Application for the Language Resource Centers (LRC) Prog

Thank you for your interest in applying for a fiscal year (FY) 2018 grant under the Language Resource Centers (LRC) program. This application booklet includes information about the program, instructions, and the forms that applicants need to submit a complete application package to the U.S. Department of Education (Department). We encourage you to review these instructions in their entirety before preparing and submitting your application.

The LRC program provides grants to institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen and operate centers that serve as resources for improving the nation’s capacity for teaching and learning world languages. LRCs develop language learning materials, provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and conduct research to strengthen foreign language teaching and learning. Centers help prepare U.S. students, teachers, faculty, and school administrators to succeed in global business and in fields like intelligence and national security. You may view more information about the LRC program at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpslrc/index.html

There are two competitive preference priorities for the FY 2018 competition. We will award up to an additional 10 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets one or both of the following priorities:

Applications that propose activities that focus on any of the 78 priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs).
Applications that incorporate significant and sustained collaborative activities with one or more Minority-Serving Institutions (as defined in the Federal Register notice) or one or more community colleges (as defined in the Federal Register notice).

In addition to the competitive preference priorities, there are also two invitational priorities for the FY 2018 competition.

Applications from new applicants (as defined in the Federal Register notice).
Applications that propose programs or projects that engage in collaborative activities with heritage language centers or schools to support the language maintenance and development of heritage language speakers.

Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) published in the Federal Register and included in this application package for further information about the competition priorities.

We hope that these priorities will inspire interesting projects that will be useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the fields of language education, international education, and others. We appreciate your interest in this program and look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

Lenore Yaffee Garcia
Senior Director, International and Foreign Language Education

Competition Highlights

FY 2018 LRC applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov. We advise that you acquaint yourself with the requirements of Grants.gov early, as the registration procedures may require 5 or more days to complete. A more thorough discussion about Grants.gov is included under “Grants.gov Submission Procedures & Tips for Applicants” on pages XX-XX in this application package.

Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page at: https://www.grants.gov

Please note that you must submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.
Grants.gov does not allow applicants to “un-submit” applications. If you discover that you need to make revisions to your application after you have submitted it, you must submit another application on or before the application deadline. The Department will accept and process the application with the latest “date/time received” validation.
The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission are included in the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards (NIA) for FY 2018 published in the Federal Register. If you think you might need an exception, you should review the exception requirements early in the application preparation process. The Department must receive your written waiver request and justification at least fourteen days prior to the application deadline date.
The suggested maximum length for the Application (Project) Narrative (Part III) is 50 pages. The Application (Project) Narrative is where you address the selection criteria that the peer reviewers will use to evaluate your application. The NIA contains the standards for preparing the Application (Project) Narrative.
The project abstract is limited to one page, single-spaced. The abstract should include information about the proposed project, including activities that you plan to conduct over the four-year grant period. Upload your project abstract into the ED abstract form in Part III.
There are two competitive preference priorities for the FY 2018 LRC program competition. We will award up to an additional 10 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets one or both of these priorities:

Competitive Preference Priority 1 - Applications that propose activities that focus on any of the 78 priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). (5 points)

The list includes the following:

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.

We will award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.

Competitive Preference Priority 2 – Applications that incorporate significant and sustained collaborative activities with one or more Minority-Serving Institutions (as defined in the Federal Register notice) or one or more community colleges (as defined in the Federal Register notice). (Up to 5 points)

These activities must be designed to incorporate foreign languages into the curriculum at the MSI(s) or community college(s), and to improve foreign language instruction at the MSI(s) or community college(s). If an applicant institution is an MSI or community college (as defined in the Federal Register notice), that institution can meet the intent of this priority by proposing intra-campus collaborative activities instead of, or in addition to, collaborative activities with other MSIs and/or community colleges.

Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) is defined as an institution that is eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A or under part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA.

Community college is defined in section 312(f) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1058(f); or an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50% of which are not bachelor’s degrees (or an equivalent); or master’s , professional, or other advanced degrees.

We will award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.

Please note that these priorities are explained in detail in the NIA contained in this application package (pages XX-XX). We urge you to fully review the notice carefully before preparing your application.

There are two invitational priorities for the FY 2018 LRC program competition.

Invitational Priority 1 – Applications from new applicants (as defined in the NIA).

New applicant refers to applicants who have not received a grant from the LRC program, either as an individual institution or as a member of a consortium, during the last two funding cycles (FY 2010-2013, FY 2014-2017).

Invitational Priority 2 – Applications that propose programs or projects that engage in collaborative activities with heritage language centers or schools to support the language maintenance and development of heritage language speakers.

Note: For the purposes of the LRC program, a heritage language speaker is a person who grew up using the language at home and/or received some or all of his/her K-12 education in the language.

Please note that these priorities are explained in detail in the NIA contained in this application package (pages XX-XX). You are urged to review the notice carefully before preparing your application.

The following are estimated amounts for this competition. The Department is not bound by these estimated amounts.

Estimated available funds: $2,746,768
Estimated average award: $183,118
Maximum award: $XXX,XXX
The Department is often unable to award the full amount of funds requested. Applicants should pay close attention to the “Maximum Award” section of the Federal Register notice. The Department will not fund any application at an amount exceeding the applicable maximum award level.
Estimated number of awards: 16

Applicants are limited to 8% indirect costs.

The project period for an LRC grant is up to 48 months.
Once you download the LRC application package from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer, because you will need to upload your work into Grants.gov to submit the application.

For help with Grants.gov, you should call toll-free at 1-800-516-4726, or email [email protected]. The Support Desk is available 24 hours, 7 days a week except Federal holidays.

The NIA published in the Federal Register constitutes the official competition guidelines. An applicant should not rely upon external information that is inconsistent with the application preparation guidelines and submission instructions presented in the NIA.

Language Resource Centers Program Overview

Authorization

Title VI, Part A, sections 601 and 603 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended.

Program Regulations

Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. The regulations for this program are in 34 CFR parts 655 and 669.

Purpose

The Language Resource Centers Program makes awards for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating centers that serve as resources for improving the nation’s capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages effectively.

Eligible Applicants

Institutions of higher education or a combination of institutions of higher education are eligible to receive an award.

Activities Funded Under This Program

Centers must carry out activities to improve the teaching and learning of foreign languages. These efforts must include effective dissemination efforts, whenever appropriate, and may include—

The conduct and dissemination of research on new and improved methods for teaching foreign languages, including the use of advanced educational technology;
The development and dissemination of new materials for teaching foreign languages, to reflect the results of research on effective teaching strategies;
The development, application and dissemination of performance testing that is appropriate for use in an educational setting to be used as a standard and comparable measurement of skill levels in foreign languages;
The training of teachers in the administration and interpretation of foreign language performance tests, the use of effective teaching strategies and the use of new technologies;
A significant focus on the teaching and learning needs of the less commonly taught languages, including an assessment of the strategic needs of the United States, the determination of ways to meet those needs nationally and the publication and dissemination of instructional materials in the less commonly taught languages;
The development and dissemination of materials designed to serve as a resource for foreign language teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels; and
The operation of intensive summer language institutes to train advanced foreign language students, to provide professional development and to improve language instruction through pre-service and ins-service language training for teachers.

Supplemental Information

The following information supplements the information provided in the “Dear Applicant” letter and the Federal Register notice.

Additional Attachments to Applications

Please limit additional attachments to the following:

The curricula vitae of key personnel and professional staff directly involved in the applicant’s program;
Position descriptions for proposed personnel for the project;
Letters of support; and
Performance Measure Form (description of the measures that will guide project activities for the FY 2018-2021 performance period).

NOTE: These appendices must be attached to the “Other Attachments Form” in the Grants.gov application package.

Performance Period
The estimated grant performance period for the FY 2018 grant cycle is from August 15, 2018 to August 14, 2022.
Evaluation of Applications for Awards
A three-member panel of independent reviewers evaluates each application. Each reviewer assigns points for each selection criterion and prepares evaluation comments.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria in 34 CFR sections 655.31 and 669.21 are used to evaluate applications. The selection criteria and maximum possible points are included in this booklet on pages XX-XX.

The Secretary will select an application for funding in rank order, based on the application’s total score for the selection criteria. If there are insufficient funds to fund all applications with the same total score, the Secretary will choose among the tied applications using Criterion 1: Need for the Project as a tiebreaker.

Notifying Successful Applicants
If your application is successful, we will 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 G5, the Department’s Grant Management System. The email will be sent to both the project director and certifying representative in order for them to view and print the Adobe Acrobat version of the electronically signed GAN. If neither the project director nor certifying representative is registered in G5, they will immediately be prompted to register once the link is accessed. The Department’s electronic signature and issuance of the GAN makes it crucial that your application include correct email addresses for both the project director and the certifying representative.
Notifying ineligible or unsuccessful applicants
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you in writing.
Technical Review Forms
All applicants will receive copies of the peer reviewers’ evaluations.
Reporting Requirements
If you receive a FY 2018 new grant award, you will be required to submit annual and final performance reports during the entire funding cycle using the International Resource Information System (IRIS). This online system collects narrative, data, and budget information about funded projects to enable program officers to determine if a grantee is making substantial progress toward meeting the approved project objectives. At the end of the project period, grantees are required to submit both a final performance report and a federal financial report (SF-425).

