### DA**TED MA TERI**  **AL -**  **OPEN IMMEDIA TELY**  **Closing Date: [** **TO BE INSERTED]**  

# Grant A **pplication f** **or the**  **Fiscal Year 201 4**  **N AT**  **ION AL**  

## R **ESOURCE** 

## C **ENTERS** 

## P **ROGRA M** 



## CFDA **N O**  

## . **84.015A** 

## F **OREIGN** 

## L **AN GU**  **AGE AND**  

## A **REA** 

## S **TUDIES** 

## F **ELLOWSHIPS** 

## P **ROGRA M**  

## CFDA **No. 84.015B**

**OM B No. 1840**  **- 080**  **7 Expiration Date:**  **mm/dd/20xx**

**International Education Programs Service U.S. Department of Education**  **Washington, DC 20202 http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/index.html** National Resource Centers (NRC) Program Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) Program

**TA BLE OF CONTENTS**  Dear Applicant Letter

....................................................................................... 1 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Burden Statement

.............................................. 3 IFLE Contact Persons

.............................................................................. .. ..... 3 Competition Highlights

. .................................................................................... 4 Supplemental Information ................................................................................. 6 Notice Inviting Application s
.............................................................................. 8 **Program Legislation :**  T itle VI

– International Education Prog rams Parts 601 and 602 ................................ 9 **Program R egulations**  **:** 34 CFR Part 655: General Provisions for International Educ ation Programs ...............11 34 CFR Part 656: N ational Resource C enters Program .................................

....... 14 34 CFR Part 657: F oreign L anguage and A rea S tudies Fellowships Program ...

. ....... 20 **World Area/ Application Type Designation Form** 

............................................. . 25 **Information to Meet HEA Statutory Requirements**

........................................... 26 **FLAS Program Institutional Pa yment and Subsistence Allowance**  ..................... 27 Academic Year Fellowship Summer Fellowship Travel Award **F LAS Eligible Languages Request**  **Form** ......................................................... 28 **Proposal Components**  **and Instructions** Table of Contents

.......................................................................................... 29 Acronyms Guide

.......................................................................................... . 29 Abstract ...................................................................................................... 29 Project N arrative

....................................................................................... . ... 30 **Guidance on**  **Developing an Evaluation Plan** Developing an Evaluation Plan ........................................................................ 32 NRC Performance Measure Form ...............................................................

.. .... 36 NRC Impact and Evaluation Selection Criteria ...........................

.................. . ....... 41 FLAS Performance Measure Form ............................................................

. ....... 44 FLAS Program Impact and Evaluation Selection Criteria ....................................... 48 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) .................................

. ............ 52 **Appendices** Project Budget (Summary Form A and I temized Line Item Budget

............... . ........... 54Profiles for Project
- related Personnel ............................................................

. ... 55

Course List

......... ........................................................ ................................. 56 **Additional Legislative Requirements** Executive Order 12372...............

.............................. ....... ................................ 58 NRC and FLAS reporting requirements

... ........................................................... 59 **Frequently Asked Questions and Answers**

............................................ . ......... 60 **Application Transmittal Instructions** .............................................................. 63 **Application Checklist**

......................................... ... ....................................... 65 **Assurances, Certifica**  **tions, Forms and Instructions**  ED 424 Application for Federal Education Assistance ED Form 524 Budget I nformation SF
- LLL and Instructions (Discl osure of Lobbying Activities) Supplemental Information to Meet Statutory Requirements Assurance s - Non
- Construction Programs Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Dru g - Free W orkplace Requirements Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion
-- Lo wer Tier Covered Transactions **Technical Review Form for the NRC and FLAS Programs** ................................. 671 

## UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Dear Applicant: Thank you for your interest in the Title VINational Resource Centers (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS ) Fellowships p rograms. This application package includes the instructions and forms required to complete and submit your Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 grant application to the U.S. Department of Education (Department). Also included is the technical review form containing the selection criteria that the external review panels will use to evaluate yo ur application

. The NRC program makes awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs to establish, strengthen, and operate nationally recogni zed foreign language and area or international studies centers or programs. Grant awards may be used to support undergraduate centers or comprehensive centers that provide training at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. The FLAS Fellowship s program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to IHEs or consortia of IHEs to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies

. For the NRC program , the FY 14 competition includes one absolute priority ; two competitive preference priorities; and one invitational priority

. For the FLAS program , the competition inc ludes two competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority

. We encourage you to develop application narratives that respond to these priorities, with particular attention paid to the competitive preference priorities. The Department is permitted to award additional points to applications that address the competitive preference priorities particularly wel l. Also , for this competition we are requiring applicants to include more meaningful evaluation plans in their grant applications. To that end, the application package include s an evaluation guide to as sist you with developing useful evaluation plans and performance measures for your projects.2



### Every grant competition provides opportunities for applicants to describe how their area studies, international studies and world language training programs meet the purposes of the NRC and FLAS programs and our nation’s present and future globalization needs. We appreciate your unique contributions to international education and look forward to receiving your proposals.
Sincerel y,
Lenore Yaffee Garcia Acting Senior Director International and Foreign Language Education3 **Paperwork Reduction A ct 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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 450 hours per response, including time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (2 0 U.S.C. 1122 ). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of informati on, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to regulations.gov during the public comment period for this collection of information. If you have specific questions about the form, instrument or survey, please contact OPE/IFLE, U.S. Department of Ed ucation, 1990 K Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Wa shington, DC 20006
- 6078. 

## International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE)

**NRC/FLAS Team** Name Wo rld Area s Phone/E
- Mail Address Tim Duvall Russia and East Europe 202.502.7622 tim.duvall@ed.gov Cheryl Gibbs Asia and the Pacific Islands 202.502.7634 cheryl. gibbs@ed.gov Kate Maloney Latin America, Canada and We stern Europe 202.502.7521 kate.maloney@ed.gov Stephanie McKissic Africa , Middle East and International 202 .502.7589 stephanie.mckissic@ed. gov4 

### Compet ition Highlights 1.) Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs 2.) Key Dates (subject to change) Notice Inviting Applications: April 25, 2014 Application Deadline: June 10, 2014 Application Peer Review : July 7

– 11, 2014 Awards Made B efore: August 15, 2014 3.) Estimated Number of Institutional Awards NRC Program: 10 5 institutional grants FLAS Program: 10 8 institutional grants Estimated Number of Fellowship Allocations Academic Year Fellowships Graduate : 792 Academic Ye ar Fellowships Undergraduate : 271 Summer Fellowships: 693 4.) Estimated Average Size of Awards NRC Program: $216,601 per year FLAS Program : $281,468 per year 5.) Project Period : Up to 48 months August 15, 2014

– August 14, 2018 Note : Continuation fundin g for interim years is contingent upon available funds and grantee performance

. 6.) Page Limitations are applicable only to the Project Narrative portion of the application

. The Project Narrative is where you respond to the program selection criteria. Sin gle Institution Application: **50 pages** Consortia Institutions Application: **60 pages**  7.) Application Deadline: Applications must be received on or before the deadline date and time. Please note that the U.S. Department of Education grant application submissi on deadline is 4:30:00 p.m. EST. Late applications will not be accepted. W e strongly suggest that you submit your application several days before the published deadline date. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairnes s to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time. 8.) Program Priorities for FY 2014 National Resource Centers Program (a) Absolute Priority: Applications that provide for teacher training activ ities on the language, languages, area studies, or thematic focus of the center. (b) Competitive Preference Priority 1: Pending Notice of Final Priorities (c) Competitive Preference Priority 2: Pending Notice of Final Priorities (d) Invitational Priority: A project that focuses on one or more of the following geographic areas: sub
- Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program5

(a) Competitive Preference Priority 1: Pending Notice of Final Priorities (b) Competitive Preference Priority 2 : Awards made in the 78 priority languages (c) Invitational Priority 2 : A project that focuses on one or more of the following geographic areas: sub
- Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia 9.) Peer Review Peer review panels that includ e area studies, international studies, and foreign language experts review all applications. The Department randomly assigns a pplications to the panels in accordance with the ir area of expertise , experience, and training

. The Department enforces conflict of interest procedures to ensure that all applications receive un
- biased evaluations from the reviewers. Applications are reviewed in person (not remotely) with oversight provided by IFLE staff. The peer review panels use the Technical Review Form includ ed in this application package to submit their scores and evaluation comments. Each application is independently read/scored by three reviewers. 10.) N otifying Successful and Unsuccessful Applicants Successful
 The Department’s Office of Legislation and Co ngressional Affairs fi rst informs Congress regarding applications recommended for new grant awards. IFLE contacts successful applicants only after the Congressional notification process is completed. Unsuccessful  IFLE senior official sends “regret” lette rs to applicants not recommended for funding. IFLE mails copies of the panel reviewers’ technical review forms to all applicants, successful and unsuccessful.6 

### Supplemental Information 1.) Types of A pplication s  Comprehensive NRC wit h FLAS Fellowships  U ndergraduate NRC with FLAS Fellowships  Comprehensive NRC wit hout FLAS Fellowships  Undergraduate NRC without FLAS Fellowships  FLAS Fellowships only; not requesting NRC designation 2.) NRC Program Selection Criteria §656.21 Selection criteria to evaluate an app lication for a comprehensive C enter §656.22 Selection criteria to evaluate an application for an undergraduate C enter 3.) FLAS Fellowships Program Selection Criteria §657.21 Selection criteria used in selecting institutions for an allocation of fellowships N ot e : Per §657.2(d) of the FLAS Program regulations, an institution does not need to receive a grant under the National Resource Centers Program to receive an allocation of fellowships. 4.) The NRC Program and the FLAS Program do not have legislative cost
- share or matching requirements. An application should, however, discuss/describe how the institution demonstrates its commitment to the Center’s academic programs, staff, outreach , professional development, language training, FLAS students, etc. 5.) If an applic ant institution volunteers to cost
- share or match any NRC or FLAS program funds by submitting the ED 524 Summary B form, U.S./ED will hold the institution accountable for meeting the cost
- share, should the application be recommended for funding

. 6.) All instit utions that receive FLAS Fellowship grants must conduct a Biennial survey of specific cohorts of FLAS alumni. The FLAS
- tracking survey must be sent to FLAS alumni every two years over a period of 8 years. The survey is mandated by sec. 601 (d) of the Title VI legislation to collect data to determine postgraduate employment, education, or training of FLAS fellows

. 7.) All institutions that receive FLAS fellowships must have the appropriate language instructor administer pre
- and
- post language program evaluation s to recipients of academic year and summer fellowships . The language instructions are required to submit the evaluation results into the International Resource Information System (IRIS). 8.) This application booklet contains a n evaluation guide that we hope will assist applicants in responding to the Impact and Evaluation selection criterion. Also new and required in your applications is a Performance Measurement Form (PMF) . You must use the PMF to present the project goal statements for the FY 2014
- 2017 p roject cycle

. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ONLY ITEMS (a), (b), and (c) ON THE PMF W HEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR FY 2014 GRANT APPLICATION. IF THE APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING, WEW ILL REQ UEST COMPETED FORMS

.7

9.) F ormatting A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one si de only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the 1” margin. Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs, which may be single spaced. Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). 10.) The Project Narrative is the where you address the selection criteria. You must limit this section to the page limitation s announced in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA). Applications that exceed the page limitations will not be peer reviewed. 11.) Please review the Dear Applicant Letter ; the Federal Register notice ; the Title VI statute ; the NRC selection criteria and the FLAS program selection criteria before you develop the Project Narrative, as these materials will inform the content of the narrative. A pplications will be evaluated using the selection criteria in the Federal Register notice and the Technical Review Form , both included in this application booklet.
NOTE: The Project Narrative is the only section that must comply with the page limitations. The abstract, the list of acronyms, the profiles for project personnel, the course list, the HEA supplemental infor mation, the budge form and budget detail pages DO NOT count against the page limitations.8 

# INSERT **FY 2014 NOTICE OF FINAL PRIORITIES**  **/ NOTICE INVITING** 

**APPLICATIONS**9 

### TITLE VI LEGISLATION AND PROGRAM REGULATIONS

**TITLE VI –**  **INTERNA**

**TIONA L EDUCA** 

**TION PROGRA** **MS SEC. 601. INTERNA** 

**TIONA L**  **AN D FOREIGN LA** **NGUA GE STUDIES.**  Part A of title VI (20 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended to read as follows: **PA RT**  **A --**  **INTERNA**

**TIONA L**  **AND FOREIGN LA** **NGUA GE STUDIES**  **SEC. 601. FINDINGS A ND PURPOSES.**  (a) FINDINGS
- Congress finds as fo llows: (1) The security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States in a complex global era depend upon American experts in and citizens knowledgeable about world regions, foreign languages, and international affairs, as well as upon a strong re search base in these areas. (2) Advances in communications technology and the growth of regional and global problems ma ke knowledge of other countries and the ability to communicate in other languages more essential to the promotion of mutual understanding and cooperation among nations and their peoples. (3) Dramatic post
- Cold W ar changes in the world's geopolitical and economic landscapes are creating needs for American expertise and knowledge about a greater diversity of less commonly taught foreign langu ages and nations of the world. (4) Systematic efforts are necessary to enhance the capacity of institutions of higher education in the United States for
-- (A) producing graduates with international and foreign language expertise and knowledge; and (B) rese arch regarding such expertise and knowledge. (5) Cooperative efforts am ong the Federal Government, institutions of higher education, and the private sector are necessary to promote the generation and dissemination of information about world regions, foreig n languages, and international affairs throughout education, government, business, civic, and nonprofit sectors in the United States. (b) PURPOSES
- The purposes of this part are
-- (1) (A) to support centers, programs, and fellowships in institutions of hig her education in the United States for producing increased numbers of trained personnel and research in foreign languages, area studies, and other international studies; (B) to develop a pool of international experts to meet national needs; (C) to develop and validate specialized materials and techniques for foreign language acquisition and fluency, emphasizing (but not limited to) the less commonly taught languages; (D) to promote access to research and training overseas; and (E) to advance the internation alization of a variety of disciplines throughout undergraduate and graduate education; (2) to support cooperative efforts promoting access to and the dissemination of international and foreign language knowledge, teaching materials, and research, throughou t education, government, business, civic, and nonprofit sectors in the United States, through the use of advanced technologies; and (3) to coordinate the programs of the Federal Government in the areas of foreign language, area studies, and other internati onal studies, including professional international affairs education and research. **SEC. 602. GRA DUA** 

**TE AND UNDERGRA** **DUA TE LA** **NGUA GE AND A** **RE A**  **CENTERS A ND PROGRA** **MS** (a) NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND AREA CENTERS AND PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED
- (1) CENTERS AND PROGRAMS
- (A) I N GENERAL
- The Secretary is authorized
-- (i) to make grants to institutions of higher education, or combinations thereof, for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating comprehensive foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs; and (ii) to ma ke grants to such institutions or combinations for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating a diverse network of undergraduate foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs. (B) NATI ONAL RESOURCES
- The centers and programs referred to in paragraph (1) shall be national resources for
-- (i) teaching of any modern foreign language; (ii) instruction in fields needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which su ch language is commonly used;10 (iii) research and training in international studies, and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and (iv) instruction and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries. (2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES
- Any such grant may be used to pay all or part of the cost of establishing or operating a center or program, including the cost of
-- (A) teaching and research materials; (B) curriculum planning and development; (C) establishing and ma intaining linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the center or program; (D) bringing visiting scholars and faculty to the center to teach or to conduct research; (E) professional development of the center's faculty and staff; (F) projects conducted in cooperation with other centers addressing themes of world regional, cross - regional, international, or global importance; (G) summer institutes i n the United States or abroad designed to provide language and area training in the center's field or topic; and (H) support for faculty, staff, and student travel in foreign areas, regions, or countries, and for the development and support of educational programs abroad for students. (3) GRANTS TO MAINTAIN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
- The Secretary may ma ke grants to centers described in paragraph (1) having important library collections, as determined by the Secretary, for the ma intenance of such collections. (4) OUTREACH GRANTS AND SUMMER INSTITUTES
- The Secretary may make additional grants to centers described in paragraph (1) for any one or more of the following purposes: (A) Programs of linkage or outreach between foreign language, area studies, or other inter national fields, and professional schools and colleges. (B) Programs of linkage or outreach with 2
- and 4
-year colleges and universities. (C) Programs of linkage or outreach with departments or agencies of Federal and State governments. (D) Programs of lin kage or outreach with the news media, business, professional, or trade associations. (E) Summer institutes in foreign area, foreign language, and other international fields designed to carry out the programs of linkage and outreach described in subparagrap hs (A), (B), (C), and (D). (b) GRADUATE FELLOW SHIPS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA OR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
- (1) IN GENERAL
- The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education or combinations of such institutions for the purpose of paying stipends to individuals undergoing advanced training in any center or program approved by the Secretary. (2) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
- Students receiving stipends described in paragraph (1) shall be individuals who are engaged in an instructional progra m with stated performance goals for functional foreign language use or in a program developing such performance goals, in combination with area studies, international studies, or the international aspects of a professional studies program, including predis sertation level studies, preparation for dissertation research, dissertation research abroad, and dissertation writing. (c) SPECIAL RULE WITH RESPECT TO TRAVEL
- No funds may be expended under this part for undergraduate travel except in accordance with rul es prescribed by the Secretary setting forth policies and procedures to assure that Federal funds made available for such travel are expended as part of a formal program of supervised study. (d) ALLOWANCES
- Stipends awarded to graduate level recipients may include allowances for dependents and for travel for research and study in the United States and abroad.
**SEC. 633. NOTE: 20 USC 1132 -** **2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.** Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to mandate, direct, or cont rol an institution of higher education's specific instructional content, curriculum, or program of instruction.11

Title 34: Education Revised as of September 25, 2009 **PA RT 655** **— INTERNA** 

**TIONA L EDUCA** 

**TION PROGRA MS**  **— GENERA**  **L PROVISIONS Subpart A** 

**— General**  § 655.1 Wh ich programs do these regulations govern? § 655.3 Wh at regulations apply to the International Education Programs? § 655.4 Wh at definitions apply to the International Education Programs? **Subpart B —** 

**What Kinds of Projects Does the Secretary A**  **ssist?** § 655.10 Wh at kinds of projects does the Secretary assist? **Subpart C [Reserved] Subpart D** **— How Does the Secretary**  **Make a Grant ?**  § 655.30 How does the Secretary evaluate an application? § 655.31 Wh at general selection criteria does the Secretary use? § 655.32 Wh at additional factors does the Secretary consider in making grant awards?

