5222 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 2024 / Notices 

refined its pandemic preparedness 

strategies to specifically address the 

mental health and well-being of 

students? 

Role of the Department 

23. How can the Department best 

support ongoing efforts inclusive and 

exclusive of additional funding? What 

are the preferred methods for 

collaboration and sustainable 

partnerships between the Department 

and behavioral health experts? 

24. What unmet needs remain and 

what barriers have institutions 

encountered in providing mental health 

and substance use disorder supports for 

their students? How can the Department 

assist in helping to meet these needs 

and overcome barriers? 

25. Are there any resources you 

would like the Department to provide? 

26. If the Department were to hold a 

convening or other event, what specific 

topics or information would be most 

helpful to include in supporting 

institutions and the work of the field? 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document in an accessible format. 

The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site, you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Nasser H. Paydar, 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01605 Filed 1–25–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

American Overseas Research Centers 

Program 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

is issuing a notice inviting applications 

for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for the 

American Overseas Research Centers 

(AORC) program, Assistance Listing 

Number 84.274A. This notice relates to 

the approved information collection 

under OMB control number 1840–0006. 

DATES:

Applications Available: January 26, 

2024. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

The Department will hold a preapplication webinar for prospective 

applicants. Detailed information 

regarding the webinar, including date 

and time, will be provided on the 

website for the AORC program at 

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/ 

iegpsaorc/applicant.html. 

Additionally, for prospective 

applicants that have never received a 

grant from the Department and those 

that are interested in learning more 

about the process, please review the 

grant funding basics resource at https:// 

www2.ed.gov/documents/funding-101/ 

funding-101-basics.pdf. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 26, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on December 7, 2022 

(87 FR 75045) and available at 

www.federalregister.gov/documents/ 

2022/12/07/2022-26554/commoninstructions-for-applicants-todepartment-of-education-discretionarygrant-programs. Please note that these 

Common Instructions supersede the 

version published on December 27, 

2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cheryl E. Gibbs, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5C103, Lyndon Baines Johnson 

(LBJ) Building, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: (202) 453–5690. Email: 

cheryl.gibbs@ed.gov. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or 

have a speech disability and wish to 

access telecommunications relay 

services, please dial 7–1–1. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The AORC 

program provides grants to consortia of 

institutions of higher education (IHEs) 

in the United States to establish or 

operate an overseas research center 

(Center) to promote postgraduate 

research, exchanges, and area studies. 

AORC grants may be used for all or a 

portion of the costs to operate and 

maintain the overseas Center; organize 

and manage conferences; develop or 

acquire teaching and research materials; 

acquire or preserve library collections; 

bring scholars and faculty to the Center 

to teach or conduct research; support 

the salaries for Center staff and visiting 

faculty and professional development 

stipends and fellowships; pay the travel 

costs for Center staff and project 

participants; and to publish and 

disseminate materials for the academic 

community and the public. 

Priorities: Under this competition we 

are particularly interested in 

applications that address the following 

priorities. 

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2024 

and any subsequent year in which we 

make awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, 

these priorities are invitational 

priorities. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not 

give an application that meets these 

invitational priorities a competitive or 

an absolute preference over other 

applications. 

These priorities are: 

Invitational Priority 1—Professional 

Development Opportunities for 

Participants from Community Colleges, 

Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities, and Minority Serving 

Institutions. 

Projects that provide professional 

development opportunities to 

participants from community colleges, 

Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities, and Minority-Serving 

Institutions. The opportunities may be 

provided domestically or overseas and 

may include curriculum development 

workshops to create new courses or to 

incorporate global content and 

competencies into existing courses, 

language instructional programs for the 

beginning to advanced levels, or 

participation in academic conferences 

relevant to the Center’s focus. 

For the purpose of this invitational 

priority— 

Community college means ‘‘junior or 

community college’’ as defined in 

section 312(f) of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 

U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an ‘‘institution of 


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higher education’’ as defined in section 

101 of the HEA, that awards degrees and 

certificates, more than 50 percent of 

which are not bachelor’s (or an 

equivalent) or master’s, professional, or 

other advanced degrees. 

Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities means colleges and 

universities that meet the criteria set out 

in 34 CFR 608.2. 

Minority-Serving Institution means an 

institution that is eligible to receive 

assistance under sections 316 through 

320 of part A of title III, under part B 

of title III, or under title V of the HEA. 

Note: The institutions currently 

designated eligible under title III and 

title V of the HEA may be viewed at the 

following link: https://www2.ed.gov/ 

about/offices/list/ope/idues/ 

eligibility.html. 

Invitational Priority 2—Open Access 

to Center-related Research, 

Instructional, and Scholarly Resources. 

Projects that provide open access to 

Center-related research studies, 

conference proceedings, online libraries, 

digital archives, instructional materials, 

scholarly publications, and other 

resources related to the scholarly and 

cultural foci of the Center. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1128a 

and 1132–1132–7. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and 

must be operated in a manner consistent 

with the nondiscrimination 

requirements contained in Federal civil 

rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, 

and 99. (b) The Office of Management 

and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to IHEs only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Department estimates that $1,347,635 

will be available for new awards in the 

AORC program in FY 2024. The actual 

level of funding, if any, depends on 

final congressional action. However, we 

are inviting applications to allow 

enough time to complete the grant 

process before the end of the current 

fiscal year, if Congress appropriates 

funds for this program. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in 

subsequent years from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition. 

Estimated Range of Awards: $53,000– 

$82,000 for each budget period of 12 

months. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$58,000 for each budget period of 12 

months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 17. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 48 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: Consortia of 

United States (U.S.) IHEs that receive 

more than 50 percent of their funding 

from public or private U.S. sources, 

have a permanent presence in the 

country where the Center is located, and 

are organizations described in section 

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, 

which are exempt from taxation under 

section 501(a) of such Code. 

Note: If you are a nonprofit 

organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 

may demonstrate your nonprofit status 

by providing: (1) proof that the Internal 

Revenue Service currently recognizes 

the applicant as an organization to 

which contributions are tax deductible 

under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a 

State taxing body or the State attorney 

general certifying that the organization 

is a nonprofit organization operating 

within the State and that no part of its 

net earnings may lawfully benefit any 

private shareholder or individual; (3) a 

certified copy of the applicant’s 

certificate of incorporation or similar 

document if it clearly establishes the 

nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) 

any item described above if that item 

applies to a State or national parent 

organization, together with a statement 

by the State or parent organization that 

the applicant is a local nonprofit 

affiliate. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses an 8 percent restricted 

indirect cost rate. For more information 

regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a 

negotiated indirect cost rate, please see 

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/ 

intro.html. 

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

4. Build America, Buy America Act: 

This program is not subject to the Build 

America, Buy America Act (Pub. L. 117– 

58) domestic sourcing requirements. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application Submission 

Instructions: Applicants are required to 

follow the Common Instructions for 

Applicants to Department of Education 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and 

available at https://www.federal

register.gov/documents/2022/12/07/ 

2022-26554/common-instructions-forapplicants-to-department-of-educationdiscretionary-grant-programs, which 

contain requirements and information 

on how to submit an application. Please 

note that these Common Instructions 

supersede the version published on 

December 27, 2021. 

2. Submission of Proprietary 

Information: Given the types of projects 

that may be proposed in applications for 

the AORC grant competition, your 

application may include business 

information that you consider 

proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define 

‘‘business information’’ and describe the 

process we use in determining whether 

any of that information is proprietary 

and, thus, protected from disclosure 

under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of 

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 

amended). 

Because we plan to post on our 

website the abstracts of all funded 

applications, you may wish to request 

confidentiality of business information. 

