53208 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.305V, 84.306V, 84.307V,

84.308V, and 84.309V]

Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program

at the U.S. Department of Education,

Office of Educational Research and

Improvement (OERI); Combined Notice

Inviting Applications for New Awards

for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

Purpose of Program: The OERI

Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program

allows individuals engaged in

educational research to work at one of

the following OERI national research

institutes in Washington, DC for up to

18 months:

1. National Institute on Student

Achievement, Curriculum, and

Assessment (CFDA No. 84.305V).

2. National Institute on the Education

of At-Risk Students (CFDA No. 84.

306V).

3. National Institute on Early

Childhood Development and Education

(CFDA No. 84. 307V)

4. National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management (CFDA No. 84.308V).

5. National Institute on Postsecondary

Education, Libraries and Lifelong

Learning (CFDA No. 84.309V).

Administration of Program: This

fellowship competition will be

administered by the National Research

Council (the Council). The Council was

organized by the National Academy of

Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad

community of science and technology

with the Academy’s purposes of

furthering knowledge and advising the

Federal Government. Functioning in

accordance with general policies

determined by the Academy, the

Council has become the principal

operating agency of both the National

Academy of Sciences and the National

Academy of Engineering in providing

services to the government, the public,

and the scientific and engineering

communities. The Council is

administered jointly by both Academies

and the Institute of Medicine.

Fiscal and Programmatic Information:

Except for the individual descriptions of

the National Research Institutes, the

fiscal and programmatic information in

this notice applies separately for each of

the competitions under the five

institutes.

Eligible Applicants: Scholars,

researchers, policymakers, education

practitioners, librarians, or statisticians

who are engaged in the use, collection,

and dissemination of information about

education and educational research.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: January 5, 1998.

Note: Decisions on awards will be made by

the Council by April 1998, and fellows will

be able to commence their appointments as

early as June 1998 or as late as January 1999.

Applications Available: October 14,

1997.

FISCAL INFORMATION

CFDA No. and name of

institute

Available

funds

Estimated range of

awards

Estimated

average

size of

awards

Estimated

number of

awards

84.305V, National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment ....................................................................................................... $200,000 $50,000–$100,000 $75,000 1–2

84.306V, National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students .................. 200,000 50,000–100,000 75,000 1–2

84.307V, National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education 200,000 50,000–100,000 75,000 1–2

84.308V, National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, PolicyMaking, and Management ............................................................................ 200,000 50,000–100,000 75,000 1–2

84.309V, National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning ................................................................................................ 200,000 50,000–100,000 75,000 1–2

Note: Neither the U.S. Department of Education, nor the Council, is bound by the estimates in this notice.

Fellowship Period: From 9 to 18

months.

Applicable Regulations: General

procedures governing the application

process and the evaluation and selection

of fellows can be found in the 1998

Program Announcement for the OERI

Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program.

This Program Announcement, prepared

by the Council, is available on the web

site http://fellowships.nas.edu, and is

also available from the address and

telephone number listed at the end of

this notice. More specific procedures

governing the panel review process will

be available from the Council after all

applications have been received.

The regulations in 34 CFR Part 700

and in the Education Department

General Administrative Regulations

(EDGAR) govern the grant relationship

between OERI and the Council and

apply to the Council’s administration of

Federal funds under the grant.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OERI is

authorized to make fellowship awards

to visiting scholars under section

931(c)(1)(E) of the Educational Research,

Development, Dissemination, and

Improvement Act of 1994, 20 U.S.C.

6001 et seq. This statute states, in

relevant part, that the fellowships ‘‘shall

be awarded competitively following the

publication of a notice in the Federal

Register inviting the submission of

applications.’’ OERI made a grant to the

National Research Council to carry out

this activity pursuant to the regulations

in 34 CFR Part 700 and the Education

Department General Administrative

Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Part 75.

OERI is publishing this application

notice on behalf of the Council.