Authority: 20 U .S.C 1121

– 1130b, unless otherwise noted. Source: 47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, unless otherwise noted. **Subpart A**

**— General**  **§ 655.1**  **Which programs do these regulations govern?** The regulations in this part govern the administration of the following progra ms in international education:

(a) The National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies (section 602 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended); (b) The Language Resource Centers Program (section 603); (c) The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program (section 604); (d) The International Research and Studies Program (section 605); and (e) The Business and International Education Program (section 613). (Authori ty: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1130b) [47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999] **§ 655.3**  **What regulations apply to the International Education Programs?**  The following regulations apply to the International Education Programs:

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as follows:

(1) 34 CFR part 74 (Administration of Grants to Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Nonprofit Organizations).

(2) 34 CFR part 75 (Direct Grant P rograms). (3) 34 CFR part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department Regulations). (4) 34 CFR part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities), except that part 79 does not apply to 34 CFR parts 660, 669, and 671. (5) 34 CFR part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying). (6) 34 CFR part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug
- Free W orkplace (Grants)). (7) 34 CFR part 86 (Drug
- Free Schools and Campuses). (b) The regulat ions in this part 655; and (c) As appropriate, the regulations in

—

(1) 34 CFR part 656 (National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies); (2) 34 CFR part 657 (Foreign Language and Area S tudies Fellowships Program); (3) 34 CFR part 658 (Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program); (4) 34 CFR part 660 (International Research and Studies Program); (5) 34 CFR part 661 (Business and International Education Program); and ( 6) 34 CFR part 669 (Language Resource Centers Program). (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1127; 1221e

–3) [47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999] **§ 655.4**  **What definitions apply to the International Educa** **tion Programs?** (a) Definitions in EDGAR. The following terms used in this part and 34 CFR parts 656, 657, 658, 660, 661, and 669 are defined in 34 CFR part 77:12

Acquisition EDGAR Grant period Private Applicant Equipment Local educational agency Public Application Facilities Nonprofit Secretary Award Fiscal year Project State educational agency Budget Grant Project period Supplies Contract Grantee Grant period (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1127)

(b) Definitions that apply to these programs: The fo llowing definitions apply to International Education Programs: Consortium of institutions of higher education means a group of institutions of higher education that have entered into a cooperative arrangement for the purpose of carrying out a common objective, or a public or private nonprofit agency, organization, or institution designated or created by a group of institutions of higher education for the purpose of carrying out a common objective on their behalf. Critical languages means each of the langu ages contained in the list of critical languages designated by the Secretary pursuant to section 212(d) of the Education for Economic Security Act, except that, in the implementation of this definition, the Secretary may set priorities according to the purposes of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Institution of higher education means, in addition to an institution that meets the definition of section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, an institution that meets the requirements of section 101(a) except that (1) it is not located in the United States, and (2) it applies for assistance under title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, in consortia with institutions that meet the definitions in section 101(a). (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1127, and 1141) [47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999; 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **Subpart B —** 

**What Kinds of Projects Does the Secretary A**  **ssist? §**  **655.10 What**  **kinds of projects does the Secretary assist?**  Subpart A of 34 CFR parts 656, 657, and 669 and subpart B of 34 CFR parts 658, 660, 661 describe the kinds of projects that t he Secretary assists under the International Education Programs. (Authority: 20 U.S.C . 1121

– 1127) [74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **Subpart C [Reserved] Subpart D** **— How Does the Secretary**  **Make a Grant? §**  **655.30 How does the Secretary**  **evaluate an application?** The Secretary evaluates an applications for International Education Programs on the b asis of

— (a) The general criteria in §655.31; and (b) The specific criteria in, as applicable, subpart D of 34 CFR parts 658, 660, 661, and 669. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1127) [64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999] **§ 655.31**  **What general selection criteria does the Secretary**  **use?** (a) Plan of operation.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the plan of operation for the project. (2) The Secretary looks for information that shows

—

(i) High quality in the design of th e project; (ii) An effective plan of management that ensures proper and efficient administration of the project; (iii) A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program; (iv) The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and (v) A clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as

— (A) Members of racial or ethnic minority groups; (B) W om en; and (C) Handicapped persons. (b) Quality of key personnel.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the key personnel the applicant plans to use on th e project. (2) The Secretary looks for information that shows

—

(i) The qualifications of the project director (if one is to be used); (ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project. In the case of faculty, the qualific ations of the faculty and the degree to which that faculty is directly involved in the actual teaching and supervision of students; and13 (iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (b)(2) (i) and (ii) of this section plans to commit to the pro

ject; and (iv) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, handicapped persons, and the elderly. (3) To determine the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers evidence of past experience and training, in fields related to the objectives of the project, as well as other information that the applicant provides. (c) Budget and cost effectiveness.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the project has an adequate budget and is cost effective. (2) The Secretary looks for information that sh ows —

(i) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and (ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project. (d) Evaluation plan.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the q uality of the evaluation plan for the project. (2) The Secretary looks for information that shows methods of evaluation that are appropriate for the project

and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable. (e) Adequacy of resources.

(1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project. (2) The Secretary looks for information that shows

—

(i) Other than library, facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate (language laboratory, mu seums, etc.); and (ii) The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are adequate. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121

– 1127) **§ 655.32**  **What additional factors does the Secretary consider in making g**  **rant awards?** Except for 34 CFR parts 656, 657, and 661, to the extent practicable and consistent with the criterion of excellence, the Sec retary seeks to achieve an equitable distribution of funds throughout the Nation. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1126(b)). [58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993]14

Title 34: Education **PA RT 656** **— NA** 

**TIONA L RESOURCE CENTERS PROGRA** **M FOR FOREIGN LA NGUA** **GE A ND A** **REA STUDIES OR FOREIGN**  **LA NGUA** **GE A ND INTERNA**  **TIONA L STUDIES**  **Subpart A**

**— General**  § 656.1 Wh at is the National Resource Centers Program? § 656.2 Wh o is eligible to receive a grant? § 656.3 Wh at acti vities define a comprehensive or undergraduate National Resource Center? § 656 .4 Wh at types of Centers receive grants? § 656.5 Wh at activities may be ca rried out? § 656.6 Wh at regulations apply? § 656.7 Wh at definitions apply? **Subpart B —**  **How Does One A pply**  **for a Grant?** § 656.10 Wh at combined application may an institution submit? **Subpart C —**  **How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?**  § 656.20 How does the Secretary evaluate an application? § 656.2 1 Wh at selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an application for a comprehensive Center? § 656.22 Wh at selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an application for an undergraduate Center? § 656.23 Wh at priorities may the Secretary establish? **Subpart D —** 

**What Conditions Must Be Met By a Grantee?**  § 656.30 Wh at are allowable costs and limitations on allowable costs?

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122, unless otherwise noted. Source: 61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, unless otherwise noted. **Subpart A**

**— General**  **§ 656.1**  **What is the National R esource Centers Program?**  Under the National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Areas Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies (National Resource Centers Program), the Secretary awards grants to institutions of higher education a nd consortia of institutions to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate Centers that will be national resources fo r — (a) Teaching of any modern foreign language; (b) Instruction in fields needed to provide full understanding of a reas, regions, or countries in which the modern foreign language is commonly used; (c) Research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and (d) Instruction and rese arch on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999; 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.2**  **Who is eligible to receive a grant?** An institutio n of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this part. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.3**  **What activities define a comprehensive or undergraduate National Resource Center?**  A comprehensive or undergraduate National Resource Center

— (a) Teaches at least one modern foreign language; (b) Provides

—

(1) Instruction in fields necessary to provide a full understanding of th e areas, regions, or countries in which the modern foreign language taught is commonly used; (2) Resources for research and training in international studies, and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; or (3) Instruction and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries; (c) Provides outreach and consultative services on a national, regional, and local basis; (d) Maintains linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the Center; (e) Maintains important library collections; (f) Employs faculty engaged in training and research that relates to the subject area of the Center; (g) Conducts projects in c ooperation with other centers addressing themes of world, regional, cross
- regional, international, or global importance; (h) Conducts summer institutes in the United States or abroad designed to provide language and area training in the Center's field or topic;15 (i) Supports instructors of the less commonly taught languages; and (j) Encourages projects that support students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to achieve foreign language proficiency. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [6 4 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999, as amended at 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.4**  **What ty pes of Centers receive grants?**  The Secretary awards grants to Centers that

—

(a) Focus on

—

(1) A single country or on a world area (such as East Asia, Africa, or the Middl e East) and offer instruction in the principal language or languages of that country or area and those disciplinary fields necessary to provide a full understanding of the country or area; or (2) International studies or the international aspects of contem porary issues or topics (such as international business or energy) while providing instruction in modern foreign languages; and (b) Provide training at the

—

(1) Graduate, professional, and undergraduate levels, as a comprehensive Center; or (2) Undergradua te level only, as an undergraduate Center. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **§ 656.5**  **What activities may be carried out?**  (a) A Center may carry out any of the activities described in §656.3 under a grant received under this part. (b) The Secretary may make an additional grant to a Center for any one or a combination of the following purposes:

(1) Linkage or outreach between foreign language, area studies, and other international fields and professional schools and colleges. (2) Linkage or outreach with 2
- a nd 4
-year colleges and universities. (3) Linkage or outreach between or among

—

(i) Postsecondary programs or departments in foreign language, area studies, or other international fields; and (ii) State educational agencies or local educational agencies. (4 ) Partnerships or programs of linkage and outreach with departments or agencies of Federal and State governments, including Federal or State scholarship programs for students in related areas. (5) Linkage or outreach with the news media, business, professi onal, or trade associations. (6) Summer institutes in area studies, foreign Language, and other international fields designed to carry out the activities in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(5) of this section. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999; 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.6**  **What regulations apply ?**  The following regulations apply to this program:

(a) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655. (b) The regulations in this part 656. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **§ 656.7**  **What definitions apply ?**  The following definitions apply to this part:

(a) The definitions in 34 CFR part 655. (b) Area studies means a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a world area's society or societies, including study of history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, and languages. (c) Center means an administrative unit of an institution of higher education that has direct access to highly qualified faculty and library resources, and coordinates a concentrated effort of educational resources, including language training and various academic disciplines, in the area and subject matters described in §656.3. (d) Comprehensive Center means a Center that

—

(1) Contributes significantly to the national int erest in advanced research and scholarship; (2) Offers intensive language instruction; (3) Maintains important library collections related to the area of its specialization; (4) Makes training available to a graduate, professional, and undergraduate client ele; and (5) Engages in curriculum development and community outreach. (e) For purposes of this section, intensive language instruction means instruction of at least five contact hours per week during the academic year or the equivalent of a full academic year of language instruction during the summer. (f) Undergraduate Center means an administrative unit of an institution of higher education that

—

(1) Contributes significantly to the national interest through the education of students who matriculate into advanced language and area studies programs or professional school programs; (2) Incorporates substantial international and foreign language content into baccalaureate degree program; (3) Makes training available predominantly to undergraduate students; an d (4) Engages in research, curriculum development, and community outreach.16

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **Subpart B —**  **How Does One A pply**  **for a Grant? §**  **656.10 What combined application may**  **an institution submit?** An institution that wishes to apply for a gra nt under this part and for an allocation of fellowships under 34 CFR part 657 may submit one application for both. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **Subpart C —**  **How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?**  **§ 656.20**  **How does the Secretary evaluate an application?**  (a) The Secretary evaluates an application for a comprehensive Center under the criteria contained in §656.21, and for an undergraduate Center under the criteria contained in §656.22. (b) The Secretary informs applicants of the maximum possible score for each criterion in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 70 FR 13375, Mar. 21, 2005] **§ 656.21**  **What selection criteria does the Secretary use to evalua** **te an application for a comprehensive Center?** The Secretary evaluates an application for a comprehensive Center on the basis of the criteria in this section.

(a) Program planning and budget. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The ext ent to which the activities for which the applicant seeks funding are of high quality and directly related to the purpose of the National Resource Centers Program; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides a development plan or timeline demonstrating how the proposed activities will contribute to a strengthened program and whether the applicant uses its resources and personnel effectively to achieve the proposed objectives; (3) The extent to which the costs of the proposed activities are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the program; and (4) The long
-term impact of the proposed activities on the institution's undergraduate, graduate, and professional training programs. (b) Quality of staff resources. The Secretary reviews each application to d etermine

—

(1) The extent to which teaching faculty and other staff are qualified for the current and proposed Center activities and training programs, are provided professional development opportunities (including overseas experience), and participate in t eaching, supervising, and advising students; (2) The adequacy of Center staffing and oversight arrangements, including outreach and administration and the extent to which faculty from a variety of departments, professional schools, and the library are invo lved; and (3) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial o r ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. (c) Impact and evaluation. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center's activities and training programs have a significant impact on the university, community, region, and the Nation as shown through indices such as enrollments, graduate placement data, participation rates for events, and usage of Center resources; and the extent to which the applicant supplies a clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment of eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides an evaluation plan that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quantifiable, outcome
- measure - oriented data; and the extent to which recent evaluations have been used to improve the appl icant's program; (3) The degree to which activities of the Center address national needs, and generate information for and disseminate information to the public; and (4) The applicant's record of placing students into post
- graduate employment, education, o r training in areas of national need and the applicant's stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placements. (d) Commitment to the subject area on which the Center focuses. The Secretary reviews each application to determin e the extent to which the institution provides financial and other support to the operation of the Center, teaching staff for the Center's subject area, library resources, linkages with institutions abroad, outreach activities, and qualified students in fi elds related to the Center. (e) Strength of library. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The strength of the institution's library holdings (both print and non
- print, English and foreign language) in the subject area and at the educati onal levels (graduate, professional, undergraduate) on which the Center focuses; and the extent to which the institution provides financial support for the acquisition of library materials and for library staff in the subject area of the Center; and17 (2) Th e extent to which research materials at other institutions are available to students through cooperative arrangements with other libraries or on
- line databases and the extent to which teachers, students, and faculty from other institutions are able to acce ss the library's holdings. (f) Quality of the Center's non
-language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The quality and extent of the Center's course offerings in a variety of disciplines, including the extent to which courses in the Center's subject matter are available in the institution's professional schools; (2) The extent to which the Center offers depth of specialized course coverage in one or more disciplines of the Center's subject area; (3) The extent to which the institution employs a sufficient number of teaching faculty to enable the Center to carry out its purposes and the extent to which instructional assistants are provided with pedagogy training; and (4) The extent to which interdisciplinary course s are offered for undergraduate and graduate students. (g) Quality of the Center's language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center provides instruction in the languages of the Center's subject area and the extent to which students enroll in the study of the languages of the subject area through programs or instruction offered by the Center or other providers; (2) The extent to which the Center provides three or more levels of language t raining and the extent to which courses in disciplines other than language, linguistics, and literature are offered in appropriate foreign languages; (3) W hether sufficient numbers of language faculty are available to teach the languages and levels of inst ruction described in the application and the extent to which language teaching staff (including faculty and instructional assistants) have been exposed to current language pedagogy training appropriate for performance
- based teaching; and (4) The quality of the language program as measured by the performance
- based instruction being used or developed, the adequacy of resources for language teaching and practice, and language proficiency requirements. (h) Quality of curriculum design. The Secretary reviews eac h application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center's curriculum has incorporated undergraduate instruction in the applicant's area or topic of specialization into baccalaureate degree programs (for example, major, minor, or certificate programs ) and the extent to which these programs and their requirements (including language requirements) are appropriate for a Center in this subject area and will result in an undergraduate training program of high quality; (2) The extent to which the Center's c urriculum provides training options for graduate students from a variety of disciplines and professional fields and the extent to which these programs and their requirements (including language requirements) are appropriate for a Center in this subject are a and result in graduate training programs of high quality; and (3) The extent to which the Center provides academic and career advising services for students; the extent to which the Center has established formal arrangements for students to conduct resea rch or study abroad and the extent to which these arrangements are used; and the extent to which the institution facilitates student access to other institutions' study abroad and summer language programs. (i) Outreach activities. The Secretary reviews eac h application to determine the extent to which the Center demonstrates a significant and measurable regional and national impact of, and faculty and professional school involvement in, domestic outreach activities that involve

— (1) Elementary and secondary schools; (2) Postsecondary institutions; and (3) Business, media, and the general public. (j) Degree to which priorities are served. If, under the provisions of §656.23, the Secretary establishes competitive priorities for Centers, the Secretary considers the degree to which those priorities are being served. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840

–0068) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 70 FR 13375, Mar. 21, 2005; 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.22**  **What selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an application for an undergraduate Center?**  The Secretary evaluates an application for an undergraduate Center on the basis of the criteria in this section.

(a) Program plann ing and budget. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the activities for which the applicant seeks funding are of high quality and directly related to the purpose of the National Resource Centers Program; (2) The exte nt to which the applicant provides a development plan or timeline demonstrating how the proposed activities will contribute to a strengthened program and whether the applicant uses its resources and personnel effectively to achieve the proposed objectives; (3) The extent to which the costs of the proposed activities are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the program; and (4) The long
-term impact of the proposed activities on the institution's undergraduate training program. (b) Quality of staff res ources. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which teaching faculty and other staff are qualified for the current and proposed Center activities and training programs, are provided professional development opportunities (i ncluding overseas experience), and participate in teaching, supervising, and advising students; (2) The adequacy of Center staffing and oversight arrangements, including outreach and administration and the extent to which faculty from a variety of departme nts, professional schools, and the library are involved; and18 (3) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditio nally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. (c) Impact and evaluation. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center's activities and training programs have a significant impact on the university, community, region, and the Nation as shown through indices such as enrollments, graduate placement data, participation rates for events, and usage of Center resources; the extent to which s tudents matriculate into advanced language and area or international studies programs or related professional programs; and the extent to which the applicant supplies a clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment of eligi ble project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides an eval uation plan that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quantifiable, outcome
- measure - oriented data; and the extent to which recent evaluations have been used to improve the applicant's program; (3) The degree to which activities of the Cente r address national needs, and generate information for and disseminate information to the public; and (4) The applicant's record of placing students into post
- graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need and the applicant's stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placements. (d) Commitment to the subject area on which the Center focuses. The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which the institution provides financial and oth er support to the operation of the Center, teaching staff for the Center's subject area, library resources, linkages with institutions abroad, outreach activities, and qualified students in fields related to the Center. (e) Strength of library. The Secreta ry reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The strength of the institution's library holdings (both print and non
- print, English and foreign language) in the subject area and at the educational levels (graduate, professional, undergraduate) on which the Center focuses; and the extent to which the institution provides financial support for the acquisition of library materials and for library staff in the subject area of the Center; and (2) The extent to which research materials at other institutions are available to students through cooperative arrangements with other libraries or on
- line databases and the extent to which teachers, students, and faculty from other institutions are able to access the library's holdings. (f) Quality of the Center's non
-language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The quality and extent of the Center's course offerings in a variety of disciplines; (2) The extent to which the Center offers depth of specialized course coverage in one o r more disciplines of the Center's subject area; (3) The extent to which the institution employs a sufficient number of teaching faculty to enable the Center to carry out its purposes and the extent to which instructional assistants are provided with pedag ogy training; and (4) The extent to which interdisciplinary courses are offered for undergraduate students. (g) Quality of the Center's language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center provides instruction in the languages of the Center's subject area and the extent to which students enroll in the study of the languages of the subject area through programs offered by the Center or other providers; (2) The extent to which the Center provi des three or more levels of language training and the extent to which courses in disciplines other than language, linguistics, and literature are offered in appropriate foreign languages; (3) W hether sufficient numbers of language faculty are available to teach the languages and levels of instruction described in the application and the extent to which language teaching staff (including faculty and instructional assistants) have been exposed to current language pedagogy training appropriate for performance
- based teaching; and (4) The quality of the language program as measured by the performance
- based instruction being used or developed, the adequacy of resources for language teaching and practice, and language proficiency requirements. (h) Quality of curric ulum design. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the Center's curriculum has incorporated undergraduate instruction in the applicant's area or topic of specialization into baccalaureate degree programs (for example, major, minor, or certificate programs) and the extent to which these programs and their requirements (including language requirements) are appropriate for a Center in this subject area and will result in an undergraduate training program of high quality; and (2) The extent to which the Center provides academic and career advising services for students; the extent to which the Center has established formal arrangements for students to conduct research or study abroad and the extent to which these arrangemen ts are used; and the extent to which the institution facilitates student access to other institutions' study abroad and summer language programs. (i) Outreach activities. The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which the Center de monstrates a significant and measurable regional and national impact of, and faculty and professional school involvement in, domestic outreach activities that involve

— (1) Elementary and secondary schools; (2) Postsecondary institutions; and19 (3) Business, media and the general public. (j) Degree to which priorities are served. If, under the provisions of §656.23, the Secretary establishes competitive priorities for Centers, the Secretary considers the degree to which those priorities are being served. (App roved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840

–0068) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 70 FR 13375, Mar. 21, 2005; 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 656.23**  **What priorities may the Secretary** 

**esta blish?**  (a) The Secretary may select one or more of the following funding priorities:

(1) Specific countries or world areas, such as, for example, East Asia, Africa, or the Middle East. (2) Specific focus of a Center, such as, for example, a single world area; international studies; a particular issue or topic, e.g., business, development issues, or energy; or any combination. (3) Level or intensiveness of language instruction, such as intermediate or advanced language instruction, or instruction at an inten sity of 10 contact hours or more per week. (4) Types of activities to be carried out, for example, cooperative summer intensive language programs, course development, or teacher training activities. (b) The Secretary may select one or more of the activitie s listed in §656.5 as a funding priority. (c) The Secretary announces any priorities in the application notice published in theFederal Register. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) Subpart D

—

Wh at Conditions Must Be Met By a Grantee? **§ 656.30**  **What are allowable costs and limitations on allowable costs?** 

(a) Allowable costs. Except as provided under paragraph (b) of this section, a grant awarded under this part may be used to pay all or part of the cost of establishing, strengthening, or operating a comprehensive or undergraduate Center including, but not limited to, the cost of

— (1) Faculty and staff salaries and travel; (2) Library acquisitions; (3) Teaching and research materials; (4) Curriculum planning and development; (5) Bringing visiting scholars and faculty to the Center to teach, conduct research, or participate in conferences or workshops; (6) Training and improvement of staff; (7) Projects conducted in cooperation with other centers addressing themes of world, regional, cross
- regional, international, or global importance; and (8) Summer institutes in the United States or abroad designed to provide language and area training in the Center's field or topic. (b) Limitations on allowable costs. The following are limitations on allowable costs:

(1) Equipment c osts exceeding 10 percent of the grant are not allowable. (2) Funds for undergraduate travel are allowable only in conjunction with a formal program of supervised study in the subject area on which the Center focuses. (3) Grant funds may not be used to sup plant funds normally used by applicants for purposes of this part. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50193, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999]20

PART 657

— FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM **Section Contents Subpart A** 

**— General**  § 657.1 Wh at is the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program? § 657.2 Wh o is eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships? § 657.3 Wh o is eligible to receive a fellowship? § 657.4 Wh at regulations apply? § 657.5 Wh at definitions apply? **Subpart B —**  **How Does an I nstitution or a Student Submit an A** **pplication?** § 657.10 Wh at combined appli cation may an institution submit? § 657.11 How does a student apply for a fe llowship? **Subpart C —**  **How Does the Secretary Select an Institution for an A** **llocation of Fellowships?**  § 657.20 How does the Secretary evaluate an institutional a pplication for an allocation of fellowships? § 657.21 Wh at criteria does the Secretary use in selecting institutions for an allocation of fellowships? § 6 57.22 Wh at priorities may the Secretary establish? **Subpart D —** 

**What Conditions Must Be Met by**  **a Grantee and a Fellow?** § 657.30 Wh at is the duration of and wha t are the limitations on fellowships awarded to individuals by institutions? § 657.31 Wh at is the amount of a fellowship? § 657.32 Wh at is the payment p rocedure for fellowships? § 657.33 Wh at are the limitations on the use of fu nds for overseas fellowships? § 657.34 Under what circumstances must an inst itution terminate a fellowship? **Au thority**  **:** 20 U.S.C. 1122, unless otherwise noted. **Source:** 61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, unless otherwise noted. **Subpart A**

**— General**  **§ 657.1**  **What is the Foreign Language and A rea Studies Fellowships Program?**  Under th e Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program, the Secretary awards fellowships, through institutions of higher education, to students who are

— (a) Enrolled for undergraduate or graduate training in a Center or program approved by the Secretary u nder this part; and (b) Undergoing performance
- based modern foreign language training or training in a program for which performance
- based modern foreign language instruction is being developed, in combination with area studies, international studies, or t he international aspects of professional studies. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 657.2**  **Who is eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships?**

(a) The Secretary awards an allocatio n of fellowships to an institution of higher education or to a consortium of institutions of higher education that

— (1) Operates a Center or program approved by the Secretary under this part; (2) Teaches modern foreign languages under a program described i n paragraph (b) of this section; and (3) In combination with the teaching described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section

—

(i) Provides instruction in the disciplines needed for a full understanding of the area, regions, or countries in which the foreign lan guages are commonly used; or (ii) Conducts training and research in international studies, the international aspects of professional and other fields of study, or issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries. (b) In teaching those modern fore ign languages for which an allocation of fellowships is made available, the institution mu st be either using a program of performance
- based training or developing a performance
- based training program. (c) The Secretary uses the criteria in §657.21 both to approve Centers and programs for the purpose of receiving an allocation of fellowships and to evaluate applications for an allocation of fellowships. (d) An institution does not need to receive a grant under the National Resource Center Program (34 CFR par t 656) to receive an allocation of fellowships under this part. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 657.3**  **Who is eligible to receive a fellowship?** A student is eligible to receive a fell owship if the student

—

(a) (1) Is a citizen or national of the United States; or

(2) Is a permanent resident of the United States; (b) Is accepted for enrollment or is enrolled

—

(1) In an institution receiving an allocation of fellowships; and (2) In a pro gram that combines modern foreign language training with

—21 (i) Area or international studies; or (ii) Research and training in the international aspects of professional and other fields of study; (c) Shows potential for high academic achievement based on su ch indices as grade point average, class ranking, or similar measures that the institution may determine; (d) Is enrolled in a program of modern foreign language training in a language for which the institution has developed or is developing performance
- ba sed instruction; (e) In the case of an undergraduate student, is in the intermediate or advanced study of a less commonly taught language; or

(f) In the case of a graduate student, is engaged in

—

(1) Predissertation level study; (2) Preparation for dissert ation research; (3) Dissertation research abroad; or (4) Dissertation writing. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 657.4**  **What regulations apply ?**  The following regulations apply to this p rogram:

(a) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655. (b) The regulations in this part 657. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **§ 657.5**  **What definitions apply ?**  The following definitions apply to this part:

(a) The definitions in 34 CFR 655.4. (b) Center means an adm inistrative unit of an institution of higher education that has direct access to highly qualified faculty and library resources, and coordinates a concentrated effort of educational activities, including training in modern foreign languages and various aca demic disciplines, in its subject area. (c) Fellow means a person who receives a fellowship under this part. (d) Fellowship means the payment a fellow receives under this part. (e) Program means a concentration of educational resources and activities in mo dern foreign language training and related studies. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **Subpart B —**  **How Does an Institution or a Student Submit an A pplication?**  **§ 657.10**  **What combined application may an institution submit?**  An institution that wishes to apply for an allocation of fellowships and for a grant to operate a Center under 34 CFR part 656 may submit a combined application for both grants to the Secretary. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **§ 657.11**  **How does a student apply for a fellowship?**  (a) A student sha ll apply for a fellowship directly to an institution of higher education that has received an allocation of fellowships.

(b) The applicant shall provide sufficient information to enable the institution to determine whether he or she is eligible to receive a fellowship and whether he or she should be selected to receive a fellowship. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **Subpart C —**  **How Does the Secretary Select an Institution for an A** **llocation of Fellowships? §**  **657.20 How does the Secretary**  **evaluate an institutiona l application for an allocation of fellowships?**  (a) The Secretary evaluates an institutional application for an allocation of fellowships on the basis of the quality of the applicant's Center or program. The applicant's Center or program is evaluated and a pproved under the criteria in §657.21. (b) The Secretary informs applicants of the maximum possible score for each criterion in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1 996, as amended at 70 FR 13375, Mar. 21, 2005] **§ 657.21**  **What criteria does the Secretary use in selecting institutions for an allocation of fellowships?**  The Secretary evaluates an institutional application for an allocation of fellowships on the basis of the criteria in this section.