Consistent with Executive Order 

12600, please designate in your 

application any information that you 

believe is exempt from disclosure under 

Exemption 4. In the appropriate 

Appendix section of your application, 

under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’ 

please list the page number or numbers 

on which we can find this information. 

For additional information please see 34 

CFR 5.11(c). 

3. Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is subject to Executive Order 

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR 

part 79. 

4. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 


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restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

5. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative (Part III) is where 

you, the applicant, address the selection 

criteria that reviewers use to evaluate 

your application. We recommend that 

you (1) limit the application narrative to 

no more than 30 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, 

and both sides. 

• Double space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions, except the text 

in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. 

• Use a font that is either 12 point or 

larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to Part I, Application for Federal 

Assistance cover sheet (SF 424); the 

Supplemental Information Form SF 

424B; Part II, ED 524 (Summary Budget 

A) and the detailed budget justification 

(Summary Budget C); or Part IV, 

assurances, and certifications. The page 

limit also does not apply to the one-page 

abstract, the curriculum vitae, the 

bibliography, or the letters of support. 

However, the recommended page limit 

does apply to the entirety of the 

application narrative. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210. The total maximum score 

for the selection criteria is 100 points. 

The maximum number of points for 

each criterion is indicated in 

parentheses. 

The Secretary evaluates all 

applications for a project under this 

program using the following criteria: 

(a) Need for project (up to 20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the need 

for the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the need for the 

proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the magnitude of the need for 

the services to be provided or the 

activities to be carried out by the 

proposed project. (up to 20 points) 

(b) Quality of the project design (up to 

10 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the design of the proposed 

project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

design of the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers the following 

factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. (up to 5 

points) 

(ii) The extent to which fellowship 

recipients or other project participants 

are to be selected based on academic 

excellence. (up to 5 points) 

(c) Quality of project services (up to 

25 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

quality and sufficiency of strategies for 

ensuring equal access and treatment for 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. (up to 5 

points) 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

appropriate to the needs of the intended 

recipients or beneficiaries of those 

services. (up to 10 points) 

(ii) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. (up to 10 points) 

(d) Quality of project personnel (up to 

15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the personnel who will carry 

out the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. (up to 5 

points) 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of the 

project director or principal 

investigator. (up to 5 points) 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. (up to 5 points) 

(e) Adequacy of resources (up to 15 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project. 

(2) In determining the adequacy of 

resources for the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers the following 

factors: 

(i) The adequacy of support, including 

facilities, equipment, supplies, and 

other resources, from the applicant 

organization or the lead applicant 

organization. (up to 5 points) 

(ii) The extent to which the budget is 

adequate to support the proposed 

project. (up to 5 points) 

(iii) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the number of 

persons to be served and to the 

anticipated results and benefits. (up to 

5 points) 

(f) Quality of project evaluation (up to 

15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

evaluation, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are appropriate to the 

context within which the project 

operates. (up to 5 points) 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. (up to 

5 points) 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide timely 

guidance for quality assurance. (up to 5 

points) 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the 

applicant in carrying out a previous 

award, such as the applicant’s use of 

funds, achievement of project 

objectives, and compliance with grant 

conditions. The Secretary may also 

consider whether the applicant failed to 

submit a timely performance report or 

submitted a report of unacceptable 

quality. 

In addition, in making a competitive 

grant award, the Secretary requires 

various assurances, including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

All applications submitted to the FY 

2024 AORC program competition will 

be evaluated and scored by peer 

reviewers with expertise in are area 

studies, modern foreign languages, 

global competencies, and postgraduate 

research. 

The Department’s G6 e-Reader system 

will produce the rank order listing of all 

applications in the competition based 


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on the scores that peer reviewers 

assigned to the selection criteria. In 

situations where two or more 

applications are tied with the same 

overall score in the rank order listing, 

we will use the scores for selection 

criterion (a) Need for the project as a 

tiebreaker. If this criterion does not 

resolve the tied scores, we will use the 

scores for criterion (c) Quality of project 

services as the tiebreaker. 

3. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this program, the Department conducts 

a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the 

Secretary may impose specific 

conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in 

appropriate circumstances, high-risk 

conditions on a grant if the applicant or 

grantee is not financially stable; has a 

history of unsatisfactory performance; 

has a financial or other management 

system that does not meet the standards 

in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 

fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; 

or is otherwise not responsible. 

4. Integrity and Performance System: 

If you are selected under this 

competition to receive an award that, 

over the course of the project period 

may exceed the simplified acquisition 

threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 

CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a 

judgment about your integrity, business 

ethics, and record of performance under 

Federal awards—that is, the risk posed 

by you as an applicant—before we make 

an award. In doing so, we must consider 

any information about you that is in the 

integrity and performance system 

(currently referred to as the Federal 

Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System (FAPIIS)), 

accessible through the System for 

Award Management. You may review 

and comment on any information about 

yourself that a Federal agency 

previously entered and that is currently 

in FAPIIS. 

Please note that, if the total value of 

your currently active grants, cooperative 

agreements, and procurement contracts 

from the Federal Government exceeds 

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, 

require you to report certain integrity 

information to FAPIIS semiannually. 

Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant 

plus all the other Federal funds you 

receive exceed $10,000,000. 

5. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with: 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216); 

(c) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(d) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: If your application 

is successful, we notify your U.S. 

Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification 

(GAN); or we may send you an email 

containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your GAN. We may notify 

you informally, also. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

administrative and national policy 

requirements in the application package 

and reference these and other 

requirements in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

We reference the regulations outlining 

the terms and conditions of an award in 

the Applicable Regulations section of 

this notice and include these and other 

specific conditions in the GAN. The 

GAN also incorporates your approved 

application as part of your binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee or 

subgrantee that is awarded competitive 

grant funds must have a plan to 

disseminate these public grant 

deliverables. This dissemination plan 

can be developed and submitted after 

your application has been reviewed and 

selected for funding. For additional 

information on the open licensing 

requirements please refer to 2 CFR 

3474.20. 

4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a 

grant under this program competition, 

you must ensure that you have in place 

the necessary processes and systems to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110 (b). 

(b) At the end of your project period, 

you must submit a final performance 

report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Secretary. If you 

receive a multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

Note: Grantees under this competition 

will submit their performance reports 

electronically using the International 

Resource Information System (IRIS), the 

web-based reporting system for the 

International and Foreign Language 

Education office. Information about the 

reporting system and the AORC 

performance report instructions may be 

viewed at http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/ 

AORC.pdf. 

5. Performance Measures: IFLE has 

established the following performance 

measure for the AORC program for the 

purpose of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110: 

The number of individuals 

conducting postgraduate research 

utilizing the services of the overseas 

Centers. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 


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1A 5-year rate extension of this same formula rate 

through June 7, 1993, was approved by FERC on 

June 20, 1988, at 44 FERC ¶ 62,058. Subsequent 5- 

year extensions of the same formula rate have been 

approved by FERC; the most recent approval was 

on June 20, 2019, in Docket No. EF19–3–000, which 

approved the same formula rate through June 7, 

2024. 2Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule 

on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF09–5101–000, 

129 FERC ¶ 62,206 (2009). 3Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule 

on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF19–3–000, 167 

FERC ¶ 62,187 (2019). 

4 50 FR 37835 (Sept. 18, 1985) and 84 FR 5347 

(Feb. 21, 2019). 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

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Nasser H. Paydar, 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01443 Filed 1–25–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Western Area Power Administration 

Falcon and Amistad Projects—Rate 

Order No. WAPA–216 

AGENCY: Western Area Power 

Administration, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed extension of 

firm power formula rate for the Falcon 

and Amistad Projects. 

SUMMARY: The Colorado River Storage 

Project Management Center (CRSP MC) 

of the Western Area Power 

Administration (WAPA) proposes to 

extend the existing firm power formula 

rate, without any changes, for the 

Falcon and Amistad Projects (Projects) 

through June 7, 2029. The existing firm 

power formula rate expires on June 7, 

2024. 

