Overseas-Group Projects Abroad (84.021)

Program

84.021 Overseas-Group Projects Abroad

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education
Office: Office Of Postsecondary Education

Authorization

Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, Executive Order Section 102(b)(6), Public Law 87-256.

Program Number

84.021

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States by providing opportunities for teachers, faculty, and upperclassmen and/or graduate students to study, travel, and research in foreign countries.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

The grant does not provide funds for project-related expenses within the United States. The grant funds may be used in the country of study for the following: maintenance stipend; round-trip international travel; project-related local travel; artifacts; books and other teaching materials; rent for instructional facilities; and clerical and professional services.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Institutions of higher education, State departments of education, private nonprofit educational organizations, and a consortium of institutions, departments, and organizations.

Beneficiary Eligibility

A participant must be: a citizen, or permanent resident of the United States, faculty member and teachers at all levels; a graduate or upperclassman who plans a teaching career in modern foreign languages or area studies.

Credentials/Documentation

Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. An institution or organization interested in the program should plan and propose a group project that would significantly improve its program in foreign language and area studies. Specific guidelines for preparation of proposals as published in the Federal Register are available upon request from the International Education Programs Service (IEPS). The institution or organization must give assurance that the individuals it nominates to undertake the projects are appropriately qualified. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure

With the advice of a panel of academic consultants and an assessment of the feasibility and suitability of each proposal by U.S. Embassies and Binational Commissions in the proposed countries of study, the IEPS will make initial selections, and preliminary recommendations of grant recipients to the Secretary. All recommended selections are subject to review and final approval by the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

For short-term seminar, curriculum development, and group research or study projects ranging from 5 weeks, generally, to 12 months; up to 48 months for advanced intensive language training projects. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: The information is included in the grant award document.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Terminal program reports and financial reports from the grantee. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-133. All fiscal records subject to audit at any time within five years after close of the fiscal year in which expenditures are made.

Records

Documents bearing on receipt and expenditure of grant funds must be made available for inspection by the Department: (1) For three years after the close of the fiscal year in which expenditures are made if departmental audit has occurred by that time; (2) until audit or for five years following the end of budget period in which grant expired, whichever is later; or (3) until resolution of outstanding audit questions.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: Projects have had an effect on the curriculum through new and expanded courses and faculty training in the use of new materials. In fiscal year 2008, 44 new grants were awarded. Fiscal Year 2009: 44 new grants are expected to be awarded. Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0201-0-1-502.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $4,613,000; FY 09 est $5,867,692; FY 10 est $5,867,692

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Varies by competition.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

34 CFR 664, and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.

Related Programs

19.400 Educational Exchange_Graduate Students; 19.401 Educational Exchange_University Lecturers (Professors) and Research Scholars; 84.016 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs; 84.017 International Research and Studies; 84.018 Overseas Programs_Special Bilateral Projects; 84.019 Overseas Programs - Faculty Research Abroad; 84.022 Overseas Programs - Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad; 84.229 Language Resource Centers

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Michelle Guilfoil International Education Programs Service, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, 1990 K St. NW, 6th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20006 Email: michelle.guilfoil@ed.gov Phone: (202) 502-7625

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsgpa/.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: A School-University Collaborative Project for Curriculum Development About the People's Republic of China: Choosing Modernization; Seminar on Cultural Diversity and Development in Malaysia and Singapore - A curriculum development program for 15 Andrew and other college faculty and pre-college teachers in Georgia; Seminar on Mexican Perspective of the North American Free Trade Agreement; Russia: In search of Democracy and Economic Reform A Curriculum Development Team Project; The Walls Come Tumbling Down: A 5-week travel-study seminar for 14 Maryland community college faculty to study the Polish people, country, and culture; and a 5-week seminar for consortia faculty on Post-Revolutionary Prospects in Ethiopia and Eritrea. In addition nine advanced foreign language programs in Egypt, China, the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, and Tanzania involving the instruction of Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, Hindi, Marathi, Bengoli, Hausa, Yoruba, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, and Kiswahili. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 664.31 and are as follows: (a) Plan of operation (20 points), (b) quality of key personnel (10 points), (c) budget and cost effectiveness (10 points), (d) evaluation plan (20 points), (e) adequacy of resources (5 points), (f) potential impact of the project on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in American education (15 points), (g) relevance to the institution's educational goals and its relationship to its program development in modern foreign languages and area studies (5 points), (h) the extent to which direct experience abroad is necessary to achieve the project's objectives and the effectiveness with which relevant host country resources will be utilized (10 points), and (i) the extent to which the proposed project addresses the competitive preference priorities (10 points). Subject to change. Contact program officer for further information.