(a) Foreign language and area studies fellowships awardee selection procedures. The Secretary reviews each application to determine whether the selection plan is of high quality, showing how awards will be advertised, how st udents apply, what selection criteria are used, who selects the fellows, when each step will take place, and how the process will result in awards being made to correspond to any announced priorities. (b) Quality of staff resources. The Secretary reviews e ach application to determine

—22 (1) The extent to which teaching faculty and other staff are qualified for the current and proposed activities and training programs, are provided professional development opportunities (including overseas experience), and par ticipate in teaching, supervising, and advising students; (2) The adequacy of applicant staffing and oversight arrangements and the extent to which faculty from a variety of departments, professional schools, and the library are involved; and (3) The exten t to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority group s, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. (c) Impact and evaluation. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the applicant's activities and training programs have contributed to an improved supply of special ists on the program's subject as shown through indices such as undergraduate and graduate enrollments and placement data; and the extent to which the applicant supplies a clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment of eli gible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides an evaluation plan that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quantifiable, outcome
- measure - oriented data; and the extent to which recent evaluations have been used to improve the applicant's program; (3) The degree to which fellowships awarded b y the applicant address national needs; and (4) The applicant's record of placing students into post
- graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need and the applicant's stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go in to such placements. (d) Commitment to the subject area on which the applicant or program focuses. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

— (1) The extent to which the institution provides financial and other support to the operation of the appl icant, teaching staff for the applicant's subject area, library resources, and linkages with institutions abroad; and (2) The extent to which the institution provides financial support to students in fields related to the applicant's teaching program. (e) Strength of library. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The strength of the institution's library holdings (both print and non
- print, English and foreign language) for students; and the extent to which the institution provides financi al support for the acquisition of library materials and for library staff in the subject area of the applicant; and (2) The extent to which research materials at other institutions are available to students through cooperative arrangements with other libra ries or on
- line databases. (f) Quality of the applicant's non
-language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The quality and extent of the applicant's course offerings in a variety of disciplines, including the extent to which courses in the applicant's subject matter are available in the institution's professional schools; (2) The extent to which the applicant offers depth of specialized course coverage in one or more disciplines on the applicant's subject area; (3 ) The extent to which the institution employs a sufficient number of teaching faculty to enable the applicant to carry out its purposes and the extent to which instructional assistants are provided with pedagogy training; and (4) The extent to which interd isciplinary courses are offered for students. (g) Quality of the applicant's language instructional program. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the applicant provides instruction in the languages of the applicant's subject area and the extent to which students enroll in the study of the languages of the subject area through programs or instruction offered by the applicant or other providers; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides three or more levels of lang uage training and the extent to which courses in disciplines other than language, linguistics, and literature are offered in appropriate foreign languages; (3) W hether sufficient numbers of language faculty are available to teach the languages and levels of instruction described in the application and the extent to which language teaching staff (including faculty and instructional assistants) have been exposed to current language pedagogy training appropriate for performance
- based teaching; and (4) The qual ity of the language program as measured by the performance
- based instruction being used or developed, the adequacy of resources for language teaching and practice, and language proficiency requirements. (h) Quality of curriculum design. The Secretary reviews each application to determine

—

(1) The extent to which the applicant's curriculum provides training options for students from a variety of disciplines and professional fields and the extent to which these programs and their requirements (including langu age requirements) are appropriate for an applicant in this subject area and result in graduate training programs of high quality; (2) The extent to which the applicant provides academic and career advising services for students; and (3) The extent to which the applicant has established formal arrangements for students to conduct research or study abroad and the extent to which these arrangements are used; and the extent to which the institution facilitates student access to other institutions' study abroad and summer language programs. (i) Priorities. If one or more competitive priorities have been established under §657.22, the Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the extent to which the Center or program meets these priorities.23

(A pproved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840

–0068) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 70 FR 13375, Mar. 21, 2005; 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 657.22**  **What priorities may the Secretary** 

**es tablish?**  (a) The Secretary may establish one or more of the following priorities for the allocation of fellowships:

(1) Specific world areas, or countries, such as East Asia or Mexico. (2) Languages, such as Chinese. (3) Levels of language offerings. (4) Academic disciplines, such as linguistics or sociology. (5) Professional studies, such as business, law, or education; (6) Particular subjects, such as population growth and planning, or international trade and business. (7) A combination of any of these c ategories. (b) The Secretary announces any priorities in the application notice published in the Federal Register. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) Subpart D

—

Wh at Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee and a Fellow? **§ 657.30**  **What is the duration of and what ar e the limitations on fellowships awarded to individuals by**  **institutions?** (a) Duration. An institution may award a fellowship to a student for

— (1) One academic year; or (2) One summer session if the summer session provides the fellow with the equivalent of one academic year of modern foreign language study. (b) Vacancies. If a fellow vacates a fellowship before the end of an award period, the institution to which the fellowship is allocated may reaward the balance of the fellowship to another student if

— ( 1) The student meets the eligibility requirements in §657.3; and (2) The remaining fellowship period comprises at least one full academic quarter, semester, trimester, or summer session as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. (Authority: 20 U.S. C. 1122) **§ 657.31**  **What is the amount of a fellowship?**

(a) (1) An institution shall award a stipend to fellowship recipients.

(2) Each fellowship includes an institutional payment and a subsistence allowance to be determined by the Secretary. (3) If the institutional payment determined by the Secretary is greater than the tuition and fees charged by the

institution, the institutional payment portion of the fellowship is limited to actual tuition and fees. The difference between actual tuition and fees an d the Secretary's institutional payment shall be used to fund additional fellowships to the extent that funds are available for a full subsistence allowance. (4) If permitted by the Secretary, a stipend awarded to a graduate level recipient may include all owances for dependents and travel for research and study in the United States and abroad. (5) A stipend awarded to an undergraduate level recipient may include an allowance for educational programs in the United States or educational programs abroad that

— (i) Are closely linked to the overall goals of the recipient's course of study; and (ii) Have the purpose of promoting foreign language fluency and knowledge of foreign cultures. (b) The Secretary announces in an application notice published in the Federal Register

— (1) The amounts of the subsistence allowance and the institutional payment for an academic year and the subsistence allowance and the institutional payment for a summer session; (2) W hether travel and dependents' allowances will be permitted; an d (3) The amount of travel and dependents' allowances. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) [61 FR 50202, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 74 FR 35073, July 17, 2009] **§ 657.32**  **What is the pay ment procedure for fellowships?** 

(a) An institution shall pay a fellow his or her subsistence and any other allowance in installments during the term of the fellowship.

(b) An institution shall make a payment only to a fellow who is in good standing and is making satisfactory progress. (c) The institution shall make appropriate adjustments of any overpayment or underpayment to a fellow. (d) Funds not used by one recipient for reasons of withdrawal are to be used for alternate recipients to the extent that funds are available for a full subsistence allowance. (Authority: 20 U.S.C . 1122) **§ 657.33**  **What are the limitations on the use of funds for overseas fellowships?**

(a) Before awarding a fellowship for use outside the United States, an institution shall obtain the approval of the Secretary

. (b) The Secretary may approve the use of a fellowship outside the United States if the student is

—

(1) Enrolled in an overseas foreign language program approved by the institution at which the student is enrolled in the United States for study at an intermediate or advanced level or at the beg inning level if appropriate equivalent instruction is not available in the United States; or24 (2) Engaged during the academic year in research that cannot be done effectively in the United States and is affiliated with an institution of higher education or other appropriate organization in the host country. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122) **§ 657.34**  **Under what circumstances must an institution terminate a fellowship?** An institution shall terminate a fellowship if

— (a) The fellow is not making satisfactory prog ress, is no longer enrolled, or is no longer in good standing at the institution; or (b) The fellow fails to follow the course of study, including modern foreign language study, for which he or she applied,

unless a revised course of study is otherwise app rovable under this part. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122)25



## AP **PLICA TION**  **WORLD REGION OR THEM**  **AT IC**  **FOCUS**

**FY 2014 -** **2017**

**Af rica**  **Canada East**  **As ia**  **International Latin A** **merica & Caribbean Mi**  **ddle East Pacific Islands**  **Russia/E ast Europe / Eurasia**  **South A sia**  **Southeast A sia**  **Western Europe / Europe Other (specify) ________________________________** 



## AP **PLICA TION TYPE**  **Comprehensive NRC and FLA S**  **Undergraduate NRC and FLA S**  **Comprehensive NRC only Undergraduate NRC only**  **FLA S only**  **Please check**26 

### Information to Meet **§602(e) Statutory Requirements**  Sec. 602 (e) of the Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended states that applicant institutions desiring a grant under this secti on shall include the information below in their applications for funding. You may use this page or your own format to present this information. The supplemental information page(s) d o not count against the project narrative page limitations. If the appl ication is being submitted on behalf of a consortium, include responses for the lead institution and for the consortium partner(s). 

### 1.) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and g enerate debate on world regions and international affairs ; and

**2.)** A description of how t he applicant will encourage government service in areas of national need, as identified by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as in areas of need in the ed ucation, business, and nonprofit sectors

.

Applicant Institution(s) and Authorized Representative: The applicant assures that grant activities will be conducted in compliance with the statutory requirements provided in section 602(e) of the HEA , as amended. Name of Applicant Institution and Center: Name /Title of Authorized Representative ( Printed ): Title: Telephone: Signature: E
- mail: Date:27



### FLA**S Fellow** **ship s**  **Institutional Pay ment and Subsistence A** **llowance FY 2014**  **- 201**  **7** An in stitution may award a fellowship to a student for one academic year; or one summer session if the summer session provides the fellow with the equivalent of one academic year of modern foreign language study. (§657.30 (a)(1)(2) Each fellowship includes an i nstitutional pay me nt and a subsistence allowance, to be determined by the Secretary, (§657.31 (a)(2)) Institutional eligibility requirements are i n §657.2 Wh o is eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships ? of the FLAS program regulations. Student e ligibility requirements are in §657.3 Wh o is eligible to receive a fellowship ? of the FLAS program regulations. In teaching those modern foreign languages for which an allocation of fellowships is made available, the institution MUST BE either using a pro gram of performance
- based training or developing a performance
- based training program

. Academic year fellowships are to be used for a program that combines mo dern foreign language training with area studies, international studies, or the international as pects of professional or other fields of study. Academic year fellowships may support dissertation research but the dissertation research MUST BE abroad only. Summer fellowships are to be used only for intensive language training, and the training must provide the equivalent of a full academic year of instruction.
**Graduate Fellowship**  **ACADEMIC YEAR FELLOWSHIP SUMMER FELLOWSHIP**  **Institutional Pay ment**  $1 8 ,000 $5,000 **Subsistence Allowance** $15,000 $2,500 **Total Fellowship Amount**  $3 3 ,000 $7,500 **Underg raduate**  **Fellowship ACADEMIC YEAR FELLOWSHIP**  **SUMMER FELLOWSHIP Institutional Pay** **ment** $10,000 (est.) $5,000 (est.) **Subsistence Allowance** $5,000 (est.) $2,500 (est.) **Total Fellowship Amount**  $15,000 (est.) $7,500 (est.) In addition to the eligibility requ irements specified in §657.3, an undergraduate student must be in the intermediate or advanced study of a less commonly taught language (LCTL). A LCTL is any language other than English, Spanish, French or German. **Travel A wa**  **rd s** 

-- O ffered only in conjun ction with a summer FLAS fellowship

-- Not an automatic component of a summer fellowship

-- Us ed to defray travel costs to attend a domestic or an overseas language program

-- Eq ual $ 1000 , or the actual cost of the travel, whichever is less ( Federal Regis ter Vol.67,No.187/ Thursday, September 26, 2002)28 

## FLA**S -**  **ELIGIBLE LANGUA GES**  **Performance -**  **Based Instruction**  **FY 2014 –**  **2017**

 A FLAS
- Eligible language ma rk ed “Y” me ans that the language is currently available and students can apply

for fellowships . Languages ma rk ed “Y” should be substantiate d by the course list and the faculty biographical information.
 You m ay

request FLAS eligibility for additional languages at any time during the 4
- ye ar grant cycle, by submitting the justification, course description, and th e instructor’s CV. 

## Language **Eligible Now ?**  **Y/N**29 

### National Resource Centers (NRC) Program (CFDA 84.015A) Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships Program (CFDA 84.015B) **Proposal Components and Instructions** 

 Table of Contents
 Abstract
 Acronyms Guide
 Project Narrative Appendices
 Project Budget (ED 524 Section A Budget Summary and Budget Detail)
 Profiles for Project Personnel
 Course List
 Performance Measures Form(s) Federal Forms
 Assurances, Certifications, Forms **Table of Contents** Self
- explanatory **Abstract** Applicants are required to provide a one
- page abstract. An effective abstract will assist reviewers in seeing how the proposed project relates to the purposes and prioriti es of the program(s) under which that you are submitting an application. The abstract should s ummarize the activities and intended outcomes of the project for the FY 2014
- 2017 grant period and indicate the absolute, competitive, and invitational priorities to be addressed in your application. Applicants should refrain from touting your institutional history with the NRC and FLAS programs; we ask that the abstract focus instead on the currently
- proposed project and its future impact. Provide a n overview of the Center’s or Program’s unique characteristics , including but not limited to its mission; world area or thematic focus; the internal and external constituencies served; degree programs; enhancement activities; the faculty; area studies, international st udies, and language courses; library resources; and outreach. Bear in mind that your application abstract introduces you to the reviewers. Make every effort , therefore, to provide an engaging and clear picture about you and your proposed project from the outset. **Acronyms Guide** Include an acronyms guide to identify the entities that will be reference d throughout the application. Use acronyms wisely, however, as the overuse of acronyms can detract from the information being presented. W rite out the nam e occasionally so that the reader is reminded of what you are describing, without constantly having to refer to the acronyms list

.30

**Project Narrative (Response to the Selection Criteria)**  The Project Narrative is the section of the application where appl icants respond to the selection criteria for the NRC and FLAS programs. The Project Narrative must adhere to the page limitations and the specific technical guidelines outlined in the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register

. You are permitted to use tables and charts in this section to convey information more efficiently and effectively. Follow the technical guidelines provided in the notice regarding the spacing and font requirements for tables and charts. Only t he summary list of t he NRC and FLAS selection criteria appears below. Please see the program regulations for the criteria descriptions a nd sub
-factors for NRC in § 656.21 (Comprehensive National Resource Center) ; § 656.22 (Undergraduate National Resource Center) ; and , for FLAS in § 657.21

. **Comprehensive National Resource Center §656.21**  Commitment to the Subject Area (10) Quality of Curriculum Design (10) Quality of the Applicant’ s Non
-Language Instructional Program (20) Quality of Applicant’

s Language Instructional Program (20) Strength of Library (10) Quality of Staff Resources (15) Outreach Activities (20) Program Planning and Budget (25) Impact and Evaluation (30) Competitive Preference Priorities (TBD) **Undergraduate National Resource Center §656.22** Commitment to the Subject Area (10) Quality of Curriculum Design (10) Quality of the Applicant’ s Non
-Language Instructional Program (20) Quality of Applicant’

s Language Instructional Program (20) Strength of Library (10) Quality of Staff Reso urces (15) Outreach Activities (20) Program Planning and Budget (25) Impact and Evaluation (30) Competitive Preference Priorities (TBD) **Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships §657.21** Commitment to the Subject Area (10) Quality of Curriculum Design (20) Quality of the Applicant’ s Non
-Language Instructional Program ( 20) Quality of the Applicant’ s Language Instructional Program (20) Strength of Library (10) Quality of Staff Resources (15) Impact and Evaluation (25) FLAS Awardee Selection Criteria (15) Competitive Preference Priorities (TBD)31

For both the National Resource Centers program and the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships program, th e **IMPA CT**  **AND EV AL**  **UATION** selection criterion is a heavily we ighted

— NRC (30 points) and FLAS (25 points). In an effort to provide applicants more guidance about developing their evaluation plans and what it means “ to evaluate ” Title VI and Fulbright
- Hays projects, IFLE program staff, in conjunction with IM PAQ International , develop ed guidance for understanding your role regarding Government and Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures and project
specific measures. Wealso developed guidance to assist applicants in responding to the “Impact and Evaluation” selection criterion

. Th is next section is intended to provide NRC and FLAS applicants with more substantive information on how to respond to the “ Impact and Evaluation ” selection criterion in a more compelling manner . Th is section also includes instructions for completing the new performance measure forms (PMFs) that you are required to include in the application Appendi ces.32



## Guidance on Dev**eloping an E va**  **luation Plan IFLE Grant Project Evaluation**  A strong project proposal by an applicant for an IFLE grant includes a well
- de signed evaluation plan that is based on clearly stated goals and objectives. The evaluation plan must address all IFLE GPRA measures, as well as include project
- specific measures that are tied to the project’s goals and objectives. The evaluation plan also must identify how each of the specific objectives will be achieved, and establish the quantitative and qualitative measures that will be used to demonstrate the successful implementation of the proposed project. The Performance
- Measure Form (PMF) serves a s a guide for applicants to plan and articulate key aspects of a well
designed evaluation plan. IFLE offers applicant institutions the following suggestions to consider in developing the Impact and Evaluation se ction of the grant application. 