DATES: A consultation and comment 

period will begin January 26, 2024 and 

end February 26, 2024. The CRSP MC 

will accept written comments any time 

during the consultation and comment 

period. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

requests to be informed of Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

actions concerning the proposed 

extension submitted by WAPA to FERC 

for approval should be sent to: Rodney 

Bailey, CRSP Manager, Colorado River 

Storage Project Management Center, 

Western Area Power Administration, 

1800 South Rio Grande Avenue, 

Montrose, CO 81401, or email: 

CRSPMC-rateadj@wapa.gov. The CRSP 

MC will post information about the 

proposed formula rate extension and 

written comments received to its 

website at: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/ 

about-wapa/regions/crsp/rates/rateorder-216. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tamala Gheller, Rates Manager, 

Colorado River Storage Project 

Management Center, Western Area 

Power Administration, 970–240–6545, 

or email: CRSPMC-rate-adj@wapa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Falcon and Amistad Dams are features 

of international water storage projects 

located on the Rio Grande River 

between Texas and Mexico. The portion 

of the dams located in the United States 

is operated by the United States 

International Boundary and Water 

Commission (USIBWC). Under 

arrangements with the United States 

Department of State and USIBWC, 

WAPA is the Federal agency responsible 

for marketing and selling the electricity 

generated at these facilities. WAPA 

markets the power generated at the 

Falcon and Amistad Dams as a 

combined product to only one customer: 

South Texas Electric Cooperative. The 

cost of the power is determined by a 

formula rate. This formula rate was 

initially approved by the Federal Power 

Commission (FPC), the predecessor to 

FERC, in FPC Docket No. E–9566 on 

August 12, 1977 (59 FPC 1653), for a 5- 

year period effective on the date of 

initial operation of Amistad Power 

Plant, June 8, 1983.1 The formula rate 

has been subsequently extended and reapproved without change. The current 

formula rate was approved in 2009 2 and 

extended in 2014 and 2019. 

Most recently, on June 20, 2019, FERC 

approved and confirmed Rate Schedule 

Falcon and Amistad Projects’ Firm 

Power Formula Rate under Rate Order 

No. WAPA–186 for a 5-year period 

through June 7, 2024.3 This schedule 

applies to firm energy sales. In 

accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),4 the 

CRSP MC is proposing to extend the 

existing formula rate under Rate 

Schedule Falcon and Amistad Projects’ 

Firm Power Formula Rate for the period 

of June 8, 2024, through June 7, 2029. 

The existing formula rate is viewable on 

the CRSP MC website at: 

www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/ 

crsp/rates/amistad-history. The formula 

rate calculates the amount WAPA must 

annually repay to the Department of the 

Treasury for the United States’ 

investment in the Falcon and Amistad 

hydroelectric facilities, with interest, as 

well as associated operation, 

maintenance, and administrative costs. 

This annual installment is collected in 

12 monthly payments and is 

independent of the amount of available 

generation. The existing formula rate 

provides sufficient revenue to pay all 

annual costs, including interest 

expense, and repay investment within 

the allowable period consistent with the 

cost recovery criteria set forth in 

Department of Energy (DOE) Order RA 

6120.2. 

In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a), 

the CRSP MC has determined it is not 

necessary to hold public information or 

public comment forums for this rate 

action but is initiating a 30-day 

consultation and comment period to 

give the public an opportunity to 

comment on the proposed extension. 

The CRSP MC will review and consider 

all timely public comments at the 

conclusion of the consultation and 

comment period and adjust the proposal 

as appropriate. 

Legal Authority 

By Delegation Order No. S1–DEL– 

RATES–2016, effective November 19, 

2016, the Secretary of Energy delegated: 

(1) the authority to develop power and 

transmission rates to the WAPA 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1