Centers: To promote instruction in those modern foreign languages and area and international studies that are critical to national needs by supporting the establishment, strengthening and operation of such programs at colleges and universities.

Centers may focus on undergraduate training only

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or may be comprehensive, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional training components.

Fellowships: To meet the needs of the United States for experts in modern foreign languages combined with area studies and world affairs by supporting fellowships for graduate study at institutions for higher education.

Centers and Fellowships: In fiscal year 2008, 125 National Resource Centers are expected to be funded at institutions of higher education and 125 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship grants are expected to be awarded to institutions of higher education.

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.

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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.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

This program is eligible for coverage under E.O.

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

Application Procedures

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). This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedures

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

Deadlines

Will be announced in the Federal Register and are usually in November of the year preceding the grant period. Contact the program office for more information.

Authorization

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

About 120 days.

Appeals

None.

Renewals

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

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

None.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

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

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Centers: All programs must provide performance reports upon completion of each year's budget period and a final report of project accomplishments at the end of the grant.

Financial reports are also required.

Fellowships: Performance reports from fellowship award recipients at the end of each award period.

Institutional final reports (awards lists) and financial reports are required annually.

Audits

Centers: All fiscal records will be subject to audit by the Education Department at any time within 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.

Obigations

(Grants) Centers: FY 07 $28,812,463; FY 08 est $29,634,500 and FY 09 est $29,040,000. Fellowships: FY 07 $29,359,000; FY 08 est $29,934,000 and FY 09 est $29,995,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Centers: For FY 2008, the range of awards for Centers is expected to be $175,000 to $270,000; the average award is expected to be $237,000. For FY 2008, the range of Fellowship awards is expected to be $94,000; the averge award is expected to be $242,000.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

34 CFR 655, 656, and 657, and the Education Department General Administrtive Regulations.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

International Education Programs Services, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-5331. Contact: (Centers) Carla White E-mail: carla.white@ed. gov. Telephone: (202) 502-7631; Cheryl Gibbs Telephone: 202-502-7630. E-mail: cheryl.gibbs@ed.gov. Telephone: (202) 502-7634. Contact (Fellowships) Peter Baker; E-mail: peter.baker@ed.gov. Telephone: (202) 219-7060.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

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