## Developing an **Evaluation Plan Working with a**  **n Independent Project Evaluator** Please note that an independent project evaluator may not be required for every IFLE grant program. Applicants and grantees should consult with their IFLE program officer and refer to program - s pecific materials for guidance. The independent project evaluator should be involved in the project throughout the entire grant cycle from the proposal development phase through the project’s funding and implementation to ensure that a well
- designed evalu ation plan is developed and implemented. The independent project evaluator works with key project personnel to draft measurable objectives, identify appropriate progress indicators and benchmarks, and to formalize the data collection, calculation, and anal ytical methodologies. The primary role of the independent project evaluator is to provide technical support and expertise to the project in order to best demonstrate its progress toward achieving stated goals and objectives. The independent project evaluat or may also provide support and guidance for the development of a dissemination plan to publicize the project results to i nternal and external entities. A grant applicant may wish to collaborate with other projects on a given campus to pool resources and share the cost of a professional evaluator. The guidance provided in this document is intended to help maximize evaluation resources by streamlining an evaluation process and by supporting collaboration between key project personnel and an independent eval uator. Very small projects may have very limited funds available to compensate an evaluator. In such cases, limited resources are best expended on working with an evaluator at the project’s start, as opposed to its later stag es. To ensure both the quality and the credibility of the evaluation, it should be conducted by a qualified evaluator with appropriate expertise and training. The evaluator should be independent, whether the evaluator is internal or external to the grant project. The applicant should p rovide a plan to ensure that the evaluator maintains sufficient independence from the project team, thus avoiding any potential or perceived conflict of interest.33



### Developing Clear Goals and Objectives A well
- designed evaluation plan includes clearly arti culated goals, measurable objectives, and a wa y to collect concrete data to substantiate the project’s progress toward achieving its goals. The evaluation plan should be limited to a few clear and specific objectives that are linked directly to the propose d goals of the project and that can be measured. The applicant/grantee should consider the following when developing measurable objectives and planning for data collection: 1. Wh at will indicate or demonstrate that the project is meeting its goals? Describe t he expected measurable outcomes. 2. Wh at types and sources of data will best demonstrate that the project is achieving, or will achieve, its objectives? Identify the data and its sources that can serve as indicators or benchmarks that the project is meeting, or will meet, the intended outcomes. 3. How will the data be collected? Describe access and frequency. 4. How will the data be analyzed and reported? Describe the methodology and key personnel responsible. 5. Wi ll the results demonstrate the project’s proposed outcome and impact (e.g., an increase in qualified language instructors, higher graduation rate in international studies, better employment rate of program graduates, etc.)? Describe how the results may demonstrate short
- term and long
- term outcomes and impact. Examples of possible project
- specific quantitative objectives include:

 Increase the number of students completing advanced courses in priority languages;

 Increase the number of students in business, health, or science majors graduating with foreign langua ge skills;

 Increase the number of study abroad opportunities for students on campus; or,

 Increase the number of certificates and degrees conferred in targeted programs of study. Examples of possible project
- specific qualitative objectives include:

 Improve employment opportunities for students who possess advanced language skills and international experience;

 Strengthen collaboration between foreign language departments, international education, and other disciplines; or,

 Improve quality of assessment tools fo r priority and/or l ess - commonly
- taught languages. Examples of specific activities that may support project objectives include:

 Recruit and hire of qualified priority language faculty; or,

 Create or increase professional development and training session s for faculty.34

Progress indicators that relate to the quantitative and qualitative examples cited in the above sections include, but are not limited to, the following:

 Increase in the number of new faculty positions in priority and/or less
- commonly
- taught languages, area studies courses, or interdisciplinary courses that are institutionalized af ter grant support has ended;

 Increase in the number and type of courses developed, piloted, and subsequently submitted to the institution’s review board for inclusio n in the college catalog for the upcoming academic year. 

### Developing Evaluation Questions An applicant should formulate evaluation questions that interest all stakeholders and audiences related to the proposed project, and align the questions with appropri ate information gathering techniques. 1. Wh o/what will change? 2. Wh en will the change(s) take place? 3. How much change is expected? 4. How will change be measured, recorded, or documented? 

### Planni **ng Data Collection and A naly** **sis** In order to show change, baseline data must be included in the final evaluation plan, submitted to the program office, once the grant is awarded. Applicants should determine if baseline data already exist and where to find them. Data collection instruments that are not readily available need to be developed.. Data collection instruments may include surveys, standardized tests, exams, focus groups, and topic guides. Institutions may have additional instruments that are specific to the proposed project. The final evaluation plan must specify the types and sources of data that will be collected and describe how the data will be collected, including access and frequency. The plan must also describe how the data will be compiled, analyzed, and reported, as well as the methodology that will be used an d key personnel responsible for these tasks. The institutions should work with evaluation specialists to develop a detailed analysis plan to analyze the data and interpret results. In addition, the evaluation plan should include a timeline to delineate tas ks and specify when and how progress benchmarks or indicators will be met. The timeline will help projects to stay on track toward achieving their goals. 

### Gui **dance to NRC Program A pplicants**  The Title VI international education programs’ overarching goal is to maintain a U.S. higher education system with the capacity to produce experts in less commonly taught languages and area studies who are capable of contributing to the needs of U.S. government, academic, and business institutions. Each IFLE grant progra m addresses a specific objective related to this overarching goal. The National Resource Centers (NRC) program provides grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate compre hensive and undergraduate Centers. These Centers are intended to be national resources for teaching any modern foreign language. The Centers provide instruction in fields35

needed to promote full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which the mod ern foreign language is commonly used, research and training in international studies and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study, and outreach on a national, regional, and local basis.36



## NRC **Performance Mea sure Form (PMF)**  **AT TENTION**  **AP PLICA**  **NTS: REA D CA**  **REFULLY For your application**  **PMFs, COMPLETE ITEMS 1, 2, and 3 ONLY** 
**.** IFLE will request fully completed PMFs if the application is recommended for funding. Include your NRC PMFs in the appendices.
ALL grantee s must report Project
- Specific Measures on an annual basis . You must create a PM F for each Project Goal in order to set a baseline. Figure 1 shows a blank template. An example of a PMF completed for NRC Project
- Specific Measures is provided in Figure 2.



### Figure **1 : PMF for Project**  **- Specific Measures for NRC A**  **pplicants**
**1. Project Goal Statement**  **2. Performance**  **Measures 3.** 

**Ac tivities**  **4. Data/**

**Indicators 5.** 

**Freq uency**  **6. Data**

**Source 7. Baseline and** 

**Targets BL**  **T1 T2**  **T3 T4** 

**Instructions for Completing NRC Project -**  **Specific PMF** 1. Project Goal Statement

– Each project will have more than one goal , such as “Expand outreach for fo reign language instruction in LCTLs to under
- resourced post
- secondary institutions” or “Expand the ce nter’s course offerings in South Asian area studies.”37

Complete a separate PMF t emplate fo r e ach project goal. State the fi rst project
- specific goal in the first (header) row of the template , then p roceed to steps 2
- 7 below. Repeat the process for each proj ect
- specific goal. 2. Performance Measures

– State the project
- specific measure in an objective and time
bound manner. Make sure that the units of measure (e.g., number of courses, number of students, etc.) are well defined

. 3. Activities

– Fill in the major act ivities that the institution will undertake to achieve the project
- specific performance measure goal. 4. Data/Indicators

– State the data or indicators that will be used to track progress of e ach activity stated in #2. Because the performance measure might not change from the baseline in the early year(s) of the grant, supporting indicators will be used to track and demonstrate progress. 5. Frequency

– State period of measurement (e.g., q uarterly, by s emester, or a nnual ly ). 6. Data Source

– State the source of the data (e.g., c enter records or u niversity registrar). 

### 7. Baseline (BL) and Targets (T1
- T4)

– State the level of each measure at the time that the application is submi tted as the “Baseline” and provide the target levels at the end of each grant year. Wh ere the measure specifies “new,” the baseline is stated as the existing total at the time of the application and the targets are stated as the incremental increase.38 

### Figure 2: Sample PMF for NRC Project **- Specific Measures**  **1. Project Goal Statement:** Increase by 10 % the number of students graduating from X University with proficiency in Chinese language during the grant period as compared to the prior 4
- year period. **2. Performance**  **Measures 3. A** **ctivities 4. Data/Indicators**  **5. Freq**  **uency 6. Data** 

**Source 7. Baseline and**  **Targets**

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4** A) Increase by 10% Chinese language course offerings at the intermediate and advanced levels each project year

. A.1 Recruit and hire

additional qualified Chinese language instructors

. A.2 Develop intermediate and advanced level courses in Chinese language instruction

. A.3 Review and revis e all language courses to ensure that a communicative
- based approach is used

.  The number of qualified Chinese language instructors in the program

.

 The number of new courses developed for inter me diate and advanced levels

.

 The number and percentage of all courses in a Chinese language program in which a communicative
- based approach is used

. **An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly** Center

records University registrar
Center records **6**

**20**

**15/20 75%**  **7**

**2**

**18/22 82%**  **8**

**2**

**21/24 88%**  **8**

**2**

**24/26 92%**  **9**

**3**

**29/29 100%** 39

**1. Project Goal Statement:** Increase by 10 % the number of students graduating from X University with proficiency in Chinese language during the grant period as compared to the prior 4
- year period. **2. Performance**  **Measures 3. A** **ctivities 4. Data/Indicators**  **5. Freq**  **uency 6. Data** 

**Source 7. Baseline and**  **Targets**

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4** B) Increase by 10% the num ber of students com pleting intermediate and advanced level courses in Chinese each project yea r. B.1 Disseminate course

information to potenti al students in other departments, e.g., b usiness, n ursing, e ngineering, etc. B.2 Recruit heritage language students to enroll in advanced level courses
. B.3 Provid e tutoring, me ntoring, and authentic opportunities for students to interact in Chinese langua ge
.  The num ber of students who are enrolled in intermediate and advanced level courses at the beginning of each quarter/semester

.

 The number of students who advance from beginning to intermediate and from intermediate to advanced levels at the end of each quarter

.

 The number of students who successfully com plete intermediate or advanced level courses each quarter/semester

. **Quarterly or by**  **s emester**  **Quarterly or by**  **s emester**  **Quarterly or by**  **s emester**  University

registrar
University registrar

Universi ty registrar **220**

**200**

**100 240** 

**220**

**110 260** 

**240**

**121 280** 

**260**

**133 320** 

**300**

**146**40

**1. Project Goal Statement:** Increase by 10 % the number of students graduating from X University with proficiency in Chinese language during the grant period as compared to the prior 4
- year period. **2. Performance**  **Measures 3. A** **ctivities 4. Data/Indicators**  **5. Freq**  **uency 6. Data** 

**Source 7. Baseline and**  **Targets**

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4** C) Increase by 10% the num ber of students who com plete study abroad activities each project year

. C.1 Develop

partnerships with overseas in stitutions

. C.2 Develop study abroad programs that include internship opportunity in students’ study majors

. C.3 Collaborat e with Extension Education to enable study abroad students to earn university credits that will count toward com pleting their degree s
.  The number of new partnerships with overseas institutions

.

 The number of study abroad opportunities offered each year

.

 The number of students who complete study abroad each year

. **An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly** Center

records University registrar University registrar **6**

**4**

**20 8** 

**6**

**22 10** 

**7**

**24 12** 

**8**

**26 14** 

**10**

**29**41



### NRC **Impact and Evaluation Selection Criteri on**  This section describes the factors that the reviewers will use to score the project evaluation narratives in sub mitted grant applications. The following factors are included in the “Impact and Evaluation” selection criterion in the NRC undergraduate center regulations and the NRC comprehensive center regulations. Each question is followed by guidance to help the app licant provide information that will enable reviewers to award the appropriate level of points for the applicant’s planned impact and evaluation efforts. The applicant should provide actual baseline numbers, including trend data, if possible, when answerin g the following questions in the grant application. If the applicant has not tracked the data requested, the applicant should explain what mechanisms it will put into place to collect the desired data and to track progress toward the proposed project’s goa ls and objectives

. **For all NRC applicants, to what extent do the center’s activities and training programs have a significant impact on the university, community, region, and the nation as shown**  **through indices such as enrollments, graduate placement dat a, participation rates for**  **events, and usage of center resources?** The NRC Program’s primary goal in providing funding to eligible institutions of higher education or consortia of such institutions is to enable them to establish, strengthen, and operate u ndergraduate and comprehensive foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs. The program also supports the development of qualified instructors of the less commonly taught languages and of interdisciplinary projects that support students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to achieve foreign language proficiency. Applicants should describe how their proposed activities advance the program’s goals and regulations and help to meet national needs in foreig n language, area, and international studies

. An applicant may demonstrate a project ’s impact through official records that evidence substantial increases in coursework, enrollment, and graduates in foreign language, area, or international studies , and in the number of qualified instructors in critical or priority languages. Evidence of a n increase of graduates from other disciplines with foreign language, area, and international skills also demonstrates a project’s success . However, the real significant i mpact of any program is most evident in its graduate placement data. Data of successful graduate placement indicate that the program is attaining its long
- term outcome of meeting the nation ’s workforce needs. The Department of Education ( ED ) seeks projects that have data demonstrating that their participants have a higher graduate placement rate than other projects, and that the project’s success can be replicated. It is difficult for programs to gather g raduate placement data because they must have ongo ing relationship s with their graduates to do so . Yet tracking and helping students find placements in academic, governmental, and private sector jobs that draw upon their foreign language and area study knowledge are among the most tangible and direct ways that IFLE programs achieve the ir stated goal : “to meet the nation ’ s security and economic needs through the development and maintenance of a national capacity in foreign languages, and area and international studies. ” In fact, post
- graduation placements h ave become a concern and interest of Congress, since those placements represent a tangible return on taxpayers ’ investment and directly relate to ED’s mission, which is “ to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ” Therefore, an applicant should emphasize how it plans to assist students and track their job placements after graduation. A n a pplicant should also provide detailed information on how it plan s to sustain t he42

center’s activities and training programs through institution
-wide efforts. A n a pplicant may discuss institutional commitment and support , as well as faculty hiring and development in these areas. **For undergraduate NRC applicants, to what extent do st udents matriculate into advanced**  **language and area or international studies programs or related professional programs?** The guidance on answering this question is related to the background and advice given for the previous question regarding post
- graduate placements. Since the question’s emphasis here is on undergraduates, an applicant’s answer should illustrate how the applicant will track students and encourage them to continue on to advanced language and area or international studies programs. A n a ppli cant may provide detailed information on its past and present efforts to develop degree and professional programs in foreign language, area, or international studies , and any cross
discipline collaboration s in which it has engaged to attract and graduate m ore students with advanced language or international education backgrounds. **For all applicants, to what extent will provisions be made for equal access and treatment for eligible students and other participants who are members of groups that have been**  **tr aditionally under** 

**- represented (such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups,**  **women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly)?** Equal access to educational opportunities is not only part of ED’s mission “ to promote student achievement and preparat ion for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring **equal access** , ” but also is an explicit part of the NRC program’s regulations. Therefore, it is important that applicants demonstrate how they will implement the equal access re quirements of NRC funding. Current statistics show that a vast majority of participants in international education and study abroad programs are white students from middle class backgrounds and that students from other minority or ethnic groups have limite d access to international education and study abroad programs . (IIE
- Open Doors 2012) Applicants should demonstrate that they have a track record of past success achieving the equal access objective, and, at a minimum, explain their plans to increase the n umber of participants from minority and underrepresented groups and to retain them. **For all applicants, to what extent does the applicant provide an evaluation plan that is comprehensive, with objectives that will produce quantifiable, outcome** **- measure** **** **or iented data?**  The applicant should review the section entitled “Evaluation of NRC Projects” starting on page 6 of this guidance document. This guidance document simplifies and demonstrates the key elements of a comprehensive and objective evaluation plan. Applicants must clearly express: Wh o/what will change? Wh en will the change(s) take place? How much change is expected? Wh at are the proposed data collection methodologies? Are the credentials, qualifications, and impartial statuses of those who will carry out the evaluation plan sufficient to ensure that the results will be valid and reliable? **For all applicants, to what extent have results from recent evaluations been used by the applicant to improve its program?** 43

ED seeks information from applicants on whether and how they have used past project evaluation results and findings to inform their strategic and operational decision
- making. A pplicants should describe the types of evaluations and studies that they ha ve carried out in past similar grant proje cts , what the results of those evaluations and studies were, and how the findings will inform and improve what the applicants propose to do. ED is interested particularly in applicants that provide evidence
- based results from past grant projects or similar efforts that indicate their success in achieving long
-term outcomes that advance the Program’s goals , and in applicants ’ propos als to scale up and institutionalize the se past successes

. **For all NRC applicants, to what degree do activities of the center ad dress national needs,**  **and generate information for and disseminate information to the public?** O ne of the overarching goals of the NRC program is for participating centers to d isseminat e information to the public that addresses national needs fo r expertise in critical languages, international, and area studies. Centers may disseminate a range of information : research studies’ findings or results of surveys that have been funded by NRC ; international or cultural activities hosted by the center ; new coursework, curricula , or degree programs created and offered by the center ; scholarship, fellowship , or emp loyment opportunities available; or any other type of project outcomes and achievements. By d isseminati ng this information, the center inform s the public of the ways in which it is meeting national needs , as well as promoting more awareness and interest in supporting foreign language, international, and area studies. The C enter can d isseminat e information to advance a variety of goals through a number of diffe rent channels and to vastly different intended audiences . Its efforts may range from reaching out to the underrepresented students and faculty on campus , to engaging local communities and educational institutions including K
- 12 and community colleges , to l aunching a campaign to reach a broader audience nationally . Applicants’ answers to this question may include descriptions of postings on internet sites, presentations at conferences and workshops, articles published in peer reviewed journals, appearances o n national broadcast news, as well as private briefings to the U.S. State Department, the Department of Defense, and members of Congress and their staffers. This is a non
- exhaustive illustrative list only. Applicants must identify the mechanisms that they have used and will continue to use, as well as any describe new mechanisms that they intend to initiate to enable them to generate and disseminate information that addresses national needs. **For all NRC applicants, what is the C** **enter’s record of placing s tudents into post** **** **graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need, and the center’s stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placements?**  As stated in the answer to the first selection criteria question regarding the “Impact and Evaluation” of NRC grants, placement into post
- graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need is of paramount importance to the NRC’s congressional funders, OMB, the ED’s Budget Service, and IFLE senior lea dership. It is critical to ED that a successful NRC grantee track placement results and assist graduates in the placement process. Applicants should highlight past successful strategies that they used to track graduates after they finished their programs a nd to obtain reliable data on post
- graduate employment , and describe how these strategies will be implemented with future grant participants . Applicants should present their track records and emphasize ongoing initiatives that rise to the level of a promis ing practice.44



## F **LA S**  **P erformance Measure Form (PMF)**  **AT TENTION**  **AP PLICA**  **NTS: REA D CA**  **REFULLY For your application PMFs,**  **COMPLETE ITEMS 1, 2, and 3 ONLY**
**.** IFLE will request fully completed PMFs if the application is recommended for funding. Include your NRC P MFs in the appendices. ALL grantees must report Project
- Specific Measures on an annual basis. The institutions that are recommended for funding will be required to submit a fully completed PMF for each Project Goal in order to set a baseline. A black PM F is provided in Figure 3. An example of a PMF completed for FLAS Project
- Specific Measures is provided in Figure 4

.



