60066 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before 

November 14, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be addressed to the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Attention: Rachel Potter, Desk Officer, 

Department of Education, Office of 

Management and Budget, 725 17th 

Street, NW., Room 10222, New 

Executive Office Building, Washington, 

DC 20503 or faxed to (202) 395–6974. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) provide interested 

Federal agencies and the public an early 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection requests. OMB may amend or 

waive the requirement for public 

consultation to the extent that public 

participation in the approval process 

would defeat the purpose of the 

information collection, violate State or 

Federal law, or substantially interfere 

with any agency’s ability to perform its 

statutory obligations. The Leader, 

Information Management Case Services 

Team, Regulatory Information 

Management Services, Office of the 

Chief Information Officer, publishes that 

notice containing proposed information 

collection requests prior to submission 

of these requests to OMB. Each 

proposed information collection, 

grouped by office, contains the 

following: (1) Type of review requested, 

e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or 

reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of 

the collection; (4) Description of the 

need for, and proposed use of, the 

information; (5) Respondents and 

frequency of collection; and (6) 

Reporting and/or Recordkeeping 

burden. OMB invites public comment. 

Dated: October 11, 2005. 

Angela C. Arrington, 

Leader, Information Management Case 

Services Team, Regulatory Information 

Management Services, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

Office of Postsecondary Education 

Type of Review: New. 

Title: Application for Grants under 

Educational Opportunity Centers 

Programs. 

Frequency: Once every four years. 

Affected Public: Businesses or other 

for-profit. 

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour 

Burden: Responses—400. Burden 

Hours—2,500. 

Abstract: The application form is 

needed to conduct a national 

competition for the Educational 

Opportunity Centers Program for 

program year 2006–07. The program 

provides Federal financial assistance in 

the form of grants to institutions of 

higher education, public and private 

agencies and organizations, 

combinations of institutions, agencies 

and organizations and in exceptional 

cases secondary schools. These funds 

enable grantees to establish and operate 

projects designed to provide 

information regarding careers, financial 

aid and to provide academic assistance 

to individuals who desire to pursue a 

program of post secondary education, 

and to assist individuals in applying for 

admission to institutions that offer 

programs of post secondary education. 

Requests for copies of the information 

collection submission for OMB review 

may be accessed from http:// 

edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the 

‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and 

by clicking on link number 2899. When 

you access the information collection, 

click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to 

view. Written requests for information 

should be addressed to U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 

SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, 

Washington, DC 20202–4700. Requests 

may also be electronically mailed to the 

Internet address OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov or 

faxed to (202) 245–6623. Please specify 

the complete title of the information 

collection when making your request. 

Comments regarding burden and/or 

the collection activity requirements 

should be directed to Joseph Schubart at 

his e-mail address Joe.Schubart@ed.gov. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339. 

[FR Doc. 05–20588 Filed 10–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Postsecondary Education; 

Overview Information; National 

Resource Centers (NRC) Program for 

Foreign Language and Area Studies or 

Foreign Language and International 

Studies Program and Foreign 

Language and Area Studies (FLAS) 

Fellowships Program; Notice Inviting 

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 

Year (FY) 2006 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.015A and 84.015B 

Dates: Applications Available: 

October 14, 2005. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: See the chart listed under 

section IV. Application and Submission 

Information, 3. Submission Dates and 

Times (chart). 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: See chart. 

Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions of 

higher education; and (2) Consortia of 

institutions of higher education that 

meet the eligibility requirements in the 

regulations for the NRC and FLAS 

programs. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$28,950,000 for the NRC program and 

$29,129,500 for the FLAS program for 

FY 2006. 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, if Congress 

appropriates funds for these programs. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$192,000–$349,000 per year for the NRC 

program and $39,000–$377,000 per year 

for the FLAS program. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$241,251 per year for the NRC program 

and $234,915 per year for the FLAS 

program. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 120 

NRC awards and 124 FLAS awards. We 

estimate that the 124 FLAS awards will 

yield 926 academic year fellowships 

and 635 summer fellowships. 

Note: Information concerning the FLAS 

program subsistence allowance and 

institutional payment is provided elsewhere 

in this notice in section II Award 

Information. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 48 months. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The NRC 

program makes awards to institutions of 

higher education or consortia of these 

institutions for establishing or 

strengthening nationally recognized 

foreign language and area or 

international studies centers or 

programs. NRC awards are used to 

support undergraduate centers or 

comprehensive centers, which include 

undergraduate, graduate and 

professional school components. 