If you wish to view the performance report currently required, visit the IRIS website at:

http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/LRC.pdf

Please be advised that the report is for informational purposes only, and does not reflect the actual reporting instrument that you will use, should you receive a FY 2018 grant award.

Contact Information
For LRC program-related questions and assistance, please contact:

Program Officer: Carolyn Collins
Address: International and Foreign Language Education
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. / Mailstop 3-3E241
Washington, D.C. 20202
Telephone: (202) 453-7854
E-mail Address: [email protected]

For Grants.gov-related questions and assistance, please contact:

Support Desk: Grants.gov Support Desk
Telephone: (800) 518-4726
Email: [email protected]
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays

Grants.gov Submission Procedure & Tips for Applicants

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

https://www.Grants.gov

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Attention – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of Adobe reader (at least Adobe Reader 8.1.2). Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at [email protected] or call 1-800-518-4726.

REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration may take five or more business days to complete. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR) *.]

*Please note that the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) was replaced by the System for Award Management (SAM) effective July 30, 2012. For more information on the migration of CCR data to SAM, grant applicants should read this information located on Grants.gov: http://grants-gov.blogspot.com/2012/07/information-about-pending-migration.html#!/2012/07/information-about-pending-migration.html.

SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM (formerly CCR -Central Contractor Registry). If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#54. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Error Messages document at http://www.grants.gov/assets/AdobeReaderErrorMessages.pdf. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What Should You Do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or http://www.grants.gov/contactus/contactus.jsp, or access the Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.

If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and 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. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working With Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/contactus/contactus.jsp for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Submit Application FAQs found on the Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/applicants/submit_application_faqs.jsp.

Dial-up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Mac Users

For Mac compatibility information, review the Operating System Platform Compatibility Table at the following Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp. If electronic submission is required and you are concerned about your ability to submit electronically as a non-Windows user, please follow instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their application:

Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, non-modifiable format. PDF files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read. If you need assistance converting your files to a .pdf format, please refer to the following Grants.gov webpage with links to conversion programs under the heading of additional resources: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp.
Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.
When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded files must be less than 50 characters, contain no spaces, no special characters (example: -, &, *, %, /, #, \) including periods (.), blank spaces, or accent marks. The names of submitted applications that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.
Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Grants.gov Registration Instructions

Register With Grants.gov

Go to http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
Select the Register with Grants.gov button on the main screen.
This will take you to the Register with Grants.gov screen where you will need to enter the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) of an opportunity and then select Register.
Once you enter a valid Funding Opportunity Number (FON) you will need to complete a profile. When entering an email address, please keep in mind that all correspondence with Grants.gov will be sent to that email address. For the Secret Question/Answer fields, enter a question only you would be able to answer and will be able to remember in the future. The password you choose must contain at least eight (8) characters including: at least one (1) uppercase letter (A-Z); at least one (1) lowercase letter (a-z); and at least one (1) number (0-9). When you have completed the form select the Continue button.
On the next page you will need to validate your information. If you need to change your information select the Edit button, if your information is correct as entered select the Submit button.
You will see a message at the top of the screen that will read “You are successfully registered.” To continue to the Applicant login page select the Continue button on the bottom of the page. If you don’t receive the successful message another message will appear stating what issue needs to be addressed. Simply correct the error or contact the Contact Center for further assistance.
You will receive an email notification that will let you know you are able to apply for grant opportunities.

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 Grants.gov because––

You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to Grants.gov; 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 prevents 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: Carolyn Collins, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Mailstop 3-3E241, Washington, D.C. 20202; Fax: (202) 453-5780.

Application Transmittal Instructions

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

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 [INSERT month, day, year] deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.229A)
LBJ Basement Level 1
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark
A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service
A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.
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:

A private metered postmark
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.

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 84.017A)

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza

Washington, DC 20202-4260

8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, D.C. 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—

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
The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this grant 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.

Federal Register Notice [PLACE HOLDER]

THE FY 14 NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS (NIA) IS A PLACEHOLDER DOCUMENT.

THE FY 18 NIA WILL REFLECT THE DEPARTMENT’S NEW POLICY AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONTENT AND FORMAT OF GRANT APPLICATIONS

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Language Resource Centers Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

Overview Information:

Language Resource Centers Program

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2014.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.229A.

Dates:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 9, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Language Resource Centers (LRC) Program provides grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of these institutions for establishing, strengthening, and operating centers that serve as resources for improving the Nation’s capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages through teacher training, research, materials development, and dissemination projects.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the regulations for this program at 34 CFR 669.22(a)(2). Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from the notice of final priorities for discretionary grant programs published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2014, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1; and we award up to 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2, depending on how well the application meets this priority. The maximum amount of competitive preference priority points that an application can receive for this competition is 10 points.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Priority Languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education’s List of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). (5 points)

Applications that propose activities that focus on any of the 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.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Applications That Propose Significant and Sustained Collaborative Activities with One or More Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) or Community Colleges. (up to 5 points)

Applications that propose significant and sustained collaborative activities with one or more Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) (as defined in this notice) or with one or more community colleges (as defined in this notice).

These activities must be designed to incorporate foreign languages into the curriculum at the MSI(s) or community college(s), and to improve foreign language instruction at the MSI(s) or community college(s). If an applicant institution is an MSI or a community college (as defined in this notice), that institution can meet the intent of this priority by proposing intra--campus collaborative activities instead of, or in addition to, collaborative activities with other MSIs and/or community colleges.

For the purpose of this priority:

Community college means an institution that meets the definition in section 312 (f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50 percent of which are not bachelor’s degrees (or an equivalent) or master’s, professional, or other advanced degrees.

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.

You may view lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions at the following links:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/t3t5-eligibles-2014.pdf

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iduesaitcc/tribal-newgrantees2013.pdf

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iduesaitcc/tribal-f-nccgrantees2013.pdf

Note: The eligibility status is still current for institutions listed at the links above. You may also view the list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities at 34 CFR 608.2.

You may also view the list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities at: http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/.

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2014, 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:

Invitational Priority 1: New Applicants.

Applications from applicants who have not received an LRC grant, either as an individual institution or as a member of a consortium, during the last two funding cycles (FY 2006-2009, FY 2010-2013).

Invitational Priority 2: Heritage Language Programs and Projects. Applications that propose programs or projects that engage in collaborative activities with heritage language centers or schools to support the language maintenance and development of heritage language speakers. For the purpose of the LRC Program, a heritage language speaker is a person who grew up using the language at home or received K-12 education in the language.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655. (d) The regulations for the LRC Program in 34 CFR part 669.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only.

Area of National Need: In accordance with section 601(c) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1121(c), the Secretary has consulted with and received recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign language 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 areas of national need may be found on the following Web site:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/consultation-2014.pdf.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $2,746,768.

Estimated Range of Awards: $180,000 - $200,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 15.

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

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs).

To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: http://grants.gov.

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: [email protected].

If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program as follows: CFDA number 84.229A.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice.

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 Limits: 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 50 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, and captions. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single spaced and will 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. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

● The 50-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, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs(ED 524); Part IV, assurances, certifications, and the response to section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA); the table of contents; the one-page project abstract; the appendices; or the line item budget. 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 program narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit requirement.

We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 9, 2014.

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. 7. 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.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

5. Funding Restrictions: See 34 CFR 664.33. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the Department of Education, you must--

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the Government’s primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet by going to the following website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be created within one to two business days.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov.

If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.

Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

7. 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 Language Resource Centers (LRC) Program, CFDA number 84.229A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at 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 email 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 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 Language Resource Center 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 84.229, not 84.229A).

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 under News and Events on the Department’s G5 system home page at www.G5.gov.

● 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: the 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 upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF 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 email. 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

● 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 for Language Resource Center Program (CFDA 84.229A) to: Tanyelle Richardson, Language Resource Center Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6099, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX: (202) 502-7860.

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 84.229A)

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:

A private metered postmark.
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.

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.229A)

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, 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--

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
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. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR sections 655.31, 669.21, and 669.22 and are listed in the application package.

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 also 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 of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special 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 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170.110(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 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. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For the LRC Program, final and annual reports must be submitted into the International Resource Information System (IRIS) online data and reporting system. You can view the performance report screens and instructions at

http://iris.ed.gov/iris/pdfs/LRC.pdf

4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the LRC Program: percentage of LRC products or activities judged to be successful by LRC customers with respect to quality, usefulness and relevance; percentage of LRC products judged to be successful by an independent expert review panel with respect to quality, usefulness and relevance; and cost per LRC project that increased the number of training programs for K-16 instructors of LCTLs (efficiency measure).

The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via the IRIS reporting system will be the source of data for these measures.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes review of a grantee’s progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the 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. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Tanyelle H. Richardson, International and Foreign Language Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006-8521, Telephone: (202) 502-7626 or by email: [email protected].

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.

The agency contact person does not mail application materials and does not accept applications.

