Program specific forms and instructions (separated document)

Instructions for Attachments and ED FIPSE Program Specific Forms

Applicants are reminded that each of the institutions comprising a prospective U.S.- Russian consortium should prepare a common proposal that contains sufficient information and details to allow the evaluators in the United States and Russia to judge the capacity of the consortium to meet the objectives of the U.S.-Russia Program. You and your Russian lead partner should submit (respectively) to FIPSE and the Russian Federation proposals that are identical in content. FIPSE applicants must download the application package found in Grants.gov to complete and submit the application. (Applicants are reminded that all attachments must be in .doc, .rtf., or .pdf format.)

A. ED ABSTRACT FORM. You will attach an overview outlining the key features of the project, including the total number of students from each institution being exchanged over the duration of the project, to this form. The summary should include the following items:

• Title of project.

• Summary of program and project activities.

• List of U.S. and Russian consortium institutions.

• Number of planned bilateral consortium meetings among coordinating institutions and approximate location (note: the Annual Meeting should count as one per year).

B. PROGRAM NARRATIVE ATTACHMENTS FORM. You will attach your project description to this form. In no more than 20 double-spaced pages, you should include an overview that describes the project, its objectives, strategies for achieving those objectives, and for each year of the project, the expected outcomes of the project and how success in achieving those objectives would be measured. Each application should include a well-written evaluation plan aimed at measuring success of the project's activities and outcomes through solid quantitative and qualitative evidence. This plan must be coordinated among partners to ensure that the success being measured is consortia-wide.

PAGE LIMIT:

A “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, reference, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; the one-page resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of commitment. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.

We will reject your application if--

• You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or

• You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.

C. BUDGET NARRATIVE ATTACHMENT FORM. You will attach the budget narrative for each year to this form. The budget narrative should detail all expenses for each year of the life of the project and how they have been determined.

The budget should clearly identify travel costs and other relevant expenses. It should further indicate how much of this budget is being requested from FIPSE and how much is to be covered from other sources. Clearly indicate the breakdown of expenses among the Russian and U.S. consortium members. Where applicable, the narrative must indicate the level of financial support from other public and private sources.

Letters of confirmation from these sources should also be attached to the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form.” For U.S. applicants, the budget figures must be submitted in U.S. dollars.

D. OTHER ATTACHMENTS FORM. You will attach six documents to this form. Attachments will include: (1) ED FIPSE Project Title Form; (2) ED FIPSE Budget Summary Form; (3) ED FIPSE Consortia Partner Identification Form; (4) Personnel Information; (5) Planning Timetable with Outcomes to be Achieved for Each Year of the Project; and (6) Endorsement Letters. Please note: All ED FIPSE forms (i.e., ED FIPSE Project Title, ED FIPSE Budget Summary, and ED FIPSE Consortia Partner Identification) must be attached to the “Other Attachments Form.” To include these forms in your application, you must first save them as Word documents, fill them out, and then attach the saved documents to the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov. The same procedure should be used when providing personnel information, your planning and timetable, and endorsement letters. Be sure to use a .DOC., .RTF, or .PDF format.

ED FIPSE PROJECT TITLE FORM. Complete each item using the guidelines below.

Program: U.S.-Russia Program

Consortium Members -- U.S. Partners:

Enter the name of the lead U.S. Partner after Lead

Enter the name of the U.S. Partner after Partner

Leave the second Partner blank

Consortium Members -- Foreign Partners:

Enter the name of the lead Foreign Partner (for Russia) after Lead

Enter the name of the Foreign Partner (for Russia) after Partner

Leave the second Partner blank

Project Title: Enter the title of the project.

Abstract of Proposal: Enter a brief summary of the project. This should be concise and confined to the space provided, but in no case should you leave this space blank. This description should include the total number of students in each country to be moved during the project.

Select project format: Two-year consortia project.

Federal Funds Requested: Enter the amount of Federal funds being requested from FIPSE in the first year of the project. Enter the amount requested for subsequent years of funding. Under "total" enter the cumulative amount requested for the life of the project.

ED FIPSE BUDGET SUMMARY FORM

1. Program: U.S.-Russia Program.

2. Institution: Enter the Lead (fiscal agent).

3. Name of Institution/Organization: Please fill in name of institution/organization. The Summary Budget Form must list totals for the U.S. lead plus the total of the partners (if any) as subcontracts (in line 7). Please enter amounts in whole dollars. Please attach the budget narrative and a spreadsheet with detailed explanations for lead institution and partners to the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form.” For example, for the salary category, please list the name of the individual and how the salary request is being calculated. Subcontract (partner) budget must be calculated in the budget narrative to be attached to the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form.”

4. Personnel (Salary & Wages): Enter totals for the salaries and wages for the U.S. Lead only.

5. Fringe Benefits (Employee Benefits): Enter totals for the U.S. lead only.

6. Travel: Enter travel costs for the U.S. lead only. There are two major categories of travel—1) the annual program meeting for all projects (fall 2007 in the United States, fall 2008 in Russia) and 2) individual consortium meetings (in the United States or Russia). Travel funds for a second individual consortium meeting in the United States or Russia should also be submitted for each budget year. Other travel costs may be entered as needed.

7. Equipment (Purchase). FIPSE does not typically cover equipment purchases.

8. Supplies (and materials): Enter total for the U.S. lead only.

9. Contractual (enter partner totals here): Enter total for subcontracts with the partner institutions, consulting and evaluation.