The Council will fund applications

for fellowships under the following

OERI national research institutes:

National Institute on Student

Achievement, Curriculum, and

Assessment (CFDA No. 84.305V). The

purpose of the National Institute on

Student Achievement, Curriculum, and

Assessment is to support research,

development, and evaluation activities

to provide research-based leadership for

improving student achievement in the

core content areas. The institute

supports work to identify, develop, and

evaluate innovative and exemplary

methods to improve student knowledge

at all levels in the core academic

subjects. The institute also supports

basic and applied research in the areas

of cognition, learning, and performance,

including research on the educational

contexts that promote excellence in

teaching and learning, and research and

development in the area of assessment.

National Institute on the Education of

At-Risk Students (CFDA No. 84.306V).

The purpose of the National Institute for

the Education of At-Risk Students is to

expand research-based knowledge and

strategies that will promote excellence

and equity in the education of children
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / Notices 53209

and youth placed at risk of educational

failure because of limited-English

proficiency, poverty, race or ethnicity,

or geographic location. The institute

will carry out a program of research and

development to identify and assist

others to replicate and adapt programs

and models which promote greater

achievement and educational success by

at-risk students, including innovative

methods of instruction, student

assessment, professional development,

and curricula.

National Institute on Early Childhood

Development and Education (CFDA No.

84.307V). The purpose of the National

Institute on Early Childhood

Development and Education is to carry

out a comprehensive program of

research and development to provide

research-based leadership to the United

States as it seeks to improve early

childhood development and education.

The priority is to improve learning and

development in early childhood so that

all children can enter kindergarten

prepared to learn and succeed in

elementary and secondary schools. The

institute is interested in

developmentally appropriate

assessment of preschool children and

programs, early literacy, early math and

science learning, how the arts relate to

early learning, development of the early

childhood workforce, translating brain

development research into policy and

practice, how communities and schools

support early learning, supporting

diverse populations, and supporting

adolescent parents and their children.

National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management (CFDA No. 84.308V).

The purpose of the National Institute on

Educational Governance, Finance,

Policy-Making, and Management is to

develop and disseminate research-based

information that helps guide the design

and implementation of governance

arrangements, finance systems, policy

approaches, and management strategies

that will support high levels of learning

by all students. By law, the institute

supports work which promises to

improve education equity and

excellence at the State, local, tribal,

school building and classroom levels of

elementary and secondary education in

the United States.

National Institute on Postsecondary

Education, Libraries and Lifelong

Learning (CFDA No. 84.309V). The

purpose of the National Institute on

Postsecondary Education, Libraries and

Lifelong Learning is to support research

and development activities designed to

meet the following goals: improve

successful participation and degree

completion by students in

postsecondary education; affordability,

quality, and positive learning outcomes

of postsecondary education; adult

learning and literacy; and connections/

transitions between education and

work. Of central concern is the

investigation of how adults learn—in

formal educational institutions and

work settings as well as in informal

settings such as libraries, museums, and

communities. Our vision is that all

adults will be provided with

opportunities for affordable, high

quality education tailored to their

individual, citizenship, and workplace

needs.

Invitational Priorities

The Council is particularly interested

in applications that meet one or both of

the following two invitational priorities.

However, an application that addresses

one or both of these invitational

priorities does not receive competitive

or absolute preference over other

applications.

Invitational Priority 1—Research

Priorities Plan—Making Connections

The subjects under this invitational

priority are taken from the OERI’s

Research Priorities Plan published on

June 6, 1996 in the Federal Register (61

FR 28858), which defines national

priorities for education research and

development under section 912(f) of

OERI’s authorizing statute. An applicant

that responds to this invitational

priority is encouraged to address one or

more of the following subjects:

Improving curriculum, instruction,

assessment, and student learning at all

levels of education to promote high

academic achievement, problem-solving

abilities, creativity, and the motivation

for further learning.

Ensuring effective teaching by

expanding the supply of potential

teachers, improving teacher preparation,

and promoting career-long professional

development at all levels of education.

Strengthening schools, particularly

middle and high schools, as institutions

capable of engaging young people as

active and responsible learners.

Supporting schools to effectively

prepare diverse populations to meet

high standards for knowledge, skills,

and productivity, and to participate

fully in American economic, cultural,

social, and civic life.

Promoting learning in informal and

formal settings, and building the

connections that cause out-of-school

experiences to contribute to in-school

achievement.

Improving learning and development

in early childhood so that all children

can enter kindergarten prepared to learn

and succeed in elementary and

secondary schools.

Understanding the changing

requirements for adult competence in

civic, work, and social contexts, and

how these requirements affect learning

and the futures of individuals and the

nation.

Note: The Department’s Research Priorities

Plan is available on-line at www.ed.gov.

Copies may also be requested by calling OERI

at (202) 219–2000.

Invitational Priority 2—Traditionally

Underrepresented Groups and

Institutions

Based on section 931(c)(5) of OERI’s

authorizing statute, the Council also

invites applications from groups of

researchers or institutions that have

been historically underutilized in

Federal educational research activities.

Such groups and institutions include:

Women, African-Americans, Hispanics,

American Indians, and Alaskan Natives

or other ethnic minorities; promising

young or new researchers in the field,

such as postdoctoral students and

recently appointed assistant or associate

professors, Historically Black Colleges

and Universities, Tribally Controlled

Colleges, and other institutions of

higher education with large numbers of

minority students; institutions of higher

education located in rural areas; and

institutions and researchers located in

States and regions of the United States

which have historically received the

least Federal support for educational

research and development. Applicants

are invited to propose projects that are

designed to increase the participation in

the activities of the institutes of the

above groups and institutions.

Selection Criteria: According to the

Council’s 1998 Program Announcement

for the OERI Visiting Scholars

Fellowship Program, qualifications of

applicants will be evaluated by panels

of distinguished scholars selected by the

Council. The evaluation of applications

will be based on achievement,

experience, and training as evidenced

by the application materials submitted,

and by the importance of the proposed

work to the field of education and the

goals of the OERI. Panelists will

carefully consider the application,

proposed project plan, letters of

recommendation, and other supporting

documentation. The quality of the

proposed project and the

appropriateness of the proposed study

at the OERI will also be carefully

reviewed. The final selection of fellows,

based on the panelists’

recommendations, will be made by the

National Research Council. The Council

will set forth the specific procedures
53210 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / Notices

governing the panel review process in a

l988 ‘‘Guide for Panelists’’ after the

number and composition of the

applications have been determined.

For Applications and Information

Contact: Delores Banks, The Fellowship

Program, National Research Council,

2101 Constitution Avenue, Washington,

D.C. 20418, (202) 334–2872. Individuals

who use a telecommunications device

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339 between 8 A.M. and 8

P.M., Eastern time, Monday through

Friday.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document and the

applications in an alternate format (e.g.,

Braille, large print, audiotape, or

computer diskette) on request to the

contact person listed in the preceding

paragraph.

Note: The official application notice for a

discretionary grant competition is the notice

published in the Federal Register.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format (pdf) on the World

Wide Web at either of the following

sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe

Acrobat Reader Program with Search,

which is available free at either of the

previous sites. If you have questions

about using the pdf, call the U.S.

Government Printing Office toll free at

1–888–293–6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the

Department. Telephone: (202) 219–1511

or, toll free, 1–800–222–4922. The

documents are located under Option

G—Files/Announcements, Bulletins and

Press Releases.

Note: The official version of a document is

the document published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.

(OERI) and 36 U.S.C. 253 (National Academy

of Sciences, National Research Council).

Dated: October 6, 1997.

Ricky Takai,

Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of

Educational Research and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 97–26936 Filed 10–9–97; 8:45 am]

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