The FLAS program provides 

allocations of fellowships to institutions 

of higher education or consortia of these 

institutions to assist meritorious 

students undergoing graduate training 

in modern foreign languages and related 

area or international studies. 

Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(ii), these priorities are from 

the regulations for the NRC program (34 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 60067 

CFR 656.23(a)(4)) and for the FLAS 

program (34 CFR 657.22(a)(7)). 

NRC Program Absolute Priority: For 

FY 2006 this priority is an absolute 

priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 

consider only applications that meet 

this priority. 

This priority is: 

Projects that include teacher training 

activities on the language, languages, 

area studies, or thematic focus of the 

center. 

NRC Program Competitive Preference 

Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is a 

competitive preference priority. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to 

an additional ten points to an 

application, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets this 

priority. 

This priority is: 

Activities designed to demonstrate the 

quality of the center’s or program’s 

language instruction through the 

measurement of student proficiency in 

the less and least commonly taught 

languages. 

Within the absolute priority and 

competitive preference priority, we are 

particularly interested in applications 

that address the following invitational 

priorities. 

NRC Program Invitational Priorities: 

For FY 2006 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 absolute 

preference over other applications. 

These priorities are: 

NRC Invitational Priority 1 

Activities designed to promote 

undergraduate language learning 

through two or more continuous years 

in the less or least commonly taught 

languages. 

NRC Invitational Priority 2 

Activities designed to increase the 

number of specialists trained in areas 

that are vital to United States national 

security, such as Islamic societies. 

NRC Invitational Priority 3 

Linkages with schools of education 

designed to improve teacher training in 

foreign languages or area or 

international studies with an emphasis 

on the less commonly taught languages 

and areas of the world where those 

languages are spoken. 

NRC Invitational Priority 4 

Collaboration with Title VI Language 

Resource Centers, Centers for 

International Business Education, and 

American Overseas Research Centers, 

with the objective of increasing the 

nation’s capacity to train and produce 

Americans with advanced proficiency of 

the less and least commonly taught 

languages, along with an understanding 

of the societies in which those 

languages are spoken. 

NRC Invitational Priority 5 

Activities that expand and enhance 

outreach to K–12 constituencies. 

FLAS Program Competitive Preference 

Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities 

are competitive preference priorities. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award 

up to an additional ten points to an 

application, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets these 

priorities. 

These priorities are: 

FLAS Competitive Preference Priority 1 

The Secretary will award up to five 

additional points to eligible applicants 

that plan to offer fellowships in the less 

and least commonly taught languages to 

students who are pursuing advanced 

level language proficiency. 

FLAS Competitive Preference Priority 2 

The Secretary will award up to five 

additional points to eligible applicants 

that plan to offer fellowships to master’s 

degree students who are more likely to 

pursue government service or enter a 

professional field. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1122. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 

86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The General 

Provisions for International Education 

Programs in 34 CFR part 655. (c) The 

regulations for the NRC program in 34 

CFR part 656. (d) The regulations for the 

FLAS program in 34 CFR part 657. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 

apply to all applications except federally 

recognized Indian tribes. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$28,950,000 for the NRC program and 

$29,129,500 for the FLAS program for 

FY 2006. 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, if Congress 

appropriates funds for these programs. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$192,000–$349,000 per year for the NRC 

program and $39,000–$377,000 per year 

for the FLAS program. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$241,251 per year for the NRC program 

and $234,915 per year for the FLAS 

program. 

Estimated FLAS Program Subsistence 

Allowance: The subsistence allowance 

for an academic year 2006–2007 

fellowship is $15,000, and the 

subsistence allowance for a summer 

2007 fellowship is $2,500. 

Estimated FLAS Program Institutional 

Payment: The institutional payment in 

lieu of tuition for an academic year 

2006–2007 fellowship is $12,000, and 

the institutional payment in lieu of 

tuition for a summer 2007 fellowship is 

$4,000. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 120 

NRC awards and 124 FLAS awards. We 

estimate that the 124 FLAS awards will 

yield 926 academic year fellowships 

and 635 summer fellowships. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 48 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Institutions 

of higher education; and (2) Consortia of 

institutions of higher education that 

meet the eligibility requirements in the 

program regulations for the NRC and 

FLAS programs. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These 

programs do not involve cost sharing or 

matching. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: You may obtain an application 

package via the Internet by downloading 

the package from the program Web site: 

http://www.ed.gov/HEP/iegps. 

