Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)

Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)

Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP)

PROGRAM FOR NORTH AMERICAN MOBILITY 

IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Guidelines and Application Materials

Fiscal Year 2003

Application Due Date: April 11, 2003

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GUIDELINES 3

Introduction 3

Background 3

Awards 3

Program Principles 3

Objectives 4

Scope of the Program 4

The Consortia Partnerships 4

The Cooperative Projects 5

The Cooperative Activities 5

The Students 8

Student Mobility 8

Student Recruitment 8

Academic Credit 8

Language Preparation 9

Fees 9

Student Stipends 9

Student Support 9

Preparatory Phase 9

Financial Considerations 10

Country Support 10

Awards and Institutional 

Commitment 10

Annual Meeting 10

Selection of Projects 11

Application Procedures 12

Submission Process 14

Electronic Submission 14

Parity Guidelines 16

Paperwork Burden 19

Consortial Partner Form 20

US Partner 21

Canadian Partner 22

Mexican Partner 23

Title Page 24

Instructions 25

Budget Summary 26

Assurances 27

Certifications 29

Additional Requirements 31

Checklist (inside back cover)

 

 
3

GUIDELINES

Introduction

The Program for North American Mobility in 

Higher Education is a grant competition run 

cooperatively by the governments of the 

United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 

purpose of this competition is to promote a 

student-centered, North American dimension 

to education and training in a wide range of 

academic and professional disciplines. The 

Program will fund collaborative efforts in the 

form of consortia consisting of at least two 

academic institutions from each country. The 

funding period will be for up to four years. This 

is the fourth grant competition for this 

program. 

The governments of the United States, 

Canada, and Mexico have all issued similar 

guidelines. Some differences do exist to 

reflect country-specific needs. Applicants 

from each country should use only the 

guidelines issued by their government 

when completing the application packet.

Background

The Program for North American Mobility in 

Higher Education fosters student exchange 

within the context of multilateral curricular 

development. Students benefit from having 

an added "North American" curriculum and 

cultural dimension to their studies through a 

combination of trilateral curricular innovation 

and study abroad. The Program is 

administrated collectively by the Fund for the 

Improvement of Postsecondary Education 

(FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education; 

Human Resources Development Canada 

(HRDC); and in Mexico by the Dirección de 

Desarollo Universitario, Secretaría de 

Educación Pública (SEP). 

Conceived in the spirit of the North American 

Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the first 

grant

competition for this Program was held in 1995 

followed by competitions in 1996, 1997, 

2000, 2001, and 2002. Since 1995, a total of 

58 consortia have been funded involving over 

330 institutions of higher education and 

related non-profit organizations.

Awards

Grants for the Program for North American 

Mobility in Higher Education will provide four 

years of funding. As in the last competitions, 

each country will provide support only for 

participating institutions within its borders. We 

anticipate that Fiscal Year 2003 projects will

begin as early as September 1, 2003, but no 

later than November 1, 2003. We estimate 

that 10 new consortium grants will be made. 

Most grants will be for four years of funding, 

including a first-year preparatory phase (see 

below). Grants for the US consortia will likely 

be on the order of US $200,000 for the fouryear period. 

Program Principles

The principles of this program are based on 

recommendations that emerged from the 

Guadalajara Conference of 1996, the 

Vancouver Communiqué of 1993, and the 

Wingspread Declaration of 1992, which called 

for strengthened cooperation in higher 

education, research, and training among the 

United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

The current grant guidelines are essentially 

similar in principle to the guidelines used in 

the 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002 

competitions but reflect revisions based on 

lessons learned from the experiences of past 

funding rounds. One important change, first 

instituted in the 2000 competition, has been 

the lengthening of project periods from three 

to four years by adding a first-year preparatory 

phase. Consortia in the past generally needed 

more time to prepare an administrative 

infrastructure before they began sending 

students abroad for study. Administrative 

agreements in the form of formal memoranda 
4

of understanding are key to the smooth 

operation and development of consortium 

projects as well as the ultimate 

institutionalization of these projects at all of 

the participating colleges and universities. 

The new first-year preparatory phase will 

allow grantees to formalize the consortium 

agreements on issues such as credit 

recognition and/or transfer among institutions; 

fees and tuition arrangements; language 

requirements; and student visa requirements. 

These administrative issues have been so 

important to the development of good projects 

that FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP decided to make 

funding subsequent to the preparatory phase 

contingent upon a consortium's satisfactory 

progress in these areas. 

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP have revised these 

guidelines to emphasize better the importance 

of curriculum development, language and 

cultural preparation, and student mobility. 

Objectives

The purpose of this competition is to promote 

a student-centered, North American 

dimension to education and training in a wide 

range of academic and professional 

disciplines that complement existing forms of 

bilateral and trilateral exchange programs 

among the three countries. 

The Program aims to improve the quality of 

human resource development in the three 

countries and to explore ways to prepare 

students for work throughout North America 

through –

1. the mutual recognition and portability of 

academic credits among North American 

institutions; 

2. the development of shared, common, or 

core curricula among North American 

institutions; 

3. the acquisition of the languages and 

exposure to the cultures of the United States, 

Canada, and Mexico; 

4. the development of student apprenticeships 

or other work related experiences; and 

5. an increased cooperation and exchange 

among academic personnel among North 

American institutions. 

This program encourages consortia to achieve 

these objectives by extending partnerships 

beyond higher education and training 

institutions to include others such as business, 

professional associations, and public 

authorities in the three countries. 

Scope of the Program

This initiative will support a limited number of 

innovative projects, which can best be carried 

out through multilateral groupings. The 

Program is not designed or intended to 

duplicate activities, which are, or can be, 

carried out on a bilateral basis between the 

United States and Canada or the United 

States and Mexico. 

The Consortia Partnerships

Your proposed consortium must involve at 

least two active partner higher education or 

training institutions from each of the three 

countries involved. Partnerships among 

institutions in different states in the United 

States and Mexico and from different 

provinces in Canada will be preferred. You 

may also add third and subsequent partners 

from other education and training institutions 

or other relevant organizations (e.g. 

businesses, non-governmental organizations, 

publishers, government departments, 

chambers of commerce, research institutes, 

etc.) in the same or other states or provinces. 

Please note, however, that funding is intended 

only for academic institutions in each 

consortium. You should make sure that there 

is parity in the number of academic institutions 

from each country involved in each 

consortium. Make sure that all of your 

academic institutions intend to participate fully 

in the project. 

Your consortia should nominate one lead 

institution from the United States and one 

each from Canada and Mexico. In the case of 

Mexico, the lead must be a public institution. 

The members of your consortium must jointly 

prepare a common proposal. The lead 

institution in each country then must submit a 

separate proposal to its respective 

government agency (see a listing under 

Submission Process). Though guidelines 
5

published by all three governments are 

essentially the same, you should make sure 

that each lead institution refers to its 

respective government guidelines as different 

country-specific needs and requirements do 

apply. 

Each partner institution should include in the 

proposal a letter of endorsement from the 

senior executive officer (e.g., rector, vicechancellor, president) as well as from other 

officials responsible for international student 

activities (directors of international affairs, 

registrar, academic deans and/or department 

heads). These letters should indicate how the 

project fits within the international strategy of 

the institution and should emphasize how this 

project will complement that strategy. 

Endorsement letters should also indicate the 

institution's willingness and intent to sign 

agreements on credit transfer and tuition fee 

waivers with partner institutions. Letters 

should detail how the institution intends to 

support this program in the areas of 

institutional financial commitment, student 

language preparation, and student tuition and 

fees. 

You may create new partnerships or build on 

existing international or domestic linkages. 

Projects, however, must be new; you should 

not simply duplicate or extend existing 

activities. 

It is important that you clearly indicate each 

partner's contribution to the joint project in 

addition to the description of the project 

director at each institution. You should also 

include descriptions of all project staff who will 

be involved. 