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 compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. 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 this site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search function at www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated:

_______________________________________

Lynn B. Mahaffie,

Senior Director, Policy Coordination,

Development, and Accreditation Service,

delegated the authority to perform the

functions and duties of the Assistant

Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

Authorizing Legislation & Regulations

PUBLIC LAW 89-329—HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965, AS AMENDED (HEA)

Title VI – International Education Programs

SEC. 601. INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES.
Part A of title VI (20 U.S.C. 1121) is amended to read as follows:

PART A--INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

SEC. 601. FINDINGS; PURPOSES; CONSULTATION; SURVEY.

FINDINGS- Congress finds as follows:
PURPOSES- The purposes of this part are—

(B) to develop a pool of international experts to meet national needs;

(C) to develop and validate specialized materials and techniques for foreign language acquisition and fluency, emphasizing (but not limited to) the less commonly taught languages;

(D) to promote access to research and training overseas, including through linkages with overseas institutions; and

(E) to advance the internationalization of a variety of disciplines throughout undergraduate and graduate education;

to support cooperative efforts promoting access to and the dissemination of international and foreign language knowledge, teaching materials, and research, throughout education, government, business, civic, and nonprofit sectors in the United States, through the use of advanced technologies; and

to coordinate the programs of the Federal Government in the areas of foreign language, area studies, and other international studies, including professional international affairs education and research.

CONSULTATION -

IN GENERAL. – The Secretary shall, prior to requesting applications for funding under this title during each grant cycle, consult with and receive recommendations regarding national need for expertise in foreign languages and world regions from the head officials of a wide range of Federal agencies.
CONSIDERING RECOMMENDATIONS; PROVIDING INFORMATION. The Secretary –

(A) may take into account the recommendations described in paragraph (1); and

(B) shall-

(i) provide information collected under paragraph (1) when requesting applications for funding under this title; and

(ii) make available to applicants a list of areas identified as areas of national need.

SURVEY. – The Secretary shall assist grantees in developing a survey to administer to students who have completed programs under this title to determine postgraduate employment, education, or training. All grantees, where applicable, shall administer such survey once every two years and report survey results to the Secretary.

SEC. 603. LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS.

LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS AUTHORIZED- The Secretary is authorized to make grants to and enter into contracts with institutions of higher education, or combinations of such institutions, for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating a small number of national language resource and training centers, which shall serve as resources to improve the capacity to teach and learn foreign languages effectively.
AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES- The activities carried out by the centers described in subsection (a)--

shall include effective dissemination efforts, whenever appropriate; and
may include--

(A) the conduct and dissemination of research on new and improved teaching methods, including the use of advanced educational technology;

(B) the development and dissemination of new teaching materials reflecting the use of such research in effective teaching strategies;

(C) the development, application, and dissemination of performance testing appropriate to an educational setting for use as a standard and comparable measurement of skill levels in all languages;

(D) the training of teachers in the administration and interpretation of performance tests, the use of effective teaching strategies, and the use of new technologies;

(E) a significant focus on the teaching and learning needs of the less commonly taught languages, including an assessment of the strategic needs of the United States, the determination of ways to meet those needs nationally, and the publication and dissemination of instructional materials in the less commonly taught languages;

(F) the development and dissemination of materials designed to serve as a resource for foreign language teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels; and

(G) the operation of intensive summer language institutes to train advanced foreign language students, to provide professional development, and to improve language instruction through preservice and inservice language training for teachers.

CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS- Grants under this section shall reflect the purposes of this part and be made on such conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

TITLE 34: EDUCATION
Revised as of September 25, 2009

34 CFR Part 655—International Education Programs – General Provisions

Subpart A—General

§ 655.1 Which programs do these regulations govern?

§ 655.3 What regulations apply to the International Education Programs?

§ 655.4 What definitions apply to the International Education Programs?

Subpart B—What Kinds of Projects Does the Secretary Assist?

§ 655.10 What kinds of projects does the Secretary assist?

Subpart C [Reserved]

Subpart D—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?

§ 655.30 How does the Secretary evaluate an application?

§ 655.31 What general selection criteria does the Secretary use?

§ 655.32 What additional factors does the Secretary consider in making grant awards?

Authority: 20 U.S.C 1121–1130b, unless otherwise noted.

Source: 47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A—General

§ 655.1 Which programs do these regulations govern?

The regulations in this part govern the administration of the following programs in international education:

The National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies (section 602 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended);
The Language Resource Centers Program (section 603);
The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program (section 604);
The International Research and Studies Program (section 605); and
The Business and International Education Program (section 613).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1130b)

[47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999]

§ 655.3 What regulations apply to the International Education Programs?

The following regulations apply to the International Education Programs:

The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as follows:

34 CFR part 74 (Administration of Grants to Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Nonprofit Organizations).
34 CFR part 75 (Direct Grant Programs).
34 CFR part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department Regulations).
34 CFR part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities), except that part 79 does not apply to 34 CFR parts 660, 669, and 671.
34 CFR part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).
34 CFR part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)).
34 CFR part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses).

The regulations in this part 655; and
As appropriate, the regulations in—

34 CFR part 656 (National Resource Centers Program for Foreign Language and Area Studies or Foreign Language and International Studies);
34 CFR part 657 (Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program);
34 CFR part 658 (Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program);
34 CFR part 660 (International Research and Studies Program);
34 CFR part 661 (Business and International Education Program); and
34 CFR part 669 (Language Resource Centers Program).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127; 1221e–3)

[47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999]

§ 655.4 What definitions apply to the International Education Programs?

Definitions in EDGAR. The following terms used in this part and 34 CFR parts 656, 657, 658, 660, 661, and 669 are defined in 34 CFR part 77:

Acquisition

Applicant

Application

Award

Budget

Contract

EDGAR

Equipment

Facilities

Fiscal year

Grant

Grantee

Grant period

Local educational agency

Nonprofit

Project

Project period

Private

Public

Secretary

State educational agency

Supplies

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127)

Definitions that apply to these programs: The following definitions apply to International Education Programs:

Consortium of institutions of higher education means a group of institutions of higher education that have entered into a cooperative arrangement for the purpose of carrying out a common objective, or a public or private nonprofit agency, organization, or institution designated or created by a group of institutions of higher education for the purpose of carrying out a common objective on their behalf.

Critical languages means each of the languages contained in the list of critical languages designated by the Secretary pursuant to section 212(d) of the Education for Economic Security Act, except that, in the implementation of this definition, the Secretary may set priorities according to the purposes of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Institution of higher education means, in addition to an institution that meets the definition of section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, an institution that meets the requirements of section 101(a) except that (1) it is not located in the United States, and (2) it applies for assistance under title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, in consortia with institutions that meet the definitions in section 101(a).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127, and 1141)

[47 FR 14116, Apr. 1, 1982, as amended at 58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993; 64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999; 74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009]

Subpart B—What Kinds of Projects Does the Secretary Assist?

§ 655.10 What kinds of projects does the Secretary assist?

Subpart A of 34 CFR parts 656, 657, and 669 and subpart B of 34 CFR parts 658, 660, 661 describe the kinds of projects that the Secretary assists under the International Education Programs.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127)

[74 FR 35072, July 17, 2009]

Subpart C [Reserved]

Subpart D—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?

§ 655.30 How does the Secretary evaluate an application?

The Secretary evaluates an application for International Education Programs on the basis of—

The general criteria in §655.31; and
The specific criteria in, as applicable, subpart D of 34 CFR parts 658, 660, 661, and 669.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127)
[64 FR 7739, Feb. 16, 1999]

§ 655.31 What general selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Plan of operation.

The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the plan of operation for the project.
The Secretary looks for information that shows—
1. High quality in the design of the project;
2. An effective plan of management that ensures proper and efficient administration of the project;
3. A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program;
4. The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and
5. A clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as—

Members of racial or ethnic minority groups;
Women; and
Handicapped persons.

Quality of key personnel.
1. The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project.
2. The Secretary looks for information that shows—

The qualifications of the project director (if one is to be used);
The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project. In the case of faculty, the qualifications of the faculty and the degree to which that faculty is directly involved in the actual teaching and supervision of students; and
The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (b)(2) (i) and (ii) of this section plans to commit to the project; and
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, handicapped persons, and the elderly.

To determine the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers evidence of past experience and training, in fields related to the objectives of the project, as well as other information that the applicant provides.

Budget and cost effectiveness.

The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the project has an adequate budget and is cost effective.
The Secretary looks for information that shows—

The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and
Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.

Evaluation plan.

The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the evaluation plan for the project.

The Secretary looks for information that shows methods of evaluation that are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable.

Adequacy of resources.

The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project.
The Secretary looks for information that shows—

Other than library, facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate (language laboratory, museums, etc.); and
The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are adequate.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1121–1127)

§ 655.32 What additional factors does the Secretary consider in making grant awards?

Except for 34 CFR parts 656, 657, and 661, to the extent practicable and consistent with the criterion of excellence, the Secretary seeks to achieve an equitable distribution of funds throughout the Nation.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1126(b))
[58 FR 32575, June 10, 1993]

[CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS]

[TITLE 34, VOLUME 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2008]

[CITE: 34CFR669]

TITLE 34--EDUCATION

CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 669—Language Resource Centers Program

Subpart A—General

§ 669.1 What is the Language Resource Centers Program?

§ 669.2 Who is eligible to receive assistance under this program?

§ 669.3 What activities may the Secretary fund?

§ 669.4 What regulations apply?

§ 669.5 What definitions apply?

Subpart B [Reserved]

Subpart C—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?

§ 669.20 How does the Secretary evaluate an application?

§ 669.21 What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

§ 669.22 What priorities may the Secretary establish?

Subpart D—What Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee?

§ 669.30 What are allowable equipment costs?

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123, unless otherwise noted.

Source: 55 FR 2773, Jan. 26, 1990, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A—General

§ 669.1 What is the Language Resource Centers Program?

The Language Resource Centers Program makes awards, through grants or contracts, for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating centers that serve as resources for improving the nation's capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages effectively.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

§ 669.2 Who is eligible to receive assistance under this program?

An institution of higher education or a combination of institutions of higher education is eligible to receive an award under this part.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

§ 669.3 What activities may the Secretary fund?

Centers funded under this part must carry out activities to improve the teaching and learning of foreign languages. These activities must include effective dissemination efforts, whenever appropriate, and may include—

The conduct and dissemination of research on new and improved methods for teaching foreign languages, including the use of advanced educational technology;
The development and dissemination of new materials for teaching foreign languages, to reflect the results of research on effective teaching strategies;
The development, application, and dissemination of performance testing that is appropriate for use in an educational setting to be used as a standard and comparable measurement of skill levels in foreign languages;
The training of teachers in the administration and interpretation of foreign language performance tests, the use of effective teaching strategies, and the use of new technologies;
A significant focus on the teaching and learning needs of the less commonly taught languages, including an assessment of the strategic needs of the United States, the determination of ways to meet those needs nationally, and the publication and dissemination of instructional materials in the less commonly taught languages;
The development and dissemination of materials designed to serve as a resource for foreign language teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels; and
The operation of intensive summer language institutes to train advanced foreign language students, to provide professional development, and to improve language instruction through pre-service and in-service language training for teachers.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

[64 FR 7741, Feb. 16, 1999]

§ 669.4 What regulations apply?

The following regulations apply to this program:

The regulations in 34 CFR part 655.
The regulations in this part 669.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

[58 FR 32577, June 10, 1993]

§ 669.5 What definitions apply?

The following definitions apply to this part:

The definitions in 34 CFR 655.4.
“Language Resource Center” means a coordinated concentration of educational research and training resources for improving the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

Subpart B [Reserved]

Subpart C—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?

§ 669.20 How does the Secretary evaluate an application?

The Secretary evaluates an application for an award on the basis of the criteria contained in §§669.21 and 669.22. The Secretary informs applicants of the maximum possible score for each criterion in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

[70 FR 13377, Mar. 21, 2005]

§ 669.21 What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the criteria in this section.

Plan of operation. (See 34 CFR 655.31(a))
Quality of key personnel. (See 34 CFR 655.31(b))
Budget and cost-effectiveness. (See 34 CFR 655.31(c))
Evaluation plan. (See 34 CFR 655.31 (d))
Adequacy of resources. (See 34 CFR 655.31(e))
Need and potential impact. The Secretary reviews each application to determine—

The extent to which the proposed materials or activities are needed in the foreign languages on which the project focuses;
The extent to which the proposed materials may be used throughout the United States; and
The extent to which the proposed work or activity may contribute significantly to strengthening, expanding, or improving programs of foreign language study in the United States.

Likelihood of achieving results. The Secretary reviews each application to determine—

The quality of the outlined methods and procedures for preparing the materials; and
The extent to which plans for carrying out activities are practicable and can be expected to produce the anticipated results.

Description of final form of results. The Secretary reviews each application to determine the degree of specificity and the appropriateness of the description of the expected results from the project.
Priorities. If, under the provisions of §669.22, the application notice specifies priorities for this program, the Secretary determines the degrees to which the priorities are served.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840–0608)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

[55 FR 2773, Jan. 26, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 32577, June 10, 1993; 70 FR 13377, Mar. 21, 2005]

§ 669.22 What priorities may the Secretary establish?

The Secretary may each year select funding priorities from among the following:

Categories of allowable activities described in §669.3.
Specific foreign languages for study or materials development.
Levels of education, for example, elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or teacher education.

The Secretary announces any priorities in the application notice published in the Federal Register.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

Subpart D—What Conditions Must Be Met by a Grantee?

§ 669.30 What are allowable equipment costs?

Equipment costs may not exceed fifteen percent of the grant amount.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1123)

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

SECTION 427

Section 427 of GEPA requires all applicants for new awards to include in their applications a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally-assisted programs for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. The provision allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age.

A general statement of an applicant’s nondiscriminatory hiring policy is not sufficient to meet this requirement. Applicants must identify potential barriers and explain steps they will take to overcome these barriers.

NOTES:

Applicants must include information in their applications to address this provision in order to receive funding under this program. You must provide information within the Program Narrative in response to the relevant selection criteria.
You are also asked to include the ED GEPA 427 Form in Part IV (Assurances, Certifications, and Survey Forms).

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

What is GPRA?

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) is a statute that requires all federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities. Each agency is to clearly state what it intends to accomplish, identify the resources required, and periodically report their progress to Congress. In so doing, it is expected that the GPRA will contribute to improvements in accountability for the expenditures of public funds, improve Congressional decision-making through more objective information on the effectiveness of federal programs, and promote a new government focus on results, service delivery, and customer satisfaction.

The following performance measures have been established to assess the effectiveness of the Language Resource Centers (LRC) program.

What are the Performance Indicators for the Language Resource Centers (LRCs)?

The LRC program provides grants for establishing, strengthening and operating centers that serve as resources for improving the nation's capacity for teaching and learning foreign languages through teacher training, research, materials development and dissemination projects. The following performance measures have been established to assess the effectiveness of the LRC program.

Percentage of LRC products or activities judged to be successful by LRC customers with respect to quality, usefulness and relevance.
Percentage of LRC products judged to be successful by an independent expert review panel with respect to quality, usefulness and relevance.
Efficiency: Cost per LRC project that increased the number of training programs for K-16 instructors of LCTLs.*

* The U.S. Department of Education International and Foreign Language Education office will be able to calculate this measure based on future LRC performance reports submitted to the IRIS reporting system. Applicants must define how they will collect and report data for the measure when they develop their proposed projects. Successful LRC applicants (later grantees) will be required to collect data on LRC GPRA measures, and report those data to the U.S. Department of Education in the IRIS reporting system.

Guidance to LRC Program Applicants

The Title VI international education programs’ overarching goal is to maintain a U.S. higher education system with the capacity to produce experts in less commonly taught languages and area studies who are capable of contributing to the needs of U.S. government, academic and business institutions. Each IFLE grant program addresses a specific objective related to this overarching goal. The objective of the LRC program is to strengthen and improve K-12 and undergraduate instruction in foreign languages. The overriding goal of all LRC projects is to develop prototypes for teaching and measuring performance that can be applied broadly and used as resources to improve foreign language education nationally. The LRC program provides grants to establish, strengthen and operate centers that provide teacher training, research, materials development and dissemination projects to improve teachers’ abilities to teach and students’ capacities to learn foreign languages.

LRC Project Performance Measure Form (PMF)

The Language Resource Centers (LRC) application must include a Performance Measure Form (PMF/s) for the FY 2018 -2021 proposed project. The PMF presents the data elements that you have selected as necessary to demonstrate your project’s performance and will make it possible for you and the U.S. Department of Education to assess progress toward, and ultimate achievement of, project goals. The data elements in your PMF/s should be clear, relevant, and quantifiable, to the greatest extent possible.

The instructions below for developing the PMF/s for inclusion in the application are consistent with the PMF instructions in the International and Foreign Language Education’s International Resource Information System (IRIS) online performance reporting system (https://www.iris.ed.gov). If your FY 2018 application is recommended for funding, you will be required to enter the PMF/s data from the submitted application into the IRIS PMF screens.

The LRC PMF example on page XX is formatted as a table in order to give applicants a visual of the five data elements that you must include in a project PMF/s. For purposes of this application, however, you may use your discretion as to how you present the PMF/s information, as long as you include all of the five required data elements.

Project Goal (Minimum 3, Maximum 5)

A project goal is the broad, overall statement of what the project is aiming to achieve/accomplish. The project goals selected for the PMF/s do not have to cover every project goal in your application, but the three to five selected goals must align with the overall scope of the LRC project. The project goals that you select should be reasonable and realistic representations of what you anticipate achieving by the end of the grant cycle; and they should allow you and others to make a determination of substantial progress.

Tip: Limit each project goal statement to one sentence.

Performance Measure (Minimum 1, Maximum 3)

The performance measure is the metric against which you will measure whether the project is meeting its overall project goal. The performance measure should be specific and time bound, with well-defined units of measure (e.g., number of students served, number of courses enhanced or created, percentage of increase/decrease, etc.). The performance measure should reflect the project goal, so that meeting the performance measure is likely to result in the achievement of the project goal.

The performance measure may address direct products and services delivered (outputs), and/or the results of those products and services (outcomes). Also, a performance measure conveys not only the “what” will be achieved, but also “by how much.”

Tip: Limit the Performance Measure to one sentence.

Activities (Minimum 1, Maximum 3)

Activities are actions that you will implement in order to meet the performance measure and the project goal. Each performance measure will have at least one, and up to three activities, if multiple activities are necessary to meet a performance measure.

Tip: The activities/actions may include, but are not limited to: recruit and hire qualified priority language instructors, pay for Oral Proficiency Inventory training for more instructors, incorporate area studies content into STEM courses. The activities/actions align with allowable activities for the LRC program, such as area studies instruction, institutional linkages, outreach, faculty professional development, faculty stipends and salaries, etc.

Data Indicators (Minimum 1, Maximum 3)

Data indicators are specific, observable and measurable characteristics that can be used to determine whether carrying out the activity results in progress being made toward meeting the performance measure. Therefore, the data indicators are linked to and should reflect both the activity and the performance measure. When deciding on a data indicator, take into consideration which types and sources of data will be available to best demonstrate that the project is achieving or will achieve its objectives and intended outcomes. Data sources include, but are not limited to: course enrollments, exit surveys, workshop attendance records, registrar’s reports, etc.

Include the frequency (period of measurement) for the data indicator, such as, by semester, quarterly, annually.

Tip: At least one data indicator must correspond directly to the performance measure so that this relationship is explicit and that evidence of meeting the performance measure is easy to document and express.

Baselines and Targets

The baseline is the initial value collected for the data indicator at or prior to the start of the project, which serves as a point of reference. The target is the planned value for the data indicator(s) over the course of the project period. A target may be expressed as discrete for each reporting period or cumulative over the course of the performance period. Please include comments to describe the types of targets. A project in the planning or formative stage might not have an outcome (and hence, a value) at the beginning. In this case, it is appropriate to indicate that the target is zero.

If your application is recommended for funding, you will report the “actual” values for your targets in your annual IRIS performance report.

Tip: Baselines, targets, and actuals are quantifiable values and should, therefore, be represented by numbers or percentages.

Example: LRC Project Performance Measure Form (PMF)

PROJECT GOAL: Improve availability of professional development/training materials in South Asian languages.

Performance Measure 1: Fifteen Open Educational Resources (OERs) in target languages developed, published, and disseminated for use by LCTL foreign language instructors at professional development/training sessions by the end of the grant.

Activities	Data Indicators	Frequency	Data Source	Baseline	Target Y1	Target Y2	Target Y3	Target Y4
1a. Develop three sets of instructional guides in consultation with experts and based on literature of best practices in project-based foreign language learning (PBLL).	1ai. Number of draft instructional guides developed	Annual	NFLRC intensive summer institute records	0	1	2	0	0
	1aii. Number of consultations with PBLL experts	Annual	NFLRC intensive summer institute records	0	2	1	0	0
1b. Organize professional development initiatives to develop model OER prototypes in target languages.	1bi. Number of model OER prototypes developed	Annual	NFLRC intensive summer institute records	0	0	3	5	7
	1bii. Number of professional development initiatives organized	Annual	NFLRC intensive summer institute records	0	0	3	5	7
1c. Publish and disseminate final versions in the professional development series as open educational resources (OERs) for foreign language instructors of target languages.	1ci. Number of final Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the target languages available online for worldwide distribution	Once - Year 4	Online open source site	0	0	0	0	15

Instructions: LRC Application Package

The Grants.gov LRC application includes Parts I, II, III, and IV. Applicants should organize their applications in accordance with the following:

Part I:	424 Forms Application for Federal Assistance – (SF-424) Item 12. Funding Opportunity Number: ED-Grants-XXXXXX-XXX (TBD) Department of Education Supplemental Information Form for SF-424 NOTE: Section C – Budget Narrative should be included in the Budget Narrative Attachment, located in Part III.
Part II:	524 Forms Department of Education Budget Summary Form – (ED-524) – Non-Construction Programs Section A
Part III:	Abstract, Narrative, Budget, and Appendices ED Abstract (limited to 1 page) Application Narrative Attachment (suggested maximum length of 50 pages) Form Detailed Line Item Budget Form and Budget Narrative (Descriptions for requested Line Items) Other Attachments Form: Curricula Vitae (CVs) Position Descriptions Letters of Support Performance Measure Form (description of the measures that will guide project activities for the FY 2018-2021 performance period) The Department of Education Abstract (ED Abstract) Form is where you attach your one-page, single-spaced project abstract. The abstract should include information about the proposed project, including activities you plan to conduct over the four-year grant period. The Application (Project) Narrative Attachment Form includes the narrative section addressing the program selection criteria that the peer reviewers will use to evaluate your application. The suggested maximum length for this section is 50 pages. The Budget Narrative Attachment Form is where you attach a detailed line item budget and any supplemental budget information. The Department requests both a detailed line item budget and descriptions of the line items to support the funds being requested. You may attach separate sheets to ED Form 524 in Section C ED Form 524. The budget narrative should clearly explain how the requested costs are relevant, reasonable and necessary for achieving the proposed project goals. The Other Attachment Form is where you attach the specified appendices, which include the CVs of key personnel, Position Descriptions for proposed personnel for the project, Letters of Support, and Performance Measure Form (a description of the measures that will guide project activities for the FY 2018-2021 performance period). NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF-424). Although the SF-424 accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached to the attachment forms listed above. *All attachments must be in .PDF format. Other types of files will not be accepted.
Part IV:	Assurances, Certifications, and Survey Forms GEPA Section 427 Requirement Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) Grants.gov Lobbying Form (formerly ED Form 80-0013) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Instructions: Application (Project) Narrative Suggested Formatting & Selection Criteria

Applicants will attach the application narrative to the Project Narrative Attachment.

Please note that the suggested maximum length for the project narrative is 50 pages. This section includes the applicant’s responses to the selection criteria specified in this package.

Before preparing the Application Narrative, applicants should review the Dear Applicant Letter, Competition Highlights, the Federal Register notice (Notice), and program statute for specific guidance and requirements.

Suggested Formatting

A “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the 1” margin. Double spacing (no more than three lines per vertical inch) is suggested for all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, as well as all text in figures and graphs. Text in charts and tables may be single-spaced. Suggested fonts include: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New or Arial. Suggested font size is 12 point or larger, or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

The suggested length for the abstract is one page, single spaced. The abstract should include information about the proposed project, including activities you plan to conduct over the four-year grant period.

The application narrative has a suggested maximum length of 50 pages. This suggested maximum length does not apply to the cover sheet, budget section (including the narrative budget justification), assurances and certifications, one-page abstract, resumes, letters of support or appendices. The suggested maximum does apply to all of the application narrative section.

Selection criteria

The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 655.31 and 669.21 and are listed in this application package. Applications will be evaluated according to the specific selection criteria specified in the Notice and this package.

To facilitate the review of the application, provide responses to the following selection criteria in the following order:

Plan of Operation	(15 points)
Quality of Key Personnel	(10 points)
Adequacy of Resources	(5 points)
Need for Potential Impact	(20 points)
Likelihood of Achieving Results	(10 points)
Description of Final Form of Results	(10 points)
Evaluation Plan NOTE: Please see Guidance on Developing an Evaluation Plan section of this application.	(20 points)
Budget and Cost Effectiveness	(10 points)
TOTAL BASE SCORE	(100 points)
Competitive Preference Priority 1	(5 points)
Competitive Preference Priority 2	(5 points)
TOTAL MAXIMUM SCORE FOR SELECTION CRITERIA	(110 points)

The following guidance may assist you in addressing each of the selection criteria:

Plan of Operation (15 points)

Does the application demonstrate:

A high quality in the project design?
An effective plan of management that ensures proper and efficient administration of the project?
A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program?
The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective?
A clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as:
1. Members of racial or ethnic minority groups
2. Women
3. Handicapped persons

Quality of Key Personnel (10 points)

Does the application demonstrate the quality of the key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project?

What are the qualifications of the project director?
What are the qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project?
1. In the case of faculty – what are the qualifications of the faculty and the degree to which that faculty is directly involved in the actual teaching and supervision of students?
How much time does each of the mentioned key personnel plan to commit to the project?
To what extent does the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourage 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, handicapped persons and the elderly?
Do the qualifications of the proposed key personnel include evidence of past experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project, as well as other information that the applicant provides?

Adequacy of Resources (5 points)

Does the application demonstrate that the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project?

Other than libraries, are the facilities that the applicant plans to use adequate (language laboratories, museums, etc.)?
Are the equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use adequate?

Need and Potential Impact (20 points)
Likelihood of Achieving Results (10 points)
Description of Final Form of Results (10 points)

What is the degree of specificity and the appropriateness of the description of the expected results from the project?

Evaluation Plan (20 points)*

What is the quality of the evaluation plan for the project?
Does the plan have methods of evaluation that are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable?

NOTE: Please see Guidance on Developing an Evaluation Plan section of this application.

Budget and Cost Effectiveness (10 points)
Competitive Preference Priority 1 (0 or 5 points)

Applications that propose activities that focus on any of the 78 priority languages selected from the U.S. Department of Education's list of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). We will award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.

The list includes the following:

Competitive Preference Priority 2 (up to 5 points)

Applications that incorporate significant and sustained collaborative activities with one or more Minority-Serving Institutions (as defined in this notice) or one or more community colleges (as defined in this notice). These activities should be designed to incorporate foreign languages into the curriculum and to improve foreign language instruction on the MSI or community college campus. If an applicant institution is an MSI or community college (as defined in the Federal Register notice), that institution can meet the intent of this priority by proposing intra-campus collaborative activities instead of, or in addition to, collaborative activities with other MSIs and/or community colleges.

