The Department of Education ensures equal access to education and promotes educational excellence through coordination, management and accountability in Federal education programs. The Department works to supplement and complement educational efforts on all levels, encouraging increased involvement by the public, parents and students.
Ten continuation grants are expected to be awarded in FY 2008.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Awards may be used to support projects that facilitate access to or preserve foreign information resources in print or electronic forms; develop new means of immediate, full-text document delivery for information and scholarship from abroad; develop new means of shared electronic access to international data; support collaborative projects of indexing, cataloging, and other means of bibliographic access for scholars to important research materials published or distributed outside the United States; develop methods for the wide dissemination of resources written in non-Roman language alphabets; assist teacher of less commonly taught languages in acquiring, via electronic and other means, materials suitable for classroom use; and promote collaborative technology based projects in foreign languages, area studies, and international studies among grant recipients under this title.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Institutions of higher education, and public or nonprofit private libraries or consortia of such institutions or libraries.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Institutions of higher education, and public or nonprofit private libraries or consortia of such institutions or libraries.
Credentials/Documentation
None.
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
In any fiscal year in which funds are available for new awards, the Department of Education publishes a notice in the Federal Register inviting applications and establishing a deadline date. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedures
Peer review panels composed of representatives from public and private higher education and libraries having expertise in the utilization of technology for accessing and disseminating information on world regions other than the United States that address one nation's teaching and research needs in international education and foreign languages.
Deadlines
The deadline date is published in the Federal Register.
Authorization
Higher Education Act of 1965, Title VI, Part A, Section 606, as amended.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Notification usually is made within four months of the deadline for submission of applications.
Appeals
None.
Renewals
Applications for renewal of multi-year projects are processed and funded before those new projects. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula to determine the amount of a grant. The grantee is required to contribute to the project of an amount from nonfederal sources equal to at least 33 1/3 percent the amount of the grants. The nonfederal contribution may be in cash or in-kind.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants may be made on a multi-year basis.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
A final performance report is required.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Records supporting claims under a grant must be maintained for four years after termination of the award.
Financial Information
Account Identification
91-0201-0-1-502.
Obigations
(Grants) FY 07 $1,700,000; FY 08 $1,700,000; and FY 09 est $1,700,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
For FY 2008, the range of awards is expected to be $100,000 to $200,000; the average award is expected to be $170,000.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Education Department General Administrative Regulations. Contact the Program Office for information.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, International Education Programs Service, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-5331. Contact: Susanna Easton. E-mail: susanna.easton@ed.gov. Telephone: (202) 502-7628.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
(1) Meeting the purpose of the authorizing statute (20 points); (2) need for project (10 points); (3) significance (12 points); (4) quality of the project design (12 points); (5) quality of project personnel (8 points); (6) quality of project services (6 points); (7) adequacy of resources (12 points); (8) quality of the management plan (10 points); and (9) quality of the project evaluation (10 points).
Nonprofit impact investing firm, Acumen, has invested $1.2 million to KZ Noir, a Rwanda-based coffee processing company owned by Kaizen Venture Partners. The investment will equip KZ Noir the funds for working capital, debt refinancing, and capacity expansion.