(a) The Secretary evaluates an application for a Group Project Abroad on the basis of the criteria in § 664.31. The Secretary informs applicants of the maximum possible score for each criterion in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register.

(b) All selections by the Secretary are subject to review and final approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

(c) The Secretary does not recommend a project to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board if the applicant proposes to carry it out in a country in which the United States does not have diplomatic representation.

The Secretary uses the criteria in this section to evaluate applications for the purpose of recommending to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Group Projects Abroad for funding under this part.

(a) Plan of operation. (1) The Secretary reviews each application for information to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) High quality in the design of the project;

(ii) An effective plan of management that insures proper and efficient administration of the project;

(iii) A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program;

(iv) The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and

(v) A clear description of how the applicant will ensure that project participants who are otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapping condition.

(b) Quality of key personnel. (1) The Secretary reviews each application for information to determine the quality of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The qualifications of the project director;

(ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be used in the project;

(iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section will commit to the project; and

(iv) The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapping condition.

(3) To determine the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers evidence of past experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project as well as other information that the applicant provides.

(c) Budget and cost effectiveness. (1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the project has an adequate budget and is cost effective.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and

(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.

(d) Evaluation plan. (1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows the quality of the evaluation plan for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows that the methods of evaluation are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable.

(e) Adequacy of resources. (1) The Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows that the facilities, equipment, and supplies that the applicant plans to use are adequate.

(f) Specific program criteria. (1) In addition to the general selection criteria contained in this section, the Secretary reviews each application for information that shows that the project meets the specific program criteria.

(2) The Secretary looks for information that shows—

(i) The potential impact of the project on the development of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in American education.

(ii) The project's relevance to the applicant's educational goals and its relationship to its program development in modern foreign languages and area studies.

(iii) The extent to which direct experience abroad is necessary to achieve the project's objectives and the effectiveness with which relevant host country resources will be utilized.

(g) Priorities. The Secretary looks for information that shows the extent to which the project addresses program priorities in the field of modern foreign languages and area studies for that year.

(a) The Secretary may establish for each funding competition one or more of the following priorities:

(1) Categories of projects described in § 664.10.

(2) Specific languages, topics, countries or geographic regions of the world; for example, Chinese and Arabic, Curriculum Development in Multicultural Education and Transitions from Planned Economies to Market Economies, Brazil and Nigeria, Middle East and South Asia.

(3) Levels of education; for example, elementary and secondary, postsecondary, or postgraduate.

(b) The Secretary announces any priorities in the application notice published in the Federal Register.

(a) The Secretary pays only part of the cost of a project funded under this part. Other than travel costs, the Secretary does not pay any of the costs for project-related expenses within the United States.

(b) The Secretary pays the cost of the following—

(1) A maintenance stipend related to the cost of living in the host country or countries;

(2) Round-trip international travel;

(3) A local travel allowance for necessary project-related transportation within the country of study, exclusive of the purchase of transportation equipment;

(4) Purchase of project-related artifacts, books, and other teaching materials in the country of study;

(5) Rent for instructional facilities in the country of study;

(6) Clerical and professional services performed by resident instructional personnel in the country of study; and

(7) Other expenses in the country of study, if necessary for the project's success and approved in advance by the Secretary.

(c) The Secretary may pay—

(1) Emergency medical expenses not covered by a participant's health and accident insurance; and

(2) The costs of preparing and transporting the remains of a participant who dies during the term of a project to his or her former home.