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###### Department of Education

*Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:*                     84.269A.                

*Dates:*

*Applications Available:*                     April 1, 2009.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     May 1, 2009.                

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                     June 30, 2009.                

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

*Purpose of Program:*                     To provide a grant that establishes an  Institute for International Public Policy that will conduct a program to enhance the international competitiveness of the United States by increasing the participation of underrepresented populations in the international service, including private international voluntary organizations and the foreign service of the United States. The program shall include a program for students to study abroad in their junior year, fellowships for graduate study, internships, and intensive academic programs, such as summer institutes, or intensive language training.                

*Priorities:*                     Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority.                

*Invitational Priority:*                     For FY 2009 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.                

The priority is:

*Invitational Priority:*

Projects that focus on any of the following seventy-eight (78) priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs):

Akan (Twi-Fante), Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (all dialects), Armenian, Azeri (Azerbaijani), Balochi, Bamanakan (Bamana, Bambara, Mandikan, Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula), Belarusian, Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all languages), Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cebuano (Visayan), Chechen, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Gan), Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Min), Chinese (Wu), Croatian, Dari, Dinka, Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew (Modern), Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri, Kazakh, Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz, Korean, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish (Sorani), Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala (Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu.

*Program Authority:*20 U.S.C. 1131-1131f.                

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655.                

# Note:

 Because there are no program-specific regulations for the Institute for International Public Policy Program, applicants are encouraged to read the authorizing statute in sections 621 through 629 of part C, Title VI, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1131-1131f).

*Areas of National Need:*                     In accordance with section 601(c) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1121(c)(1)), the Secretary has consulted with and received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies. The Secretary has taken these recommendations into account and a list of foreign languages and world regions identified by the Secretary as                           ( print page 14787)                        areas of national need may be found on the following Web sites:                     *http://www.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ope/​policy.html; http://www.ed.gov/​programs/​iegpsiipp/​legislation.html.*                     Also included on these Web sites are the specific recommendations the Secretary received from Federal agencies.                

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     $1,837,000.                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                     $1,837,000.                

*Maximum Award:*                     We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $1,837,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the                     **Federal Register.**

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     1.                

# Note:

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

*Project Period:*                     Up to 60 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     Consortia consisting of one or more of the following entities: (1) An institution eligible for assistance under part B of title III of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1060*et seq.*); (2) a tribally-controlled college or university or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian-serving institution eligible for assistance under part A or B of title III of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1057*et seq.*                     or 1060                     *et seq.*) or an institution eligible for assistance under title V of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101*et seq.*); (3) an institution of higher education that serves substantial numbers of underrepresented minority students; and (4) an institution of higher education with programs in training foreign service professionals.                

                    2.                     *Cost Sharing or Matching:*                     The matching requirement is described in section 621(e) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1131(e)). The eligible recipient of a grant in this competition shall contribute to the conduct of the program supported by the grant amount from non-Federal sources equal to at least one-half the amount of the grant. This contribution may be in cash or in kind.                

## IV. Application and Submission Information

                    1.                     *Address to Request Application Package:*                     Tanyelle Richardson, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6017, Washington, DC 20006-8521.                     *Telephone:*                     (202) 502-7626 or by                     *e-mail:**tanyelle.richardson@ed.gov*.                

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section.

                    2.                     *Content and Form of Application Submission:*                     Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.  Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative [Part III] to no more than 60 pages, using 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, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs may be single spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward the page limit.
    - Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10 point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    - 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.

The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the budget information summary form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the assurances and certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a table of contents. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part III]. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the application narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the application narrative.

We will reject your application if you apply these standards and exceed the page limit.

                    3.                     *Submission Dates and Times:*

*Applications Available:*                     April 1, 2009.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     May 1, 2009.                

                    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 6.                     *Other Submission Requirements*                     of this notice.                

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

                    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under                     *For Further Information Contact*                     in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.                

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                     June 30, 2009.                

                    4.                     *Intergovernmental Review:*                     This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.                

                    5.                     *Funding Restrictions:*                     We reference the regulations outlining funding restrictions in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section of this notice.                