10. Other (equipment rental, printing, etc.): Enter totals for the U.S. lead only.

11. Total Direct Cost. Field is calculated automatically.

12. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are limited to items totaled under line 11 (Total Direct Cost). The U.S. Department of Education uses a training rate of 8 percent for grants in the U.S.-Russia Program. The 8 percent training rate applies to all U.S. partners in the consortium.

13. Mobility Stipends: Enter the number of faculty, staff, and/or students from all partners who will be studying abroad and the minimum stipend amount. Mobility stipends are entered only on the U.S. lead /fiscal agent budget. Note: Consistent with EDGAR 75.562, c, and 75.564, stipends are not subject to indirect cost.

14. Language Stipends: Enter the number of students from all partners who will be studying abroad and the minimum stipend amount ($1,000 per individual is recommended). The language stipend may be used in years one and two. This is a “training stipend” and is restricted to student use only. Note: Consistent with EDGAR 75.562, c, and 75.564, stipends are not subject to indirect cost. Language stipends are entered only on the U.S. lead /fiscal agent budget. This is an optional item in the budget.

15. Subtotal of Stipends (lines 13 + 14): Calculate this field.

16. Total requested from FIPSE (lines 11 + 12+ 15) (These figures should appear on the Title Form): Calculate this field.

17. Lead Partner Non-Federal Funds: Enter total funding not requested from FIPSE.

18. Subcontractor(s) Partner Non-Federal Funds: Enter total funding not requested from FIPSE by partner institutions.

19a. Total Requested from Canada: Leave Blank.

19b. Total Requested from Mexico: Leave Blank.

19c. Total Requested from Russia: Enter the dollar amount requested by Russian partners (optional).

19d. Total Requested from Europe: Leave Blank.

Indirect Cost Information:

If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 12, this information is to be completed by your Business Office. (1): Indicate whether or not your organization has an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement that was approved by the federal government. (2): If you checked “yes” in (1), indicate in (2) the beginning and ending dates covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. In addition, indicate whether ED or another federal agency (Other) issued the approved agreement. If you check “Other,” specify the name of the federal agency that issued the approved agreement. (3): If you are applying for a grant under a Restricted Rate Program (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563), indicate whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that is included on your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Note: State or local government agencies may not use the provision for a restricted indirect cost rate specified in 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Check only one response. Leave blank, if this item is not applicable.

ED FIPSE CONSORTIUM PARTNERS IDENTIFICATION FORM

Please submit two completed versions of the consortium partners identification form, one listing the lead and partner institutions in the U.S. and one listing the lead and partner institutions in Russia. These forms serve as identification for all U.S. and foreign partners involved in your consortium, so it is essential that you include both the lead and partner institutions for each country.

TO COMPLETE THE CONSORTIUM PARTNERS IDENTIFICATION FORM:

Fill in the information requested about the partners on the form. (You can copy and paste information to create multiple versions of the form for each partner.)

Please remember to create electronic documents, in .doc, .pdf, or .rtf formats, and attach each of these six (6) documents separately to the “Other Attachments Form.”

(1) ED FIPSE PROJECT TITLE FORM: See above

(2) ED FIPSE BUDGET SUMMARY FORM: See above

(3) ED FIPSE CONSORTIUM PARTNERS IDENTIFICATION FORM: See above

(4) PERSONNEL INFORMATION: You should clearly state the qualifications of the Project Director and the personnel related to the project. Please include in your attachments for the narrative section brief one-page bios, highlighting relevant skills and experience of the personnel. If you must include a résumé, please limit it to fewer than five pages. Only attachments of this information will be considered.

(5) PLANNING TIMETABLE WITH OUTCOMES TO BE ACHIEVED FOR EACH YEAR OF THE PROJECT: Please include a planning chart listing goals and planned outcomes. This chart should fit your evaluation plan. Only timetables that are attached will be considered.

(6) ENDORSEMENT LETTERS: You may attach letters of support from a senior executive officer of each academic partner in the consortium, indicating how this project fits within the academic exchange policy and the international strategy of the institution, and emphasizing what this project will add to that strategy. Other major parties involved in the consortium should also indicate in writing their commitment to this project. Only endorsement letters that are attached will be considered.

Final Notes: U.S. and Russia

These guidelines list key objectives, activities and types of partnerships that help build the strong inter-institutional collaboration necessary for postsecondary educational programs and activities that contribute to meeting the challenges of a global society.

It is important to read these guidelines carefully when developing your proposal. Please remember that the proposed activities and/or programs in a U.S.-Russian consortium must complement each other. To achieve this, you and your Russian partner institution(s) should be developing your common proposal concurrently. Applicants should understand and demonstrate in their proposals the collaborative nature of consortia.

Please note that successful international projects among institutions of higher education need involvement at all levels of the institutions. We suggest you introduce your idea early to your academic administration to ensure their cooperation in developing this program.

A final note for U.S. applicants:

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or use the customer support available on the Web site "http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport"

Application Checklist

Use This Checklist While Preparing Your Application Package: All items listed on this checklist are required.

The Application Package:

- SF-424

- Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424

- ED Abstract Form:

--- Attach Abstract

- Program Narrative Attachments Form:

--- Attach Project Description

- Budget Narrative Attachment Form:

--- Attach Budget Narrative

--- Letters of Confirmation

- Other Attachments Form:

--- ED FIPSE Project Title Form

--- ED FIPSE Budget Summary Form

--- ED FIPSE Consortium Partners Identification Form:

--- Completed two (2) times

--- Personnel Information

--- Planning Timetable

--- Endorsement Letters

- 424B

- Grants.gov Lobbying Form

- GEPA

- Survey Ensuring Equal Opportunity

- SF – LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities