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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

84.015:  National Resource Centers and Fellowships Program for Language and Area or Language and International Studies

Popular Name: 

Objectives:  Centers: To promote instruction in those modern foreign languages and area and international studies that are critical to national needs by supporting the establishment, strengthening and operation of such programs at colleges and universities. Centers may focus on undergraduate training only or may be comprehensive, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional training components. Fellowships: To meet the needs of the United States for experts in modern foreign languages combined with area studies and world affairs by supporting fellowships for graduate study at institutions for higher education.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

84.015 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Centers: Accredited American colleges and universities may apply. Applying institutions provide evidence of existing resources and institutional commitment to language and area and international studies through a curriculum that provides instruction dealing with a particular world area and its languages, with comparative world area studies, or with the international aspects of professional or other fields of study. Fellowships: Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education offering comprehensive graduate area or international studies programs combined with language study are eligible to apply for allocations of fellowships.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Centers: Accredited American colleges and universities will benefit. Fellowships: Graduate students enrolled in funded centers and programs will benefit. Student candidates must be U.S. citizens or nationals or permanent residents training in area or international studies and in modern foreign languages programs that have or are developing performance-based language instruction. Training must be undertaken through an institution that has an allocation of Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.

Credentials/Documentation:  This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

84.015 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure:  Eligible institutions may submit proposals for the funding of centers only, fellowships only, or both when the announcement of a new competition is issued in the Federal Register. Application forms and guidelines for the submission of proposals are available from the Advanced Training and Research Team of the International Education and graduate programs service (IEGPS). This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure:  Centers: Final recommendations are made to the Secretary following evaluations from panels of experts that evaluate applications according to published selection criteria. Fellowships: The student should contact his/her sponsoring institution for information concerning application forms, deadlines, and related matters. Institutional proposals are approved or disapproved by the Secretary, following the same procedures as for Center applications.

Deadlines:  Will be announced normally every 3 years in the Federal Register and are usually in November of the year preceding the grant period. Contact the program office for more information.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  About 120 days.

Appeals:  None.

Renewals:  Higher education institutions receiving funds for three year phased program support must submit annual performance reports for the second and third year for continuation of such support. Students seeking fellowships apply to their institutions for each summer or academic year award period. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  34 CFR 655, 656, and 657 apply to the Centers and Fellowships Programs. Selection criteria for evaluating applications and selecting centers are listed in the Title VI, International Education Program Regulations in 34 CFR 655.31, 656.21 or 656.22. The Secretary will weigh criteria using points indicated in 656.21 or 656.22. Part 657.21 gives the criteria for selection of institutional awards for fellowship allocations. The Secretary will weigh criteria using points indicated in 657.21.

Examples of Funded Projects:  The University of Washington/East Asia Studies Center offers training programs in East Asian languages and in a wide variety of disciplines at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and in professional schools. The Center for Advanced Study of International Development and the Women and International Development programs at Michigan State University offer courses and activities focused on development studies in the new era of globalization. University of Wisconsin/Latin American Studies Center offers courses in languages and in many disciplines at the undergraduate level in all participating campuses. The Madison and Milwaukee campuses offer extensive graduate and some professional training programs in Latin American studies as well.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  Centers: Average 1999 Center award was $193,000; the average Fellowships award was $116,000.

84.015 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 84.016 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs;
• 84.017 International Research and Studies;
• 84.021 International: Overseas: Group Projects Abroad;
• 84.022 International: Overseas: Doctoral Dissertation;
• 84.220 Centers for International Business Education;
• 84.229 Language Resource Centers.

84.015 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

84.015 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) Centers: FY 99 $21,000,000; FY 00 est $21,340,000; and FY 01 est $21,340,000. Fellowships: FY 99 $14,900,000; FY 00 est $15,090,000; and FY 01 est $15,090,000.

Budget Account Number:  91-0201-0-1-502.

Authorization:  Higher Education Act of 1965, Title VI, Section 602, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1122.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  34 CFR 80, 655, 656, and 657.

84.015 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:  Advanced Training and Research Team, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20202-5331. Contact for programs/centers focused on Canada, Latin America, and Caribbean, Inner Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Russia, North America: Ed McPermott. Phone: (202) 401-9782. Contact for programs/centers focused on East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Pacific Islands: Cheryle Gibbs. Phone: (202) 401-9785. Contact for programs focused on Africa, and International Karla Ver Bryck Block. Phone: (202) 401-9774. Use the same number for FTS.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

84.015 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  None.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Centers: Grants are awarded for 12-month budget periods, subject to renewals of 1 or 2 years. Payments are made as stipulated in the grant. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds. Fellowships: Academic year second summer fellowships payments to student recipients are made by the institutions on a competitive basis. If summer fellowships are issued, they will be for a summer session in which the equivalent of an academic year's foreign language study is completed. Payments are made by the grantee institution.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Centers: Funds may be used for instructional costs of language and area and international studies programs, administration, lectures, conferences, library resources and staff, outreach, and travel. Fellowships: Allocations institutional payment and basic subsistence allowance.

84.015 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Centers: All programs must provide performance reports upon completion of each year's budget period and a final report of project accomplishments at the end of the grant. Financial reports are also required. Fellowships: Performance reports from fellowship award recipients at the end of each award period. Institutional final reports (awards lists) and financial reports are required annually.

Audits:  Centers: All fiscal records will be subject to audit by the Education Department at any time within three years after expiration of the grants. Fellowships: Fiscal records of institutions administering fellowship funds will be subject to audit by the Department at any time within 5 years after the close of the fiscal year in which grant funds are all spent.

Records:  All records supporting claims under grant or relating to the accountability for awarded funds must be available upon request: (1) For 3 years after close of the fiscal year in which the grant expired or (2) until the grantee is notified of completion of Federal financial audit, whichever is later. Fellowships: All records bearing on the receipt and expenditure of funds under the program must be available for inspection by the Department: (1) For 3 years after the fiscal year in which grant funds are spent, (2) until audit or for 5 years after grant, or (3) until resolution of any audit questions.