13560 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

1Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, The 

United States and Brazil: An Education Partnership 

for the 21st Century, http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ 

rls/fs/2011/158610.htm, March 19, 2011. 

2Open Doors: Report on International 

Educational Exchange, published annually by IIE 

with support from the U.S. Department of State’s 

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/ 

Open-Doors/Data/Fact-Sheets-by-Country/∼/media/ 

Files/Corporate/Open-Doors/Fact-Sheets-2011/ 

Country/Brazil%20Fact%20Sheet%20- 

%20Open%20Doors%202011.ashx. 

3Hennigan, Tom, Brazil: US, Europe Pursue 

Higher Education Ties, April 10, 2011, Issue 166. 

4U.S. Library of Congress, Colleges and 

Universities: Brazil, http://countrystudies.us/brazil/ 

53.htm. 

5Nogueira, Danielle for Infosurhoy.com, Brazil: 

Educational System Threatening Economic Growth, 

03/02/11. 

6http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/brazil/saopaulo/education.html. 

Dated: March 1, 2012. 

Ronald K. Lorentzen, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Import 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5567 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

U.S. Education Mission to Brazil; 

Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sa ̃o Paulo, 

Brazil, August 30–September 6, 2012 

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Mission Description 

The United States Department of 

Commerce, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. and Foreign 

Commercial Service (US&FCS), is 

organizing an education mission to 

Brazil (Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sa ̃o 

Paulo) and is partnering with the United 

States Department of State’s 

EducationUSA Advising Centers. The 

emphasis will be on U.S. higher 

education, focusing on, in order of 

importance, intensive English language 

programs, undergraduate and graduate 

programs, and community college 

programs. English language programs 

and other continuing education 

programs seeking to participate should 

be part of a U.S. college or university 

and accredited through them. 

Community colleges, undergraduate and 

graduate programs seeking to participate 

should be accredited by a recognized 

accreditation body listed in Council for 

Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), 

in the Association of Specialized and 

Professional Accreditors (ASPA), or any 

accrediting body recognized by the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

This mission will seek to connect 

United States education institutions to 

potential students and university/ 

institution partners in Brazil. The 

mission will include student fairs 

organized by EducationUSA, embassy 

briefings, site visits, and networking 

events. Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sa ̃o 

Paulo are three of the top cities for 

recruiting Brazilian students to the 

United States. Participating in the 

Education Mission, rather than traveling 

to these markets independently, will 

enhance the schools’ ability to secure 

the appropriate meetings, especially in 

light of the high level engagement and 

support of U.S. education by the U.S. 

Ambassador in Brazil. 

Commercial Setting 

There are several types of 

opportunities for U.S. universities and 

institutions of higher learning in Brazil: 

(1) Attracting Brazilian students to the 

United States (2) establishing a campus 

in Brazil to offer courses and programs 

and (3) online training programs. 

In March 2010, the United States and 

Brazil issued a joint statement to 

reaffirm the U.S.-Brazil Partnership for 

Education. Under the Partnership, the 

two countries endeavor to share 

information and expand cooperation in 

areas including promoting educational 

excellence; promoting diversity and 

equal opportunity in education; 

assessment, indicators and 

accountability; professional 

development for teachers and 

administrators; vocational-technical 

education; second language learning 

(English/Portuguese); U.S. community 

colleges and Brazilian federal institutes; 

and higher education cooperation and 

mobility. The partnership is working to 

strengthen educational exchanges 

between research and higher education 

institutions in the Science, Technology, 

Environment and Math fields.1 Science 

Without Borders, a Brazilian 

government program, provides 

scholarships to Brazilian undergraduate 

students for one year of study at colleges 

and universities in the U.S. 

Scholarships are given primarily in the 

fields of science, technology, 

engineering and mathematics. Students 

then return to Brazil to complete their 

degrees. 