We will award up to an additional 5 points to an application that meets this priority.

Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) is defined as an institution that is eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A or under part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA.
Community college is defined in section 312(f) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1058(f); or an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50% of which are not bachelor’s degrees (or an equivalent); or master’s , professional, or other advanced degrees.

Invitational Priorities

While no additional points will be awarded to an application that meets these priorities, we encourage applications from any of the following:

Invitational Priority 1

Applications from new applicants (as defined in the Federal Register notice).

Invitational Priority 2

Applications that propose programs or projects that engage in collaborative activities with heritage language centers or schools to support the language maintenance and development of heritage language speakers.

Instructions: Standard Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
Department of Education Supplemental Form for the SF-424
Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED-524)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
Instructions Summary Checklist for IRS Application on Grants.gov
Paperwork Burden Statement

Instructions: SF-424

This is a standard form required for use as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications and applications and related information under discretionary programs. Some of the items are required and some are optional at the discretion of the applicant or the federal agency (agency). Required fields on the form are identified with an asterisk (*) and are also specified as “Required” in the instructions below. In addition to these instructions, applicants must consult agency instructions to determine other specific requirements.

Type of Submission: (Required) Select one type of submission in accordance with agency instructions.

Pre-application
Application
Changed/Corrected Application – Check if this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted application. Unless requested by the agency, applicants may not use this form to submit changes after the closing date.

Type of Application: (Required) Select one type of application in accordance with agency instructions.

New – An application that is being submitted to an agency for the first time.
Continuation - An extension for an additional funding/budget period for a project with a projected completion date. This can include renewals.
Revision - Any change in the federal government’s financial obligation or contingent liability from an existing obligation. If a revision, enter the appropriate letter(s). More than one may be selected. If "Other" is selected, please specify in text box provided.

Increase Award
Decrease Award
Increase Duration
Decrease Duration
Other (specify)

Date Received: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the Federal agency.
Applicant Identifier: Enter the entity identifier assigned by the Federal agency, if any, or the applicant’s control number if applicable.

5a. Federal Entity Identifier: Enter the number assigned to your organization by the federal agency, if any.

5b. Federal Award Identifier: For new applications leave blank. For a continuation or revision to an existing award, enter the previously assigned federal award identifier number. If a changed/corrected application, enter the federal identifier in accordance with agency instructions.

Date Received by State: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the state, if applicable.
State Application Identifier: Leave this field blank. This identifier will be assigned by the state, if applicable.
Applicant Information: Enter the following in accordance with agency instructions:

Legal Name: (Required) Enter the legal name of applicant that will undertake the assistance activity. This is the organization that has registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Information on registering with CCR may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.
Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN): (Required) Enter the employer or taxpayer identification number (EIN or TIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. If your organization is not in the US, enter 44-4444444.
Organizational DUNS: (Required) Enter the organization’s DUNS or DUNS+4 number received from Dun and Bradstreet. Information on obtaining a DUNS number may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.
Address: Enter address: Street 1 (Required); city (Required); County/Parish, State (Required if country is US), Province, Country (Required), 9-digit zip/postal code (Required if country US).
Organizational Unit: Enter the name of the primary organizational unit, department or division that will undertake the assistance activity.
Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application: Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix, title. Enter organizational affiliation if affiliated with an organization other than that in 7.a. Telephone number and email (Required); fax number.

Type of Applicant: (Required) Select up to three applicant type(s) in accordance with agency instructions.

State Government
County Government
City or Township Government
Special District Government
Regional Organization
U.S. Territory or Possession
Independent School District
Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization
Public/Indian Housing Authority
Nonprofit
Private Institution of Higher Education
Individual
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
Small Business
Hispanic-serving Institution
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
Non-US Entity
Other (specify)

Name Of Federal Agency: (Required) Enter the name of the federal agency from which assistance is being requested with this application.
Catalog Of Federal Domestic Assistance Number/Title: Enter the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title of the program under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement, if applicable.
Funding Opportunity Number/Title: (Required) Enter the Funding Opportunity Number and title of the opportunity under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement.
Competition Identification Number/Title: Enter the competition identification number and title of the competition under which assistance is requested, if applicable.
Areas Affected By Project: This data element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s) affected are likely to be different than the place(s) of performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. Add attachment to enter additional areas, if needed.
Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: (Required) Enter a brief descriptive title of the project. If appropriate, attach a map showing project location (e.g., construction or real property projects). For pre-applications, attach a summary description of the project.
Congressional Districts Of: 16a. (Required) Enter the applicant’s congressional district. 16b. Enter all district(s) affected by the program or project. Enter in the format: 2 characters state abbreviation – 3 characters district number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th district, CA-012 for California 12 district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103 district. If all congressional districts in a state are affected, enter “all” for the district number, e.g., MD-all for all congressional districts in Maryland. If nationwide, i.e. all districts within all states are affected, enter US-all. If the program/project is outside the US, enter 00-000. This optional data element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s) affected are likely to be different than place(s) of performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. Attach an additional list of program/project congressional districts, if needed.
Proposed Project Start and End Dates: (Required) Enter the proposed start date and end date of the project.
Estimated Funding: (Required) Enter the amount requested, or to be contributed during the first funding/budget period by each contributor. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate lines, as applicable. If the action will result in a dollar change to an existing award, indicate only the amount of the change. For decreases, enclose the amounts in parentheses.
Is Application Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process? (Required) Applicants should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal Executive Order 12372 to determine whether the application is subject to the State intergovernmental review process. Select the appropriate box. If “a.” is selected, enter the date the application was submitted to the State.
Is the Applicant Delinquent on any Federal Debt? (Required) Select the appropriate box. This question applies to the applicant organization, not the person who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of federal debt include; but, may not be limited to: delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes. If yes, include an explanation in an attachment.
Authorized Representative: To be signed and dated by the authorized representative of the applicant organization. Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix. Enter title, telephone number, email (Required); and fax number. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for you to sign this application as the official representative must be on file in the applicant’s office. (Certain federal agencies may require that this authorization be submitted as part of the application.)

[U.S Department of Education note: As of spring, 2010, the FON discussed in Block 12 of the instructions can be found via the following URL: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp.]

Instructions: ED Supplemental Information Form for SF-424

Project Director. Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the person to be contacted on matters involving this application.

Novice Applicant. Check “Yes” or “No” only if assistance is being requested under a program that gives special consideration to novice applicants. Otherwise, leave blank.

Check “Yes” if you meet the requirements for novice applicants specified in the regulations in 34 CFR 75.225 and included on the attached page entitled “Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424.” By checking “Yes” the applicant certifies that it meets these novice applicant requirements. Check “No” if you do not meet the requirements for novice applicants.

Human Subjects Research. (See I. A. “Definitions” in attached page entitled “Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424.”)

If Not Human Subjects Research. Check “No” if research activities involving human subjects are not planned at any time during the proposed project period. The remaining parts of Item 3 are then not applicable.

If Human Subjects Research. Check “Yes” if research activities involving human subjects are planned at any time during the proposed project period, either at the applicant organization or at any other performance site or collaborating institution. Check “Yes” even if the research is exempt from the regulations for the protection of human subjects. (See I. B. “Exemptions” in attached page entitled “Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information For SF-424.”)

3a. If Human Subjects Research is Exempt from the Human Subjects Regulations. Check “Yes” if all the research activities proposed are designated to be exempt from the regulations. Insert the exemption number(s) corresponding to one or more of the six exemption categories listed in I. B. “Exemptions.” In addition, follow the instructions in II. A. “Exempt Research Narrative” in the attached page entitled “Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information For SF-424.”

3a. If Human Subjects Research is Not Exempt from Human Subjects Regulations. Check “No” if some or all of the planned research activities are covered (not exempt). In addition, follow the instructions in II. B. “Nonexempt Research Narrative” in the page entitled “Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information For SF-424

3a. Human Subjects Assurance Number. If the applicant has an approved Federal Wide (FWA) on file with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that covers the specific activity, insert the number in the space provided. If the applicant does not have an approved assurance on file with OHRP, enter “None.” In this case, the applicant, by signature on the SF-424, is declaring that it will comply with 34 CFR 97 and proceed to obtain the human subjects assurance upon request by the designated ED official. If the application is recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain the assurance within 30 days after the specific formal request.

Note about Institutional Review Board Approval. ED does not require certification of Institutional Review Board approval with the application. However, if an application that involves non-exempt human subjects research is recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain and send the certification to ED within 30 days after the formal request.

Paperwork Burden Statement. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0007. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average between 15 and 45 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form write directly to: Application Control Center, U.S. Department of Education, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street, S.W. Room 7076, Washington, D.C. 20202-4260.

Definitions: ED Supplemental Information Form for SF-424
(Attachment to Instructions for Supplemental Information for SF-424

Definitions:

Novice Applicant (See 34 CFR 75.225). For discretionary grant programs under which the Secretary gives special consideration to novice applications, a novice applicant means any applicant for a grant from ED that—

Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which it seeks funding;
Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the program from which it seeks funding; and
Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal government in the five years before the deadline date for applications under the program. For the purposes of this requirement, a grant is active until the end of the grant’s project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee’s authority to obligate funds.

