The NRC and FLAS Application: Putting it all Together

1
The NRC and FLAS Application Putting it all
Together
Presentation by Cheryl E. Gibbs, Senior Program
Officer Peter Baker, Program Officer February
2-3, 2009 International Education Programs
Service
2

• The criteria specific sessions provide guidance
  about how to respond to the
• selection criteria, so that your narrative is
  compelling, complete, and concise.
• This session offer tips for packaging your
  application to ensure that it is
• Reader friendly
• Organized
• Includes all required components
• Meets the prescribed technical
• requirements

3

• This session concludes with provisions in the
  Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) that
  were signed August 2008 and that have
  implications for NRC and FLAS program
  regulations. The regulations are in the drafting
  stage, and not yet final. STAY TUNED.

4
Application Components

• Application for Federal Assistance SF 424
• Budget Form ED 424 Sections A and C
• Detailed 4 Year NRC Budget
• Detailed 4 Year FLAS Budget
• Assurances, Certifications, Disclosure Forms
• Abstract
• Table of Contents
• Acronyms and Meanings

5
Application Components (cont.)

• Appendices Timeline, Course List, Index to
  Bios, Bios
• General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)
  Information

Note The FY 2010 Closing Date Notice (CDN) and
application package will provide additional
guidance about competition requirements.
6
ALLOWABLE FONTS

• Arial
• Courier
• Courier New
• Times New Roman

PLEASE SEE CDN FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION OF
ALLOWABLE FONTS AND SIZES.
7
Abstract Tips

• Insert a header that has the name of the
  institution and the name of the center or program
  
• One page single- or double-spaced. Use 1
  margin top, bottom and sides
• Make sure that all date references are correct
• Include a brief summary of the activities that
  you are requesting NRC funding, for the FY
  2010-2013 cycle

8
Table of Contents Tips

• Identify Institution and Center or Program
• Reference all required components of the
  application in the table of contents
• Use key words from the selection criteria to
  identify narrative sections. For example, I.
  Commitment to the Subject Area page 5

9
Table of Contents (cont.)

• Do not clutter the table of contents with a
  variety of fonts and numbering styles
• It is easier to find information when the format
  is simple, clear, and consistent

10
Acronyms List

• Include a one-page list of the acronyms used in
  the proposal (with meanings). Using acronyms
  throughout the narrative without prior
  explanations impedes the review of your
  application

11
Your Budget Presentation Includes

• ED 524 Form
• Section A Budget Summary
• This is the form where you enter the NRC and
  FLAS program fund
• Section C The is your Detailed NRC and/or
  FLAS Budget for the 4-year grant cycle
• NRC and FLAS Budget
• Refer to sample budgets in packet

12
The Application Narrative Tips

• Do not exceed the page limit for the narrative.
  The Closing Date Notice will announce the page
  limit for the FY 2010 competition.
• The CDN includes the warning that an
  application will be rejected if it exceeds the
  page limit published in the CDN
• Note FY 2006 limits Single Institution 40 pp
  Consortium 50 pp

13
Application Narrative (cont.)

• WHAT CONSTIUTES THE APPLICATION NARRATIVE ?
• The narrative is the section of the application
  that addresses the selection criteria.

14
The Application Narrative (cont.)

• To make good use of the narrative real estate,
  decide what information is better conveyed in a
  table or chart, and what information is better
  conveyed in narration
• Answer the specific question(s) posed in the
  selection criterion and all subsections. Be
  thorough in your responses, convey what is
  relevant to the criterion

15
Timeline Tips

• 4 pages maximum
• The timeline maps out the Title VI budgeted
  activities for the project period, including
  absolute, invitational, and competitive priority
  projects
• Cross reference activities in the timeline to the
  narrative and budget

16
Timeline Tips (cont.)

• Use colors or shading to show the progression of
  project activities beginning, ongoing, developed
  and phased off NRC funds
• If you use colors, all submitted copies of the
  proposal should be in color
• Indicate projects that will be assumed by the
  institution and when
• Consortium applicants clearly indicate
  activities that each center will conduct
  independently and activities that you will
  conduct together

17
Course List Tips

• Provide information for the following timeframes
  
• courses offered in 2008-2009 and the enrollments
• 2009-2010 courses being offered and enrollments
  (if available)
• 2010-2011 courses to be offered

18
Course List Tips (cont.)

• Double side the Course List
• Include the course number name of course
  instructor credits term undergraduate and
  graduate enrollments
• Include information on cross-listed courses
• Indicate courses that were, are, or will be
  supported with NRC funds
• Specify percentage (25 -100 ) of area or
  international content for each course

19
Course List Tips (cont.)

• If a course title does not allude to the area or
  international content, provide a note to explain
  the content notated for that course

20
Bio Tips

• Begin bio section with an index that lists the
  name, position, department, and appendix page
  number
• 2 Bios to a page
• Full page bio for Project Director
• Double-side pages
• Present bios in a standard format for ease of
  reading

21
Bio Tips (cont.)

• Bios include
• Department and tenure status
• Education (degree, institution, year)
• Academic and related overseas experience
• Language(s) with proficiency indicated (include
  scale and values)

• time dedicated to area or international studies
  
• Area or international courses taught
• Research and teaching specialization
• Recent publications
• Number of dissertations or theses supervised over
  past 5 years
• Distinctions

22
Bio Tips (cont.)

• Make sure the information is up to date
• Do not include personal information such as
  marital status, children, etc.

23
HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ACT(HEOA) AUGUST
2008

• There are provisions in the HEOA that impact
  the regulations for the NRC and FLAS programs.
  The next slides highlight provisions in the law
  that will be integrated into program regulations.
  

24
Two activities are added that define a National
Resource Center

• Supporting instructors of less commonly taught
  languages
• Projects that support students in the
• sciences, technology, engineering, and
  mathematics fields to achieve foreign
• language proficiency

25
Clarifying language regarding outreach has been
added, as well as additional activities

• Partnerships or programs of linkage or outreach
  with state educational agencies or local
  educational agencies
• Partnerships or programs of linkage or outreach
  with departments or agencies of Federal and State
  governments, including Federal or State
  scholarship programs for students in related areas

26
TYPES OF PRIORITIES

• Section 75.105 of the Education Department
  General Education Regulations (EDGAR) authorizes
  the Secretary to establish annual priorities for
  a grant program
• There are three kinds of priorities
• Absolute
• Competitive
• Invitational

27
TYPES OF PRIORITIES (cont.)

• ABSOLUTE priority a specific focus (priority)
  that all applicants must meet under a particular
  program competition
• COMPETITIVE priority a focus (priority) that
  an applicant may be awarded some or all bonus
  points, depending on the extent to which the
  application meets the priority

28
TYPES OF PRIORITIES (cont.)

• INVITATIONAL priority a focus (priority) that
  does not receive additional points and the
  applicant does not have to meet the invitational
  priority as a requirement for submitting an
  application under a given program
• The invitational priority simply invites
  applications that meet the focus (priority)

29
Closing Date Notice (CDN)

• The CDN is the official announcement that invites
  applications under the NRC and FLAS Programs for
  FY 2010
• The CDN (published in the Federal Register)
  includes information about estimated funds, the
  estimated number of grants, the application due
  date, transmittal instructions, selection
  criteria, priorities, and the technical
  requirements for the grant competition

30
Closing Date Notice (cont.)

• The CDN information is official and binding. All
  applicants must adhere to the CDN requirements
• The CDN is included in the NRC and FLAS
  application guidelines
• The application guidelines will be updated for
  OMB approval before the FY 2010 competition