The United States has long been a top 

destination for Brazilian students 

looking to study abroad. Since 2006, the 

United States has seen an increase in 

the number of Brazilian students. There 

are some 8,777 Brazilians currently 

studying in the United States, a 16% 

increase from 2006; placing Brazil in 

13th place among country of origin of 

international students in the U.S. The 

majority (46.3%) of Brazilian students 

in the United States are undergraduate 

students with Brazilian graduate 

students not too far behind at 34.8%.2

The new agreement between the United 

States and Brazil could help reverse a 

contraction in the number of Brazilians 

studying overseas that followed a fiscal 

squeeze in the 1990s 3 when the 

government restricted fellowships for 

university study abroad, which made it 

possible for about 20,000 Brazilians to 

obtain their advanced degrees in the 

United States and Europe.4 Brazilian 

students and employers in Brazil have 

expressed the importance of education 

in areas that are well-aligned with the 

Brazilian job market. According to a 

recent Institute for Applied Economic 

Research (IPEA) study, 5.5 million 

workers in Brazil were unable to find 

jobs because they lacked the training 

and skills needed for current job 

openings. Brazil hopes to expand 

educational opportunities for students 

in order to meet employer’s needs in 

commerce, high technology, 

engineering, and construction sectors.5

The first stop on the mission itinerary 

is Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. 

This visit would give the delegates an 

opportunity to directly interact with 

officials from the Government of Brazil 

regarding education policies. Brasilia 

has more than 114 universities 

recognized by the Ministry of Education 

(MEC). Brasilia would offer the 

delegates meetings with appropriate 

Brazilian government officials, an 

embassy reception, access to local 

bilingual high schools, and a student 

fair. 

Then the group will travel to Sa ̃o 

Paulo. The highest rate of enrollment in 

schools is found in Sa ̃o Paulo, which is 

the economically wealthiest region of 

the nation. The mission participants 

will have the opportunity to participate 

in student recruitment fairs, high 

school/university visits and optional 

one-on-one meetings. The universities 

in Sa ̃o Paulo are leaders in terms of 

education and research in Brazil.6 The 

city of Sa ̃o Paulo has several colleges 

and universities while the state of Sa ̃o 

Paulo has more than 578 universities. 

Finally, the delegation will travel to 

Rio de Janeiro to participate in a student 

recruitment fair and site visits to 

American and other bilingual high 

schools. The city of Rio de Janeiro 

boasts 99 higher education institutions 

which include 53 Universitypreparatory schools, 6 major 

universities and 47 private schools of 

higher education. The state of Rio de 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 13561 

7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 

Rio_de_Janeiro#Education. 

Janeiro has more than 137 upperlearning institutions. Three of the 

nation’s top ranking universities, Rio de 

Janeiro State University, Federal 

University of Rio de Janeiro, and 

Pontifical Catholic University, are 

located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.7

Mission Goals 

The goals of the United States 

Education Mission to Brazil are: (1) To 

help participants gain market exposure 

and to introduce participants to the 

vibrant Brazilian market in the three 

main metropolitan cities of Brasilia, Sa ̃o 

Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro; (2) to help 

participants assess current and future 

business prospects by establishing 

valuable contacts with prospective 

students and educational institutions/ 

partners; and (3) to help participants 

develop market knowledge and 

relationships leading to student 

recruitment and potential partnerships. 

Mission Scenario 

Participation in the mission will 

include the following: 

• Pre-travel briefings/webinars; 

• Embassy/consulate and industry 

briefings; 

• Reception with Ambassador; 

• Student Fairs and local visits 

organized by EducationUSA in Brasilia, 

Rio de Janeiro and Sa ̃o Paulo; 

• Airport transfers in Brasilia, Sa ̃o 

Paulo, Rio de Janeiro; 