In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, a group includes only parties that meet the requirements listed above.

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

Definitions and Exemptions
1. Definitions.

A research activity involves human subjects if the activity is research, as defined in the Department’s regulations, and the research activity will involve use of human subjects, as defined in the regulations.

—Research

The ED Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 97, define research as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” If an activity follows a deliberate plan whose purpose is to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge it is research. Activities which meet this definition constitute research whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program that is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities.

Human Subject

The regulations define human subject as “a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information.” (1) If an activity involves obtaining information about a living person by manipulating that person or that person’s environment, as might occur when a new instructional technique is tested, or by communicating or interacting with the individual, as occurs with surveys and interviews, the definition of human subject is met. (2) If an activity involves obtaining private information about a living person in such a way that the information can be linked to that individual (the identity of the subject is or may be readily determined by the investigator or associated with the information), the definition of human subject is met. [Private information includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a school health record).]

Exemptions.

Research activities in which the only involvement of human subjects will be in one or more of the following six categories of exemptions are not covered by the regulations:

Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (a) research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or (b) research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.
Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless: (a) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (b) any disclosure of the human subjects’ responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing, employability, or reputation. If the subjects are children, exemption 2 applies only to research involving educational tests and observations of public behavior when the investigator(s) do not participate in the activities being observed. Exemption 2 does not apply if children are surveyed or interviewed or if the research involves observation of public behavior and the investigator(s) participate in the activities being observed. [Children are defined as persons who have not attained the legal age for consent to treatments or procedures involved in the research, under the applicable law or jurisdiction in which the research will be conducted.]
Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under section (2) above, if the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.
Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.
Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (a) public benefit or service programs; (b) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs; (c) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (d) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.
Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (a) if wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (b) if a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt Human Subjects Research Narratives

If the applicant marked “Yes” for Item 3 of Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424, the applicant must provide a human subjects “exempt research” or “nonexempt research” narrative. Insert the narrative(s) in the space provided. If you have multiple projects and need to provide more than one narrative, be sure to label each set of responses as to the project they address.

Exempt Research Narrative.
If you marked “Yes” for item 3 a. and designated exemption numbers(s), provide the “exempt research” narrative. The narrative must contain sufficient information about the involvement of human subjects in the proposed research to allow a determination by ED that the designated exemption(s) are appropriate. The narrative must be succinct.
Nonexempt Research Narrative.
If you marked “No” for item 3 a. you must provide the “nonexempt research” narrative. The narrative must address the following seven points. Although no specific page limitation applies to this section of the application, be succinct.
1. Human Subjects Involvement and Characteristics: Provide a detailed description of the proposed involvement of human subjects. Describe the characteristics of the subject population, including their anticipated number, age range, and health status. Identify the criteria for inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation. Explain the rationale for the involvement of special classes of subjects, such as children, children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, persons with mental disabilities, pregnant women, prisoners, institutionalized individuals, or others who are likely to be vulnerable
2. Sources of Materials: Identify the sources of research material obtained from individually identifiable living human subjects in the form of specimens, records, or data. Indicate whether the material or data will be obtained specifically for research purposes or whether use will be made of existing specimens, records, or data.
3. Recruitment and Informed Consent: Describe plans for the recruitment of subjects and the consent procedures to be followed. Include the circumstances under which consent will be sought and obtained, who will seek it, the nature of the information to be provided to prospective subjects, and the method of documenting consent. State if the Institutional Review Board (IRB) has authorized a modification or waiver of the elements of consent or the requirement for documentation of consent.
4. Potential Risks: Describe potential risks (physical, psychological, social, legal, or other) and assess their likelihood and seriousness. Where appropriate, describe alternative treatments and procedures that might be advantageous to the subjects.
5. Protection Against Risk: Describe the procedures for protecting against or minimizing potential risks, including risks to confidentiality, and assess their likely effectiveness. Where appropriate, discuss provisions for ensuring necessary medical or professional intervention in the event of adverse effects to the subjects. Also, where appropriate, describe the provisions for monitoring the data collected to ensure the safety of the subjects.
6. Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained: Discuss the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained as a result of the proposed research. Discuss why the risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to the anticipated benefits to subjects and in relation to the importance of the knowledge that may reasonably be expected to result.
7. Collaborating Site(s): If research involving human subjects will take place at collaborating site(s) or other performance site(s), name the sites and briefly describe their involvement or role in the research.

Copies of the Department of Education’s Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, 34 CFR Part 97 and other pertinent materials on the protection of human subjects in research are available from the U.S. Department of Education, Protection of Human Subjects Coordinator, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, LBJ Building, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4250, telephone: (202) 260-3353, and on the U.S. Department of Education’s Protection of Human Subjects in Research Web Site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

NOTE: The State Applicant Identifier on the SF-424 is for State Use only. Please complete it on the OMB Standard 424 in the upper right corner of the form (if applicable).

Instructions: ED-524

General Instructions

This form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of Education (ED) discretionary grant programs. Unless directed otherwise, provide the same budget information for each year of the multi-year funding request. Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, if attached. You may access the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR 74 – 86 and 97-99, on ED’s website at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html

You must consult with your Business Office prior to submitting this form.

Section A – Budget Summary

U.S. Department of Education Funds

All applicants must complete Section A and provide a break-down by the applicable budget categories shown in lines 1-11.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year for which funding is requested, show the total amount requested for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget category. If funding is requested for only one project year, leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total budget request for each project year for which funding is requested.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount requested for all project years. If funding is requested for only one year, leave this space blank.

Indirect Cost Information: If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this information is to be completed by your Business Office. (1): Indicate whether or not your organization has an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement that was approved by the Federal government. (2): If you checked “yes” in (1), indicate in (2) the beginning and ending dates covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. In addition, indicate whether ED or another Federal agency (Other) issued the approved agreement. If you check “Other,” specify the name of the Federal agency that issued the approved agreement. (3): If you are applying for a grant under a Restricted Rate Program (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563), indicate whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that is included on your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Note: State or Local government agencies may not use the provision for a restricted indirect cost rate specified in 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Check only one response. Leave blank, if this item is not applicable.

Section B – Budget Summary

Non-Federal Funds

If you are required to provide or volunteer to provide cost-sharing or matching funds or other non-Federal resources to the project, these should be shown for each applicable budget category on lines 1 11 of Section B.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year, for which matching funds or other contributions are provided, show the total contribution for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget category. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total matching or other contribution for each project year.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount to be contributed for all years of the multi-year project. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this space blank.

Section C - Budget Narrative [Attach Separate Sheet(s)]

Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, if attached

Provide an itemized budget breakdown, and justification by project year, for each budget category listed in Sections A and B. For grant projects that will be divided into two or more separately budgeted major activities or sub-projects, show for each budget category of a project year the breakdown of the specific expenses attributable to each sub-project or activity.
For non-Federal funds or resources listed in Section B that are used to meet a cost-sharing or matching requirement or provided as a voluntary cost-sharing or matching commitment, you must include:
1. The specific costs or contributions by budget category;
2. The source of the costs or contributions; and
3. In the case of third-party in-kind contributions, a description of how the value was determined for the donated or contributed goods or services.

[Please review ED’s general cost sharing and matching regulations, which include specific limitations, in 34 CFR 74.23, applicable to non-governmental entities, and 80.24, applicable to governments, and the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles for your entity type regarding donations, capital assets, depreciation and use allowances. OMB cost principle circulars are available on OMB’s website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html]

If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.

If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this information is to be completed by your Business Office. Specify the estimated amount of the base to which the indirect cost rate is applied and the total indirect expense. Depending on the grant program to which you are applying and/or your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, some direct cost budget categories in your grant application budget may not be included in the base and multiplied by your indirect cost rate. For example, you must multiply the indirect cost rates of “Training grants" (34 CFR 75.562) and grants under programs with “Supplement not Supplant” requirements ("Restricted Rate" programs) by a “modified total direct cost” (MTDC) base (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563). Please indicate which costs are included and which costs are excluded from the base to which the indirect cost rate is applied.

When calculating indirect costs (line 10) for "Training grants" or grants under "Restricted Rate" programs, you must refer to the information and examples on ED’s website at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

You may also contact (202) 377-3838 for additional information regarding calculating indirect cost rates or general indirect cost rate information.

Provide other explanations or comments you deem necessary.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0008. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to be 100 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to the International and Foreign Language Education Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202.

Instructions: Budget Summary Form &
Itemized Line Item Budget

NOTE: Applicants to the LRC program must submit: (1) the ED Form 524 summary budget form that categorizes the requested federal funds for the project period (up to 48 months) (ED Form 524, Section A), and (2) a detailed line item budget with narrative justification.

The budget summary is to be presented on the “Budget Section A- Non-Construction Program” form (ED Form 524).” You are not required to include Budget Section B because the LRC program does not require cost sharing or matching.

The detailed line item budget with notes that describe the funding being requested for each budget period should be included in the “Budget Narrative Attachment”, which requests information on the applicant’s financial plan for carrying out the project. You should also asterisk items on the detailed budget related to the announced priorities for FY 2018.

