to one-half of the total project costs. The Secretary may waive or reduce the required matching share for institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA that have submitted an application that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction.

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. See paragraph 4(D) in section V of this notice for further information regarding this requirement.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​grantapps/​index.html. 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 this program 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 listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.

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

Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative to no more than 40 pages, using the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single spaced and will count toward the page limit.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The 40-page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information form required by the Department of Education; Part II, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524); Part IV, assurances, certifications, and the response to section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA); the table of contents; the one-page project abstract; the appendices; or the line item budget. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the application narrative for the purpose of the page-limit requirement.

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

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: June 11, 2014.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 28, 2014.

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

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

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

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

5. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 664.33. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the Department of Education, you must—

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

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

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

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

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

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

Note:

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

If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.

Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​sam-faqs.html.

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

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

a. Electronic Submission of Applications

Applications for grants under the UISFL Program, CFDA number 84.016A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.

You may access the electronic grant application for the UISFL Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.016, not 84.016A).

Please note the following:

• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home page at www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: The Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by email. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

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

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

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

Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because—

• You do not have access to the Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system;

and

• No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.

If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

Address and mail or fax your statement to: Tanyelle Richardson, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6101, 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 three copies of your application, by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.016A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

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

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

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

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

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

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 658.31, 658.32, 658.33, and 655.32 and are listed in this section. The maximum score for all of the criteria, including the competitive preference priorities, is 110 points.

All Applications. All applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) Plan of operation (15 points); (b) Quality of key personnel (10 points); (c) Budget and cost effectiveness (10 points); (d) Evaluation plan (20 points); and (e) Adequacy of resources (5 points).

Applications from IHEs, consortia, or partnerships. All applications submitted by an IHE or a consortia or partnership will also be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) Commitment to international studies (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 Public and Private Nonprofit Agencies and Organizations, Including Professional and Scholarly Associations. All applications from public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations, will also be evaluated based on the following criterion: Need for and potential impact of the proposed project in improving international studies and the study of modern foreign language at the undergraduate level (40 points).

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 IHEs	UISFL Consortia and partnerships	UISFL Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations
Plan of Operation	15	15	15
Key Personnel	10	10	10
Budget & Cost Effectiveness	10	10	10
Evaluation Plan	20	20	20
Adequacy of Resources	5	5	5
Commitment to International Studies	15	15	n/a
Elements of Proposed International Studies Program	10	10	n/a
Need for & Prospective Results of Proposed Program	15	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	n/a	40
Sub-Total	100	100	100
Competitive Preference Priority #1 (Optional)	5	5	n/a
Competitive Preference Priority #2 (Optional)	5	5	n/a
Total Possible Points	110	110	100

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

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

3. 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.

4. Application Requirements: In addition to any other requirements outlined in the application package for this program, section 604(a)(7) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(7), requires that each application from an IHE, consortia, or partnership include—

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

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

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

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

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

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

(G) A description of how the applicant will encourage service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, also.

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

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

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

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

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as specified by the Secretary. If you receive a 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 online data and reporting system, the International Resource Information System (IRIS), to complete their interim and final reports. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c).

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, as updated by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 on January 4, 2011, the Department will use the following performance measures to evaluate the success of the UISFL Program: percentage of UISFL projects that added or enhanced courses in international studies in critical world areas and priority foreign languages; and percentage of UISFL consortium projects that established certificate and/or undergraduate degree programs in international or foreign language studies.

The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS will be the source of data for these measures.

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:

Tanyelle Richardson, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., 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 computer disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/​fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or 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 function at www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated: June 6, 2014.

Lynn B. Mahaffie,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.