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP give a high priority to 

ensuring the broadest possible participation in 

the Program. Given the relatively small 

number of projects that can be funded, 

individual departments, and academic or 

professional programs should not apply to 

participate in more than one consortium 

project at any given time. 

The Cooperative Projects

Your project should draw upon and 

complement the international mission and 

staff expertise of each of the member 

institutions of the consortium. It is important 

that your project be clearly student-centered 

rather than research-oriented. When 

designing a project, you should always keep 

in mind the potential academic and 

professional impact that this project will have 

on students from all three countries. You 

should clearly describe the target student 

population (e.g., fourth-year undergraduate 

business students at a university; second-year 

students of aviation mechanics at a technical 

college). You should also state the number of 

students who will benefit from the project. 

All disciplinary fields, including the Arts and 

Humanities, as well as cross-disciplinary 

studies, both at graduate and undergraduate 

levels, are eligible for consideration. FIPSE, 

HRDC, and SEP have a strong interest in 

supporting projects designed to increase 

professional mobility in fields that are of 

relevance to the evolving North American 

trade relationship, the environment and 

sustainable development, public health, and 

human resources development. 

The Cooperative Activities

Successful trilateral projects are ones that 

clearly integrate curriculum development and 

student mobility in a meaningful way. Your 

project needs to focus on its own innovative 

"North American" approach to training and 

education. The activities should aim not only 

to send students abroad, but also to integrate 

a new perspective into what one learns and 

how one learns. 

While you design new curriculum, you should 

aim to fully integrate students into the normal 

academic and cultural milieu of the host 

institution and community. Students should 

take most, or all, of their courses at the host 

institution alongside native students, rather 

than in special courses for foreign students. 

Competitive proposals will focus on the 

following key activities: 
6

• Development of organizational 

frameworks for student mobility, 

which include full transfer and/or 

recognition of credit for study 

abroad. 

You should identify the groups of 

students who will participate in the 

proposed project. Experience shows 

that projects work best if they target 

advanced undergraduate students at 

two- or four-year colleges or graduate 

students in their second or third years. 

This arrangement allows for planning 

and recruitment for study abroad well 

before student departure to the 

partner institutions. It also allows for 

adequate foreign language training for 

students and gives students more time 

to plan for their trip. Your proposal 

should explain how long a student will 

be studying abroad and how credit for 

academic work at the partner 

institutions will be transferred to or 

recognized by the student's home 

institution. Note that student 

participation in these programs should 

not prolong time to degree. 

• Development of innovative 

curricula, teaching materials, 

methods and modules. 

Your proposal should address an 

important curricular problem or need 

and describe a strategy to address it. 

Your proposal should address how 

your project implements a new 

educational program or improves 

current practice to prepare students to 

work in an international context. 

Please detail the program of study in 

terms of the courses, research 

training, internships, or work 

placements that students might 

typically take at both the home and the 

host institution. You should indicate 

whether the proposed curriculum is 

based on existing courses offered at 

partner institutions or will involve new 

courses that are to be developed by 

the consortium. Your proposal should 

address how the students' experience 

abroad will be integrated into the 

existing academic program prior to 

and following study abroad. You 

should describe all additional activities 

which you plan to organize which may 

include intensive programs, faculty 

exchanges, development of teaching 

materials, use of new technologies 

and/or the integration of distance 

learning. 

• Development of adequate language 

preparation and assessment. 

You should explain in detail how 

students will gain language proficiency 

adequate enough to participate in 

studies at the host institution. Discuss 

what level of language proficiency you 

are targeting and why. Discuss the 

resources you will be drawing upon to 

achieve language proficiency. An 

example might be how your foreign 

language departments will play a role 

in training departing students in 

French and/or Spanish. You should 

discuss how the U.S. host institution 

helps in-coming students with the 

improvement of English skills if they 

need it. You should also discuss how 

you will assess if students are ready 

for instruction in a language other than 

their own. Please note that consortia 

that propose to offer courses or 

seminars only in English will not be 

considered competitive. 

Language proficiency is key to a 

student's integration in the academic 

culture of the host institution. 

• Development, where appropriate, of 

apprenticeships or work 

placements. 

If your project involves work 

experience, you should address how 

you will establish and organize student 

apprenticeship opportunities or work 

placements in one or both of the 

partner countries. This includes how 

long the apprenticeship or work 

placement will last and how it will 

conform to the applicable laws and 

regulations of the host country. Please 
7

discuss who will oversee internships. 

You should describe how students will 

build upon this experience upon their 

return. 

• Development, where appropriate, of 

a cross-national framework for 

professional certification, licensure 

and/or program accreditation for 

North America. 

If your project focuses on professional 

education, you should discuss how 

your project will work with private, 

state, and national professional 

associations and/or accrediting 

organizations to develop means for 

international quality assurance and 

certification. 

• Development of a strong project 

evaluation plan. 

Formative evaluation helps with 

project management and a strong 

summative evaluation helps projects 

become models for other institutions 

and consortia to follow. You should 

develop a detailed evaluation plan 

which states the goals of your project 

and indicates what qualitative and 

quantitative evidence you will gather 

to measure the success of your 

project. You should list the name of an 

external evaluator who will help you 

with the evaluation. 

• Submission of an annual 

performance report. 

The US, Canadian, and Mexican 

funding agencies will carefully monitor 

the progress of projects towards their 

goals through communication with 

their respective lead and partner 

institutions and through 

communication among themselves. 

Each project leader will be required to 

submit to their respective government 

agency an annual progress report, 

which discusses progress on project 

goals, including curricular 

development, student mobility, and 

project expenditures. Annual reports 

must include submissions from all 

partner institutions covering their 

activities as well. 

• Participation in annual meetings. 

An important part of the Program for 

North American Mobility in Higher 

Education is the Annual Meeting, held 

over a period of about three days on a 

rotating basis in each of the partner 

countries. This meeting is intended to 

serve as a medium where different 

consortia can meet together to share 

ideas on what works. It is also

intended as a forum for discussion to 

help guide the three funding agencies 

to make important trilateral decisions 

on how best to coordinate this 

program. Consortia are also given 

time during the Annual Meeting to 

meet as a group by themselves as 

well as with their program officers from 

the three countries. Please make sure 

that your budget includes funding to 

support adequate participation in 

these meetings. 

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP also will consider 

applications that integrate, in addition to the 

activities described above, other innovative 

approaches to affect successful trilateral 

cooperation in higher education. Some 

examples might be:

New web-based and other computer-based 

technologies to enhance the collaborative 

development of a trilateral project. 

You may wish to use new distance learning 

technologies to enhance intra-project 

communication, curriculum development, 

teaching and learning, and preparation of 

students among the three countries. Further, 

new technologies can be used to expand 

access to the project. A consortium, for 

example, can use the Web to give access to 

all students at their participating institutions to 

course material that is part of the common 

core established by the consortium, commonly 

developed by the consortium, or available at 

each of the partner institutions. 
8

Short intensive programs to enhance regular 

student exchanges. 

In addition to longer semester or year-length 

student exchanges, applicants may also plan 

to create shorter, intensive programs which 

engage larger numbers of students for shorter 

periods of times (3-4 weeks). Explain how the 

intensive programs are well integrated into the 

students' regular curriculum. You should 

outline efforts and plans to promote language 

proficiency for students who will participate in 

short intensive programs, just as you would 

for students participating in longer exchanges. 

The Students

One important objective of the North American 

program is to develop ongoing structured 

opportunities to allow students to pursue 

academic or professional studies in partner 

countries other than their own. For this 

reason, the three governments are interested 

in projects that will continue to facilitate 

student mobility well after the end of the grant 

period. 

Your application should focus on the impact 

your idea has on students. This means that 

you should address student mobility in detail. 

You should discuss what value your project 

adds to your particular field of study through a 

North American approach and how you 

believe students will benefit academically and 

professionally from such a perspective. Make 

sure that you cover in detail the student 

related issues covered in the cooperative 

activities section above and the student 

mobility section below (curricular 

development, academic recognition, language 

and cultural preparation, tuition and fees, 

student service support). 

Student Mobility Numbers and 

Duration

Number: On average, you should plan for 

each partner institution to move no fewer than 

seven (7) students over the life of the project. 

Proposals for moving a greater number of 

students will be considered more competitive. 

Duration: Participating students from all 

partner institutions should have 

opportunities to study at one or more 

foreign member institutions for a period of 

one, or preferably two, semesters. If your 

project involves internships, the duration 

of time abroad may be longer. 

Student Recruitment

A major factor contributing to the success of 

consortia is a good plan for student 

recruitment. Your student recruitment plan 

should be forward thinking, targeting first- and 

second-year students as well as graduating 

high school students as potential recruits for 

your new program. Since language learning is 

a key component of this program, get students 

thinking about the program early and help 

guide students to make the proper course 

choices to ensure that they can acquire an 

adequate level of language proficiency in 

advance. You should discuss how you intend 

to provide access to a broad representation of 

the student population with respect to 

ethnicity, sex, and economic status. 

Academic Credit Recognition

In order to assure that students do not 

increase their time to degree, you must make 

sure that students who study abroad can get 

academic credit for their work at their home 

institution. You should outline in detail how 

you intend to ensure full academic credit 

recognition for a student's study time abroad. 

You should discuss what formal administrative 

assurances home institutions will provide 

students that their study abroad will be fully 

credited upon their return and how student 

academic work will be evaluated from one 

consortium institution to the next. Please note 

that formal agreements for credit recognition 

must be signed by participating institutions by 

the end of the preparatory phase. 

The content of the individual's study program 

must be agreed to in writing by the home and 

host institutions and the individual student 

concerned before the student's departure. 

This should indicate the home institution's 

assurance that the study abroad, if 

successfully completed, will be recognized as 

fulfilling a comparable period of study in the 

home institution. 
9

Language/Cultural Preparation

Since a key objective of this Program is to 

encourage and enable students to experience 

an academic, cultural, and linguistic milieu 

different from their own, you must clearly 

address the cultural and linguistic instruction 

you plan to give students before, during, and 

after their study abroad period. Language 

preparation includes a means for determining 

whether students have sufficient language 

proficiency to study in the language of the 

host country and host institution. You should 

also discuss a strategy for ensuring that 

students can acquire an appropriate level of 

proficiency. Please describe what institutional 

and other resources will be used to prepare 

students or guest students to study within the 

framework of the program (foreign language 

education, testing and assessment programs 

or other related services). 

Fees

Students studying abroad will pay the usual 

tuition and fees at their home institution and 

should incur no additional payments to the 

host institution. This includes fees for tuition, 

registration, examinations, and the use of 

library and laboratory facilities. 

Student Stipends

Student stipend money is intended to offset 

additional costs incurred by students traveling 

abroad over the costs of remaining at the 

home institution (see section on financial 

considerations). Legitimate costs include 

travel, room and board expenses. Stipend 

money must not be used for tuition or fees 

(see “Fees”). The amount of money allotted a 

student for study abroad should reflect the 

additional cost incurred. Students who study 

for shorter times or in less expensive cities 

should receive less money than students who 

study for longer periods of time or in more 

expensive places. The maximum amount of 

federal stipend money allotted to any one US 

student may not exceed $3,000. Please note 

that student mobility money is intended for 

foreign study only. This means that stipends 

may not be used to move students to 

institutions in their own countries. 

Student Support and Services

You should discuss what student services you 

will provide to help students navigate these 

new programs at both the home and the host 

institutions in all three countries. The aim is to 

ensure that participating students are well 

prepared for a foreign study experience and 

that they will be received in an appropriate 

manner at host institutions. You should 

include details about pre-departure orientation 

activities at the home institutions and 

reception and orientation activities at receiving 

institutions. You should also identify how 

returning students will be integrated into their 

home institutions following their international 

study experiences. 

Preparatory Phase - First Year 

of Project

Successful North American projects are built 

upon strong inter-institutional agreements that 

are confirmed by signed memoranda of 

understanding among institutional partners. 

For this reason, the three governments have 

decided to support an initial year of funding to 

allow grantees to complete administrative 

planning and cooperative trilateral 

arrangements at the inter-institutional level. 

Student mobility will begin only after the 

successful completion of the preparatory 

phase (but no later than the end of the second 

year of the project). During the first year, 

consortia must formalize agreements in the 

following areas: 

• institutional financial commitment to 

the project. 

• financial sustainability beyond the 

government funding period. 

• student recruitment and selection. 

• student language preparation. 

• student tuition and fees. 

• student credit transfer and/or 

recognition. 

• faculty and curricular development. 

In order to ensure the success of the entire 

project, funding for the subsequent three 

years will be contingent upon satisfactory 

achievements during the preparatory first 

year. Evidence must clearly demonstrate that 
10

all institutional partners are fully committed to 

work together and that formal arrangements 

are in place to achieve goals and objectives in 

all of the areas identified above. 

As a minimum requirement, by the end of the 

first year the trilateral consortium will be 

required to submit to the three funding 

authorities copies of formal agreements 

signed by all partner institutions with respect 

to (a) academic credit transfer and 

recognition, and (b) student tuition and fees. 

Projects that do not satisfactorily meet 

these preparatory requirements by the end 

of the first year will not be extended 

government support beyond that point.

IMPORTANT: The preparatory phase of the 

project does not reduce the need for you to 

develop and present clear and detailed plans 

of action and signed support letters from all of 

your partner institutions at the time of 

application. The application must be 

completely and fully developed, including a 

section on the preparatory phase that 

describes plans to address the issues 

identified above. 

Financial Considerations

Grants for the Program for North American 

Mobility in Higher Education will provide four 

years of funding. Most grants will be for four 

years of funding, including a first-year 

preparatory phase (see below). Each country 

will provide support only for participating 

institutions within its borders. Awards are 

intended to provide seed funding for carrying 

out joint innovative projects, which can be 

established within this period and which, once 

established, can be continued without ongoing 

program support. It is essential that you 

indicate in your proposal how activities will be 

sustained beyond the funding period. 

Your projects should be cost-effective in their 

design and administration. The most 

competitive proposals will attempt to maximize 

the number of students going abroad through 

wise use of stipends and other institutional 

resources. 

Country Support

Each government will provide financial 

support only for participating institutions within 

its borders. You should note that funding 

levels provided by each country may vary. We 

recommend that funding arrangements be 

worked out by consortium members prior to 

submitting a proposal. 

The United States will provide a total of 

approximately $2 million over four years to 

support the participation of US institutions and 

students in these consortia. Canada and 

Mexico will each provide financial support for 

their participants. 

For US institutions, financial support per 

consortium for the life of the project is 

anticipated to be on the order of $200,000. US 

consortium members should limit their budget 

to $30,000 for all US partners for the first-year 

preparatory phase. US institutions may also 

request funds in years two, three, and four for 

the purposes of curriculum development. This 

might involve covering the costs to host a 

consortia meeting at a US partner institution 

or to attend such a meeting at a Mexican or 

Canadian partner institution. Curricular 

development money may also be used to 

supplement costs related to Web site 

development if they are directly related to the 

project. Student mobility funds should not be 

budgeted in the first year of the grant. 

Awards and Institutional 

Commitment

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP will award funding to 

successful consortia via the lead partner in 

each country. Awards are intended to cover a 

portion of the total costs of the activities to be 

undertaken. As the project is intended to be of 

long-term benefit to the partner institutions 

and their students, your institutions should 

make a substantial contribution to the project 

as evidence of their commitment to its 

objectives. 

