American Overseas Research Centers (84.274)

 

Program

84.274 American Overseas Research Centers

 

Federal Agency

OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

Authorization

Higher Education Act, Title VI, Part A, Section 610, as amended, Public Law 102-325, Section 601, 106 Stat. 728, 20 U.S.C. 1127.

 

Program Number

84.274

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To enable American overseas research centers, that are consortia of higher education institutions, to promote postgraduate research, exchanges, and area studies.

 

Types of Assistance

Project Grants.

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grants may be used to pay all or a portion of the cost of establishing or operating a center or program, including the cost of faculty and staff stipends and salaries, faculty, staff, and student travel, the operation and maintenance of overseas facilities, the cost of teaching and research materials, the cost of bringing visiting scholars and faculty to a center to teach or to conduct research, the cost of organizing and managing conferences, and the cost of publishing and disseminating materials for the scholarly and general public.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

The Secretary shall only award grants to centers that: 1) Receive more than 50 percent of their funding from public or private United States sources; 2) have a permanent presence in the country in which the center is located; and 3) are organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which are exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of the Code.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Public and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and individuals will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation

None.

 

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 centers may submit an application for funding when a new competition is announced in the Federal Register. Application forms and guidelines for the submission of applications are available from the program.

Award Procedure

Final recommendations are made to the Secretary following advice from a panel of consultants.

Deadlines

Deadlines will be announced in the Federal Register.

 

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Appeals

There are no appeals.

Renewals

Centers selected to receive funds for the three year program must submit performance reports for continuation of support. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

None.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants are awarded for 12 month periods for a total project period of 36 months.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Funded projects must provide reports within 90 days of termination of each of the two twelve month grant periods and a final report within 90 days of termination of the last twelve month grant period.

Audits

All fiscal records will be subject to audit by the Department of Education any time within three years after expiration of the grant.

Records

All records supporting claims under grants or relating to accountability for awarded funds must be available on request: (1) For three years after the close of the fiscal year that the grant expired; or (2) until the grantee is notified that the fiscal audit has closed, whichever is later.

 

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 2002, 11 projects were funded.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0201-0-1-502.

Obligations

(Grants) FY 02 $1,000,000; FY 03 est $1,000,000; and FY 04 est $1,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

In 2002, the average award was $91,000.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

This program is governed by the authorizing legislation and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR 74 through 77, 79 through 82, 85, and 86. Application guidelines will be announced in the Federal Register. Contact the program office for more information.

 

Related Programs

84.015, National Resource Centers and Fellowships Program for Language and Area or Language and International Studies; 84.016, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs; 84.017, International Research and Studies; 84.019, Overseas_Faculty Research Abroad; 84.022, Overseas_Doctoral Dissertation; 84.153, Business and International Education Projects; 84.220, Centers for International Business Education; 84.229, Language Resource Centers.

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

Not applicable.

Headquarters Office

International Education and Graduate Programs Service, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-5331. Contact: Cheryl Gibbs. Telephone: (202) 502-7634.

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/iegps/aorc.html

 

Examples of Funded Projects

American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), founded in 1961, serves American scholars overseas, as a base for research and a liaison with scholars and research targets in India. Specific activities funded include library expansion, overseas director and staff salaries as well as operations and communications. American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) directly supports programs of fellowship for research and for language study in Turkey for American researchers and graduate students. Its programs, services, and facilities are available to all U.S. scholars at its Centers in Istanbul and Ankara. Specific activities funded include administrator and librarian salaries and overseas operations. American Center of Oriental Research ACOR serves American scholars of archaeology providing fellowship and publication programs, coordinating American archaeological work and interest in Jordon, and undertaking cooperative efforts on behalf of the Jordanian and American scholarly communities. Specific activities funded include administrative salaries, library acquisitions, and overseas operations.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The selection criteria are: Meeting the purposes of the authorizing statute (30 points); extent of need for the project (20 points); plan of operation (15 points); quality of key personnel (10 points); budget and cost-effectiveness (15 points); evaluation plan (5 points); and adequacy of resources (5 points).