US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program Application Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant under the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (U.S.-Brazil Program). The U.S.-Brazil Program is administrated jointly by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and the Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brazilian Ministry of Education.

Applicants from the United States and Brazil should work together to submit common proposals to FIPSE and CAPES respectively. Lead institutions in both countries must submit similar proposals to FIPSE and CAPES. Applications must be submitted to FIPSE by TBA.

Though FIPSE and CAPES have issued similar application materials and program guidelines, some important differences exist to reflect country-specific needs. Applicants from each country should use only the application materials and program guidelines issued by their government when completing the application packet.

However, it is important that the application for funding to both FIPSE and CAPES be as similar as possible in order to facilitate a comparable evaluation from both sides. The lead partners from both countries should agree with the two parallel applications.

For the 2010 competition, the Federal Register Notice announces an Absolute Priority which states that in order to be eligible for an award under this competition, the applicant in the U.S. must be a U.S. institution and the applicant in Brazil much be Brazilian institution. Applicants must propose a project that supports cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students and the opening of educational opportunities between the U.S. and Brazil.

The U.S.-Brazil Program is designed to assist colleges and universities in the United States and Brazil in giving students a U.S.-Brazil perspective to education and training in a wide range of subject areas. The ultimate intent of the Program is to assist with the strengthening of ties between the United States and Brazil. The governments of the United States and Brazil have issued guidelines to this end. Some differences do exist to reflect country-specific needs. Applicants from each country should use only the guidelines issued by their government when completing the applications.

This program is based on objectives outlined in a 1997 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Education between the United States and Brazil. The MOU laid out a plan to “enhance and expand cooperative efforts in education” by attempting to “identify new areas for joint activities in the field of education wherever they deem appropriate and to strengthen or expand existing programs.”

One of the key activities outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding was “diversifying educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil,” which involved “establishing an exchange program for United States and Brazilian students majoring in mutually agreed upon academic areas…to spend up to one calendar year in the respective countries attending classes and interning in firms related to their areas of study.”

Related to this activity was the objective to establish “methods for enhancing institutional linkages between the United States and Brazilian universities and other educational institutions to enhance the mobility of faculty and students and promote mutual recognition of credits and studies.”

While the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program addresses all of these important activities in these guidelines, it is important to remember that the purpose of this grant program is to promote more than student exchange. Throughout these guidelines, you will see that FIPSE and CAPES also emphasize the importance of curriculum development as well as of language and cultural preparation as key factors in promoting student mobility. Students should be exchanged in the context of a common program of study or curriculum and should draw benefits from the added value of spending time abroad. The time abroad should count for their study within their academic major at their home institution and should not significantly increase their time to degree completion.

This letter highlights a few items in the fiscal year (FY) 2010 instructions document that will be important to applicants in the United States in applying for grants under the U.S.-Brazil Program. You should review the entire application package carefully before preparing and submitting your application. Information on the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Program also is accessible at the FIPSE web site at: www.ed.gov/FIPSE.

The Department requires applicants to use an Internet-based electronic system for submitting applications. We are requiring that applications for FY 2010 grants under the U.S.-Brazil Program be submitted electronically using E-Application.

Please read the documents in this package, which provide important information concerning electronic submission. Electronic submission of applications is required; therefore, you must submit an electronic application unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register Notice [see Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards] and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement.

The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission have changed. If you think you may need an exception you are urged to review the requirements promptly. Applications submitted late will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline date. 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.

All applicants are required to adhere to the page limit of 20 pages (double spaced) for the Program Narrative. The Notice, published in the Federal Register [see Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards] contains specific information governing page limits.

You are reminded that the document published in the Federal Register is the official document, and that you should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the official document.

Sincerely,

/signed/

Ralph Hines

Acting Director, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)

Program Description and Guidelines

for U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program

The U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program awards four-Year Consortia Projects Each country will provide support only for participating institutions within its borders. We anticipate that fiscal year 2010 projects will begin as early as July 1, 2010, but no later than October 1, 2010. We estimate that FIPSE will make about 14 new four-year consortia grants. Total grant amounts for each U.S. consortium for four-year consortia grants will likely be about $250,000 for the four-year period. CAPES will match these amounts on the Brazilian side.

FIPSE and CAPES will award funding to successful consortia via the lead partner in each country respectively. Awards are intended to cover a portion of the total costs of the activities to be undertaken. Because each project is expected to provide a long-term benefit to the partner institutions and their students, institutions are expected to make a substantial contribution to the project as evidence of their commitment to its objectives.

One of the key activities outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding was “diversifying educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil,” which involved “establishing an exchange program for United States and Brazilian students majoring in mutually agreed upon academic areas…to spend up to one calendar year in [the] respective countries attending classes and interning in firms related to their areas of study.”

Objectives of the Program

The U.S.-Brazil Program aims to improve the quality of students in undergraduate and graduate education in both countries and to explore ways to prepare students for work through the:

Development of sustainable agreements on mutual recognition and portability of academic credits among U.S. and Brazilian institutions;
Development of sustainable shared curricula among U.S. and Brazilian institutions;
Acquisition of the languages and exposure to the cultures of the United States and Brazil;
Development of student internships or other work related experiences; and
Development of sustained cooperation and exchange among academic personnel at U.S. and Brazilian institutions.