### Figure **3 : PMF for Project**  **- Specific Measures for**  **FLA S**  **Ap plicants** 
**1. Project Goal Statement**  **2. Performance**  **Measures 3.** 

**Ac tivities**  **4. Data/**

**In dicators**  **5.**

**Freq uency**  **6. Data**

**Source 7. Baseline and** 

**Targets BL**  **T1 T2**  **T3 T4** 



### Instructions for Completing Project
- Specific PMF
1. Project Goal Statement

– Each project will have more than one goal , such as “ Increase F LAS training opportunities for professional school students ” or “Increase FLAS training opportunities for ST EM students.” Complete a separate PMF template row for e ach project goal. State the first project
- specific goal in the fi rst (header) row of the tem plate , the p roceed to steps 2
- 7 below. Repeat the process for each project
- specific goal.45

2. Performance Measures

– State the project
- specific measure in an o bjective and time
bound manner. Make sure the units of m easure (e.g., number of courses, number of st udents, etc.) are well defined 3. Activities

– Fill in the major activities that the institution will undertake to achieve the project
- specific performance measure goal. 4. Data / Indicators

– State the data or indicators that will be used to track the progress of each activity stated in #2. Note that one of the indicators sho uld be synonymous with the performance measure, wh ile the other indicators will be used to track progress toward meeting the performance measure. Since the performance measure might not chan ge from the baseline in the early year(s) of t he grant, supporting indicators will be used to track and demonstrate progress. 5. Frequency

– State period of measurement (e.g., q uarterly, by s emester, or a nnual ly )

. 6. Data Source

– State the source of the data (e .g., c enter records or u niversity registrar)

. 7. Baseline (BL) and Targets (T1
- T4)

– State the level of each measure at the time that the application is submitted as the “Baseline” and provide the target levels at the end of each grant year. Wh ere the measure specifies “new , ” the baseline is stated as the existing total at the time of t he application and the targets are stated as the incremental increase.46 

### Figure 16: Sample PMF for Project **- Specific Measures for FLAS Applicants**  **1. Project Goal Statement:** Increase the participation of professional school students and STEM students in FLAS training opportunities

. **2. Performance Measures**  **3. A ctivities**  **4. Data/ Indicators 5.**  **Freq uency**  **6. Data**

**Source 7.** 

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4** A) Increase annually the number of academic year fellowships awarded to students in professional schools. A.1 Publicize FLAS fellowship opportunities in all professional schools and conduct information sessions targeted at professional school students. A.2 Recruit faculty in professional schools to serve in ad visory roles and/or on selection committee s
. A.3 W ork with departments and registrars to design schedules that will better accommodate FLAS training courses for students in professional schools.  The number of eligible FLAS candidates from a w ide cross
- section of professional schools, e.g., me dicine, public health, law, business, engineering, nursing, education, etc.

 The number of professional schools represented by professional school faculty serving as advisers and/or selection committee memb ers.

 Number of FLAS recipients in professional schools who say that a significant reason they applied and accepted their FLAS fellowships was due to the purposeful integration of FLAS courses into their professional school schedule. **An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly**

**An nual**  **ly** FLAS

program records
FLAS program records
University registrar **3**

**0**

**0 6** 

**2**

**3 12** 

**4**

**6 24** 

**8**

**12 48** 

**12**

**24**47

**1. Project Goal Statement:** Increase the participation of professional school students and STEM students in FLAS training opportunities

. **2. Performance Measures**  **3. A ctivities**  **4. Data/ Indicators 5.**  **Freq uency**  **6. Data**

**Source 7.** 

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4** B) Increase by 5% each year the number of fellowships awarded to students at the intermediate or advanced level of a language , such as Modern Standard Arabic (MAS), and taking related content courses in the science, technology, engineering, and ma them atics (STEM) fields. B.1 The Center on t he Middle East and North Africa (MENA) disseminates FLAS requirements and application procedures to potential students in all departments throughout the university. B.2 MENA recruits heritage language students in STEM courses to enroll in advanced level language courses.  Number of students who are enro lled in MAS intermediate or higher courses who applied for FLAS fellowships as result of MENA outreach.

 The number of FLAS fellowship awardees who receive at least a B in STEM courses while they are enrolled in intermediate or advanced language courses. **Qu arterly or**  **by s**  **emester**

**Quarterly or by Semester**  FLAS

program records and University registrar FLAS program records and University registrar **0**

**2 4** 

**4 8** 

**8 16** 

**16 32** 

**32**48 

### FLA**S Program**  **Impact and Evaluation Selectio n Criteri**  **on** This section describes the selection factors that the reviewers will use to evaluate the “Impact and Evaluation” narrative in your submitted applications . The text in bold below are the selection criteria factors for the FLAS application. Each factor is followed by guidance to help the applicant provide information that will enable reviewers to award the appropriate level of points for the applicant’s planned impact and evaluation efforts. **( 1a) The extent to which the applicant’s activities a**  **nd training programs have contributed to an improved supply of specialists on the program’s subject as shown**  **through indices such as undergraduate and graduate enrollments and placement data.** An applicant may demonstrate a p roject ’s impact by providing of ficial records that evidence substantial increases in coursework, enrollment, and graduates in foreign language, area, or international studies , and in the number of qualified instructors hired to teach critical or priority languages. Grant reviewers also look favorably upon applicants that can demonstrate that the number of graduates from other disciplines with foreign language, area, and international skills has increased . However, the real significant impact of any program is evidenced by its graduate pl acement data. Successful placement data indicate that the program is attaining its long
- term outcome of meeting the nation ’s workforce needs. ED seeks to fund projects that have data indicating that their participants have higher graduate placement rate s t han others and that their successes can be replicated. It is difficult for programs to collect g raduate placement data since they must have an ongoing relationship with their graduates to do so . Yet tracking and helping students find placements in acade mic, government, and private sector jobs that draw upon their foreign language and area study knowledge are among the most tangible and direct ways that IFLE programs achieve the ir stated goal : “ to meet the nation ’ s security and economic needs through the development and maintenance of a national capacity in foreign languages, and area and international studies. ” In fact, post
- graduation placements have become a concern and interest of Congress, since those placements represent a tangible return on taxpayers ’ investment and directly relate to ED’s mission, which is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ” Therefore, an applicant should place special emphasis on describing how it plans to assist and track students’ placements after graduation. **(1b) The extent to which the applicant supplies a clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment of eligible project participants who are**  **me mbers of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of**  **racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.** Equal access to educational opportunities is not only part of ED’s mission “to promote s tudent achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access,” but is an explicit component of the FLAS program ’s regulations. Therefore, it is important that applicants demonstrate how they wi ll implement the equal access requirement of FLAS funding. Current statistics show that a vast majority of participants in international education and study abroad programs are white students from middle class backgrounds and that students from other minor ity or ethnic groups have limited access to international education and study abroad programs . (IIE
- Open Doors 2012) Applicants should demonstrate that they have a track record of past success in achieving the equal access objective , and, at a minimum, ex plain their plans both to increase the number of participants from minority and underrepresented groups and to retain them

. **(2a) The extent to which the applicant provides an evaluation plan that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quanti**  **fiable, outcome -**  **measure -**  **oriented data.**49 The applicant should review the section entitled “Evaluation of IFLE Grant Projects” starting on page 4 of this guidance document. T his guidance document intends to simplify and demonstrate the key elements of a comp rehensive and objective evaluation plan. Applicants must clearly express: Wh o/what will change? Wh en will the change(s) take place? How much change is expected? Wh at are your proposed data collection methodologies? Are the credentials, qualifications, and impartial status es of those who will carry out the evaluation plan sufficient to ensure that the results will be valid and reliable? **(2b) The extent to which recent evaluations have been used to improve the applicant's program.**  ED looks favorably on app licants that can demonstrate how the y ha ve used past project evaluation results and findings to inform their strategic and operational decision
- making. Applicants should discuss the types of evaluations and studies that they have conducted in past similar grant projects, provide the results of those evaluations and studies, and describe how the findings will inform and improve what they propose to do. Especially important to ED is the extent to which applicants provide evidence
- based results from past grant projects or similar efforts that indicate long
- term outcomes in meeting the p rogram’s goals , and illustrate how applicants propose to scale up and institutionalize them. **(3) The degree to which fellowships awarded by the applicant address national needs.** ED’s stated goal for IFLE is “ to meet the nation ’ s security and economic needs through the development and maintenance of a national capacity in foreign languages, and area and international studies.” Furthermore, t he Higher Education Opportunity Act req uires that the Secretary of Education consult with federal agency heads in order to receive recommendations regarding areas of national need for expertise in foreign langua ges and world regions. The link below provide s the areas of national need identified by the Secretary, consisting of the priority languages that are less commonly taught and the world regions: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/consultation
- 2013.pdf Reviewers will rate applications that address these priorities more highly than those that do not. Applicants should demonstrate and provide their track records and their plans to attract and support fellows in these areas of priority. **(4a) The applicant’s record of placing students into post**  **- graduate employment,**  **education, or training in areas of national need.** As stated in the answer to the first selection criteria question regarding th e “Impact and Evaluation” of FLAS grants, placement into post
- graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need is of paramount importance to FLAS’s congressional funders, OMB, ED’s Budget Service, and IFLE senior leadership. A successful FLAS grantee will track those placement results and as sist graduates in the placement process. Applicants , thus, should highlight successful strategies that they have used to track graduates after they leave their programs in order to obtain reliable data on post
- graduate employment , and should demonstrate how these strategies will be implemente d with future FLAS fellows . Applicants should present their track record s and emphasize ongoing initiatives that rise to the level of a p romising p ractice. **(4b) The applicant’s stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into**  **such placements.** A successful evaluation plan will measure the project’s success performing the stated activities; even more importantly, it will show how the provision of these activities results in achieving the GPRA and proje ct
specific outcomes. The applicant should develop measures that effectively tell the project’s story of success and result in performance improvement.50 For instance, to improve results for the second FLAS GPRA measure regarding the employment of FLAS fell ows who have graduated, the applicant may want to work with potential employers at the project’s outset to design curricula and training that match their needs, and thereby to improve the probability of future employment for graduates. A positive quantitat ive indicator of future success might include the number of students able to secure internships before graduation. That measure could be buttressed by measuring activities that would bring potential employers into contact with students. Applicants should design programs that equip graduates with the skills necessary to be employed in an area of national need. Applicants also should plan and measure activities with future employers, such as job fairs or events planned in tandem with potential employers, to fu rther advance the employment goal. In this way, the applicants’ objective measures will not just measure success but will also facilitate it by promoting the behaviors that lead to success.51 

### Overview**of GPRA**

**Measures, Program Evaluation, and Project Ev aluation**  The U.S. Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 to assess and improve federally funded programs. GPRA requires that federal agencies document the achievements of grant
-fu nd ed programs. Specifically, GPRA requires federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Education, to develop and report quantifiable annual and long
- term measures to Congress. GPRA stipulates that these measures be limited in number, specific, and have baselines and targets that are ambitious, yet achievable. 1 **Performance reporting occurs at the program**  **level, meaning that**  **the U.S. Department of Education (ED) aggregates data from all IFLE grantees and reports on measures of the IFLE program overall.**  ED’ s challenge is to articulate program
- level measures that are relevant to several grant programs and that capture the achievements of many disparate grantees. ED’s Budget Service and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review and approve IFLE’s G PRA measures to make sure that the measures reflect the programs’ overall goals. Therefore, once approved, GPRA measures remain relatively constant over time and all IFLE grantees must report them to ED. As required by GPRA, ED has developed a strategic plan that reflects its organizational priorities and also integrates IFLE’s m ission and program authorities. ED’s s tated goal for IFLE is “ to meet the nation ’ s security and economic needs through the development and maintenance of a national capacity in fo reign languages, and area and international studies.”

1. Section 200.5 of OMB Circular No. A
- 11 (2012) reads, “The GPRA Modernization Act requires agencies to set long
- term goals and objectives as well as specific, near
- term performance goals. Agency leaders at all levels of the organization are accountable for choosing goals and indicators wisely and for setting ambitious, yet realistic targets.” ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/a11_current_year/s200.pdf)52 

# G **OVERNMENT** 

# P **ERFORM AN**  **CE A ND**  

# R **ESULTS** 

# A **CT** 

# (GPRA)
**What is GPRA ?**  The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires all federal agencies to manage their activities with attention t o the consequences of those activities. Each agency is to clearly state what it intends to accomplish, identify the resources required, and periodically report their progress to Congress. In so doing, it is expected that the GPRA will contribute to impro vements 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. **How has the Department of Education Responded to the GPRA**  **Requirements?** As required by GPRA, the Department of Education has prepared a strategic plan for 2014
- 2018. This plan reflects the Department’s priorities and integrates them with its mission and program authorities and describes how the Department will work to improve education for all children and adults in the U.S. The 2014
- 2018 plan includes the following six goals: Goal 1: Increase college access, affordability, quality, and completion by improving postsecondary

education and lifelong learning opportunities for youth and adults Goal 2: Improve the elementary and secondary system’ s ability to consistently deliver excellent instruction aligned with rigorous academic standards w hile providing effective support services to close achievement and opportunity gaps, and ensure all students graduate high school college
- and career

-ready Goal 3: Improve the health, social
- emotional, and cognitive outcomes for all children from birth through third grade, so that all children, particularly those with high needs, are on track for graduating from high school college
- and career
-ready Goal 4: Increase educational opportunities for and reduce discrimination against underserved

student s so that all students are well
- positioned to succeed Goal 5: Enhance the education system’ s ability to continuously improve through better and more widespread use of data, research, and evaluation, evidence, transparency, innovation, and technolog

y Goal 6: Improve the organiz ational capacities of the Department to implement its strategic plan **What are the Performance Indicators for the International Education Programs?** The Department’s specific goal fo r the International Education Programs is “ to meet the nation's security and economic needs through the development and maintenance of an ational capacity in fo reign languages, and area and international studies.” The objective and performance indicators fo r the **National Resource**  **Centers Program**  **(N RC)**  and the **Foreign Language**  **and Ar** **ea Studies**  **(FLA S)**  Fellowships Program are as follows: NRC Program The objective of the National Resource Centers program is to provide grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher educ ation to establish, strengthen, and operate comprehensive and undergraduate language and area or international studies centers. The Department will use the following measures to evaluate the overall success of the NRC program.53

(1.1) Percentage of NRC g rants teaching intermediate or advanced courses in any of the priority languages as defined by the Secretary of Education (1.2) Percentage of NRC projects that increased the number of intermediate or advanced level language courses in the priority and/or L CTLs during the course of the grant period (1.3) Percentage of priority languages targeted by NRC as defined by the Secretary of Education taught at NRCs (1.4) Percentage of NRCs that increased the number of certificate, minor, or major degree programs i n the priorit y and/or LCTLs, area studies, or international studies during the course of the four
- year grant period FLAS Program The objective of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship program is to provide academic year and summer fellowships t o institutions of higher education to assist undergraduate and graduate students in foreign language and either area or international studies. The Department will use the following measures to evaluate the overall success of the FLAS program. (2.1) Perc entage of FLAS fellows who improved their foreign language reading/writing, and/or listening/speaking scores by at least one ILR equivalent proficiency level (2.2) Percentage of FLAS graduated fellows who have secured employ me nt that utilizes their foreig n language and area studies skills within eight years of graduation based on FLAS tracking survey (2.3) Percentage of FLAS master’s and doctoral degree program graduates who studied priority languages as defined by the Secretary of Education54 

### AP **PENDI CES**  The following informational pieces comprise the application appendices. The appendices are not subject to the page limitations and technical requirements (font, spacing, etc.), ad for the Project Narrative. 