If you do not have access to the 

Internet, you may contact Carla White, 

International Education Programs 

Service, U.S. Department of Education, 

at (202) 502–7631 to request a paper 

copy of the package. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call 

the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–

800–877–8339. 

Individuals with disabilities may 

obtain a copy of the application package 

in an alternative 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 these 

programs. 

Page Limit: The application narrative 

is where you, the applicant, address the 

selection criteria that reviewers use to 

evaluate your application. You must 

60068 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 

limit the narrative to the equivalent of 

no more than 40 pages for a single 

institution application or the equivalent 

of no more than 50 pages for a 

consortium application, 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, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions. However, you 

may single space all 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). 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, 

Arial Narrow) will be rejected. 

Section C of the application package 

provides instructions about the 

application narrative. The narrative 

must include your complete response to 

the selection criteria. 

The page limit does not apply to the 

cover sheet; the budget section, 

including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; the one-page abstract; or 

the appendices. 

We will reject your application if—

• You apply these standards and 

exceed the page limit; or 

• You apply other standards and 

exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: October 14, 

2005. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: In light of the damage 

caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 

we are establishing two separate 

deadlines for the submission of 

applications for grants under this 

competition to permit potential 

applicants affected by Hurricanes 

Katrina and/or Rita additional time to 

submit their applications. We are 

establishing a General Deadline for all 

applicants, and an Extended Deadline 

for potential applicants who have been 

affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/or 

Rita and are located in Louisiana, Texas, 

Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. 

Specifically, the Extended Deadline 

applies only to: (1) institutions of higher 

education, SEAs, LEAs, non-profit 

organizations and other public or 

private organization applicants that are 

located in a federally-declared disaster 

area as determined by the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) (see http://www.fema.gov/news/ 

disasters.fema) and that were adversely 

affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/or 

Rita, and (2) individual applicants who 

reside or resided, on the disaster 

declaration date, in a federally-declared 

disaster area as determined by FEMA 

(see http://www.fema.gov/news/ 

disasters.fema) and were adversely 

affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/or 

Rita. These applicants must provide a 

certification in their application that 

they meet the criteria for submitting an 

application on the Extended Deadline, 

and be prepared to provide appropriate 

supporting documentation, if requested. 

If the applicant is submitting the 

application electronically, submission 

of the application serves as the 

applicant’s attestation that they meet the 

criteria for submitting an application on 

the Extended Deadline. 

The following chart provides the 

applicable deadlines for the submission 

of applications. If this program is 

subject to Executive Order 12372, the 

relevant deadline for intergovernmental 

review is also indicated in the chart. 

Transmittal of 

applications 

Intergovernmental review 

General Deadline: .................................................................................................................................................... 11/14/05 1/13/06 

Extended Deadline: ................................................................................................................................................. 12/1/05 2/1/06 

Applications for grants under this 

competition must be submitted by mail 

or hand delivery. For information 

(including dates and times) about how 

to submit your application by mail or 

hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 

6. Other Submission Requirements in 

this notice. 

We do not consider an application 

that does not comply with the deadline 

requirements. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: See chart. 

4. Intergovernmental Review: These 

programs are 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 these 

programs. 

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

6. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under these 

programs must be submitted in paper 

format by mail or hand delivery. 

a. Submission of Applications by 

Mail. 

If you submit your application by 

mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or 

a commercial carrier, you must mail the 

original and two copies of your 

application, on or before the application 

deadline date, to the Department at the 

applicable following address: 

By mail through the U.S. Postal 

Service: U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.015A and 84.015B), 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20202–4260; or 

By mail through a commercial carrier: 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center—Stop 4260, 

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.015A and 

84.015B), 7100 Old Landover Road, 

Landover, MD 20785–1506. 

Regardless of the address you use, 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, or 

(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, or 

(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. 

b. Submission of Applications by 

Hand Delivery. 

If you submit your application by 

hand delivery, you (or a courier service) 

must deliver the original and two copies 

of your application, by hand, on or 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 60069 

before the application deadline date, to 

the Department at the following address: 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.015A and 84.015B), 

550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, 

Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 

20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center accepts 

hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 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 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number—and 

suffix letter, if any—of the competition under 

which you are submitting your application. 

(2) The Application Control Center will 

mail a grant application receipt 

acknowledgement to you. If you do not 

receive the grant application receipt 

acknowledgement 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 

Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for a comprehensive center 

under the NRC program are from 34 CFR 

656.21. In general, the Secretary awards 

up to 155 possible points for these 

criteria. However, if the criterion from 

section 656.21(j) is used, the Secretary 

awards up to 165 possible points. The 

maximum possible points for each 

criterion are shown in parentheses. 

(a) Program planning and budget. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the activities for which 

the applicant seeks funding are of high 

quality and directly related to the 

purpose of the National Resource 

Centers Program (5 points); (2) The 

extent to which the applicant provides 

a development plan or timeline 

demonstrating how the proposed 

activities will contribute to a 

strengthened program and whether the 

applicant uses its resources and 

personnel effectively to achieve the 

proposed objectives (5 points); (3) The 

extent to which the costs of the 

proposed activities are reasonable in 

relation to the objectives of the program 

(5 points); and (4) The long-term impact 

of the proposed activities on the 

institution’s undergraduate, graduate, 

and professional training programs (5 

points). 

(b) Quality of staff resources. (15 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which teaching faculty and 

other staff are qualified for the current 

and proposed Center activities and 

training programs, are provided 

professional development opportunities 

(including overseas experience), and 

participate in teaching, supervising, and 

advising students (5 points); (2) The 

adequacy of Center staffing and 

oversight arrangements, including 

outreach and administration and the 

extent to which faculty from a variety of 

departments, professional schools, and 

the library are involved (5 points); and 

(3) The extent to which the applicant, as 

part of its nondiscriminatory 

employment practices, encourages 

applications for employment from 

persons who are members of groups that 

have been traditionally 

underrepresented, such as members of 

racial or ethnic minority groups, 

women, persons with disabilities, and 

the elderly (5 points). 

(c) Impact and evaluation. (25 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine—(1) The extent to which 

the Center’s activities and training 

programs have a significant impact on 

the university, community, region, and 

the Nation as shown through indices 

such as enrollments, graduate 

placement data, participation rates for 

events, and usage of Center resources; 

and the extent to which the applicant 

supplies a clear description of how the 

applicant will provide equal access and 

treatment of eligible project participants 

who are members of groups that have 

been traditionally underrepresented, 

such as members of racial or ethnic 

minority groups, women, persons with 

disabilities, and the elderly (10 points); 

and (2) The extent to which the 

applicant provides an evaluation plan 

that is comprehensive and objective and 

that will produce quantifiable, outcomemeasure-oriented data; and the extent to 

which recent evaluations have been 

used to improve the applicant’s program 

(15 points). 

(d) Commitment to the subject area on 

which the Center focuses. (10 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine the extent to which the 

institution provides financial and other 

support to the operation of the Center, 

teaching staff for the Center’s subject 

area, library resources, linkages with 

institutions abroad, outreach activities, 

and qualified students in fields related 

to the Center. 

(e) Strength of library. (15 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine—(1) The strength of the 

institution’s library holdings (both print 

and non-print, English and foreign 

language) in the subject area and at the 

educational levels (graduate, 

professional, undergraduate) on which 

the Center focuses; and the extent to 

which the institution provides financial 

support for the acquisition of library 

materials and for library staff in the 

subject area of the Center (10 points); 

and (2) The extent to which research 

materials at other institutions are 

available to students through 

cooperative arrangements with other 

libraries or on-line databases and the 

extent to which teachers, students, and 

faculty from other institutions are able 

to access the library’s holdings (5 

points). 

(f) Quality of the Center’s nonlanguage instructional program. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

quality and extent of the Center’s course 

offerings in a variety of disciplines, 

including the extent to which courses in 

the Center’s subject matter are available 

in the institution’s professional schools 

(5 points); (2) The extent to which the 

Center offers depth of specialized course 

coverage in one or more disciplines of 

the Center’s subject area (5 points); (3) 

The extent to which the institution 

employs a sufficient number of teaching 

faculty to enable the Center to carry out 

its purposes and the extent to which 

instructional assistants are provided 

with pedagogy training; and (4) The 

extent to which interdisciplinary 

courses are offered for undergraduate 

and graduate students. The Secretary is 

assigning a total of ten points to factors 

(3) and (4). 

(g) Quality of the Center’s language 

instructional program. (20 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine—(1) The extent to which the 

Center provides instruction in the 

languages of the Center’s subject area 

and the extent to which students enroll 

in the study of the languages of the 

subject area through programs or 

instruction offered by the Center or 

other providers (5 points); (2) The extent 

to which the Center provides three or 

more levels of language training and the 

extent to which courses in disciplines 

other than language, linguistics, and 

literature are offered in appropriate 

foreign languages (5 points); (3) Whether 

sufficient numbers of language faculty 

are available to teach the languages and 

levels of instruction described in the 

application and the extent to which 

language teaching staff (including 

faculty and instructional assistants) 

have been exposed to current language 

pedagogy training appropriate for 

performance-based teaching (5 points); 

and (4) The quality of the language 

program as measured by the 

performance-based instruction being 

used or developed, the adequacy of 

resources for language teaching and 

60070 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 

practice, and language proficiency 

requirements (5 points). 

(h) Quality of curriculum design. (10 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the Center’s curriculum 

has incorporated undergraduate 

instruction in the applicant’s area or 

topic of specialization into 

baccalaureate degree programs (for 

example, major, minor, or certificate 

programs) and the extent to which these 

programs and their requirements 

(including language requirements) are 

appropriate for a Center in this subject 

area and will result in an undergraduate 

training program of high quality (5 

points); (2) The extent to which the 

Center’s curriculum provides training 

options for graduate students from a 

variety of disciplines and professional 

fields and the extent to which these 

programs and their requirements 

(including language requirements) are 

appropriate for a Center in this subject 

area and result in graduate training 

programs of high quality; and (3) The 

extent to which the Center provides 

academic and career advising services 

for students; the extent to which the 

Center has established formal 

arrangements for students to conduct 

research or study abroad and the extent 

to which these arrangements are used; 

and the extent to which the institution 

facilitates student access to other 

institutions’ study abroad and summer 

language programs. The Secretary is 

assigning a total of five points to factors 

(2) and (3). 

(i) Outreach activities. (20 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the extent to which the 

Center demonstrates a significant and 

measurable regional and national 

impact of, and faculty and professional 

school involvement in, domestic 

outreach activities that involve—(1) 

Elementary and secondary schools (10 

points); (2) Postsecondary institutions (5 

points); and (3) Business, media, and 

the general public (5 points). 

(j) Degree to which priorities are 

served (10 points): If, under the 

provisions of Sec. 656.23, the Secretary 

establishes competitive priorities for 

Centers, the Secretary considers the 

degree to which these priorities are 

being served. 

The selection criteria for an 

undergraduate center under the NRC 

program are from 34 CFR 656.22. In 

general, the Secretary awards up to 155 

possible points for these criteria. 

However, if the criterion from section 

656.22(j) is used, the Secretary awards 

up to 165 possible points. The 

maximum possible points for each 

criterion are shown in parentheses. 

(a) Program planning and budget. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the activities for which 

the applicant seeks funding are of high 

quality and directly related to the 

purpose of the National Resource 

Centers Program (5 points); (2) The 

extent to which the applicant provides 

a development plan or timeline 

demonstrating how the proposed 

activities will contribute to a 

strengthened program and whether the 

applicant uses its resources and 

personnel effectively to achieve the 

proposed objectives (5 points); (3) The 

extent to which the costs of the 

proposed activities are reasonable in 

relation to the objectives of the program 

(5 points); and (4) The long-term impact 

of the proposed activities on the 

institution’s undergraduate training 

program (5 points). 

(b) Quality of staff resources. (15 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which teaching faculty and 

other staff are qualified for the current 

and proposed Center activities and 

training programs, are provided 

professional development opportunities 

(including overseas experience), and 

participate in teaching, supervising, and 

advising students (5 points); (2) The 

adequacy of Center staffing and 

oversight arrangements, including 

outreach and administration and the 

extent to which faculty from a variety of 

departments, professional schools, and 

the library are involved (5 points); and 

(3) The extent to which the applicant, as 

part of its nondiscriminatory 

employment practices, encourages 

applications for employment from 

persons who are members of groups that 

have been traditionally 

underrepresented, such as members of 

racial or ethnic minority groups, 

women, persons with disabilities, and 

the elderly (5 points). 

(c) Impact and evaluation. (25 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine—(1) The extent to which 

the Center’s activities and training 

programs have a significant impact on 

the university, community, region, and 

the Nation as shown through indices 

such as enrollments, graduate 

placement data, participation rates for 

events, and usage of Center resources; 

the extent to which students matriculate 

into advanced language and area or 

international studies programs or 

related professional programs; and the 

extent to which the applicant supplies 

a clear description of how the applicant 

will provide equal access and treatment 

of eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have been 

traditionally underrepresented, such as 

members of racial or ethnic minority 

groups, women, persons with 

disabilities, and the elderly (10 points); 

and (2) The extent to which the 

applicant provides an evaluation plan 

that is comprehensive and objective and 

that will produce quantifiable, outcomemeasure-oriented data; and the extent to 

which recent evaluations have been 

used to improve the applicant’s program 

(15 points). 

(d) Commitment to the subject area on 

which the Center focuses. (10 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine the extent to which the 

institution provides financial and other 

support to the operation of the Center, 

teaching staff for the Center’s subject 

area, library resources, linkages with 

institutions abroad, outreach activities, 

and qualified students in fields related 

to the Center. 

(e) Strength of library. (15 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine—(1) The strength of the 

institution’s library holdings (both print 

and non-print, English and foreign 

language) in the subject area and at the 

educational levels (graduate, 

professional, undergraduate) on which 

the Center focuses; and the extent to 

which the institution provides financial 

support for the acquisition of library 

materials and for library staff in the 

subject area of the Center (10 points); 

and (2) The extent to which research 

materials at other institutions are 

available to students through 

cooperative arrangements with other 

libraries or on-line databases and the 

extent to which teachers, students, and 

faculty from other institutions are able 

to access the library’s holdings (5 

points). 

(f) Quality of the Center’s nonlanguage instructional program. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

quality and extent of the Center’s course 

offerings in a variety of disciplines (5 

points); (2) The extent to which the 

Center offers depth of specialized course 

coverage in one or more disciplines of 

the Center’s subject area (5 points); (3) 

The extent to which the institution 

employs a sufficient number of teaching 

faculty to enable the Center to carry out 

its purposes and the extent to which 

instructional assistants are provided 

with pedagogy training; and (4) The 

extent to which interdisciplinary 

courses are offered for undergraduate 

students. The Secretary is assigning a 

total of ten points to factors (3) and (4). 

(g) Quality of the Center’s language 

instructional program. (20 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine— (1) The extent to which the 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 60071 

Center provides instruction in the 

languages of the Center’s subject area 

and the extent to which students enroll 

in the study of the languages of the 

subject area through programs offered 

by the Center or other providers (5 

points); (2) The extent to which the 

Center provides three or more levels of 

language training and the extent to 

which courses in disciplines other than 

language, linguistics, and literature are 

offered in appropriate foreign languages 

(5 points); (3) Whether sufficient 

numbers of language faculty are 

available to teach the languages and 

levels of instruction described in the 

application and the extent to which 

language teaching staff (including 

faculty and instructional assistants) 

have been exposed to current language 

pedagogy training appropriate for 

performance-based teaching (5 points); 

and (4) The quality of the language 

program as measured by the 

performance-based instruction being 

used or developed, the adequacy of 

resources for language teaching and 

practice, and language proficiency 

requirements (5 points). 

(h) Quality of curriculum design. (10 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the Center’s curriculum 

has incorporated undergraduate 

instruction in the applicant’s area or 

topic of specialization into 

baccalaureate degree programs (for 

example, major, minor, or certificate 

programs) and the extent to which these 

programs and their requirements 

(including language requirements) are 

appropriate for a Center in this subject 

area and will result in an undergraduate 

training program of high quality (5 

points); and (2) The extent to which the 

Center provides academic and career 

advising services for students; the extent 

to which the Center has established 

formal arrangements for students to 

conduct research or study abroad and 

the extent to which these arrangements 

are used; and the extent to which the 

institution facilitates student access to 

other institutions’ study abroad and 

summer language programs (5 points). 