• Site visit in Brasilia and Rio de 

Janeiro; and 

• Optional: Pre-scheduled meetings 

with educational partners in Sa ̃o Paulo 

Proposed Mission Schedule—August 

30–September 6, 2012 

Brasilia—August 30–September 1, 2012 

Thursday–August 30, 2012 

—Arrive in Brasilia 

—Check into hotel 

Friday, August 31, 2012 

—Ministry meetings/briefing on 

scholarship program, Visa Briefing 

—Local visits to the American high 

school 

—Lunch or evening reception with 

Ambassador 

Saturday, September 1, 2012 

—Student Fairs organized by 

EducationUSA, Under Secretary to 

open 

Sa ̃o Paulo—September 2–4, 2012 

Sunday, September 2, 2012 

—Arrive in Sa ̃o Paulo and check into 

hotel 

—Free Time 

Monday—September 3, 2012 

—11 a.m.–2 p.m. Visit to local high 

school 

—5 p.m. EducationUSA Fair 

Tuesday—September 4, 2012 

—11 a.m.–1 p.m. Visit to local high 

school 

—Depart for Rio de Janeiro 

Rio de Janeiro—September 5–6, 2012 

Wednesday—September 5, 2012 

—Local high school visits 

—Student fair organized by 

EducationUSA 

Thursday—September 6, 2012 

—No host breakfast/lunch; debrief with 

Under Secretary 

—Depart for United States, or for the 

universities continuing on the 

EducationUSA South America 

Circuit, depart for Buenos Aires. 

The Department of Commerce mission 

is only in Brazil. For schools interested 

in exploring additional markets in 

South America, Education USA offers a 

series of student fairs in the following 

cities after the mission: 

—Buenos Aires—September 7th— 

Friday 

—Santiago—September 8th—Saturday 

—Lima—September 11th—Tuesday 

—Quito—September 13th—Thursday 

—Guayaquil—September 15th— 

Saturday 

—Bogota—September 17th—Monday 

—Caracas—September 19th— 

Wednesday 

Participation Requirements 

All parties interested in participating 

in the mission to Brazil must submit a 

complete application package for 

consideration to the U.S. Department of 

Commerce. They also must complete 

and submit the online application for 

consideration by the EducationUSA 

South America Fair. All applicants will 

be evaluated on their ability to meet 

certain conditions and best satisfy the 

selection criteria as outlined below. The 

mission will open on a first-come, firstserved basis to a minimum of 50 and a 

maximum of 60 appropriately 

accredited U.S. institutions. 

Selection Criteria for Participation 

• Applicant must be appropriately 

accredited as per paragraph one. 

• Consistency of the applicant’s goals 

and objectives with the stated scope of 

the mission. 

• Timeliness of signed application 

and participation agreement by 

institution Referrals from political 

organizations and any documents 

containing references to partisan 

political activities (including political 

contributions) will be removed from an 

applicant’s submission and will not be 

considered during the selection process. 

Conditions for Participation 

An applicant must submit a timely, 

completed and signed mission 

application and supplemental 

application materials, including 

adequate information on courses 

offerings, primary market objectives, 

and goals for participation. The 

institution must be represented at the 

student fair by an employee. No agents 

will be allowed to represent a school on 

the mission or participate at the student 

fair. Agents will also not be allowed into 

the fairs to solicit new partnerships. If 

the Department of Commerce receives 

an incomplete application, the 

Department may reject the application, 

request additional information, or take 

the lack of information into account 

when evaluating the applications. 

Each applicant must also certify that 

the services it seeks to export through 

the mission are either produced in the 

United States, or, if not, marketed under 

the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 

51 percent U.S. content of the value of 

the service. 

Fees and Expenses 

After an institution has been selected 

to participate on the mission, a payment 

to the South America EducationUSA 

fair in the form of a participation fee is 

required. The participation fee is $3,750 

dollars for one principal representative 

from each regionally accredited 

educational institution per city until 

May 31st and $4,110 dollars for 

applications received after this date. 

The fee for each additional 

representative is $300. Expenses for 

lodging, some meals, incidentals, and 

all travel (except for transportation to 

and from airports in-country, previously 

noted) will be the responsibility of each 

mission participant. The EducationUSA 

Fair offers government rates or belowgovernment rates in all hotels in the 

circuit. 

Timeframe for Recruitment and 

Applications 

Mission recruitment will be 

conducted in an open and public 

manner, including publication in the 

Federal Register, posting on the 

Commerce Department trade mission 

calendar (http://export.gov/industry/ 

education/) and other Internet Web 

sites, press releases to general and trade 

media, direct mail, notices by industry 

trade associations and other multiplier 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
13562 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

groups, and publicity at industry 

meetings, symposia, conferences, and 

trade shows. Recruitment for the 

mission will begin immediately and 

conclude no later than August 15, 2012. 

The mission will be open on a first 

come first served basis. Applications 

received after that date will be 

considered only if space and scheduling 

constraints permit. 

