34 CFR §637.31

1. (a)The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the criteria in § 637.32.
2. (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.
3. (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. (1)Geographic region;
   2. (2)Academic discipline; and
   3. (3)Project type.