[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 55615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28425]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.200]


Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Program; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

    Purpose of Program: This program provides fellowships through 
academic departments and programs of institutions of higher education 
to assist graduate students of superior ability who demonstrate 
financial need. The purpose of the program is to sustain and enhance 
the capacity for teaching and research in areas of national need.
    Eligible Applicants: Academic departments and programs of 
institutions of higher education that meet the requirements in 34 CFR 
648.2.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 5, 1998.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 5, 1998.
    Applications Available: November 7, 1998.
    Available Funds: $16,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $122,251-$750,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $243,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 60.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
85, and 86; and (b) the regulations in 34 CFR Part 648.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Stipend Level: The Secretary has determined that the maximum 
fellowship stipend for academic year 1998-1999 is $15,000, which is 
equal to the level of support that the National Science Foundation is 
providing for its graduate fellowships.
    Institutional Payment: The Secretary estimates that the 
institutional payment for academic year 1998-1999 will be $10,051, 
which represents a 3.3 percent adjustment of the academic year 1997-
1998 payment based on the Department of Labor's projection in April 
1997 of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 1997. The Secretary will 
adjust the institutional payment prior to the issuance of grant awards 
based on the Department of Labor's projection in December 1997 of the 
CPI for 1998.

Priorities

Absolute Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 34 CFR 648.33, the Secretary gives an 
absolute preference to applications that meet one or more of the 
following priorities. The Secretary funds under this competition only 
applications that meet one or more of these absolute priorities:
    Applications that propose to provide fellowships in one or more of 
the following areas of national need: Biology, Chemistry, Computer and 
Information Sciences, Engineering, Geoscience, Mathematics, and 
Physics.
Invitational Priority 1--
    Within the absolute priority specified above, the Secretary is 
particularly interested in receiving applications from mathematics 
programs that train Ph.Ds in mathematics who will specialize in the 
teaching of mathematics, to students at the K-12 level.
Invitational Priority 2--
    Within the absolute priority specified above, the Secretary is 
interested in receiving applications from biology, chemistry, and 
physics programs that train Ph.Ds who will specialize in the teaching 
of biology, chemistry or physics, to students at the K-12 level.
Invitational Priority 3--
    Within the absolute priority specified above, the Secretary is 
interested in receiving applications from engineering programs that 
train Ph.Ds for careers in the fields of environmental/environmental 
health and robotic technology.

For Applications or Information Contact

    Cosette H. Ryan, U.S. Department of Education, International 
Education and Graduate Program Service, 600 Independence Ave, S.W., 
Suite 600-B, Portals Building, Washington, D. C. 20202-5247. Telephone: 
(202) 260-3608. 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 in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.

    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.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1134l-1134q-1.

    Dated: October 20, 1997.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 97-28425 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P