### 1. **Project Budget**  Use ED Form 524 Section A

– BUDGET SUMMARY to show what the Center is requesting for all four
- years of the grant cycle. ED Form 524 includes the budg et categories below , but some categories are not applicable to the NRC and FLAS programs. 1. Personnel 2. Fringe Benefits 3. Travel 4. Equipment (

not applicable) 5. Supplies 6. Contractual ( not applicable) 7. Construction (not applicable) 8. Other 9. Total Direct Costs (lines 1
- 8) 10. Indirect Cost (not to exceed 8%) The NRC program has a negotiated indirect cost rate; there is no indirect cost rate for the FLAS program 11. Training Stipends = the FLAS FELLOW SHIP FUNDS BEING REQUESTED 12. Total Costs (lines 9
- 11) Enter the amounts requested for each budget category for Project Years 1
- 4 , columns (a)

– (d). T he timeframes for the project years are as follows: Project Year 1 ( a) : August 15, 2014
-August 14, 2015 Project Year 2 (b) : August 15, 201 5
-August 14, 201 6 Project Year 3 (c) : August 15, 201 6
-August 14, 201 7 Project Year 4 (d): August 15, 201 7
-August 14, 201 8 Read the instructions in the “Forms and Instructions” secti on for completing ED 524 Form Section A
- Budget Summary and Section C
- Bud get Narrative for specific guidance for completing the ED 524 form and fo r presenting the budget narrative. Wh en formulating the project budget, make sure that costs are allowable, all ocable, reasonable, and justifiable. Th e review of your application budget will be easier if you present all four years ’ requests across the page. This allows the re aders to see the fiscal progression of the project at
- a - glance . To the extent possible , insert page numbers on the budget to cross - reference the budget line items to other sections of the application to substantiate relevance to the project

. For the Section C
- Budget Narrative, use the same categories that appear on the ED 524 Form (and above)

. **Do not use categories that are unique to your**  **institution’s fiscal**  **accounts** because these might not match the categories in the Department’s G5 System and IFLE’s International Resource Information System. Please note that the ED 524 Section C Budget Narrative is not the same as the “Program Planning and Budget” (PPB ) narrative in the Project Narrative

. The PPB narrative discusses , among other factors, the activities to be conducted and how those activities will contribute to a strengthened program and whether you use the resources and personnel effectively to achieve the proposed objectives. It also indicates the costs associated with the activities. The PPB narrative DOES count against the page limitations.55 

### Ad **ditional NRC**  **Budget Preparation Tips**

 Do n ot put the Project Director’s/Principal Investigator’s salary on the grant
 Do not put more than 50% of the salary of project related staff on the grant  If necessary, applicants may request up to 100% of a language instructor’s salary
 Do break out “travel” to show domestic travel and international travel and show the estimated number of trips and costs  Do include in the Travel budget category the expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence , and related items incurred by **employees** who are in travel sta tus on official business of the Center. See more in J. 53 Travel costs (a) and (b) of the OMB Cost Principles  Do include costs for transportation, lodging, subsistence , and related items incurred by **non**   ** employ****ees** of the institution in the Other budget ca tegory  Do insert the Fringe Benefits percentages and amounts that comprise the FB packages
 Do read §§ 75.190 and 75.191 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) regarding consultation and consultation costs for projects that i ntend to develop curricula or instructional materials under the grant  Do read EDGAR §§ 75.515 and 75.516 of EDGAR regarding the use of consultants and the compensation of consultants

—employees of institutions of higher education  Do consider “supplies” as an y personal property having a unit acquisition cost of $5000 or less
 Do remember that EDGAR § 75.708 prohibits sub
- grants  Do s how the budget costs for all institutions if the application is being submitted on behalf of a consortium  Do use the term “speaker’s fees”, to align with the OMB cost principle s language in J 32. Meetings and Conferences  Do gradually decrease or absorb the amount of funds being charged to the grant as the grant progresses, so that you are in a position to sustain the activities when the grant ends  Do cross
- reference other sections of the proposal 

### FLA**S Budget (Training Stipends)**

 Do not include indirect costs in the FLAS budget
 Do request undergraduate fellowships and graduate fellowships , as appropriate  Do remember that you do not ha ve to be a n NRC to request/receive an allocation of FLAS fellowships  Do present the FLAS budget to show the following: o Number of undergraduate academic year fellowships x fellowship amount = 3 x $15,000 = $45,000 o Number of graduate academic year fellowsh ips x fellowship amount = 5 x $33,000 = $165,000 o Number of summer fellowships x amount = 4 x $7,500 = $30,000 o Total FLAS allocation amount = $240,000 Enter $240,000 in line 11 **Training Stipends** on the ED 524 Form Section A
- Budget Summary This budget cou ld be itemized further by specifying the number/amount of institutional payments for tuition and fees and the number/amount of subsistence allowances, e.g., 3 x $10,000 = $30,000; 3 x $5,000 = $15,000; Total Undergraduate AY fellowships = $45,000. 

### 2. **Profiles for Project**  **- related Personnel**  Provide profiles for all teaching and other professional staff directly relevant to the applicant’s training program. Also include the profiles for individuals who will be providing expertise/area of specialization such as curriculum developers, evaluators, bibliographers, etc.56 **Formatting Tips**  Do include an index to show how the profiles are organized, e.g. alphabetically only or alphabetically within a discipline, other formats  Do present two profiles per page, with the exc eption of the Project Director/Principal Investigator whose profile can be one page  Do double
- side the profile pages
 Do include as many pages as needed; the appendices do not count against the page limitation  Do cross
- reference other relevant sections of the proposal, as needed **Profile Must Include**
 Department and tenure status  Education  Academic e xperience  Overseas e xperience  Language(s) and level of proficiency Note: include information to indicate what the levels mean  Pedagogy training for language ins tructors  Percent of time dedicated to area studies/international studies courses  Area, international studies courses taught  Research and training  Recent publications  Dissertations and/or theses supervised in the past five years
 Distinctions 

### 3. **Course List** T he course list represents the breadth and depth of the area studies courses, international studies courses, and language courses available through your center or program. This appendix should align with /substantiate the information discussed in the Project Narrative about the quality of the applicant’s non
- language and language training programs. **Timeframes and Required Information**

**TIMEFRA ME**  **REQUIRED INFORMA TI**  **ON** 2012

– 2013 Courses and enrollments 2013

– 2014 Courses being offered 2014

– 2015 Courses to be offered Note: In the course list, asterisk 2014
- 2015 courses that will be supported with grant funds **Formatting Tips**  Do double
- side the pages  Do provide an index to show how the courses are organized  Do i ndicate the percentage of area studies, i nternational studies content , e.g., 100%.
 Do indicate the percent and provide a notation for course s with less than 100% area studies or international studies content, but equal to or more than 25%  Do not include courses with < 25% area studies or internat ional studies content  Do describe the content for courses whose titles might not convey area s tudies or international studies  Do indicate the number of credits  Do indicate courses that are cross
- listed57

 Do cross
- reference other sections of the proposal, as needed 

### 4. **Project -** **specific Performance Measures Forms (PMFs)**
 Do create a PMF for every project
- specific goal for the NRC project  Do create a PMF for every project specific goal for the FLAS project
 Do create a PMF for your proposed evaluation plans
**For you r application PMFs,**  **COMPLETE ITEMS 1, 2, and 3 ONLY**
**.** IFLE will request fully completed PMFs if the application is recommended for funding. Include your NRC PMFs in the appendices.

**1. Project Goal Statement**  **2. Performance**  **Measures 3.** 

**Ac tivities**  **4. Data/**

**In dicators**  **5.**

**Freq uency**  **6. Data**

**Source 7. Baseline and**  **Targets**

**BL T1**  **T2 T3**  **T4**58 

### Intergovernmental Review **, State Single Point of Contact** 

## Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review**of Federal Programs)** This program falls under Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive order is to strengthen federalism
-- or the distribution of responsibility between localities, S tates, and the Federal government
-- by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. An aspect of t his partnership is the process that State or local governments have devised for coordinating the review of proposed Federal financial grant applications. The pro cess for doing this requires grant applicants to contact their State Single Point of Contact for information on how this works. Multi
- state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state. Further information about the State Single Point of Con tact process and a list of names by State can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc
Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the Departme nt. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand
- delivered by the date indicated in the actual application notice to the following address: The Secretary, EO 12372

— CFDA #84. 015A; 84.015B , U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW. , W ashington, DC 20202. Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR §75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand
- delivered until 4:30 p.m. (eastern time) on the closing date indicated in this notice. **Impo rtant note:**  The above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed applications. **Do not send applications to the above address.**59 **NRC and FLAS Reporting Requirements**  **International Education Resource Inform ation System (IRIS)**  

### If your center or program is awarded a new FY 201 4

– FY 201 7 grant ( s ) under the NRC and /or FLAS programs, you will be required to enter interim, annual , and final performance reports i nto the IRIS web based system

. IFLE requires grante es to submit performance reports that provide the most current performance and financial expenditures information, in accordance with 34 CFR 75.118. Weuse th is information to certify that grantees are making substantial progress toward project objectives and to make continuation awards. You may view the IRIS performance reporting screens and instructions for the NRC and FLAS programs at http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/NRC.pdf http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_fellow.pdf60 **FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Applicat**  **ion Content Q1.**  **Our center has received NRC and FLAS grants in the past. Is it appropriate to refer to this in our application?** A. This is appropriate t o demonstrate programmatic strength/growt h, and to describe what you have institutionalized as a resu lt of

leveraging the Title VI support

. It is not appropriate, however, to engage in lengthy discu ssions that are retrospectives, rather than relevant information. **Q2. What techniques does the U.S. Department of Education (US/ED) consider helpful for prese** **nting the application narrative and other important information?**  A. In presenting the application narrative (your responses to the selection criteria), we encourage you to follow the order of t he

selection criteria as listed on the Technical Review Form o n pages (insert pages) in the application booklet. Additional useful techniques include : using cross

- references in the budget and appendices, providing an acronyms list, and using tables and graphs to present information effectively. **Q3. Can an undergra** **duate National Resource Center request**  **FLAS fellowship s**  **?** A. Yes. The applicant should keep in mind that meritorious undergraduate students are now eligible to receive FLAS awards. This

means that applicants must describe in the portion of their applicat ion that addresses the FLAS program which students they intend to offer their allotted FLAS awards to (undergraduate, graduate, or both), and a description of the competitive applic ation process that will be used to select the fellows. The applicant must also ensure that they incorporate the approved eligibility requirements into their FLAS competition. **Q4. Should we describe in the application our**  **C enter's "outreach" to institutions and people in other countries?**  A. Yes, but not in response to the "Outr each Activities" selection criterion, which asks readers to evaluate the regional and national

impact of an applicant's domestic activities. To the extent that your C enter engages in projects that facilitate overseas study and research or professional dev elopment opportunities for U.S.

- based students and educators, these activities might be relevant in addressing other selection criteria. **Q 5** **. Our**  **C**

**enter engages in outreach activities. Does that mean that we have fulfilled the Absolute Priority for Nat ional Resource**  **Centers?** A. Not necessarily. "Outreach activities" include many projects that are not teacher training. To meet the absolute priority,

applicants must include information that demonstrates the existence, development, and expansion of effec tive teacher training activities. Collaboration with Sch ools of Education and Local and State Education Agencies are good means by which to address this requirement. **Q 6** **. What are Competitive and Invitational Priorities?**  A. If an application addresses an d meets the competitive preference priorities, additional points are awarded to the application. An

application that meets the invitational priorities does not receive a competitive or absolute preference over other applicati ons. **Q 7**  **. May more than one**  **C enter at an institution submit applications for the NRC/FLAS competition?**  A. Yes. It is allowable for more than one C enter at an institution to submit applications. Each center’s applic ation is reviewed by

peer review panels who have the relevant expert ise to evaluate each C enter’s application.
**Application Content, Page limits**  **Q 8** **. Are institutions applying for both National Resource Centers and FLAS Fellowship funding permitted a longer page limit than**  **institutions applying for a grant under only one program?**  A. No. Narrative page limits are 50 double

- spaced, single

- sided pages for single institution applications and 60 double

- spaced pages

for consortia applications, regardless of whether they are for undergraduate or comprehensive NRC funding or FLAS fellowships or both. Please see the Closing Date Notice. **Q 9** **. Are consortia with more than two members permitted a longer page limit than two**  **- member consortia?**  A. No. All consortia must comply with the 60 double

- spaced page s for the project narrat ive. **Q11. Do the**  **four appendices count against the page limit?**  A. No.61

**Application Content, FLAS**  **Q12. Are undergraduate students eligible to receive FLAS fellowships?**  A. Yes. Changes made to Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of

2008 allows for FLAS awards to be given to meritorious undergraduate students who are studying a Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL)

– which is defined here as any language other than English, Spanish, Germ an, or French
– and who are at the intermediate or advanced level of study. **I. Funding / Budget**  **Q13 .**  **How much money should we request for an NRC grant?** A. Your requests should align with the amounts an nounced in the Federal Register notice. **Q 14**  **. What inform**  **ation does US/ED consider when selecting applications for new FY 2014 NRC and FLAS grants?**  A. US/ED considers: (1) the information in each application, (2) the readers’ scores and comments resulting from the peer revie w of the applications, and (3) any o ther information relevant to a criterion, priority, or other requirement that applies to the selection of applications for new grants. **Q 15**  **. How will decisions about continuation funding be made?**  A. Grantees are required to submit annual performance report s on time to the International Resource Information System (IRIS) that describe the projects' accomplishments, GPRA data, and budgetary status. These reports assist IFLE staff in determining continuation funding. Although we estimate the funding levels for all four years of the grant at the time of the initial grant award notification, the amount of funding received in Years 2, 3 and 4 of the grant might be adjusted, based on several considerations such as : (1) timeliness of submitting performance reports , (2) evidence in the reports that you have made substantial progress toward meeting original grant objectives , (3) program officers' review and analysis of report data to determine whether the project is meeting its intended goals and targets , (4) infor mation from site visits, such as programmatic or fiscal findings , (5) the congressional appropriation of funds for the programs, and (6) A

- 133 audit information that IEPS might receive regarding a specific grant. Successful applicants will receive instruc tions for submitting electronic performance reports through IRIS soon after their grants have been awarded. To view the NRC and FLAS reporting screens, please visit the IRIS web site at: http://iris.ed. gov/iris/pdfs/NRC.pdf http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_director.pdf http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/FLAS_fellow.pdf **Q 16**  **. Is there a matching requirement for the NRC or FLAS program?**  A. No. The re is no matching requirement for either of the programs. This is why a pplicants should not include Section B of the ED

524 form in their applications. I f you do and you are recommended for funding, the Center and the host institution will be held accounta ble for the money reflected on that form

. This is different, however, from discussing the institutional commitment to the proposed project and citing the fiscal and human resources throughout the Project Narrative, for example, including a table t o show th e amount of funds the institution committed to language instruction over a specified time period. **Q 17**  **. Are we allowed to include project evaluation costs in our NRC budget request and is there any limitation on the amount?**  A. Including project evaluation costs in the NRC budget is appropriate and allowable. Applications should request an amount that is

reasonable and justifiable in terms of the overall project scope and total budget request. **II. Application Submission**  **Q 18**  **. How many copies of an applicat**  **ion should we submit?** A. Applicants are required to submit an original application and two copies. The original application stays in the program offi ce and the copies are read by the peer review panel. Because each application is evaluated by three revie wers, the program office would appreciate receiving a total of one original plus three copies. **Q 19**  **. Is an exception ever made for an application postmarked after the closing**  **- date?**  A. No . Applications must be submitted in accordance to the Application Tran smittal guideline s. There are no exceptions A PPLICATION P ROCESSING : (These procedures are described in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) §75.215

- 236.)62

**Q 20**  **. What happens to my application after I have sent it to the US/ED Application Control Center?**  A. The A pplication C ontrol C enter processes all applications and then sends them to the IFLE. IFLE program officers screen all

applications for eligibilit y, completeness, and application type, world area focus, thematic focus, etc. We then randomly assign all eligible applications to the expert review panels for the external "peer review" process. The panels of experts read and score each eligible application. IFLE establishes the funding slate for new FY 2014 grant awa rds based on reviewers’ scores and comments. The funding slate is reviewed by various U.S./ED officials, with final approval by the Secretary of Education. Once recommendations are approved and Congressional notifications are done, IFLE issues the grant award notifications (GANs). **Q 21**  **. What happens to my application if US/ED finds it to be ineligible?** A. It is not evaluated. Section 75.216 of EDGAR prohibits US/ED from evaluating an application if it does not meet the program

eligibility criteria or does not otherwise comply with application requirements. If ineligible, a copy of the application is returned to the applicant with a letter explaining why it was not evaluated. **III. Application Evaluation**  **Q 22**  **. Who evaluates the applications submitted for the**  **competition?** A. Each application is evaluated by panels of reviewers, which include experts, from outside US/ED who represent a variety of

disciplines. The experts are required to use the program statute and regulations, the program selection criteria, a nd any priorities and other requirements that have been published in the Federal Register as guidance in reviewing the applications. The review panels provide written comments and scores to support their evaluations about the quality, significance, and im pact of the proposed project. IFLE provides the reviewers’ comments to all applicants after the competition peer review is over. **Q2 3**  **. What criteria do the reviewers use to evaluate an application?**  A. Reviewers score each application using the selection criteria published in the Federal Register as part of the program regulations.