Contact Information 

U.S. Commercial Service in Brazil 

Patricia S. Marega, Business 

Development Specialist, Sa ̃o Paulo Tel: 

(55–11) 5186–7482, 

patricia.marega@trade.gov. 

U.S. Export Assistance Center 

Joan Kanlian, Westchester USEAC 

Director, Tel: 914–682–6712, Email: 

Joan.Kanlian@trade.gov. 

Elnora Moye, 

Trade Program Assistant. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5451 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–FP–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[Docket Number: 120301149–2149–01] 

Request for Comments on the 5-Year 

Review of NOAA’s Policy on 

Partnerships in the Provision of 

Environmental Information 

AGENCY: National Weather Service 

(NWS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Weather Service 

of the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration publishes 

this notice to request comments on 

NOAA’s Policy on Partnerships in the 

Provision of Environmental Information. 

This request for comments is being 

made as part of a period periodic review 

of the Policy’s effectiveness. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

5 p.m. (EDT), April 30, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic comments are 

preferred. A webform for comments is 

available at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ 

survey/ 

policy_partnerships_comments.php. 

Written comments may be mailed in 

hard copy to the following address: 

Partnership Policy Comments, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, NOAA 1325 

East-West Highway, Room 17205, Silver 

Spring, MD 20910. 

A copy of NOAA’s Policy on 

Partnerships in the Provision of 

Environmental Information as well as a 

complete history can be found on the 

NOAA Web site at: http:// 

www.noaa.gov/partnershippolicy/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Sprague, 301–713–0217. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Weather Service of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) is undertaking 

a review of NOAA’s Policy on 

Partnerships in the Provision of 

Environmental Information. This Policy 

applies to the weather, water, climate 

and related environmental information 

services of the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. It sets 

forth basic principles to be applied in 

making decisions regarding these 

information services. The Policy is 

intended to strengthen the existing 

partnership between government, 

academia and the private sector, which 

is a partnership that provides the nation 

with high quality weather, water, 

climate and related environmental 

information. 

The Policy calls for a periodic review 

of its effectiveness, and NOAA is 

seeking public comments to aid in this 

review. 

Dated: March 2, 2012. 

David Murray, 

Director, Management and Organizational 

Division, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, 

National Weather Service, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5544 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO45 

Marine Mammals; File No. 14241 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit 

amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a 

major amendment to Permit No. 14241– 

02 has been issued to Dr. Peter Tyack, 

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 

Woods Hole, MA for research on marine 

mammals. 

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and 

related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following offices: 

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tammy Adams or Carrie Hubard, (301) 

427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 16, 2011, notice was 

published in the Federal Register (76 

FR 78242) that a request for an 

amendment to Permit No. 14241–02 to 

conduct research on marine mammals 

had been submitted by the above-named 

applicant. The requested permit 

amendment has been issued under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations 

governing the taking and importing of 

marine mammals (50 CFR part 216). 

The permit has been amended to 

include (1) adding waters off Florida to 

the project for tagging to study risks of 

entanglement in mid-Atlantic states; (2) 

one new species, Atlantic spotted 

dolphin (Stenella frontalis), for field 

work in waters off Florida, Georgia, 

North Carolina, South Carolina, and 

Virginia; (3) a new project to Dtag the 

following species in waters off the west 

coast of North America: Baird’s beaked 

whale (Berardius bairdii), Cuvier’s 

beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), 

Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), 

killer whale (Orcinus orca) and 

Mesoplodont beaked whales 

(Mesoplodon spp); (4) a new procedure 

for marking cetaceans with zinc oxide; 

(5) satellite tagging to long-finned pilot 

whales in approaches to the 

Mediterranean; and (6) switching some 

of the playback takes initially located in 

the Mediterranean and eastern North 

Atlantic to the same stocks of longfinned (Globicephala melas) and shortfinned (G. macrorhynchus) pilot whales 

off Cape Hatteras. The amendment is 

valid through the original expiration 

date of the permit, July 31, 2014. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Documents may be reviewed in the 

following locations: 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 

427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376; 

Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand 

Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, 

Seattle, WA 98115–0700; phone (206) 

526–6150; fax (206) 526–6426; 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES