(a) The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the criteria in § 637.32.

(b) 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.

(c) The Secretary gives priority to applicants which have not previously received funding from the program and to previous grantees with a proven record of success, as well as to applications that contribute to achieving balance among funded projects with respect to:

(1) Geographic region;

(2) Academic discipline; and

(3) Project type.