[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15545-15546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7415]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.116P]


Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education Special Focus 
Competition: Disseminating Proven Reforms; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995

    Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative 
agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or 
combinations of such institutions and other public and private 
nonprofit educational institutions and agencies.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 1995.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 24, 1995.
    Applications Available: March 24, 1995.
    Available Funds: $1,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Wards: $60,000-$90,000 for two years.
    Estimated Average size of Awards: $85,000 for two years.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR Part 
630, with the exception noted in 34 CFR 630.4a(2).

Priorities

Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), 34 CFR 630.12 and 34 CFR 630.11(a), the 
Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet the 
following priority. The Secretary funds under this competition only 
applications that meet this absolute priority:
    Projects that respond to immediate problems or issues and that seek 
to improve postsecondary education opportunities.

Invitational Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) and 34 CFR 630.11(b)(1), the Secretary is 
particularly interested in applications that meet the following 
invitational priority. However, an application that meets this 
invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications.
    Institutions with innovative postsecondary projects that became 
integrated into the administrative structure of the institution between 
1988 and 1994 and that are expected to continue into the foreseeable 
future, are invited to apply for funds to disseminate their practices 
to other campuses.

Selection Criteria

    In evaluating applications for grants under this program 
competition, the Secretary uses the following selection criteria chosen 
from those listed in 34 CFR 630.32:
    (a) Significance for Postsecondary Education. The Secretary reviews 
each proposed project for its significance in improving postsecondary 
education by determining the extent to which it would--
    (1) Achieve the purposes of the particular program competition as 
referenced in 34 CFR 630.11; [[Page 15546]] 
    (2) Address the program priorities for the particular program 
competition;
    (3) Address an important problem or need;
    (4) Represent an improvement upon, or important departure from, 
existing practice;
    (5) Involve learner-centered improvements;
    (6) Achieve far-reaching impact through improvements that will be 
useful in a variety of ways and in a variety of settings; and
    (7) Increase the cost-effectiveness of services.
    (b) Feasibility. The Secretary reviews each proposed project for 
its feasibility by determining the extent to which--
    (1) The proposed project represents an appropriate response to the 
problem or need addressed;
    (2) The applicant is capable of carrying out the proposed project, 
as evidenced by, for example--
    (i) The applicant's understanding of the problem or need;
    (ii) The quality of the project design, including objectives, 
approaches, and evaluation plan;
    (iii) The adequacy of resources, including money, personnel, 
facilities, equipment, and supplies;
    (iv) The qualifications of key personnel who would conduct the 
project; and
    (v) The applicant's relevant prior experience;
    (3) The applicant and any other participating organizations are 
committed to the success of the proposed project, as evidence by, for 
example--
    (i) Contribution of resources by the applicant and by participating 
organizations;
    (ii) Their prior work in the area; and
    (iii) The potential for continuation of the proposed project beyond 
the period of funding (unless the project would be self-terminating); 
and
    (4) The proposed project demonstrates potential for dissemination 
to or adaptation by other organizations, and shows evidence of interest 
by potential users.
    (c) Appropriateness of funding projects. The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine whether support of the proposed project by the 
Secretary is appropriate in terms of availability of other funding 
sources for the proposed activities.
    In accordance with 630.32, the Secretary announces the methods that 
will be used in applying the selection criteria.
    The Secretary gives equal weight to the selection criteria on 
significance, feasibility, and appropriateness. Within each of these 
criteria, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the subcriteria 
listed above. In applying the criteria, the Secretary first analyzes a 
preapplication or application in terms of each individual criterion and 
subscription. The Secretary then bases the final judgment of an 
application on an overall assessment of the degree to which the 
applicant addresses all selection criteria.

For Applications or Information Contact
    Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. 
Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 3100, ROB-
3, Washington, DC 20202-5175. Telephone: (202) 708-5750 between the 
hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday, to 
order applications or for information. Individuals may request 
applications by submitting their name and postal mailing address to the 
e-mail address #FIPSE@ED GOV. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday.
    Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including 
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can 
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board), 
telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server at 
GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases). 
However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant 
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135a-3.

    Dated: March 20, 1995.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 95-7415 Filed 3-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M