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1. What is the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) program?
2. Who is eligible to apply?
3. How will applicants be selected to receive grants?
4. Is there a matching requirement?
5. What is an average award size?
6. What is the average length of an award?
7. Is there a limitation on the amount of the indirect costs that grant recipients may charge to a UISFL grant?
8. What kinds of expenses can be charged to a grant?
9. Can UISFL funds be used to support students in a study abroad or internship program?
10. Is there a page limitation for the application?
11. Are appendices to the grant application allowed?
12. What types of projects can be funded?
13. Does the UISFL program have priorities?
14. Do the provisions of the “Fly America Act” apply?
15. What techniques are helpful in preparing an application narrative and other important information for the program?
16. Am I required to submit my application electronically?
17. When will applicants be notified of their status?
18. What date should an applicant list as the proposed start date for the project?
19. Can we view samples of previously funded successful applications?

The UISFL program is a discretionary grant program designed to strengthen and improve undergraduate instructional programs in the areas of international studies and foreign languages.

Institutions of higher education (IHEs); consortia of institutions of higher education; partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and institutions of higher education; and public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations.

Grantees will be selected through a rigorous peer review process.  Selection will be based upon the selection criteria stated in the application and published in the Federal Register.

Yes.  Applicants are required to make a non-federal contribution to the costs associated with carrying out the project.  Applicants can meet the one-to-one match with in-kind or cash contributions.  For example, if you request $90,000 in year one, you must match it in equal dollars in year one.

Under the ‘Special Rule,’ however, an applicant that is eligible to receive assistance under part A or B of Title III or under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, may request a reduction or a waiver of the match.  It is suggested that an applicant that meets the Special Rule request for a reduction in the match, for example – at 25 percent, and not a waiver to demonstrate not only their commitment to such project but also their capacity to support such project during and beyond the project period.  Most institutional applicants meet the match with in-kind contributions.

The average award size can vary slightly from one year to the next, but on average for a single IHE it is $90,000 each budget year and for a consortia of  IHEs, or for public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, it is $140,000 each budget year.  There is normally a cap on the requested amount also.  To find out what the cap is, it is best to check the Closing Date Notice in the Federal Register.

Up to 24 months for an award made to a single IHE; or up to 36 months for an award made to consortia of IHEs, or partnerships or organizations/associations.

Consistent with section 75.562 of Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), all grant recipients are limited to a maximum indirect cost of eight percent (8%) of a total direct cost base.

An applicant can charge to a grant the following expenses: 1) faculty compensation for course development or enhancement; 2) costs associated with workshops or seminars for faculty development; 3) overseas research travel tied to coursework enhancement or to development of institutional linkages; 4) library purchases; and 5) outreach activities to benefit K-12 teachers or faculty from neighboring community colleges, etc.

Two items that very often are not included in the budget but should be are:  (1) the costs associated with attending the annual meeting of project directors; and (2) the costs associated with bringing in an external evaluator each budget year.

On average, the cost for attending the annual project directors’ meeting is $1600 per participant each budget year.  We usually encourage the applicant to budget for two people to attend the meeting annually.  As for the expenditures for the external evaluator, we suggest charging the grant a minimum of $750/day plus expenses each budget year.  Applicants normally charge 3-4 days each budget year for a total of $2250-3000 honorarium plus expenses.  (The honorarium covers the costs for travel time, the visit on campus and one day’s compensation for writing up a report).

Yes.  Up to 10 percent of funds each budget year can be used to support students in an overseas program closely linked to the program being developed or enhanced on the home campus.

Yes.  Applicants are limited to a 40-page narrative.

Yes.  However, an applicant must be mindful to submit only what is requested and what would be considered supporting documentation of the narrative.

Examples include:  (1) a line-item budget for each budget year; (2) letters of support from appropriate administrators, deans, etc.; (3) two-page curricula vitae for all project personnel and participants (meaning the project director(s), faculty participants, external evaluator, consultants, etc.); and (4) course listings of pertinent international, area, and foreign language courses currently being offered.

Projects that can be funded may focus on the development of a major, minor, or certificate in a world area with a complimentary language program or the infusion of language materials into upper-division content courses, i.e. social science or humanities courses.  What is important is for the applicant to conduct an internal assessment to determine what their institutional strengths are in order to determine how the funding will address programmatic gaps in their international studies/area studies and foreign language programs.

Yes.  The UISFL program conducts an annual competition normally including both competitive and invitational priorities.  Given that many of these priorities may change from one fiscal year to the next, it is best to refer to the Closing Date Notice (CDN) in the Federal Register for the priorities for that fiscal year competition.

Yes.

It may be helpful to first read over program materials posted on the UISFL Web site, such as the previous year’s application and CDN, abstracts of funded projects, etc.  Once you have become familiar with the program, you may want to have contact with program staff to discuss your particular proposal idea or to visit the UISFL office to read over successful applications.

Yes.  You must submit your application through Grants.gov.  If an applicant experiences technical difficulties or has questions regarding the Grants.gov system, he/she should contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-516-4726 or support@grants.gov.

It could take anywhere from 4-5 months after submission before notification will take place.

July 1 is the proposed start date for each fiscal year of the award.

Yes.  Please go to the Awards section on the UISFL web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsugisf/awards.html and click on “Successful grant applications.”

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|Last Modified: 11/04/2011
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