Annual Meeting

You should include in your budget costs for 

the Annual Meeting for all partners from your 
11

respective countries. We anticipate that the 

2002 Annual Meeting will be held in Mexico 

during mid-November. The 2003 Annual 

Meeting will be held in the US and the 2004 

Annual Meeting will be held in Canada.

Selection of Projects

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP, assisted by panels 

of independent experts, will make selections 

on a trilateral basis. While overall attention will 

be paid to a balance of benefits, to good 

geographic spread, and to supporting a 

diverse range of institutions, reviewers will 

judge the proposals primarily on the basis of 

the following four selection criteria, weighted 

equally:

1. The significance of the proposed 

project, as determined by –

• The extent to which the 

proposed project involves the 

development or demonstration 

of promising new strategies 

that build on, or are 

alternatives to, existing 

strategies; 

• The likely utility of the products 

(such as information, 

materials, processes, or 

techniques) that will result 

from the proposed project, 

including the potential for their 

being used in a variety of other 

settings; and 

• The importance or magnitude 

of the results or outcomes 

likely to be attained by the 

proposed project, especially 

improvements in teaching and 

student achievement. 

You should describe the nature and 

scope of the proposed project, the key 

elements and reasons for the 

proposed partnership, and the 

particular North American context and 

perspective of the project. How central 

is the program to the vitality of 

developing a North American 

dimension to your discipline or 

profession? What will be the national 

and international consequences of a 

successful completion of the project? 

How are other institutions of higher 

education likely to benefit or learn 

from your experience in ways that 

would enable them to provide a North 

American perspective to your 

discipline or profession?

2. The quality of the design of the 

proposed project, as determined by 

–

• The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to 

be achieved by the proposed 

project are clearly specified 

and measurable; and 

• The extent to which the design 

of the proposed project is 

appropriate to, and will 

successfully address, the 

needs of the target population 

or other identified needs. 

Your narrative should offer reviewers 

a clear description of the roles of each 

partner. It should cover who will do 

what, when, where, and with what 

anticipated results. Your strategies 

should be carefully designed to 

address the central purpose of your 

project, based on your own research 

and experience, and based on 

previous experience by others. 

Scatter-shot approaches to vaguely 

defined problems make poor 

prospects for funding. The project's 

goals and objectives should be clearly 

identified and measurable.

3. The adequacy of resources, as 

determined by –

• The extent to which the costs 

are reasonable in relation to 

the objectives, design, and 

potential significance of the 

proposed project; 

• The potential for continued 

support of the project after 

FIPSE/HDRC/SEP funding 

ends, including, as 

appropriate, the demonstrated 
12

commitment of appropriate 

entities to such support; and 

• The relevance and 

demonstrated commitment of 

each partner in the proposed 

project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

It is important to provide evidence that 

the plans you propose have the 

support of those who will authorize 

them, those who will carry them out, 

and those who will be affected by 

them. You should include in your 

proposal, in an appendix, letters of 

commitment and support from senior 

administrators of members of the 

consortium. You may also include 

endorsements by national or 

international experts in your field to 

support the significance of your 

project. Applicants are advised that 

the quality of the letters of support is 

important, not the quantity. 

An important element of your design is 

the level of commitment from all of the 

partners in the consortium. Partners 

should not be selected only because 

of name recognition or size. Partners 

should be selected for the 

demonstrated level of interest in being 

part of the project as well for providing 

evidence for making a substantial 

commitment to the success of the 

project. 

4. The quality of the project 

personnel, as determined by –

• the qualifications, including 

training and experience, of key 

project personnel; and 

• the extent to which the 

applicant encourages 

applications for employment 

from persons who are 

members that have 

traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 

color, national origin, gender, 

age, or disability. 

The qualifications of key personnel, 

including the project director at the 

lead institution and the staff at the 

partner institutions, should be briefly 

outlined in an appendix to the 

proposal. Please note that a standard 

curriculum vita is not appropriate for 

this purpose. What is needed is a 

short-form résumé 

and a brief narrative summary of each 

individual's background, with a special 

focus on those experiences related to 

the topic of your proposal. 

Application Procedures

Each North American consortium should 

prepare a common proposal that contains the 

following elements. The proposal should 

contain sufficient information and details to 

allow the evaluators to judge the capacity of 

the project to meet the objectives of the North 

American Program. You and your Canadian 

and Mexican lead partners should submit to 

FIPSE, HRDC, and SEP proposals that are 

identical in content. Please be sure to use the 

attached consortium partner identification 

forms. 

 1. TITLE PAGE. Please use the

enclosed Title Page (substitutes for 

Form ED 424) and refer to the

 corresponding instructions. In the 

 section "Abstract of the Project", you

 should indicate the total number of

 students in each country to be

 moved during the project. 

2. ONE PAGE SUMMARY. This 

overview should outline the key 

features of the project including the 

total number of students from each 

institution being exchanged over the 

duration of the project. The summary 

should include the following items: 

• Title of project. 

• Summary of program and 

project activities. 

• List of U.S., Canadian, and 

Mexican consortium 

institutions. 
13

• Number of U.S., Canadian, 

and Mexican students targeted 

for study abroad. 

• Length of study abroad time. 

• Number of planned trilateral 

consortium meetings among 

coordinating institutions and 

approximate location (note: 

the Annual Meeting should 

count as one per year). 

3. CONSORTIAL PARTNER 

IDENTIFICATION FORMS. 

It is essential that you list the details of 

all North American partners. 

4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION. 

In no more than 20 double-spaced 

pages, you should include an 

overview that describes the project, its 

objectives, strategies for achieving 

those objectives, and for each year of 

the project, the expected outcomes of 

the project and how success in 

achieving those objectives would be 

measured. Each application should 

include a well-written evaluation plan 

aimed at measuring success of the 

project's activities and outcomes 

through solid quantitative and 

qualitative evidence. This plan must 

be coordinated among partners to 

ensure that the success being 

measured is consortia-wide. 

PAGE LIMIT.

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, including 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. 

 The page limit does not apply to the cover

 sheet, the budget section, including the

 narrative budget justification, the

 assurances and certifications, or the

 abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or

 the letters of support. 

 Our reviewers will not read any pages of 

 Your application that exceed the page limit.

5. PERSONNEL INFORMATION.

 You should clearly state the qualifications

 of the Project Director and the personnel

 related to the project. Please include in

 the appendix brief one-page bios,

 highlighting relevant skills and experience

 of the personnel. If you must include a

 résumé, please limit it to fewer than

 five pages. 

6. BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE

 FOR EACH YEAR. 

 The budget breakdown should follow the

 format set out in the application form.

 Please use the enclosed Budget 

Summary

 (substitutes for Form ED524) to 

categorize

 requested costs.

 The budget narrative should detail all

 expenses for each year of the life of the

 project and how they have been

 determined.

 The budget should clearly identify travel

 costs and other relevant expenses. It 

 should further indicate how much of this

 budget is being requested from FIPSE

 and how much is to be covered from

 other sources. Clearly indicate the

 breakdown of expenses among the

 Canadian, Mexican and US consortium

 members. Where applicable, the

 application must indicate the level of

 financial support from other public and

 private sources.

 Letters of confirmation from these

 sources should be included with the

 application.

 For US applicants, the budget figures

 must be submitted in US dollars.

7. PLANNING TIMETABLE WITH
14

 OUTCOMES TO BE ACHIEVED FOR

 EACH YEAR OF THE PROJECT. 

 Please include in an appendix a planning

 chart listing goals and planned outcomes.

 This chart should fit your evaluation plan. 

8. CONSORTIAL PARTNER 

IDENTIFICATION FORMS.

 Please complete all of the identification

 forms for all partners. 