This program encourages consortia to achieve these objectives by extending partnerships beyond higher education and training institutions to include others such as businesses, professional associations, and public agencies in both countries.

For the four-year consortia partnership competitions, your consortium must involve at least two active partner postsecondary or training institutions and an optional third associate partner from each country. Partnerships among institutions in different states in the United States and Brazil are preferred.

We encourage you to add a third partner from other relevant organizations (e.g., industry, non-governmental organizations, publishers, government departments, chambers of commerce, research institutes, etc.) that will help give your project the national and international visibility necessary for it to succeed beyond the funding period. Some of these organizations may collaborate to offer internships. Others may offer professional advice and expertise. Please note, however, that funding in each consortium is intended only for U.S. or Brazilian host institutions in which students are enrolled.

We recommend parity in the number of academic institutions from each country involved in each consortium. Make sure that all of your academic institutions intend to participate fully in the project and that the non-academic partners show strong support for the idea and the plan that you submit to us.

Your consortia should nominate one lead institution from the United States and one from Brazil. In the case of Brazil, the lead applicant must be a public institution. The members of your consortium must jointly prepare a common proposal. The lead institution in each country must submit a separate proposal to its respective government agency. Though guidelines published by both governments are essentially the same, you should make sure that each lead institution refers to its respective government’s guidelines because different country-specific needs and requirements apply.

For the four-year consortia projects, we encourage you to create new consortia based on new or existing partnerships. You should include descriptions of all project staff that will be involved. In addition to the description of the project director at each institution, it is important that you clearly indicate the distinct contribution of each partner institution to the joint project.

FIPSE and CAPES give a high priority to ensuring the broadest possible participation in the U.S.-Brazil Program. Given the relatively small number of projects that can be funded, individual departments, academic programs, or professional programs should not apply to participate in more than one consortium in any given competition.

Your project should draw upon and complement the international mission and staff expertise of each of the member institutions of the consortium. For the four-year consortia projects, your project should be clearly student-centered. When designing a project, you should always keep in mind the potential academic and professional impact that this project will have on students from both countries.

Project Focus

The U.S.-Brazil Program is open to all disciplinary and professional fields and vocational programs, as well as cross-disciplinary studies, both at graduate and undergraduate levels. FIPSE and CAPES place priority on projects that focus on providing solutions and insights to problems and issues of national significance to both countries.

For all projects, it is important in your justification of your project that you explain the added value to your field or profession of developing a U.S.-Brazil approach. For example, if your project focuses on areas such as environmental sciences and sustainable development, social sciences, public health, or human resource development, you should explain the relevance of your project idea in a U.S.-Brazilian context and how this idea will build better cooperation between the two countries.

Institutional Commitment

Institutional commitment is a key indicator of success of a U.S.-Brazil Project. Institutional commitment is indicated by strong letters of support as well as through institutional contribution of funds to the project. Each partner institution must include in the proposal a letter of endorsement from the senior executive officer (e.g., rector, vice-chancellor, president) as well as from other officials responsible for international student activities (director of international affairs, registrar, academic dean, and/or department head). These letters must indicate how the project fits within the international strategy of the institution and should emphasize how this project will complement that strategy. Endorsement letters must also indicate the institution's willingness and intent to sign agreements on credit transfer and tuition fee waivers with partner institutions. Letters should detail how the institution intends to support this program in the areas of institutional financial commitment, student language preparation, student tuition and fees. While there is no mandated matching requirement, FIPSE does expect grantees and their collaborating partners to share in the operational cost of funded projects to insure that the activities persist beyond the federally funded period. Original letters should be sent from the lead institution to its government agency. Copies of letters from all institutions should be included in the applications to both funding agencies. Letters may be in English or Portuguese.

Letters of support are very important to your project. In the case of four-year consortia projects, during the first-year preparatory phase of the project, you will be asked to build upon the commitment stated in the support letters through the development of explicit Memoranda of Understanding.

Four-Year Consortia Projects

The U.S.-Brazil Program grants Four-Year Consortia Projects. FIPSE and CAPES have funded this grant category since 2001.

The four-year Consortia grants are broken up into two major parts. The first part is the one-year preparatory phase that allows grantees to formalize consortia agreements on issues such as credit recognition and/or transfer among institutions; fees and tuition arrangements; language requirements; and student visa requirements. This also allows grantees time to begin curricular development as well as establish an administrative infrastructure before their consortia begins to send students abroad. The second phase begins after successful completion of the preparatory phase and an evaluation by FIPSE and CAPES to see whether all requirements have been met. The second phase lasts three years and centers on student mobility, language learning, and curricular development. Experience in other international programs has demonstrated that consortia that have addressed important administrative issues in advance are more likely to develop solid projects. For this reason, FIPSE and CAPES have made funding after the preparatory phase contingent upon a consortium's satisfactory progress in these areas.

Successful four-year consortia projects clearly integrate curriculum development and student mobility in a meaningful way. Your project needs to focus on its own innovative "U.S.-Brazilian" approach to training and education. The activities should aim not only to send students abroad but also to integrate a new perspective into what students learn and how they learn.

While you design the new curriculum, you should aim to fully integrate students into the normal academic and cultural milieu of the host institution and community. Students should take most, if not all, of their courses at the host institution alongside native students, rather than in special courses for foreign students.

Competitive proposals will focus on the following key activities:

1) Development of innovative curricula, teaching materials, and modules.

Your proposal should identify a particular academic or professional field of study on which your consortium will focus for international collaboration. Your proposal should address an important curricular problem or need within this field and describe a particular U.S.-Brazilian strategy to add value to this field of study. For example, your proposal should address how your project implements a new educational program or improves current practice to prepare students to work in an international context. Please detail the program of study in terms of the courses, training, internships, or work placements that students might typically take at both the home and the host institution. You should indicate whether the proposed curriculum is based on existing courses offered at partner institutions, new courses that are to be developed by the consortium, or both. Your proposal should address how the students' experience abroad will be integrated into the existing academic program prior to and following study abroad. You should describe all additional activities that you plan to organize, including the establishment of intensive programs, the organization of faculty exchanges, the development of teaching materials, the use of new technologies, and the integration of distance learning.

2) Development of organizational frameworks for student mobility.

You should address student mobility in detail. You should discuss what value your project adds to your particular field of study through a bilateral approach and how you believe students will benefit academically and professionally from such a perspective.

You should clearly describe the target student population (e.g., fourth-year undergraduate business students at a university; second-year students of aviation mechanics at a technical college; second-year master of business students at a research university). You should also state the number of students who will benefit from the project. Experience shows that projects work best if they target advanced undergraduate students at two- or four-year colleges or graduate students in their second or third years. This arrangement allows for planning and recruitment for study abroad well before student departure to the partner institutions. It also allows for adequate foreign language training for students and gives students more time to plan for their trip. Your proposal should explain how long a student will be studying abroad and how credit for academic work at the partner institutions will be transferred to or recognized by the student's home institution.

Note that student participation in these programs should not prolong time to degree.

Student mobility for purposes of graduate training must be framed within the curricular focus of your consortium (see above). This means that you should explain how graduate student training relates to topics and issues around which your U.S.-Brazilian collaboration is centered. Explain how the proposed training activities add to the overall goals of your consortium. Please note that mobility stipends are not intended to support individual student research activities.

Student Mobility Numbers and Duration

You must indicate how many students you intend to send to Brazil and how many you intend to receive in the United States.

On average, you should plan for each partner institution to move no fewer than eight (8) students over the life of the project. A project with four institutions, for example, should accommodate a minimum of 16 students from the United States and 16 students from Brazil. Proposals moving a greater number of students will be considered more competitive; however, projects should be realistic in how they plan to deal with larger numbers of students.

Participating students from all partner institutions should have opportunities to study at a foreign member institution for a period of one, or preferably two, semesters. If your project involves internships, the duration of time abroad may be longer in length.

Student Recruitment

A major factor contributing to the success of consortia is a good plan for student recruitment. Please describe how your project will actively recruit students for participation in this project. You should send only advanced undergraduate students at community colleges or four-year colleges, or graduate students in their second or third years. Because language learning is a key component of this program, start students thinking about the program early and help guide them to make the proper course choices to ensure that they can acquire an adequate level of language proficiency in advance. You should discuss how you intend to provide access to a broad representation of the student population with respect to ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status.

Academic Credit Recognition

In order to assure that students do not increase their time to degree completion, you must make sure that students who study abroad can get academic credit for their work at their home institution. You should outline in detail how you intend to ensure full academic credit recognition for a student’s study time abroad. You should discuss what formal administrative assurances home institutions will provide students so that their study abroad will be fully credited upon their return and how student academic work will be evaluated from one consortia institution to the next. Please note that formal agreements for credit recognition must be signed by participating institutions by the end of the preparatory phase (see “Preparatory Phase” below).

The home (sending) and host (receiving) institutions and the individual student must agree in writing to the content of the study program before the student’s departure. The agreement should indicate the home institution’s assurance that the study abroad, if successfully completed, will be recognized as fulfilling a comparable period of study in the home institution.

Fees

Students studying abroad will pay the usual tuition and fees at their home institution and should incur no additional financial obligations to the host institution. This includes fees for tuition, registration, examinations, and the use of library and laboratory facilities.

Student Stipends

Student stipends are divided into two categories: Mobility stipends and language stipends.

Mobility stipends are intended to offset additional costs incurred by students traveling abroad in addition to the costs of remaining at the home institution. Legitimate costs include travel and room and board expenses. Stipends must not be used for tuition or fees (see above). The amount of money allotted a student for study abroad should reflect the additional cost incurred. Students who study for shorter periods or in less expensive places should receive less money than students who study for longer periods of time or in more expensive places. The total amount of Federal mobility stipend money allotted to any one U.S. student may not exceed $4,000. Please note that student mobility money is intended for foreign study only. This means that stipends may not be used to move students to other institutions in their home countries.

