[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 54 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13506-13512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7018]
[[Page 13505]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VII
Department of Housing and Urban Development
_______________________________________________________________________
Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) Funding Availability, FY
1997; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 /
Notices
[[Page 13506]]
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4187-N-01]
Fiscal Year 1997 Notice of Funding Availability for Community
Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC)
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and
Research, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year 1997.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the availability of Fiscal Year 1997
funding to make grants to establish and operate Community Outreach
Partnership Centers (COPC).
Available funding. Approximately $7.5 million to implement the
fourth year of this demonstration program.
Eligible applicants. Public and private nonprofit institutions of
higher education.
Purpose. To assist in establishing or carrying out research and
outreach activities addressing the problems of urban areas. Funding
under this demonstration program shall be used to establish and operate
Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC).
The NOFA contains information concerning: (1) the principal
objectives of the competition, the funding available, eligible
applicants and activities and factors for award; (2) the application
process, including how to apply and how selections will be made; and
(3) a checklist of application submission requirements.
DATES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBTAINING APPLICATIONS: Application kits may
be requested on or after March 25, 1997.
Applications must be physically received by the Office of
University Partnerships, in care of the Division of Budget, Contracts,
and Program Control, in Room 8230 by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on
June 19, 1997. Facsimiles of applications will not be accepted. The
above-stated application deadline is firm as to date, hour and place.
In the interest of fairness to all competing applicants, the Department
will treat as ineligible for consideration any application that is
received after the deadline. Applicants should take this practice into
account and make early submission of their materials to avoid any risk
of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated delays or other
delivery-related problems. Applicants hand-delivering applications are
advised that considerable delays may occur in attempting to enter the
building because of security procedures.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the application kit, contact: HUD USER,
ATTN: COPC, P.O. Box 6091, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Requests for
application kits must be in writing, but requests may be faxed to: 301-
251-5747 (this is not a toll-free number). Requests for application
kits must include the applicant's name, mailing address (including zip
code), telephone number (including area code) and must refer to
``Document FR-4187.'' The application kit is also available on the
Internet from the Office of University Partnerships Clearinghouse. The
Clearinghouse can be accessed from the World Wide Web at: http://
oup.org; or from a Gopher Server at: gopher://oup.org:89
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Karadbil, Office of University
Partnerships in the Office of Policy Development and Research,
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, S.W.,
Room 8110 Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 708-1537. Hearing or
speech-impaired individuals may call HUD's TTY number (202) 708-0770,
or 1-800-877-8399 (Federal Information Relay service TTY). Other than
the ``800'' number, these are not toll-free numbers. Ms. Karadbil can
also be contacted via the Internet at
Jane__R.__K[email protected]. An information broadcast via satellite will
be held on April 30, 1997 for potential applicants to learn more about
the program and preparation of an application. For more information
about attending the broadcast, please contact Ms. Karadbil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The information collection requirements contained in this notice
have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520) and assigned
OMB control number 2528-0180. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and
a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information
unless the collection displays a valid control number.
Promoting Comprehensive Approaches to Housing and Community
Development
HUD is interested in promoting comprehensive, coordinated
approaches to housing and community development. Economic development,
community development, public housing revitalization, homeownership,
assisted housing for special needs populations, supportive services,
and welfare-to-work initiatives can work better if linked at the local
level. Toward this end, the Department in recent years has developed
the Consolidated Planning process designed to help communities
undertake such approaches.
In this spirit, it may be helpful for applicants under this NOFA to
be aware of other related HUD NOFAs that have recently been published
or are expected to be published in this fiscal year. By reviewing these
NOFAs with respect to their program purposes and the eligibility of
applicants and activities, applicants may be able to relate the
activities proposed for funding under this NOFA to the recent and
upcoming NOFAs and to the community's Consolidated Plan. Attached to
this NOFA, as Appendix A, is a list of HUD's NOFAs that the Department
has published or expects to publish this fiscal year.
To foster comprehensive, coordinated approaches by communities, the
Department intends for the remainder of FY 1997 to continue to alert
applicants of HUD's NOFA activity. In addition, a complete schedule of
NOFAs to be published during the fiscal year and those already
published appears under the HUD Homepage on the Internet, which can be
accessed at http://www.hud.gov/nofas.html. Additional steps to better
coordinated HUD's NOFAs are being considered for FY 1998.
To help in obtaining a copy of your community's Consolidated Plan,
please contact the community development office of your municipal
government.
I. Purpose and Substantive Description
A. Authority
This competition is authorized under the Community Outreach
Partnership Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 5307 note; hereafter referred to as
the ``COPC Act''). The COPC Act is contained in section 851 of the
Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (Pub.L. 102-550, approved
October 28, 1992) (HCD Act of 1992). Section 801(c) of the HCD Act of
1992 authorizes $7.5 million for each year of the 5-year demonstration
to create Community Outreach Partnership Centers as authorized in the
COPC Act. The COPC Act also required HUD to establish a national
clearinghouse to disseminate information resulting from research and
outreach conducted at the centers.
