Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): International Foreign Language Education (IFLE): Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.022A

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 10, 2023, we published the NIA for the 2023 DDRA competition in the Federal Register (88 FR 8832). This NIA established selection criteria for the 2023 competition in accordance with 34 CFR 662.21. Consistent with 34 CFR 662.21(c)(3), among these was selection criterion (b)(3), Qualifications of the applicant. Under selection criterion (b)(3), the Secretary would consider ``[t]he applicant's proficiency in one or more of the languages (other than English and the applicant's native language) of the country or countries of research, and the specific measures to be taken to overcome any anticipated language barriers'' for a total of 1 point. On March 24, 2023, the Western District Court of Texas in the matter of Lujan v. Cardona, No. 3:22-CV-00158-DCG, ECF No. 37, granted in part a preliminary injunction, which ``vacates 34 CFR 662.21(c)(3) as to all 2023 Fulbright-Hays Fellowship applicants until the Court reaches a merits decision in this case or the U.S. Department of Education publishes a final rule amending 34 CFR 662.21(c)(3).'' Subsequently, on April 3, 2023, the Court amended its order to clarify ``that its injunction applies only insofar as the Foreign Language Criterion prohibited considering an applicant's native language skills'' Lujan, ECF No. 40. As a result, the Department is amending the selection criteria for the 2023 DDRA competition, such that selection criterion (b)(3) allows native speakers to receive points for conducting research projects in any language in which they have proficiency, other than English. Additionally, the Department is increasing the number of points associated with selection criterion (b)(3) from 1 point to 10 points, and the number of points allocated to selection criterion (b) from 26 points to 35 points. -

Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information.

For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022.

Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship Program provides opportunities for doctoral students to engage in dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States.

Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.022A.

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically unless an IHE qualifies for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Submit applications for grants under the Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.022A, electronically using the G5 system, accessible through the Department's G5 site at: www.G5.gov. While completing the electronic application, both the IHE and the doctoral student applicant will be entering data online that will be saved into a database. Neither the IHE nor the doctoral student applicant may email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.