Language stipends are intended to help U.S. students learn the Portuguese language for purposes of their study in Brazil. The total amount of Federal funds allotted a student (up to $1,000 per student) may be used for language stipends for U.S. students to learn Portuguese in the United States or in Brazil. The total student request (mobility and language stipend) should range between $80,000 and $90,000 of the total $250,000 for the life of the grant. Mobility requests should be accompanied by clear descriptions of the purpose of student mobility, planned student recruitment, and examples of student activities. Language stipends may be budgeted for all four years. Student mobility funds should not be budgeted in the first year of the grant, which is a preparatory year.

Student Support and Services

You should discuss what student services you will provide to help students participate in these new programs at both the home and the host institutions in both countries. The aim is to ensure that participating students are well prepared for a foreign study experience and that they will be received in an appropriate manner at host institutions. You should include details about pre-departure orientation activities at the home institutions and the reception and orientation activities at receiving institutions. You should also identify how returning students will be reintegrated into their home institutions following their international study experiences.

3) Development of adequate language preparation and assessment.

Because a key objective of this program is to encourage and enable students to experience an academic, cultural, and linguistic milieu different from their own, you must clearly address the cultural and linguistic instruction you plan to give students before, during, and after their study abroad. You should explain in detail how students will gain language proficiency adequate enough to participate successfully in studies at the host institution. Discuss what level of language proficiency you are targeting and why.

Please describe what institutional and other resources will be used to prepare students or guest students to study within the framework of the program. An example might be how your foreign language departments will play a role in training departing students in Portuguese even if they do not have a Portuguese language program. You should also discuss how you will assess if students are ready for instruction in a language other than their own. Discuss how you will ensure that students visiting Brazilian institutions will have adequate Portuguese instruction on site. If funded we will require you to use pre and post language assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the language training component of your program. At present we are allowing project directors to choose standardized tests, university placement tests, or student self-reported language proficiency surveys to assess language gain.

Likewise, you should discuss how the U.S. host institution helps incoming students with the improvement of English skills if they need it.

Please note that consortia that propose to offer courses or seminars only in English will not be considered competitive. Language proficiency in both English and Portuguese is key to a student’s integration in the academic culture of the host institution.

4) Development, where appropriate, of internships or work placements.

If your project involves work experience, you should address how you will establish and organize student internship opportunities or work placements in one or both of the partner countries. This includes how long the internship or work placement will last and how it will conform to the applicable laws and regulations of the host country. Please discuss who will oversee internship placements and activities. Please include names and locations of participating industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations in which you intend to place your students. You should also describe how students will build upon this experience upon their return and after their graduation.

5) Strategies for professional certification, licensure, and/or accreditation.

If your project focuses on professional education, you should discuss how your project will work with private, state, and national professional associations, and with accrediting organizations to develop means for international quality assurance and certification.

6) Use of new Web-based and other computer-based technologies.

You may wish to use new technologies to enhance intra-project communication, curriculum development, teaching and learning, and preparation of students in both countries. Further, new technologies can be used to expand access to the project. A consortium, for example, can use the Internet to give access to all students at their participating institutions to course material that is part of the common core established by the consortia, commonly developed by the consortia, or available at each of the partner institutions.

7) Development of a strong project evaluation plan.

An evaluation plan of approximately two pages is an important part of your application. In the evaluation plan you should clearly state the following: 1) the main goal of your project, 2) two to three measurable objectives that you expect to be able to document, 3) a preliminary timeline for evaluation data collection, and 4) a statement of how you might modify your project while in progress if your outcome measures indicate that you are not achieving your objectives. Please note that while signing an MOU is a necessary project activity, it is not considered a main goal of your project. In most cases your measurable objectives will be a change in the knowledge, skills, attitude, or behavior of the students or faculty participating in the project. When discussing the measurable objectives, please indicate what measurement tools you are likely to use – whether qualitative or quantitative.

Successful consortia will be expected to hire an external evaluator to assist them with project evaluation. We suggest that you budget $2,500. annually for evaluation expenses, including the salary of the outside evaluator.

8) Preparatory Phase: First Year of Project.

Successful consortia projects are built upon strong inter-institutional agreements that are confirmed by signed memoranda of understanding among institutional partners. For this reason, FIPSE and CAPES support an initial year of funding to allow grantees to complete administrative planning and cooperative bilateral arrangements at the inter-institutional level. Student mobility will begin only after the successful completion of the preparatory phase (but no later than the end of the second year of the project). During the first year, consortia must formalize agreements in the following areas:

Institutional financial commitment to the project;
Financial sustainability beyond the government funding period;
Student recruitment and selection;
Student language preparation;
Student tuition and fees;
Student credit transfer and/or recognition;
Faculty and curricular development; and
Evaluation report for the first year.

In order to ensure the success of the entire project, funding for the subsequent three years will be contingent upon satisfactory achievements during the preparatory first year. Evidence must clearly demonstrate that all institutional partners are fully committed to work together and that formal arrangements are in place to achieve goals and objectives in all of the areas identified above.

As a minimum requirement, by the end of the first year the bilateral consortium will be required to submit to the two funding authorities copies of formal agreements signed by all partner institutions with respect to: (a) academic credit transfer and recognition, and (b) student tuition and fees.

Projects that do not satisfactorily meet these preparatory requirements by the end of the first year will not receive government support beyond that point.

IMPORTANT: The preparatory phase of the project does not reduce the need for you to develop and present clear and detailed plans of action and signed support letters from all of your partner institutions at the time of application. The application must be completely and fully developed, including a section on the preparatory phase that describes plans to address the issues identified above.

Financial Considerations

Awards for the four-year consortia projects will provide four years of funding, including a first-year preparatory phase. Grants for the short-term complementary activities will provide up to two years of funding. Each country will provide support only for participating institutions within its borders. Awards are intended to provide seed funding for conducting joint innovative projects that can be established within this period and which, once established, can be continued without ongoing program support. It is essential that you indicate in your proposal how activities will be sustained beyond the funding period.

Your projects should be cost-effective in their design and administration. The most competitive proposals will attempt to maximize the number of students going abroad through wise use of stipends and other institutional resources.

Country Support

Each government will provide financial support only for participating institutions within its borders. You should note that funding levels provided by each country may vary. We recommend that funding arrangements be worked out by consortium members prior to submitting a proposal.

The United States will provide a total of approximately $2 million over four years to support approximately 12 grants which support the participation of U.S. institutions and students in consortia. Brazil will provide financial support for its institutions and students.

Total Financial Support for U.S. institutions

For U.S. institutions participating in the four-year consortia projects, total financial support per consortium for the life of the project is anticipated to be about $250,000. First-year budgets for four-year consortia projects must be limited to $35,000 for all U.S. partners.

Awards and Institutional Commitment

FIPSE and CAPES will award funding to successful consortia via the lead partner, which will serve as the grantee and fiscal agent in each country. Awards are intended to cover a portion of the total costs of the activities to be undertaken. As the project is intended to be of long-term benefit to the partner institutions and their students, your partner institutions should make a substantial contribution to the project as evidence of their commitment to its objectives.

Annual Project Directors’ Meeting

An important part of the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program is the Annual Project Directors’ Meeting, which takes place in alternating years in each country. The Annual Project Directors’ Meeting is held over a period of about three days. The participation of all partners in your consortium at these meetings is essential because it provides the only opportunity for your consortium and both government-funding agencies to meet together. This meeting is intended for individual members of consortia to share ideas on what works. It is also intended as a forum for discussion to help guide the two funding agencies to make important decisions on how best to coordinate this program. Consortia are also given ample time during the annual meeting to meet as a group by themselves as well as with their government program officers from both countries. Please make sure that your budget includes funding to support adequate participation in these meetings.

Annual and Final Performance Reports

FIPSE and CAPES will carefully monitor the progress of projects towards their goals through communication with their respective lead and partner institutions and through communication between them. Project leaders from both countries will be required to submit to their respective government agency an annual progress report, which discusses progress on project goals, including curricular development, student mobility, and project expenditures, and a detailed plan for the following year. U.S. lead institutions will receive instructions from FIPSE on how to complete the annual report forms on-line. It is expected that the lead institution in each country will maintain information and data from all participating institutions so that a consortium will be able to submit essentially the same report to both government agencies. Final reports will be due 90 days after the completion of the grant.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

APPLICATION TRANSMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

ATTENTION ELECTRONIC APPLICANTS: Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

This program requires the electronic submission of applications; specific requirements and waiver instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application by mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must meet the following deadline requirements:

Applications Submitted Electronically (This is required for all applications—unless the applicant secures an official exception—see Closing Date Notice Section IV Item 7.b)

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the e-Applications Web site (http://e-grants.ed.gov) by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date.

If you submit your application through the Internet via Department’s e-Application system, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement when we receive your application.

For more information on using e-Applications, please refer to the “Notice Inviting Applications” that was published in the Federal Register or visit http//e-grants.ed.gov.

Applications Delivered by Mail (Electronic submission is required for all applications—unless the applicant secures an official exception)

This is allowed—only when you have secured an official exception from the electronic submission requirements [see Closing Date Notice Section IV Item 7.b for more details].

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number [84.116M])

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:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

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 [84.116M])

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7041, 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--

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number (84.116M), including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) 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.

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2010.

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Overview Information

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special Focus Competition: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

84.116M.

Dates:

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

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: TBA

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: TBA

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing on problem areas in postsecondary education or approaches to improve postsecondary education.

Priority: Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priorities.

Absolute Priority: For FY 2010, this priority is an absolute priority. 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.

This priority is:

This priority supports the formation of educational consortia of U.S. and Brazilian institutions. To meet this priority, the applicant must propose a project that supports cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students, if pertinent to grant activities, and the opening of educational opportunities between the United States and Brazil. In order to be eligible for an award under this priority, the applicant in the U.S. must be a U.S. institution and the applicant in Brazil must be a Brazilian institution. Brazilian institutions participating in any consortium proposal under this priority may apply to the Coordination of Improvement of Personnel of Superior Level (CAPES), Brazilian Ministry of Education, for additional funding under a separate but parallel Brazilian competition.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

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

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $47,400,000 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education for FY 2010, of which we propose to allocate $490,000 for this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000-$35,000 for the first year. $210,000-$250,000 for the four-year duration of the grant.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $240,000 for the four-year duration of the grant.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 14.