                    6.                     *Other Submission Requirements:*                     Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.                

                    a.                     *Electronic Submission of Applications.*

                    Applications for grants under the Institute for International Public Policy, CFDA number 84.269A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at                     *http://www.Grants.gov.*                     Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.                

                    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you                           ( print page 14788)                        qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under                     *Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.*

                    You may access the electronic grant application for the Institute for International Public Policy at:                     *www.Grants.gov.*                     You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.269, not 84.269A).                

Please note the following:
    - When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
    - Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
    - The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
    - You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/​help/​GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf. 
    - To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp ). These steps include (1) Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see                      http://www.grants.gov/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf ). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition, you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.                
    - You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
    - You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
    - You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
    - Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
    - After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
    - We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

*Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System:*                     If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.                

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

                    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under                     **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**                     in Section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.                

# Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time; or, if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

*Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement:*                     You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because—                
    - You do not have access to the Internet; or       ( print page 14789)      
    - You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and
    - No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days; or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.

If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

                    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Tanyelle Richardson, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6017, Washington, DC 20006-8521.                     *FAX:*                     (202) 502-7859.                

Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

                    b.                     *Submission of Paper Applications by Mail*.                

                    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 84.269A), 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 legibly 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 application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

# Note:

The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

                    c.                     *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 84.269A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.                

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.

# 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 your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you 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.

## V. Application Review Information

                    1.                     *General:*                     Applications are randomly divided into groupings for review. International studies and foreign language experts, organized into panels of three, will review each application. Each panel reviews, scores, and ranks its applications separately from the applications assigned to the other panels. Ultimately, all applications, without being divided into groups, will be ranked from the highest to the lowest score for funding purposes.                

                    2.                     *Selection Criteria:*                     The selection criteria for this program are from section 75.210 of EDGAR and are as follows: (a) Significance of the project (20 points), (b) quality of the project design (20 points), (c) quality of project personnel (10 points), (d) quality of management plan (15 points), (e) adequacy of resources (15 points), and (f) quality of project evaluation (20 points). Applicants should review section 75.210 of EDGAR for a complete description of these criteria.                

                    3.                     *Application Requirements:*                     In addition to any other requirements outlined in the application package for this program, section 621(c) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1131(c)) requires that each application include a description of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs, where applicable.                

## 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 Notice (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.                     *Reporting:*                     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 multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. Grantees are required to use the electronic data instrument International Resource Information System (IRIS) to complete both the annual and final report. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to                     *http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html*.                

                    4.                     *Performance Measure:*                     The goal of the Institute for International Public Policy is to assist certain eligible institutions of higher education to produce experts in less commonly taught languages and area studies, particularly from members of underrepresented populations, who are capable of contributing to the needs of the U.S. Government and national security. The Department will use the following measures to evaluate the success of the Institute for International Public Policy program:                

                    1. Percentage of Institute for International Public Policy graduates                           ( print page 14790)                        who are employed in government or international service.                

2. Percentage of Institute for International Public Policy program participants who complete a master's degree within six years of enrolling in the program.

3. Federal cost per Institute for International Public Policy graduates employed in government or international service.

                    The Department will use information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via IRIS as the source of data for this measure. Reporting screens for applicants can be viewed at:                     *http://www.ieps-iris.org/​iris/​pdfs/​IIPP.pdf*.                

## VII. Agency Contact

*For Further Information Contact:*                     Tanyelle Richardson, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6017, Washington, DC 20006-8521.                     *Telephone:*                     (202) 502-7626 or by                     *e-mail: tanyelle.richardson@ed.gov*.                

If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

## VIII. Other Information

*Accessible Format:*                     Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under                     *For Further Information Contact*                     in section VII in this notice.                

*Electronic Access to This Document:*                     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), on the Internet at the following site:                     *http://www.ed.gov/​news/​fedregister*.                

To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

# Note:

                        The official version of this document is the document published in the                         **Federal Register**                        . Free Internet access to the official edition of the                         **Federal Register**                         and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at:                         *http://www.gpoaccess.gov/​nara/​index.html*.                    

*Delegation of Authority:*                     The Secretary of Education has delegated authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the functions of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.                

Dated: March 27, 2009.

Daniel T. Madzelan,

Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.

[FR Doc. E9-7303 Filed 3-31-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P