Applicants should describe how all costs support project activities. For each line item, provide detailed costs and narrative justification to support your request. Please check all figures and combined totals and compare line item budget figures to those on the ED Form 524.

The line items that may be supported with grant funds include the following:

Personnel: Enter only the project personnel salaries and wages. [Fees and expenses for consultants should be included on line 8.] The budget should include the total commitment of time and the total salary to be charged to the project for each key staff person. A breakdown of project personnel should include: position titles, percent of time and number of months committed to the project for each key staff member, salary for each key staff member and total salary costs to be charged to the grant.
Fringe Benefits: On line 2 (ED Form 524), enter the amount of fringe benefits. The institution’s normal fringe benefit contribution may be charged to the program. Leave this blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect costs. In the budget, include an explanation and appropriate justification if the institution’s normal fringe benefit contribution exceeds 20 percent of salaries.
Travel: On line 3 (ED Form 524), provide the travel costs for project personnel. [Consultants’ travel should be included on line 8.] In the budget, you should detail the proposed travel costs: for each trip, explain the purpose and objective of the travel and provide the number of persons traveling. Travel costs should not exceed economy class fares. For automobile mileage, the established institution rate should be used. Reimbursement is allowed for taxi, bus, train or van transportation. Per diem at the established institution rate is permitted when an individual is away from home overnight on official project business (see 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards). Foreign travel can be authorized under the grant.
Equipment: On line 4 (ED Form 524), indicate the cost of equipment -- non-expendable personal property, which has a usefulness of greater than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. [Consistent with an applicant’s policy, a lower dollar amount may be used to define equipment.] In the budget, explain why the requested equipment is necessary to carry out project activities and include a list of all equipment in the following format: item, quantity, cost per unit and total cost. Note: no more than 15% of your total budget can be used in this category.
Supplies: On line 5 (ED Form 524), include the costs of all tangible personal property that was not included as “equipment” on line 4. In the budget, provide an itemized list of the supplies.
Contractual: Not applicable. Leave blank.
Construction: Not applicable. Leave blank.
Other: On line 8 (ED Form 524), indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1 through 5. The costs/fees for consultants and consultants’ travel should be included here. Examples of “other” costs are: equipment rental, required fees, communications costs, rental of space, utilities, custodial services and printing costs. In the budget, provide a breakdown of all direct costs not clearly covered by other budget categories.

Evaluators and Consultants: If the project proposes to use external/outside evaluators and consultants, identify the consultants who will work on the project, the scope of work to be performed by each consultant and justify why project personnel cannot perform this work. Also, provide a detailed breakdown of the costs (daily fees to be paid, estimated number of days of services and all travel expenses, including per diem). Cost allowances for consultant fees, honoraria, per diem and travel should not exceed amounts permitted by comparable institutional policies.

Total Direct Costs: On line 9 (ED Form 524), provide the total direct costs requested – the sum of lines 1 through 8.
Indirect Costs: On line 10 (ED Form 524), provide the amount of indirect costs that you propose to charge against the grant.

Remember: Indirect costs are limited to 8 percent of a modified total direct cost base. {See EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.562 (c)}

Training Stipends: Not applicable. Leave blank.
Total Cost: On line 12 (ED Form 524), provide total amount that you are requesting – the sum of lines 9 and 10. Note: This amount should be the same as that shown as 14a on the SF-424.

Instructions: SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section 1352. The filing of a form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional information.

Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying activity is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered Federal action.
Identify the status of the covered Federal action.
Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this is a follow up report caused by a material change to the information previously reported, enter the year and quarter in which the change occurred. Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by this reporting entity for this covered Federal action.
Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the reporting entity. Include Congressional District, if known. Check the appropriate classification of the reporting entity that designates if it is, or expects to be, a prime or subaward recipient. Identify the tier of the subawardee, e.g., the first subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are not limited to subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under grants.
If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks “Subawardee,” then enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the prime Federal recipient. Include Congressional District, if known.
Enter the name of the federal agency making the award or loan commitment. Include at least one organizational level below agency name, if known. For example, Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard.
Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered Federal action (item 1). If known, enter the full Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and loan commitments.
Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for the Federal action identified in item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal (RFP) number; Invitations for Bid (IFB) number; grant announcement number; the contract, grant, or loan award number; the application/proposal control number assigned by the Federal agency). Included prefixes, e.g., “RFP-DE-90-001.”
For a covered Federal action where there has been an award or loan commitment by the Federal agency, enter the Federal amount of the award/loan commitment for the prime entity identified in item 4 or 5.
(a) Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the lobbying registrant under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 engaged by the reporting entity identified in item 4 to influence the covered Federal action. (b) Enter the full names of the individual(s) performing services, and include full address if different from 10(a). Enter Last Name, First Name, and Middle Initial (MI).
The certifying official shall sign and date the form, print his/her name, title, and telephone number.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control Number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is OMB No. 0348-0046. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0046), Washington, DC 20503

Application Contents Checklist

Before you submit the application package, please review the following list to ensure that your application includes all of the requested information, and that it is presented in the prescribed format.

Part I:	424 Forms Application for Federal Assistance – (SF-424) Item 12. Funding Opportunity Number: ED-Grants-XXXXXX-XXX (TBD) Department of Education Supplemental Information Form for SF-424 NOTE: Section C – Budget Narrative should be included in the Budget Narrative Attachment, located in Part III.
Part II:	524 Forms Department of Education Budget Summary Form – (ED-524) – Non-Construction Programs Section A
Part III:	Abstract, Narrative, Budget, and Appendices ED Abstract (limited to 1 page) Application Narrative Attachment Form (suggested maximum length of 50 pages) Detailed Line Item Budget Form and Budget Narrative (Descriptions for requested Line Items) Other Attachments Form: Curricula Vitae (CVs) Position Descriptions Letters of Support Performance Measure Form (description of the measures that will guide project activities for the FY 2018-2021 performance period) Note: Section C ED 524 (Itemized Line Item Budget with Budget Detailed Description) is attached here. Be sure to asterisk budget items that relate to the announced Competitive Preference Priorities for FY 2018.
Part IV:	Assurances, Certifications, and Survey Forms GEPA Section 427 Requirement Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) Grants.gov Lobbying Form (formerly ED Form 80-0013) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
File Types:	All attachments must be in .PDF format. Other types of files will not be accepted.

Appendices to Include

The curricula vitae of key personnel and professional staff directly involved in the applicant’s program.
Position descriptions for proposed personnel for the project.
Letters of support.
Performance Measure Form (description of the measures that will guide project activities for the FY 2018-2021 performance period)

Paperwork Burden Statement

If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4537.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Carolyn Collins, Language Resource Centers Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Mailstop 3-3E241, Washington, D.C. 20202.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our center has received an LRC grant in the past. Is it appropriate to refer to this in our application?

Yes; however, IFLE strongly suggests that you refrain from referring to your proposal as an application for "renewal" of your grant. A new competition for grant awards is held every four years. In selecting applications for funding, no preference is given to applicants who have received LRC grants in the past.

What techniques does the U.S. Department of Education (US/ED) consider helpful for presenting the application narrative and other important information?

In presenting the application narrative (your responses to the selection criteria), we encourage you to follow the order of the selection criteria as listed in the “Instructions for the Project Narrative” section in the application booklet. Additional useful techniques include: using cross-references in the budget and appendices, providing an acronyms list and using tables and graphs to present information effectively.

What criteria do the reviewers use when scoring the selection criteria?

Three peer reviewers score each application using the selection criteria in 34 CFR 655.31 and 669.21. The selection criteria are explained further in the section, “Instructions for the Project Narrative.” The review panels provide written comments and scores to support their judgments about the quality, significance and impact of the proposed project.

What criteria do the reviewers use when scoring the competitive preference priorities?

Please see the “Application (Project) Narrative Suggested Formatting & Selection Criteria)” page of this application.

What happens to my application if the U.S. Department of Education finds it to be ineligible?

It is not evaluated. Section 75.216 of EDGAR prohibits the U.S. Department of Education from evaluating an application if it does not meet the program eligibility criteria or does not otherwise comply with application requirements. If ineligible, a letter is sent to the applicant explaining why it was not evaluated.

Should references, footnotes, endnotes or the bibliography be included in the narrative? How long should they be?

References, footnotes, endnotes and the bibliography will certainly strengthen an application. However, they will be considered part of the application narrative, and subject to the page limit restrictions. Please check the Federal Register notice for more information regarding the suggested maximum length of the narrative.

Do the provisions of the “Fly America Act” apply to this program?

Yes. Travel paid for with grant funds must be in accordance with the Fly America Act (International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974, PL 93-624, PL 96-192). To be in compliance, travel must be on U.S. carriers wherever available, based on jet economy high season rates.

How will funding continuation decisions be made?

Annual performance reports will be submitted in lieu of formal continuation requests. Continuation funding will be contingent upon demonstration of substantial progress toward the completion of the project activities in the annual performance report. Instructions for completing performance reports will be forwarded to successful grantees shortly after the grant awards have been determined.

When will selections be announced?

The awards will be announced no later than September 30, 2018.

If an applicant has programmatic questions, whom should he or she contact?

He or she should contact the International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office of the U.S. Department of Education at [email protected].

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Author	Collins, Carolyn
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-01-22

Application for the Language Resource Centers (LRC) Prog