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

Project Period: Up to 48 months for four-year grants.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or combinations of IHEs and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies.

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: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7621.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition.

Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 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 20 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, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no

smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman,

Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The page limit only applies to the application narrative [Part III]. It 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, the budget information summary form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the assurances, certifications and survey forms. In addition, the page limit does not apply to the one-page abstract, appendices, line item budget, or a table of contents. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the application narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the application narrative.

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: TBA

Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application accessible through the Department’s e-Grants system. 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. 6. Other Submission Requirements in 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 in 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.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 16, 2009.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.

6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition 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 U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program, CFDA Number 84.116M, must be submitted electronically using 2-Application accessible through the Department’s e-Grants portal page at : http://e-grants.ed.gov

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.

• Please note the following:

• You must complete the electronic submission of your grant application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process.

• The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.

• 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 attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph 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.

• Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may wish to print a copy of it for your records.

• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your application).

• Within three working days after submitting your electronic application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control Center after following these steps:

(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.

(2) The applicant’s Authorizing Representative must sign this form.

(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.

(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 245-6272.

• We may request that you provide us original signatures on other forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because e-Application is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--

(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have initiated an electronic application for this competition; and

(2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date; or

(b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.

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 e-Application because––

• You do not have access to the Internet; or

• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to e-Application;

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: Claire D. Cornell, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6145, Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.

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 84.116M)

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:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

c. 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 84.116M

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7041, 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--

(1) 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

(2) 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.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.

2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider in selecting an application for an award is whether the application demonstrates a bilateral, innovative U.S.-Brazilian approach to training and education.

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 Notice (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 in this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the following will be used by the Department to assess the performance of the FIPSE program, including the U.S.- Brazil Program:

(1) the percentage of FIPSE grantees reporting project dissemination to others; and

(2) the percentage of FIPSE projects reporting institutionalization on their home campuses.

If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data in your project's annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590) on steps taken toward these goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these two indicators in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of the proposed project. Consideration of the two performance indicators is an important part of many of the review criteria. Thus, it is important to the success of your application that you include these indicators. Their measurement should be a part of the project evaluation plan, along with measures of your progress on the goals and objectives specific to your project.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7621.

If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII in this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: 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) on the Internet at the following site: www.ed.gov/news/fedregister

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html

Dated:

Delegation of authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis for the office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the functions of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

_______________________________

Dan Madzelan

Director,

Forcasting and Policy Analysis.

Authorizing Legislation

FIPSE Authorizing Legislation

(20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d)

Higher Education Act of 1965

Title VII, Part B, Subparts 741-745

(As amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008)

PART B — FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

SEC. 741. FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION.

(a) AUTHORITY — The Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies, to enable such institutions, combinations, and agencies to improve postsecondary education opportunities by–

(1) the encouragement of reform and improvement of, and innovation in, postsecondary education and the provision of educational opportunity for all students, including nontraditional students;

(2) the creation of institutions, programs, and joint efforts involving paths to career and professional training, including–

(A) Efforts that provide academic credit for programs; and

(B) Combinations of academic and experiential learning;

(3) the establishment and continuation of institutions, programs, consortia, collaborations, and other joint efforts based on communications technology, including those efforts that utilize distance education and technological advancements to educate and train postsecondary students (including health professionals serving medically underserved populations);

(4) the carrying out, in postsecondary educational institutions, of changes in internal structure and operations designed to clarify institutional priorities and purposes;

(5) the design and introduction of cost-effective methods of instruction and operation;

(6) the introduction of institutional reforms designed to expand individual opportunities for entering and reentering postsecondary institutions and pursuing programs of postsecondary study tailored to individual needs;

(7) the introduction of reforms in graduate education, in the structure of academic professions, and in the recruitment and retention of faculties;

(8) the creation of new institutions and programs for examining and awarding credentials to individuals, and the introduction of reforms in current institutional practices related thereto;

(9) the introduction of reforms in remedial education, including English language instruction, to customize remedial courses to student goals and help students progress rapidly from remedial courses into core courses and through postsecondary program completion;

(10) the provision of support and assistance to partnerships between institutions of higher education and secondary schools with a significant population of students identified as late-entering limited English proficient students, to establish programs that–

(A) Result in increased secondary school graduation rates of limited English proficient students; and

(B) Increase the number of participating late-entering limited English proficient students who pursue postsecondary education;

(11) the creation of consortia that join diverse institutions of higher education to design and offer curricular and cocurricular interdisciplinary programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, sustained for not less than a 5 year period, that–

(A) Focus on poverty and human capability; and

(B) Include–

(i) A service-learning component; and

(ii) the delivery of educational services through informational resource centers, summer institutes, midyear seminars, and other educational activities that stress the effects of poverty and how poverty can be alleviated through different career paths;

(12) the provision of support and assistance for demonstration projects to provide comprehensive support services to ensure that homeless students, or students who were in foster care or were a ward of the court at any time before the age of 13, enroll and succeed in postsecondary education, including providing housing to such students during periods when housing at the institution of higher education is closed or generally unavailable to other students; and

(13) the support of efforts to work with institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, that seek to promote cultural diversity in the entertainment media industry, including through the training of students in production, marketing, and distribution of culturally relevant content.