Reviewers use the Technical Review Form that is included at the end of this application to record their comments and scores e ach selection criterion. Reviewers are instructed to use only the published criteria and to base their evaluation strictly on information provided in the application. **Q 24**  **. How long does it take US/ED to complete the review process?**  A. Given the compressed time schedule for the FY 2014 competitions, we a nticipate completing the peer reviews in one week and then completing the other processes within three weeks

.63 

## Application Transmittal Instructions **Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:** If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.015A/84.015B LBJ Basement Level 1 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202

- 4260 You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following: (1) A legibl y dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service. (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier. (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do **not** accept either of the following as proof of mailing: (1) A private metered postmark. (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. **If your application is postmarked after the a pplication deadline date, we will not consider your**  **application.** Note : The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before rel ying on this method, you should check with your local post office. **Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:**  If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by

hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: (CFDA Number 84.015A/84.015B 550 12th Street, SW. Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 2 0202

- 4260 The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.64



### Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications **:** If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department

-- (1) You must indicate on the envelope and

-- if not provided by the Department

-- in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting yo ur app lication; and (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If yo u do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245

- 6288.65 

## Ap **plicant Chec klist** 

___ An original application and two copies must include the following: *Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), section 75.109(a) requires an orig inal and two copies of its application to the Department. However, IFLE appreciates receiving one original and three copies for the three reviewers.

___ Application for Federal Assistance (SF424)

 Be sure that the institution’s correct DUNS number is entered on form SF 424 (item 8c on the SF 424 form)

 S ign ed by

the applicant’s authorizing official

___ Department of Education Sup plemental Information for SF424

___ Department of Education Budget Information Non
- Construction Programs Form

– Section A )

 Indirect cost rate information is provided in the comment section of ED524

___ Detailed line
- item budget (costs and descripti ons) for each year of the grant

___ Abstract (1 page)

___ Project Narrative (Response to the selection criteria)

__ Wo rld Area Selectio n Sheet

__ FLAS Eligible Language s Sheet

___ Narrative addressing GEPA Section 427

___ Information to Meet HEA Supplemental Statutory Requirements

___ Description: Diverse Perspectives and Wi de Range of Views in Funded Activities

___ Description: Gove rnment Service in Areas of National Need and in Other Em ploy ment Sectors

___ Assurances and Certifications

___ Assurances for Non
- Construction Programs (SF424B)

___ Lobbying Disclosure Form (SF LLL) (if app licable; refer to instructions)

___ Certificati on Regarding Lobbying (ED 80
- 0013)

___ Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants

___ Appendices: **Budget ED 524 Summary A and detailed Budget**  ; **Course List; Profiles for Project Personnel**  ; **P erformance**  **M easures**  **F orms** 

___ A copy of the application h as been submitted to the State Single Point of Contact, if applicable66



# INSERT FEDERAL GRANT **ASSURANCES, CERTIFICATIONS, GEPA,**  **FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS**67 **FY 201 4**  **TECHNICA L REVIEW FORM** 

**July 7**  **- 11**  **, 2014 HE**  **A TITLE VI NA** 

**TIONA L RESOURCE CENTERS A**  **ND FOREI**  **GN LA NGUA** **GE A ND**  **AR EA**  **STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS** CFDA No. 84.015(A & B) WO RLD AREA: **RA TING SCA**  **LE** If total points are: 5 10 15 20 25 Outstanding 5 10 15 20 25 PR Number(s) and Applicant Institution: Very Good 4 8 12 16 20 Goo d 3 6 9 12 15 Average 2 4 6 8 10 Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Unacceptable or 0 0 0 0 0 not described **Evaluation Criteria Max Points**  **Rating Summary** Comprehensive Undergraduat e FLAS **NRC FLA** 

**S** NRC NRC Fellowships 1. Commitment to the Subject Area **10 10**  **0 0**  **0** 2. Quality of Curriculum Design **10 20**  **0 0**  **0** 3. Quality of the Applicant's Non
- Language Instructional Program **20 20**  **0 0**  **0** 4. Quali ty of the Applicant's Language Instructional Program **20 20**  **0 0**  **0** 5. Strength of Library **10 10**  **0 0**  **0** 6. Quality of Staff Resources **15 15**  **0 0**  **0** 7. Outreach Activities **20 0**  **0 0**  **N/A** 8. Program Planning and Budget **25 0**  **0 0**  **N/A** 9. Impact and Evaluation **30 25**  **0 0**  **0** 10. FLAS Awardee Selection Procedures **0 15**  **N/A N/A**  **0** 11. Competitive Priorities **0 5**  **0 0**  **0**
**160 1**  **40**
**TOTA L:**  **0 0**  **0** General Comments: (continue on last page)

Reviewed by: Date:

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 1. Commitment to the Subject A**rea 10**  **10 10**  

## on Which the A **pplicant Focuses**

**A**

**. A.**  For all applicants , to what extent does the institution provide financial and other support to:

- ( for all applicants ) the operation of the applicant's center or program, (10 pts) (10 pts) (5 pts)

- ( for all applicants ) teaching staff for the applicant's subject area,

- ( for all applicants ) library resources for the applicant's subject area,

- ( for all applicants ) linkages with institutions abroad,

- ( for NRC applicants only ) center outreach activities, and

- ( for NRC applicants only ) qualified students in fields related to the center's program?

B

.**B.** For FLAS app licants only, to what extent does the institution provide financial support to students in fields related to the applicant's teaching program? (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 2. Quality

**of Curriculum Design 10**  **10 20** 

A. For all NRC applicants , to what extent has undergraduate instruction in the applicant’s area or topic of specialization been incorporated into baccalaureate degree programs (for example, major, minor, or certificate programs) in the applicant’s subject area? (5 pts) (5 pts)

For al l NRC applicants , to what extent a re the requirements (including language requirements) appropriate for a center in this subject area and will they result in an undergraduate training program of high quality?

For comprehensive NRC applicants only , t o what extent does the applicant’s curriculum provide training options for graduate students from a variety of disciplines and professional fields?

For comprehensive NRC applicants only , to what extent are the graduate student training options and requirements (including language requirements) appropriate for an applicant in this subject area and do they result in graduate training programs of high quality?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **2. Quality**

**of Curriculum Design (continued)** For FLAS appli cants , to what extent does the applicant’s curriculum provi de training options for students from a variety of disciplines and professional fields, and to what extent are these programs and their requirements appropriate for an applicant in the subject area and result in training programs of high quality? (5 pts)

B. For all applica nts , to what extent does the applicant provide academic and career advising for students?
(5 pts) (5 pts) ( 15 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent has the applicant established formal arrangements for students to conduct research or study abroad and to what extent do stud ents use these arrangements?

For all applicants , t o what extent does the institution facilitate student access to other institutions’ study abroad and summer language programs?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 3. Quality

**of the Ap**  **plicant's Non -**  **Language 20**  **20 20**  

## Instructional Program

A. For all applicants , w hat is the quality an d extent of the center’s course offerings in a variety of disciplines? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all appl icants , t o what extent are courses in the applicant’s subject matter available in the institution’s professional schools?

B. For all applicants , t o what extent does the applicant offer depth of specialized course coverage in o ne or more disciplines of the applicant’s subject area? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

C. For all applicants , t o what extent are interdisciplinary courses offered for students? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **3. Quality**

**of the A pplicant’s Non**  **- Language Instructional Program (continued)** 

D. For all applicants , are sufficient numbers of non
- language faculty available to enable the center to carry
- out its purposes?
(5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent are instructional assistants provided with pedagogy training?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 4. Quality

**of the Applicant's Language 20**  **20 20**  

## Instructional Program **AWARDED POINTS**

A. Fo r all applicants , t o wha t extent does the applicant provide instruction in the languages of the applicant’s subject area? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent do students enroll in the study of the languages of the subject area through programs or instruction offered by the applicant or other providers?

B. For all applican ts , To what extent does the applicant provide three or more levels of language training?
(5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent are courses in disc iplines other than language, linguistics, and literature offered in appropriate foreign languages?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **4. Quality**

**of the A pplicant’s Language**  **Instructional Program (continued)**  C. For all applicants , a re sufficient numbers of language faculty available to teach the languages and levels of instruction described in the application (narrative and course list)? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what e xtent have language teaching staff (faculty and instruction assistants) been exposed to current language pedagogy training appropriate for performance
- based teaching?

D. For all applicants , w hat is the quality of the language program as measured by:
(5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

- for all applicants , the performance
- based instruction being used or developed,

- for all applicants , the adequacy of resources for language tea ching and practice, and

- for all applicants , language proficiency requirements ?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 5. Strength of Library **10 10**  **10 AWARDED POINTS** 

A. For all applicants , w hat is the strength of the institution’s library holdings (both print and non
- print, English and foreign language) in the applicant’s subject area for the educational levels the applicant serves (e.g. graduate, professional undergraduate)? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applica nts , t o what extent does the institution provide financial support for library acquisitions and for library staff in the applicant’s subject area?

B. For all applicants , t o what extent are research materials at other institutions available to students through cooperative arrangements with other libraries or online databases? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For NRC applicants only , to what extent are teachers, students, and faculty from other institutions a ble to access the library’s holdings?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 6. Quality

**of Staff Resources 15**  **15 15**  **AWARDED POINTS 0**  **0 0** 

A. For all applicants , t o what extent are the teaching faculty and other professional staff members qualified for the current and proposed center activities and trainin g programs? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent are professional de velopment opportunities, including overseas experience, provided for faculty and staff?

For all applicants , t o what extent do the teaching faculty and other staff participate in the teaching, supervision, and advising of students?

B. For all app licants , h ow adequate are the applicant staffing and oversight arrangements, and to what extent are faculty from a variety of departments, professional schools, and the library involved? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

For NRC applicants only , how adequate are the staffing and oversight arrangements for the center’s administration and outreach activities ?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **6. Quality** 

**of Staff Resources (continued)**  C. For all applicants , t o what extent does the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employ me nt practices, encourage applications for employ me nt from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 7. Outreach A**ctivities 20**  **20 0**  **AWARDED POINTS 0**  **0 0** 

For all NRC applicants , for domestic outreach activities in the following categories, to what extent does the applicant dem onstrate: (a) a significant and measurable regional and national impact, and (b) faculty and professional school involve me nt?

- elem entary and secondary schools
(10 pts) (10 pts)

-for all NRC applicants, postseconda ry institutions
(5 pts) (5 pts)

- business, media , a n d the general public
(5 pts) (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 8. Program Planning and Budget **25 25**  **0 AWA**  **RDED POINTS 0**  **0 N/A** 

A. For all NRC applicants , a re the activities for which the applicant seeks funding of high quality and directly related to the purpose of the National Resource Centers program? (5 pts) (5 pts)

B. For all NRC applicants , to what extent does the applicant provide a dev elopment plan or timeline which dem onstrates how the proposed activities will contribute to a strengthened program by the end of the grant period? (10 pts) (10 pts)

For all NRC applicants , d oes the applicant provide a plan that demonstrates how it will use its resources and personnel effectively to achieve the proposed objective?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **8. Program Plan ning and Budget (continued)**  C. For all NRC applicants , a re the costs of the proposed activities reasonable in relation to the objectives of the program?
(5 pts) (5 pts)

D. For comprehensive NRC applicants , what kind of long
- term im pact will the activities (for which funds are requested) have on the institu tion’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional training programs? (5 pts)

E. For undergraduate NRC applicants , what kind of long
- term im pact will the activities (for which the funds are requested) have on the institution’s undergraduate training program? (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 9 **. Impact and Evaluation 30**  **30 25**  **AWARDED POINTS 0**  **0 0** 

A. For all NRC applicants , to what extent do the center’s activities and training programs have a significant impact on the university, community, region and the nation as shown through indices such as enrollments, graduate placement data, participation rates for events, and usage of center resources? (5 pts) (5 pts)

For undergraduate NRC applicants , to what extent do students matriculate into advance language and area or international studies programs or related professional programs?

B. For all applicants , to what extent will provisions be made for equal access and treatment for eligible students and other participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally under
- represented (such as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, women, persons with d isabilities, and the elderly)? (5 pts) (5 pts) (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **9. Impact and Evaluation**  **(continued)** C. For all applicants , d oes the applicant provide an evaluation plan that is comprehensive and objective and that will produce quantifiable, outcome
- me asure - oriented data? (15 pts) (15 pts) (5 pts)

For all applicants , t o what extent have recent evaluations been used by the applicant to improve its program?

D. For FLAS applicants , to what extent have the applicant’s activities and training programs contributed to an im proved supply of specialists on the program’s subject as shown through indicies such as undergraduate and graduate enrollments and placement data? (1 0 pts)

E. For all NRC applicants , to what degree d o activities of the center address national needs, and generate information for and disseminate information to the public? (5 pts) (5 pts)

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 For all NRC applicants , what is the center’s record of placing students into post graduate employ ment, education, or training in areas of national need and the center’s stated efforts to in crease the number of such students that go into such placements?

**9. Impact and Evaluation**  **(continued)** F. For FLAS applicants , to what degree are fellowships awarded by the applicant addressing national needs?
(5 pts)

For FLAS applicants , what is the applicant’s record of placing students into post
- graduate employ me nt, education or training in areas of national need and the applicant’s stated efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placements?

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 10. FLA**S Aw**  **ardee Se lection Procedures**  **0 0**  **15 AWARDED POINTS**  **N/A N/A**  **0**

A. For FLAS applicants , d oes the applicant provide a selection plan of high quality that describes:
( 5 pts)

- how awards will be advertised,

-when each step in the selection process will take place,

- how the process will result in awards being made to correspond to any announced priorities,

B. For FLAS applicants , does the applicant provide a selection plan of high quality that describes:
(5 pts)

- how students apply for awards,

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **FLA S aw**  **ardee selection procedures (co ntinued)**  C. For FLAS applicants , does the applicant provide a selection plan of high quality that describe:
(5 pts)

-who selects the fellows,

-what selection criteria are used,

### Evaluation Criteria Comp NRC UG NRC FLAS

Rating Scale If total points are: Outstanding Very Good Good Average Poor Unacceptable or n ot described 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 10 8 6 4 2 0 15 15 12 9 6 3 0 20 20 16 12 8 4 0 25 25 20 15 10 5 0 **POSSIBLE POINTS** 

## 11. Competitive Priorities **0 0**  **5** (applicabl e only when announced in the closing date notice) **AWARDED POINTS**

For FLAS applicants , does the applicant serve the Competitive Priority announced?
(5 pts)