(i) Outreach activities. (20 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the extent to which the 

Center demonstrates a significant and 

measurable regional and national 

impact of, and faculty and professional 

school involvement in, domestic 

outreach activities that involve (1) 

Elementary and secondary schools (10 

points); (2) Postsecondary institutions (5 

points); and (3) Business, media and the 

general public (5 points). 

(j) Degree to which priorities are 

served (10 points): If, under the 

provisions of Sec. 656.23, the Secretary 

establishes competitive priorities for 

Centers, the Secretary considers the 

degree to which these priorities are 

being served. 

The selection criteria used in 

selecting institutions for an allocation of 

fellowships under the FLAS program 

are from 34 CFR 657.21. The Secretary 

evaluates an application for an 

allocation of fellowships on the basis of 

the quality of the applicant’s Center or 

program. In general, the Secretary 

awards up to 140 possible points for 

these criteria. However, if priority 

criteria are used, the Secretary awards 

up to 150 possible points. The 

maximum possible points for each 

criterion are shown in parentheses. 

(a) Foreign language and area studies 

fellowships awardee selection 

procedures. (15 points) The Secretary 

reviews each application to determine 

whether the selection plan is of high 

quality, showing how awards will be 

advertised, how students apply, what 

selection criteria are used, who selects 

the fellows, when each step will take 

place, and how the process will result 

in awards being made to correspond to 

any announced priorities. 

(b) Quality of staff resources. (15 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which teaching faculty and 

other staff are qualified for the current 

and proposed activities and training 

programs, are provided professional 

development opportunities (including 

overseas experience), and participate in 

teaching, supervising, and advising 

students (5 points); (2) The adequacy of 

applicant staffing and oversight 

arrangements and the extent to which 

faculty from a variety of departments, 

professional schools, and the library are 

involved (5 points); and (3) The extent 

to which the applicant, as part of its 

nondiscriminatory employment 

practices, encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have been 

traditionally underrepresented, such as 

members of racial or ethnic minority 

groups, women, persons with 

disabilities, and the elderly (5 points). 

(c) Impact and evaluation. (25 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine—(1) The extent to which 

the applicant’s activities and training 

programs have contributed to an 

improved supply of specialists on the 

program’s subject as shown through 

indices such as graduate enrollments 

and placement data; and the extent to 

which the applicant supplies a clear 

description of how the applicant will 

provide equal access and treatment of 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have been 

traditionally underrepresented, such as 

members of racial or ethnic minority 

groups, women, persons with 

disabilities, and the elderly (20 points); 

and (2) The extent to which the 

applicant provides an evaluation plan 

that is comprehensive and objective and 

that will produce quantifiable, outcomemeasure-oriented data; and the extent to 

which recent evaluations have been 

used to improve the applicant’s program 

(5 points). 

(d) Commitment to the subject area on 

which the applicant or program focuses. 

(10 points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the institution provides 

financial and other support to the 

operation of the applicant, teaching staff 

for the applicant’s subject area, library 

resources, and linkages with institutions 

abroad (5 points); and (2) The extent to 

which the institution provides financial 

support to graduate students in fields 

related to the applicant’s teaching 

program (5 points). 

(e) Strength of library. (15 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine—(1) The strength of the 

institution’s library holdings (both print 

and non-print, English and foreign 

language) for graduate students; and the 

extent to which the institution provides 

financial support for the acquisition of 

library materials and for library staff in 

the subject area of the applicant (10 

points); and (2) The extent to which 

research materials at other institutions 

are available to students through 

cooperative arrangements with other 

libraries or on-line databases (5 points). 

(f) Quality of the applicant’s nonlanguage instructional program. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

quality and extent of the applicant’s 

course offerings in a variety of 

disciplines, including the extent to 

which courses in the applicant’s subject 

matter are available in the institution’s 

professional schools (10 points); (2) The 

extent to which the applicant offers 

depth of specialized course coverage in 

one or more disciplines on the 

applicant’s subject area (5 points); (3) 

The extent to which the institution 

employs a sufficient number of teaching 

faculty to enable the applicant to carry 

out its purposes and the extent to which 

instructional assistants are provided 

with pedagogy training; and (4) The 

extent to which interdisciplinary 

courses are offered for graduate 

students. The Secretary is assigning a 

total of five points to factors (3) and (4). 