9. ENDORSEMENT LETTERS. As outlined

 above, you must provide letters of 

 support from a senior executive officer of

 each academic partner in the consortium,

 indicating how this project fits within the

 academic exchange policy and the

 international strategy of the institution,

 and emphasizing what this project will

 add to that strategy. Other major parties

 involved in the consortium should also

 indicate in writing their commitment to this

 project. 

10. NUMBER OF COPIES. 

 Please submit the original application plus

 two (2) additional complete copies of the

 application. 

Submission Process

The three lead institutions in each country 

must submit a separate application to their 

respective funding agencies. Applications not 

received by all three countries will not be 

considered. Please follow the application 

guidelines for the country in which your lead 

institution is situated. 

Applications must be post-marked or handdelivered to each of their respective 

government offices no later than April 11, 

2003.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSMITTAL OF

APPLICATIONS:

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Note: Some of the procedures in these 

instructions for transmitting electronic 

applications differ from those in the Education 

Department General Administrative 

Regulations (EDGAR)(34 CFR 75.102). 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 

U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers 

interested parties the opportunity to comment 

on proposed regulations. However, these 

amendments make procedural changes only 

and do not establish new substantive policy. 

Therefore, under 5 U.S.C.553 (b) (A), the 

Secretary has determined that proposed 

rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of 

Applications

 

In Fiscal Year 2003, the U.S. Department of 

Education is continuing to expand its project 

of electronic submission of applications to 

include additional formula grant programs and 

additional discretionary grant competitions.

The Program for North American Mobility in 

Higher Education (CFDA No. 84.116N) is one 

of the programs included in this project. If you 

are an applicant under the Program for North 

American Mobility in Higher Education, you 

may submit your application to us in either 

electronic or paper format.

The pilot project involves the use of the 

Electronic Grant Application System (eApplication) portion of the Grant 

Administration and Payment System (GAPS). 

Users of e-Application will be entering data 

on-line while completing their applications. 

You may not e-mail a soft copy of a grant 

application to us. If you participate in this 

voluntary pilot project by submitting an 

application electronically, the data you enter 

on-line will be saved into a database. We 

request your participation in e-Application. 

We shall continue to evaluate its success and 

solicit suggestions for improvement. 

If you participate in this e-Application pilot, 

please note the following: 

• Your participation is voluntary.

• You will not receive any additional point 

value or penalty because you submit a grant 

application in electronic or paper format, nor 

will we penalize you if you submit an 

application in paper format.
15

When you enter the e-Application system, you 

will find information about its hours of 

operation.

• You may submit all documents 

electronically, including the Title Page, 

(substitutes for the ED Form 424), Budget 

Summary (substitutes for the ED Form 524), 

and all necessary assurances and 

certifications.

• After you electronically submit your 

application, you will receive an automatic 

acknowledgement, which will include a

PR/Award number (an identifying number 

unique to your application).

• Within three working days of submitting 

your electronic application, fax a signed 

copy of the Title Page (replaces ED 424) 

to the Application Control Center after the 

following these steps:

(1) Print the Title Page from the eApplication system.

(2) The institution’s Authorizing 

Representative must sign this 

form.

(3) Place the PR/Award number in 

the upper right hand corner of 

the Title page.

(4) Fax the Title page to the 

Application Control Center at 

202 260-1349 within three 

working days of submitting 

your electronic application. 

• We may request that you give us original 

signatures on all other forms at a later 

date.

• Closing Date Extension in Case of System 

Unavailability: If you elect to participate in 

the e-Application pilot for the Program for 

North American Mobility in Higher 

Education and you are prevented from 

submitting your application on the closing 

date because the e-Application system is 

unavailable, we will grant you an 

extension of one business day in order to

transmit your application electronically, by 

mail, or by hand delivery. For us to grant 

this extension ---

(1) You must be a registered user 

of e-Application, and have 

initiated an e-Application for 

this competition; and

(2) (a) The e-Application system 

must be unavailable for 60 

minutes or more between the 

hours of 8:30 and 3:30 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, on the 

deadline dates; or

(b) The e-Application system 

must be unavailable for any 

period of time during the last 

hour of operation (that is, for 

any period of time between 

3:30 and 4:30 p.m., 

Washington, DC time) on the 

deadline date. The 

Department must 

acknowledge and confirm 

these periods of unavailability 

before granting you an 

extension. To request this 

extension you must contact 

either (1) the person listed 

elsewhere in this notice under 

FOR FURTHER 

INFORMATION CONTACT or 

(2) the e-GRANTS help desk 

at 1-888-336-8930.

You may access the electronic grant 

application for the Program for North 

American Mobility in Higher Education at:

http://e-grants.ed.gov

We have included additional information about 

the e-Application pilot project (see Parity 

Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 

Applications) in the application package.

**NOTE: Due to the upgrading of software, 

we anticipate that the e-Application system 

will be unavailable for several days in midDecember. The tentative schedule for this 

down time is from 7:00 p.m., December 12 

until 6:00 a.m., December 16, Washington, 

DC time. Please check http://e-grants.ed.gov

for any updates on the unavailability of the eApplication system.

If you want to apply for a grant and be 

considered for funding, you must meet the 

following deadline requirements.

If You Send Your Application by Mail:
16

You must mail the original and two copies of 

the application on or before the deadline date 

to:

 U.S. Department of Education

 Application Control Center

 Attention: CFDA No. 84.116N

 Washington, DC 20202-4725

You must show one of the following as proof 

of mailing:

(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.

If you mail an 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 You Deliver Your Application by Hand:

You or your courier must hand deliver the 

original and two copies of the application by 

4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on or before 

the deadline date to:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: CFDA No. 84.116N

Room 3671

Regional Office Building 3 

7

th and D Streets, SW. 

Washington, DC 20202-4725

The Application Control Center accepts 

application deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. 

and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time), except 

Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. 

The Center accepts application deliveries 

through the D Street entrance only. A person 

delivering an application must show 

identification to enter the building.

If You Submit Your Application 

Electronically:

You must submit your grant application 

through the Internet using the software 

provided on the e-Grants Web site (http://egrants.ed.gov) by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC 

time) on the deadline date.

The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants 

Web site are 6:00 a.m. until 12:00 midnight 

(Washington, DC time) Monday - Friday and 

6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Saturdays. The 

system is unavailable on the second Saturday 

of every month, Sundays, and Federal 

holidays. Please note that on Wednesdays 

the Web site is closed for maintenance at 7:00 

p.m. (Washington, DC time).

Please note that –

(1) 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.

(2) If you send your application by mail or 

deliver it by hand or by a courier service, 

the Application Control Center will mail a 

Grant Application Receipt 

Acknowledgment to you. If you do not 

receive the notification of application 

receipt within 15 days from the date of 

mailing the application, you should call the 

U.S. Department of Education Application 

Control Center at (202) 708-9493 or (202) 

708-8493.

(3) You must indicate on the envelope and - if

 not provided by the Department - in Item 

3

 of the Title Page, the CFDA number

 (84.116) and suffix (N) when you are

 submitting your application.

(4) If you submit your application through the

Internet via the e-Grants Web site, you 

will receive an automatic 

acknowledgment when we receive your 

application. 

PARITY GUIDELINES BETWEEN 

PAPER AND ELECTRONIC

APPLICATIONS:

The Department of Education is expanding 

the pilot project, which began in FY 2000, that 

allows applicants to use an Internet-based 

electronic system for submitting applications. 
17

This competition is among those that have an 

electronic submission option available to all 

applicants. The system, called e-Application, 

formerly e-GAPS (Electronic Grant Application 

Package System), allows an applicant to 

submit a grant application to us electronically, 

using a current version of the applicant’s 

Internet browser. 

To see e-Application visit the following 

address:

http://e-grants.ed.gov

In an effort to ensure parity and a similar look 

between applications transmitted 

electronically and applications submitted in 

conventional paper form, e-Application has an 

impact on all applicants under this 

competition.