(b) PLANNING GRANTS — The Secretary is authorized to make planning grants to institutions of higher education for the development and testing of innovative techniques in postsecondary education. Such grants shall not exceed $20,000.

(1) The Secretary is authorized to award one grant or contract to an institution of higher education to enable such institution to establish and maintain a center to study and develop best practices for institutions of higher education to support single parents who are also students attending such institutions.

(2) The Secretary shall award the grant or contract under this subsection to a four-year institution of higher education that has demonstrated expertise in the development of programs to assist single parents who are students at institutions of higher education, as shown by the institution's development of a variety of targeted services to such students, including on-campus housing, child care, counseling, advising, internship opportunities, financial aid, and financial aid counseling and assistance.

(3) The center funded under this section shall–

(A) Assist institutions implementing innovative programs that support single parents pursuing higher education;

(B) Study and develop an evaluation protocol for such programs that includes quantitative and qualitative methodologies;

(C) Provide appropriate technical assistance regarding the replication, evaluation, and continuous improvement of such programs; and

(D) Develop and disseminate best practices for such programs.

(d) PROHIBITION —

(1) In general. – No funds made available under this part shall be used to provide direct financial assistance in the form of grants or scholarships to students who do not meet the requirements of section 484(a).

(2) Rule of construction. – Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a student who does not meet the requirements of section 484(a) from participating in programs funded under this part.

(e) PRIORITY — In making grants under this part to any institution of higher education after the date of enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Secretary may give priority to institutions that meet or exceed the most current version of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 (as such term is used in section 342(a)(6) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)) for any new facilities construction or major renovation of the institution after such date, except that this subsection shall not apply with respect to barns or greenhouses or similar structures owned by the institution.

(f) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF VETERANS OR MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY —

(1) Authorization. – The Secretary shall enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success in carrying out the activities described in this subsection to carry out a program to provide postsecondary education scholarships for eligible students.

(2) Definition of eligible student.--In this subsection, the term `eligible student' means an individual who is enrolled as a full-time or part-time student at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 102) and is–

(A) A dependent student who is a child of–

(i) An individual who is–

(I) serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481); or

(II) Performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481);

(ii) A veteran who–

(I) served or performed, as described in clause (i), since September 11, 2001; and

(II) died, or has been disabled, as a result of such service or performance; or

(B) An independent student who–

(i) is a spouse of an individual who is–

(I) serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481); or

(II) Performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481);

(ii) Was (at the time of death of the veteran) a spouse of a veteran who–

(I) served or performed, as described in clause (i), since September 11, 2001; and

(II) died as a result of such service or performance; or

(iii) Is a spouse of a veteran who–

(I) served or performed, as described in clause (i), since September 11, 2001; and

(II) has been disabled as a result of such service or performance.

(3) Awarding of scholarships. –Scholarships awarded under this subsection shall be awarded based on need with priority given to eligible students who are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of title IV.

(4) Maximum scholarship amount. –The maximum scholarship amount awarded to an eligible student under this subsection for an award year shall be the lesser of $5,000, or the student's cost of attendance (as defined in section 472).

(5) Amounts for scholarships. –All of the amounts appropriated to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall be used for scholarships awarded under this subsection, except that the nonprofit organization receiving a contract under this subsection may use not more than one percent of such amounts for the administrative costs of the contract.

SEC. 742. BOARD OF THE FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT — There is established a National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (in this part referred to as the `Board'). The Board shall consist of 15 members appointed by the Secretary for overlapping 3-year terms. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Any member of the Board who has served for 6 consecutive years shall thereafter be ineligible for appointment to the Board during a 2-year period following the expiration of such sixth year.

(b) MEMBERSHIP — The Secretary shall designate one of the members of the Board as Chairperson of the Board. A majority of the members of the Board shall be public interest representatives, including students, and a minority shall be educational representatives. All members selected shall be individuals able to contribute an important perspective on priorities for improvement in postsecondary education and strategies of educational and institutional change.

(1) Advise the Secretary on priorities for the improvement of postsecondary education and make such recommendations as the Board may deem appropriate for the improvement of postsecondary education and for the evaluation, dissemination, and adaptation of demonstrated improvements in postsecondary educational practice;

(2) advise the Secretary on the operation of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, including advice on planning documents, guidelines, and procedures for grant competitions prepared by the Fund; and

(3) Meet at the call of the Chairperson, except that the Board shall meet whenever one-third or more of the members request in writing that a meeting be held.

(d) INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE — The Secretary shall make available to the Board such information and assistance as may be necessary to enable the Board to carry out its functions.

SEC. 743. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

The Secretary may appoint, for terms not to exceed 3 years, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, not more than 7 technical employees to administer this part who may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.

SEC. 744. SPECIAL PROJECTS.

(a) GRANT AUTHORITY — The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, or consortia thereof, and such other public agencies and nonprofit organizations as the Secretary deems necessary for innovative projects concerning one or more areas of particular national need identified by the Secretary.

(b) APPLICATION — No grant shall be made under this part unless an application is made at such time, in such manner, and contains or is accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.

(1) Institutional restructuring to improve learning and promote productivity, efficiency, quality improvement, and cost reduction.