(g) Quality of the applicant’s language 

instructional program. (20 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

60072 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Notices 

determine—(1) The extent to which the 

applicant provides instruction in the 

languages of the applicant’s subject area 

and the extent to which students enroll 

in the study of the languages of the 

subject area through programs or 

instruction offered by the applicant or 

other providers (5 points); (2) The extent 

to which the applicant provides three or 

more levels of language training and the 

extent to which courses in disciplines 

other than language, linguistics, and 

literature are offered in appropriate 

foreign languages (5 points); (3) Whether 

sufficient numbers of language faculty 

are available to teach the languages and 

levels of instruction described in the 

application and the extent to which 

language teaching staff (including 

faculty and instructional assistants) 

have been exposed to current language 

pedagogy training appropriate for 

performance-based teaching (5 points); 

and (4) The quality of the language 

program as measured by the 

performance-based instruction being 

used or developed, the adequacy of 

resources for language teaching and 

practice, and language proficiency 

requirements (5 points). 

(h) Quality of curriculum design. (20 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine—(1) The 

extent to which the applicant’s 

curriculum provides training options for 

graduate students from a variety of 

disciplines and professional fields and 

the extent to which these programs and 

their requirements (including language 

requirements) are appropriate for an 

applicant in this subject area and result 

in graduate training programs of high 

quality (10 points); (2) The extent to 

which the applicant provides academic 

and career advising services for students 

(5 points); and (3) The extent to which 

the applicant has established formal 

arrangements for students to conduct 

research or study abroad and the extent 

to which these arrangements are used; 

and the extent to which the institution 

facilitates student access to other 

institutions’ study abroad and summer 

language programs (5 points). 

(i) Priorities (10 points): If one or more 

competitive priorities have been 

established under section 657.22, the 

Secretary reviews each application for 

information that shows the extent to 

which the Center or program meets 

these priorities. 

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). We may also notify you 

informally. 

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. For the 

NRC and FLAS programs, final and 

annual reports must be submitted into 

the Evaluation, Exchange, Language, 

International, and Area Studies online 

reporting system. 

4. Performance Measures: Under the 

Government Performance and Results 

Act of 1993 (GPRA), the objective for the 

NRC and FLAS programs is to support 

the maintenance of a U.S. higher 

education system able to produce 

experts in less commonly taught 

languages and area studies who are 

capable of contributing to the needs of 

the U.S. Government, academic and 

business institutions. 

The Department will use the 

following measures to evaluate its 

success in meeting this objective. 

NRC Performance Measure 1: 

Percentage of National Resource Center 

Ph.D. graduates who are employed in 

higher education, government, or 

national security. 

NRC Performance Measure 2: 

Percentage of critical languages taught 

as reflected in the list of critical 

languages referenced in title VI of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965, as 

amended. 

FLAS Performance Measure 1: The 

average competency score of Foreign 

Language and Area Studies Fellowships 

recipients at the end of one full year of 

instruction (post test) minus the average 

competency score at the beginning of 

the year (pre test). 

VII. Agency Contact 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carla White, International Education 

Programs Service, U.S. Department of 

Education, 1990 K Street, NW., suite 

6000, Washington, DC 20006–8521. 

Telephone: (202) 502–7631 or via 

Internet: OPE_NRC–FLAS@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call 

the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–

800–877–8339. 

Individuals with disabilities may 

obtain this document in an alternative 

format (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, or computer diskette) on 

request to the program contact persons 

listed in this section. 

VIII. Other Information 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

You may 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: 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: October 11, 2005. 

Sally L. Stroup, 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 05–20625 Filed 10–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Student Assistance General 

Provisions, Federal Perkins Loan, 

Federal Work-Study, Federal 

Supplemental Educational Opportunity 

Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, 

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan, 

Federal Pell Grant, and Leveraging 

Educational Assistance Partnership 

Programs 

AGENCY: Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice extending institutional 

and applicant filing and reporting 

deadlines. 

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces an 

extension of the deadline dates for 

specific filing and reporting activities, 

including those published in the 

Federal Register on March 22, 2005, (70 

FR 14450), April 13, 2005 (70 FR