Users of e-Application, a data driven system, 

will be entering data on-line while completing 

their applications. This will be more 

interactive than just e-mailing a soft copy of a 

grant application to us. If you participate in 

this voluntary pilot project by submitting an 

application electronically, the data you enter 

on-line will go into a database and ultimately 

will be accessible in electronic form to our 

reviewers. 

This pilot project is another step in the 

Department’s transition to an electronic grant 

award process. In addition to e-Application, 

the Department is conducting a limited pilot of 

electronic peer review (e-Reader) and 

electronic annual performance reporting (eReports). 

To help ensure parity and a similar look 

between electronic and paper copies of grant 

applications, we are asking each applicant 

that submits a paper application to adhere to 

the following guidelines:

• Submit your application on 8 1⁄2” by 11”

 paper.

• Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides.

• Use consistent font throughout your 

document. You may also use boldface 

type, underlining, and italics. However, 

please do not use colored text.

• Please use black and white for 

 illustrations, including charts, tables,

 graphs, and pictures. 

• For the narrative component, your

 application should consist of the number

 and text of each selection criterion

 followed by the narrative. The text of

 the selection criterion, if included, does

 not count against any page limitation. 

• Place a page number at the bottom right

 of each page beginning with 1; and

 number your pages consecutively

 throughout your document.

For US applicants seeking further 

information, please contact: 

Sylvia W. Crowder, Ph.D.

Coordinator, Program for North American 

Mobility in Higher Education

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary 

Education (FIPSE)

1990 K Street, 8th Floor, Mail Drop 8544

Washington, D.C. 20006-8544

Tel.: (202) 502-7514 Fax: (202) 502-7877

E-mail: sylvia.crowder@ed.gov

Submission of Proposals in Canada and 

Mexico: The Canadian and Mexican lead 

institutions must also submit applications to 

their respective government authorities at the 

following addresses: 

For information in Canada, please contact: 

Christiane Boulanger

Program for North American Mobility in Higher 

Education

International Education Unit, Learning and 

Literacy Directorate

Human Resources Investment Branch

Human Resources Development Canada

Jules Léger Building

25 Eddy Street

10th Floor Mail Room

Hull, Québec

Canada K1A 0M5

Tel: (819) 953-3857 

Fax (819) 953-8147

E-mail: christiane.boulanger@hrdcdrhc.gc.ca

For information in Mexico, please contact: 
18

Luis Gil Cisneros, Ph.D.

Programa para la Movilidad en la Educación 

Superior de America del Norte

Dirección de Desarrollo

Universitario/DGES/SESIC/SEP

San Fernando no. 1

Col. Toriello Guerra

Tlalpan

14050 México, D.F.

Tel.: (525) 723-6742

Fax: (525) 723-6745

E-mail: lgil@titan.sep.gob.mx
19

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a 

collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The 

valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1840-0702. The time required to 

complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 hours for the final proposal 

per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, 

gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any 

comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this 

form, please write to: 

Joseph Schubart

U.S. Department of Education

ROB-3, Room 4050

7th and D Streets S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. 

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this 

form, write directly to:

Sylvia W. Crowder 

Program on North American Mobility in Higher Education

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

U.S. Department of Education

1990 K Street, NW, Room 8019

Washington, DC 20006-8544
20

Consortial Partner Identification Form

Information provided in this form should be identical for the US, Canadian, and Mexican submissions.

U.S. Project Leader

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax 

Canadian Project Leader

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City Province Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax 

Mexican Project Leader

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Title of Project (one 

line)_____________________________________________________________________________

Signature of US Project 

Leader______________________________________________Date_____________________

Signature of Canadian Project 

Leader_________________________________________Date_____________________

Signature of Mexican Project 

Leader__________________________________________Date_____________________
21

US Partner Information Sheet

Please fill out the information for the US Partner institutions. 

U.S. Partner Number 2

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

U.S. Partner Number 3

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

U.S. Partner Number 4

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

U.S. Partner Number 5

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax
22

Canadian Partner Information Sheet

Please fill out the information for the Canadian Partner institutions. 

Canadian Partner Number 2

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City Province Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Canadian Partner Number 3

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City Province Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Canadian Partner Number 4

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City Province Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Canadian Partner Number 5

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City Province Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax
23

Mexican Partner Information Sheet

Please fill out the information for the Mexican Partner institutions. 

Mexican Partner Number 2

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Mexican Partner Number 3

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Mexican Partner Number 4

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax

Mexican Partner Number 5

Name/Title

Institution

Department/Faculty

Address

Address

City State Zip

Telephone E-mail Fax
24

Title Page

FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

PROGRAM FOR NORTH AMERICAN MOBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

OMB NO.: 1840-0702

Form Expires 8/31/2005

This Application should be sent to:

No. 84.116 N

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center, Room 3671

Washington, D.C. 20202-4725

 1. Application Number: _ _________________ 

 2. D-U-N-S Number _____________________ 

 3. Consortium Identification No. 

________________

 4. Project Director (Name and Complete Mailing Address):

 

 Tel: ___________________ Fax: ______________

 

 Email: _________________

 5. Legal Applicant:

6. Consortium Members: 

United States

(Lead)________________________

Canada

(Lead)_________________________

_

Mexico

(Lead)____________________

__

7. Project Title: 

 8. Brief Abstract of Proposal (DO NOT LEAVE THIS BLANK):

9. Federal Funds Requested (Total): 

 1st year (limit to $30,000)______________

 2nd year ______________ 

 3rd year ______________ 

 4th year ____________

10. Duration of Project: 

 Starting Date __________________

 Ending Date __________________

 Total No. of Months ___________________

11. Certification by Authorizing Official. The applicant certifies to the best of his/her knowledge and belief that the 

data in this application are true and correct and that the filing of the application has been duly authorized by the 

governing body of the applicant. 

_______________________________ _______________________ ________________________

Name Title Phone

_______________________________ _______________________

Signature Date
25

Instructions for Completing Title Page (Form ED 40-514)

Item 1. Application Number: (Leave blank)

Item 2. D-U-N-S Number: Beginning in FY 1998, the 9-digit D-U-N-S Number replaced the 12-digit Employer Identification 

Number (EIN) used in previous years. The D-U-N-S Number is assigned to organizations by Dun & Bradstreet. If you do not 

know your D-U-N-S Number, call the toll-free telephone number maintained by Dun & Bradstreet: 800-333-0505 (Monday -

Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern time).

Item 3. Consortium Identification Number: Each consortium should create a five-letter-digit consortium identification number, 

which should be entered in Item 3. The SAME five-letter-digit number should be clearly listed on the proposals submitted by the 

consortium’s Canadian and Mexican partners to the respective governments. 

Item 4. Project Director: Enter the name and complete mailing address of the designated Project Director at the lead US 

institution. If no one has been selected, so indicate and enter the name of the person who can be contacted to discuss the 

programmatic aspects of the project. NOTE: Name and address listed here will be used to mail proposal status notifications. Do 

not forget to include the telephone number. Both this address and the Legal Applicant address (Item 9) should be fully 

completed.

Item 5. Legal Applicant: Enter the name and complete mailing address of the institution or agency that will serve as the legal 

applicant (fiscal agent). When more than one institution or agency is involved, enter the name of the one which will be 

responsible for budget control. Acknowledgment of grant awards are sent to this address. Remember to complete this section 

fully. 

Item 6. Consortium Institutions: List participating institutions from all three countries. Additional partners may be listed on a 

separate page. In addition, please fill out the attached partner forms that identify, for each member of the consortium, the project 

director, and his or her mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and email addresses.

Item 7. Proposal Title: Self-explanatory.

Item 8. Brief Abstract of Proposal: This should be concise and confined to the space provided, but in no case should you 

leave this space blank. This description should include a total number of students in each country that you plan to send abroad 

during the lifetime of the project.

Item 9. Federal Funds Requested: Enter the amount of Federal funds being requested from FIPSE in the first year of the 

project. Because the first year is for preparatory work, please limit this request to $30,000. Enter the amount requested for 

subsequent years of funding. Under "total" enter the cumulative amount requested for the life of the project.

Item 10. Duration of Project: Enter the beginning date of the project (no later than November 1, 2003). Enter the ending date 

and the total number of months covered. Projects should be four years in length. 

Item 11. Certification by Authorizing Official: Enter the name, title, and telephone number of the official who has the 

authority to commit the institution to accept Federal funding and to execute the proposed project. Submit the original ink -signed 

copy of the authorizing official's signature.
26

Budget Summary*

PROJECT COSTS REQUESTED FROM FIPSE

A. Direct Costs:

YR 1 YR 2 YR 3 YR 4 TOTAL

1. Salaries & Wages (Professional and 

Clerical)

2. Employee Benefits

3. Travel

4. Equipment (Purchase)

5. Materials and Supplies

6. Consultants and Contracts

7. Other (Equipment Rental, printing, etc.)

B. Mobility Stipends (not allowable for 

first year of project)

Subtotal

C. Indirect Costs

TOTAL REQUESTED FROM

FIPSE:

(This figure should appear on the Title 

Page)

PROJECT COSTS NOT REQUESTED FROM FIPSE

Institutional Support

Other Funding Sources

FUNDS REQUESTED BY FOREIGN PARTNERS

Total Requested from Canada

Total Requested from Mexico

*Budget items, including institutional support figures, must be detailed in a budget narrative of the proposal.
27

OMB Approval No. 0348-0040

ASSURANCES - NON-CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send 

comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the 

Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0040), Washington, DC 20503

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND 

BUDGET. SEND IT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED BY THE SPONSORING AGENCY.

Note: Certain of these assurances may not be applicable to your project or program. If you have questions, please contact the 

awarding agency. Further, certain Federal awarding agencies may require applicants to certify to additional assurances. If 

such is the case, you will be notified.

As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify that the applicant:

1. Has the legal authority to apply for Federal assistance, 

and the institutional, managerial and financial capability 

(including funds sufficient to pay the non-Federal share of 

project cost) to ensure proper planning, management, and 

completion of the project described in this application.

2. Will give the awarding agency, the Comptroller General of 

the United States, and if appropriate, the State, through 

any authorized representative, access to and the right to 

examine all records, books, papers, or documents related 

to the award; and will establish a proper accounting

system in accordance with generally accepted accounting 

standards or agency directives.

3. Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using 

their positions for a purpose that constitutes or presents 

the appearance of personal or organizational conflict of 

interest, or personal gain.

4. Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable 

time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding

agency.

5. Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 

1970 (42 U.S.C. ∋∋4728-4763) relating to prescribed

standards for merit systems for programs funded under 

one of the 19 statutes or regulations specified in Appendix 

A of OPM's Standards for a Merit System of Personnel 

Administration (5 C.F.R. 900, Subpart F).

6. Will comply with all Federal statutes relating to

nondiscrimination. These include but are not limited to: (a) 

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) which 

prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or

national origin; (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments 

of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. ∋∋1681-1683, and 1685-

1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; 

(c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as

amended (29 U.S.C. ∋794), which prohibits discrimination 

on the basis of handicaps; (d) the Age Discrimination Act 

of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. ∋∋ 6101-6107), which 

prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; (e) the Drug 

Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-255), as 

amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of 

drug abuse; (f) the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and 

Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act 

of 1970 (P.L. 91-616), as amended, relating to

nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or

alcoholism; (g) ∋∋ 523 and 527 of the Public Health

Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C. ∋∋ 290 dd-3 and 290 ee 3), 

as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug 

abuse patient records; (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act 

of 1968 (42 U.S.C. ∋ 3601 et seq.), as amended, relating 

to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental or financing of

housing; (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the 

specific statute(s) under which application for Federal

assistance is being made; and (j) the requirements of any 

other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the 

application.

7. Will comply, or has already complied, with the

requirements of Titles II and III of the uniform Relocation 

Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 

1970 (P.L. 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable 

treatment of persons displaced or whose property is 

acquired as a result of Federal or federally assisted

programs. These requirements apply to all interests in real 

property acquired for project purposes regardless of

Federal participation in purchases.

8. Will comply, as applicable, with the provisions of the Hatch 

Act (5 U.S.C. ∋∋1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the 

political activities of employees whose principal

employment activities are funded in whole or in part with 

Federal funds.

9. Will comply, as applicable, with the provisions of the

Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. ∋∋276a to 276a-7), the

Copeland Act (40 U.S.C. ∋276c and 18 U.S.C. ∋∋874) and 

the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 

U.S.C. ∋∋ 327-333), regarding labor standards for federally 

assisted construction subagreements.

10. Will comply, if applicable, with flood insurance purchase 

requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster

Protection Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-234) which requires

recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in 

the program and to purchase flood insurance if the total 
28

cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10,000 

or more.

 

11. Will comply with environmental standards which may be 

prescribed pursuant to the following: (a) institution of

environmental quality control measures under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190) and

Executive Order (EO) 11514; (b) notification of violating 

facilities pursuant to EO 11738; (c) protection of wetlands 

pursuant to EO 11990; (d) evaluation of flood hazards in 

floodplains in accordance with EO 11988; (e) assurance of 

project consistency with the approved State management 

program developed under the Coastal Zone Management 

Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. ∋∋1451 et seq.); (f) conformity of 

Federal actions to State (Clear Air) Implementation Plans 

under Section 176(c) of the Clear Air Act of 1955, as 

amended (42 U.S.C. ∋∋7401 et seq.); (g) protection of 

underground sources of drinking water under the Safe 

Drinking Water Act of 1974, as amended, (P.L. 93-523); 

and (h) protection of endangered species under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, (P.L. 93-

205).

12 Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 

(16 U.S.C. ∋∋1721 et seq.) related to protecting

components or potential components of the national wild 

and scenic rivers system.

13. Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance 

with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 

of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. ∋470), EO 11593

(identification and protection of historic properties), and 

the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 

(16 U.S.C. ∋∋469a-1 et seq.).

14. Will comply with P.L. 93-348 regarding the protection of 

human subjects involved in research, development, and 

related activities supported by this award of assistance. 

15. Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 

1966 (P.L. 89-544, as amended, 7 U.S.C. ∋∋2131 et seq.) 

pertaining to the care, handling, and treatment of warm 

blooded animals held for research, teaching, or other

activities supported by this award of assistance.

16. Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning

Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. ∋∋4801 et seq.) which prohibits 

the use of lead- based paint in construction or

rehabilitation of residence structures.

17. Will cause to be performed the required financial and 

compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act 

Amendments of 1996 and OMB Circular No. A-133, 

ΑAudits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit 

Organizations.≅

18. Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other 

Federal laws, executive orders, regulations and policies 

governing this program.

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICIAL TITLE

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION DATE SUBMITTED

Standard Form 424B (Rev. 7-97) Back
29

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CERTIFICATIONS REGARDING LOBBYING; DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION AND OTHER 

RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS; AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should refer to the regulations cited below to determine the certification to which they are required to attest. Applicants 

should also review the instructions for certification included in the regulations before completing this form. Signature of this form 

provides for compliance with certification requirements under 34 CFR Part 82, "New Restrictions on Lobbying," and 34 CFR Part 85, 

"Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace 

(Grants)." The certifications shall be treated as a material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the 

Department of Education determines to award the covered transaction, grant, or cooperative agreement.

1. LOBBYING

As required by Section 1352, Title 31 of the U.S. Code, and 

implemented at 34 CFR Part 82, for persons entering into a 

grant or cooperative agreement over $100,000, as defined at 

34 CFR Part 82, Sections 82.105 and 82.110, the applicant 

certifies that:

(a) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be 

paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for 

influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of 

any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of 

Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in 

connection with the making of any Federal grant, the entering 

into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, 

continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any 

Federal grant or cooperative agreement;

(b) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have 

been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or 

attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a 

Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or 

an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this 

Federal grant or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall 

complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form 

to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions;

(c) The undersigned shall require that the language of this 

certification be included in the award documents for all 

subawards at all tiers (including subgrants, contracts under 

grants and cooperative agreements, and subcontracts) and 

that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

2. DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, AND OTHER 

RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

As required by Executive Order 12549, Debarment and 

Suspension, and implemented at 34 CFR Part 85, for 

prospective participants in primary covered transactions, as 

defined at 34 CFR Part 85, Sections 85.105 and 85.110--

A. The applicant certifies that it and its principals:

(a) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for 

debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from 

covered transactions by any Federal department or agency; 

(b) Have not within a three-year period preceding this 

application been convicted of or had a civil judgement 

rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal 

offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or 

performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or 

contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or 

State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, 

forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making 

false statements, or receiving stolen property;

(c) Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or 

civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or 

local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in

paragraph (2)(b) of this certification; and 

(d) Have not within a three-year period preceding this 

application had one or more public transaction (Federal, State, 

or local) terminated for cause or default; and 

B. Where the applicant is unable to certify to any of the 

statements in this certification, he or she shall attach an 

explanation to this application.

3. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

 (GRANTEES OTHER THAN INDIVIDUALS)

As required by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, and 

implemented at 34 CFR Part 85, Subpart F, for grantees, as 

defined at 34 CFR Part 85, Sections 85.605 and 85.610 -

A. The applicant certifies that it will or will continue to provide 

a drug-free workplace by:

(a) Publishing a statement notifying employees that the 

unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or 

use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the grantee's 

workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against 

employees for violation of such prohibition; 

(b) Establishing an on-going drug-free awareness program to 

inform employees about:

(1) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;

(2) The grantee's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace;

(3) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee 

assistance programs; and

(4) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for 

drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace;

(c) Making it a requirement that each employee to be engaged 

in the performance of the grant be given a copy of the 

statement required by paragraph (a);

(d) Notifying the employee in the statement required by 

paragraph (a) that, as a condition of employment under the 

grant, the employee will: 

(1) Abide by the terms of the statement; and 
30

(2) Notify the employer in writing of his or her conviction for a 

violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace 

no later than five calendar days after such conviction;

(e) Notifying the agency, in writing, within 10 calendar days 

after receiving notice under subparagraph (d)(2) from an 

employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of such 

conviction. Employers of convicted employees must provide 

notice, including position title, to: Director, Grants Policy and 

Oversight Staff, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue, S.W. (Room 3652, GSA Regional Office Building No. 

3), Washington, DC 20202-4248. Notice shall include the 

identification number(s) of each affected grant;

(f) Taking one of the following actions, within 30 calendar days 

of receiving notice under subparagraph (d)(2), with respect to 

any employee who is so convicted:

(1) Taking appropriate personnel action against such an 

employee, up to and including termination, consistent with the 

requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or

(2) Requiring such employee to participate satisfactorily in a 

drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for 

such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law 

enforcement, or other appropriate agency;

(g) Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a

drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs

 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f).

B. The grantee may insert in the space provided below the 

site(s) for the performance of work done in connection with the 

specific grant:

Place of Performance (Street address. city, county, state, zip 

code)

Check [ ] if there are workplaces on file that are not identified 

here.

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE 

(GRANTEES WHO ARE INDIVIDUALS)

As required by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, and 

implemented at 34 CFR Part 85, Subpart F, for grantees, as 

defined at 34 CFR Part 85, Sections 85.605 and 85.610-

A. As a condition of the grant, I certify that I will not engage in 

the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, 

or use of a controlled substance in conducting any activity with 

the grant; and 

B. If convicted of a criminal drug offense resulting from a 

violation occurring during the conduct of any grant activity, I will 

report the conviction, in writing, within 10 calendar days of the 

conviction, to: Director, Grants Policy and Oversight Staff, 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. (Room 

3652, GSA Regional Office Building No. 3), Washington, DC 

20202-4248. Notice shall include the identification number(s) 

of each affected grant. 

As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I hereby certify that the applicant will comply with the 

above certifications.

NAME OF APPLICANT PR/AWARD NUMBER AND / OR PROJECT 

 NAME 

PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

SIGNATURE DATE

 
31

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

If you are selected for funding, you will receive additional instructions about complying with the 

following regulations when submitting your application.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS (EXECUTIVE ORDER 12372)

This completion is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental 

Review of Federal Programs, and the regulations in 34 CFR 79. The objective is to foster a 

Federal and State intergovernmental coordination and review of proposed Federal financial 

assistance. Applicants are directed to the appropriate State single point of contact to comply 

with the State’s procedures under this Executive Order. A list of these contacts is available 

at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html

If you are selected for funding, you will receive further directions later about submitting a 

copy of your proposal to the appropriate contact in your State.

THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT (GPRA)

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 is a straightforward statute that 

requires all Federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of 

those activities. Each agency is to clearly state what it intends to accomplish, identify the 

resources required, and periodically report its progress to the Congress. In doing so, it is 

expected that GPRA will contribute to improvements in accountability for the expenditures of 

public funds, improve Congressional decision-making through more objective information on 

the effectiveness of Federal programs, and promote a new government focus on results, 

service delivery, and customer satisfaction. If you are selected for funding, we will provide 

you a list of the performance indicators that have been developed for FIPSE (they also will 

be posted on the FIPSE website), and if funded, you will be asked to collect and report data 

from your project on these indicators.

SECTION 427 OF GEPA

Section 427 of the Department of Education’s General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) 

requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application 

a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and 

participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program 

beneficiaries with special needs. This provision allows applicants’ discretion in developing 

the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede 

equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based 

on local circumstances, you should determine whether these or other barriers may prevent 

your students, teachers, etc. from such access or participation in, the Federally-funded 

project or activity.

If selected for funding, you will be required to provide a description of steps to be taken to 

overcome these barriers. It need not be lengthy, and you need only to address those 

barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be 

provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related 

topics in the application.
32

Checklist to Assist with Preparing Your Application Package

The Application Package

• You have completed Title Page according to the instructions. 

• An authorized official of your institution has signed and dated the Title Page and you 

have included the signed original in your application materials to FIPSE. 

• You have stapled or otherwise fastened each proposal copy in the upper left corner 

(not in binders or folders) with a title page on top of each copy. 

Include in Your Proposal Package 

The original proposal plus two (2) copies. Each of the three copies includes the following: 

• a signed title page 

• a proposal abstract (one page narrative) 

• a proposal narrative (20 double-spaced pages maximum) 

• budget forms and narratives 

• lead and partner identification forms 

• signed assurances and certification 

• appendix with short resumes of key staff from lead and participating institutions 

• appendix with letters of support from the senior executive officer of each partner 

institution (e.g. Rector, Vice Chancellor, President) and other officials responsible for 

international student activities (directors of international affairs, registrar, academic 

deans and/or department heads). 

REMEMBER if you are not submitting your proposal electronically, your proposal 

must be postmarked or hand delivered (by 4:30 p.m.) no later than April 11, 2003 to the 

address below. 

Mailing Address for Proposals:

Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education

Attn: 84.116N

Application Control Center – Room 3671

7

th and D Streets SW

Washington, DC 20202-4725

Tel.: 202-708-9493

Please note: If you are submitting an application through the Department of Education’s eGrants Program, information on this checklist which pertains to mailing requirements for hard 

copies does not apply.
33