(2) Improvements in academic instruction and student learning, including efforts designed to assess the learning gains made by postsecondary students.

(3) Articulation between two- and four-year institutions of higher education, including developing innovative methods for ensuring the successful transfer of students from two- to four-year institutions of higher education.

(4) Development, evaluation, and dissemination of model courses, including model courses that–

(A) Provide students with a broad and integrated knowledge base;

(B) include, at a minimum, broad survey courses in English literature, American and world history, American- political institutions, economics, philosophy, college-level mathematics, and the natural sciences; and

(5) International cooperation and student exchanges among postsecondary educational institutions.

(6) Support of centers to incorporate education in quality and safety into the preparation of medical and nursing students, through grants to medical schools, nursing schools, and osteopathic schools. Such grants shall be used to assist in providing courses of instruction that specifically equip students to–

(A) Understand the causes of, and remedies for, medical error, medically induced patient injuries and complications, and other defects in medical care;

(B) Engage effectively in personal and systemic efforts to continually reduce medical harm; and

SEC. 745. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years.

Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)

This program falls under the rubric of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive order is to strengthen federalism--or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government--by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have devised for coordinating and reviewing proposed Federal financial grant applications.

The process for doing this requires grant applicants to contact State Single Points of Contact for information on how this works. Multi-state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state.

Further information about the State Single Point of Contact process and a list of names by State can be found at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.pdf

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the Department. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in the actual application notice to the following address: The Secretary, EO 12372--CFDA# [commenter must insert number--including suffix letter, if any], U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200. 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR §75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (eastern time) on the closing date indicated in this notice.

Important note: The above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed applications. Do not send applications to the above address.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Section 427

ALL APPLICANTS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

Section 427 requires each applicant to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs.

This section allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six barriers that can impede equitable access or participation that you may address: 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.

*Note: Applicants are required to address this provision by attaching a statement to the GEPA form included in the U.S.-Brazil application package that must be downloaded in Grants.gov.

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

What is GPRA?

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 is a straightforward statute that requires all Federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities. Each agency clearly states what it intends to accomplish, identifies the resources required, and regularly reports its progress to the Congress. In doing so, GPRA is improving accountability for the expenditures of public funds, improving Congressional decision-making with more thorough and objective information on the effectiveness of Federal programs, and promoting a new government focus on results, cost-effectiveness, service delivery, and customer satisfaction.

FIPSE performance is focused on 1) the extent to which funded projects are being replicated—i.e., adopted or adapted—by others; and 2) the manner in which projects are being institutionalized and continued after grant funding. These two results constitute FIPSE’s indicators of the success of our program. Consequently, applicants for FIPSE grants are advised to give careful consideration to these two outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation the proposed project. Consideration of these outcomes is an important part of many of the review criteria discussed below. Thus, it is important to the success of your application that you include these objectives and their measure. If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your project on these indicators.

An applicant that receives a grant award will be required to submit annual progress reports and a final report as a condition of the award. The reports will document the extent to which project goals and objectives are met. Currently, the forms for these reports can be viewed at http://www.ed.gov/programs/fipsecomp/performance.html.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

The application consists of four parts. These parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. The parts are as follows:

Part I: 424 Forms

Application for Federal Assistance – (SF424)

Department of Education Supplemental Information Form for SF424

Notes:

Applicants must complete the SF 424 form first because some of the information you provide here is automatically inserted into other sections of the e-Application application package.
Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although the form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached to the forms listed below.

Part II: 524 Forms

Department of Education Budget Summary Form – (ED 524)

Sections A & B

(Section C – Budget Narrative should be included in the Budget Narrative Attachment Form, located in Part III.)

Part III: Attachments

ED Abstract Form

Project Narrative Attachment Form

Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Other Attachments Form

The Department of Education Abstract Form is where you attach your project abstract. Your Abstract will not count toward your 20-page limit. You must clearly state in bullet form all the U.S. and Brazil partners on the abstract form. Please bold the lead partners in both countries and use a title that clearly states the discipline and area you are applying for. Please also state in the abstract the total number of students who will be moved among the two countries.

The Project Narrative Attachment Form will include the narrative section addressing the program selection criteria that will be used to evaluate applications submitted for this competition this section—we have a strict 20-page limit. Please note the Absolute Priority stated in the Federal register Notice, that only U.S. applicants who partner with Brazilian institutions will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Budget Narrative Attachment Form is where you attach a detailed line item budget and any supplemental budget information. The budget should demonstrate and justify that all costs are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the proposed project activities. Include a description of the activities in the budget that respond to the announced program purpose. Please note that your Budget Narrative will not count toward your 20-page limit.

The Other Attachments Form is where you attach appendices, including: curricula vitae of key personnel, position descriptions for proposed personnel for the project, letters of commitment, and bibliography. All these pieces must be attached as one large document, they cannot be attached separately. These attachments will not count toward your 20-page limit.

*All attachments must be in .DOC, .RTF, or .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)

Lobbying Form (formerly ED Form 80-0013)

Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

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 1840-0761. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 6 hours for the applicant 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 time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-8544. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: U.S.-Brazil Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, N.W., 6^th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20202-8544.

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