Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special Focus Competition: Higher Education Collaboration Between the United States and the European Community.

[Federal Register: January 27, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 17)]

[Notices]               

[Page 4253-4255]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr27ja99-112]



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Part VI






Department of Education






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Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special 

Focus Competition: Higher Education Collaboration Between the United 

States and the European Community; Notice



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


[CFDA No. 84.116J]



Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--

Special Focus Competition: Higher Education Collaboration Between the 

United States and the European Community


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

1999.

    Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative 

agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing 

on problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education.

    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, combinations 

of institutions, and other public and private nonprofit educational 

institutions and agencies.

    Applications Available: January 27, 1999.

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 11, 1999.

    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 10, 1999.

    Available Funds: $1,600,000 over three years.

    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$175,000 per consortium for up

    to three years. Awards for the first planning year will be $20,000

    per consortium.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $160,000 for up to three years.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.


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


    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 

    Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79,

    80, 82, 85 and 86.

    Supplemental Information: For FY 1999, the competition includes an 

invitational priority to encourage proposals designed to support the 

formation of educational consortia of institutions in the United States 

and the European Union to encourage cooperation in the coordination of 

curricula, the exchange of students, and the opening of educational 

opportunities between the United States and the European Union. The 

invitational priority is issued in cooperation with the European Union. 

European institutions participating in any consortium proposal 

responding to the invitational priority may apply to the European 

Commission Directorate Generale for Education, Training, and Youth for 

funding under a separate European competition.


Invitational Priority


    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet 

the following invitational priority. However, an application that meets 

this invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute 

preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

    Invitational Priority: Projects that support consortia of 

institutions of higher education that promote institutional cooperation 

and student mobility between the United States and the member states of 

the European Union.


Methods for Applying Selection Criteria


    The Secretary gives equal weight to the listed criteria. Within 

each of the criteria, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the 

factors.


Selection Criteria


    In evaluating applications for grants under this program 

competition, the Secretary uses the following selection criteria chosen 

from those listed in 34 CFR 75.210.

    1. The quality of the design of the proposed project, as determined 

by--

    a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 

achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable; 

and

    b. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 

appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 

population or other identified needs.

    2. The significance of the proposed project, as determined by--

    a. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 

development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 

or are alternatives to, existing strategies;

    b. The likely utility of the products (such as information, 

materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed 

project, including the potential for their being used in a variety of 

other settings; and

    c. The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to 

be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 

teaching and student achievement.

    3. The adequacy of resources, as determined by--

    a. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 

objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project;

    b. The potential for continued support of the project after Federal 

funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of 

appropriate entities to such support; and

    c. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.

    For Applications or Information Contact: Fund for the Improvement 

of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, 7th & 

D Streets, S.W., Room 3100, ROB-3, Washington, D.C. 20202-5175. You may 

also request application forms by calling 732-544-2872 (fax on demand), 

or application guidelines by calling 202-358-3041 (voice mail) or 

submitting the name of the competition and your name and postal address 

to FIPSE@ED.GOV (e-mail). Applications are also listed on the FIPSE Web 

Site <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/FIPSE>. Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 

p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. For additional program 

information call Beverly Baker at the FIPSE office (202-708-5750) 

between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 

Friday.

    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 

alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 

diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 

paragraph.

    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 

package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 

However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 

the standard forms included in the application package.


Electronic Access to This Document


    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 

Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 

portable document format (pdf) via the Internet at either of the 

following sites:


http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html


To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 

Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 

have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 

Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.

    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 

electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 

or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 

G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases.



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    Note: The official version of a document is the document published

    in the Federal Register.


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


    Dated: January 22, 1999.

David A. Longanecker,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

[FR Doc. 99-1864 Filed 1-26-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P