AUTHORIZATION:

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title VI, Part A, Section 602.

OBJECTIVES:

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

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Centers: Funds may be used for instructional costs of language and area and international studies programs, administration, lectures, conferences, library resources and staff, outreach, and travel. Fellowships: Funds may be used for academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education (IHEs) in order to assist graduate students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies. A fellowhip awarded to an undergraduate student may include an allowance for educational programs i the United States or education programs abroad that meet certain criteria.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

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

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

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

Pre-application Coordination:   An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Eligible institutions may submit proposals for the funding of centers only, fellowships only, or both when the announcement of a new competition is issued in the Federal Register. Application forms and guidelines for the submission of proposals are available from the Advanced Training and Research Team of the International Education and Programs Service (IEPS).

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

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

From 120 to 180 days. About 120 days.

Appeals:   

Not Applicable.

Renewals:   

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

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.
Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

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

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Centers: All programs must provide performance reports upon completion of each year's budget period and a final report of project accomplishments at the end of the grant. Financial reports are also required. Fellowships: Performance reports from fellowship award recipients at the end of each award period. Institutional final reports (awards lists) and financial reports are required annually. 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. Centers: All fiscal records will be subject to audit by the Education Department at any time within 3 years after expiration of the grants. Fellowships: Fiscal records of institutions administering fellowship funds will be subject to audit by the Department at any time within 5 years after the close of the fiscal year in which grant funds are all spent.

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

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

91-0201-0-1-502.

Obligations:   (Project Grants) FY 08 $29,933,500; FY 09 est $33,089,000; FY 10 est $33,089,000 - For fellowships. (Project Grants) FY 08 $29,624,152; FY 09 est $31,919,000; FY 10 est $31,919,000 - For Centers.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

Varies by competition.

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