COPC is administered by the Office of University Partnerships (OUP)
in the Office of Policy Development and Research. OUP is responsible
for five of the Department's grant programs for institutions of higher
education--Community Outreach Partnership Centers program, Joint
Community
[[Page 13507]]
Development program, Community Development Work Study program,
Hispanic-serving Institutions Work Study program, and the Doctoral
Dissertation Grant program. In addition, OUP is responsible for a
variety of new outreach initiatives to involve these institutions in
local community development, public housing, and revitalization
partnerships.
B. Allocation and Form of Award
The competition in this NOFA is for up to $7.5 million to fund the
fourth year of the COPC program authorized as indicated above.
Under this NOFA, HUD will fund two kinds of grants--New Grants and
Institutionalization Grants. New Grants will be awarded to institutions
of higher education to begin or expand their applied research and
outreach activities. Institutionalization Grants will be awarded to
certain COPC grantees to help ensure that their COPC activities are
institutionalized as an integral part of the teaching, research, and
service missions of their colleges and universities. There will be two
separate competitions within this year's funding. To institutionalize
their COPC functions, up to $1.4 million will be set-aside for a
competition among the grantees awarded two-year grants in FY 1995. Up
to $6.1 million will be used to fund new COPC grantees. HUD has
administratively determined that FY 1995 grantees are only eligible for
Institutionalization Grants, not for New Grants. (FY 1994 and FY 1996
COPC grantees are not eligible for either kind of grant, nor are
universities that received Joint Community Development Program grants.)
If any funds set-aside for Institutionalization Grants are not awarded,
they will be used instead as part of the funding for New Grantees,
funding these grantees in rank order based on the rating factors.
(Program requirements for Institutionalization Grants are the same as
for New Grants, except as noted in Section IV of this NOFA, below.) It
is estimated that approximately 15 COPC awards to new grantees can be
made with the $6.1 million available.
Each New Grant will be for a three-year period of performance
(i.e., applicants must complete their proposed activities within three
years). The maximum size of any New Grant will be $400,000, while the
minimum will be $250,000. Both amounts are over the three year grant
period. Applicants must submit an application within this range or they
will be disqualified. Several applicants were disqualified last year
because they asked for $400,000 for each of the three years of the
grant period. Each Institutionalization Grant will be for a one-year
period, with a maximum grant size of $100,000. Applicants for
Institutionalization Grants will be disqualified if they request more
than the maximum allowable amount.
C. Description of Competition
The Congress has mandated that the Department carry out ``a 5-year
demonstration to determine the feasibility of facilitating partnerships
between institutions of higher education and communities to solve urban
problems through research, outreach and the exchange of information.''
The COPC Act stipulates that grants are to go to public and private
institutions of higher education to establish and operate COPCs. These
COPCs shall: ``(A) Conduct competent and qualified research and
investigation on theoretical or practical problems in large and small
cities; and (B) Facilitate partnerships and outreach activities between
institutions of higher education, local communities, and local
governments to address urban problems.''
Grants under the COPC program must focus on the following specific
problems: ``problems associated with housing, economic development,
neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care, job training,
education, crime prevention, planning, community organizing, and other
areas deemed appropriate by the Secretary.''
Furthermore, the COPC Act states: ``The Secretary shall give
preference to institutions of higher education that undertake research
and outreach activities by bringing together knowledge and expertise in
the various social science and technical disciplines that relate to
urban problems.''
COPC programs must combine research with outreach, work with
communities and local governments and address the multi-dimensional
problems that beset urban areas. Single purpose applications are not
eligible. Applications must be multifaceted and address three or more
urban problems, as described in selection factor #1. The scope of
applications for Institutionalization Grants is covered elsewhere
below.
To be most effective during the term of the demonstration, the
funded research must have a clear near-term potential for solving
specific, significant urban problems. The selected institutions must
have the capacity to apply their research results and to work with
communities and local institutions, including neighborhood groups, in
applying these results to specific real-life urban problems.
The five key concepts of the COPC program are:
(1) The program should provide outreach, technical assistance,
applied research, and empowerment to neighborhoods and neighborhood-
based organizations based on what the residents decide is needed, not
based on what the institution thinks is appropriate for that
neighborhood;
(2) Community-based organizations should be partners with the
institutions throughout the life of the project, from planning to
implementation;
(3) The applied research should be related to the outreach
activities and be usable in these activities within the grant period or
shortly after it ends, rather than research without practical
application;
(4) The assistance to neighborhoods should be provided primarily by
the faculty, students, or to a limited extent, by neighborhood
residents or community-based organizations funded by the university;
and
(5) The program should be part of the institution's broader effort
to meet its urban mission, and be supported by senior officials, rather
than just the work of a few faculty members. Proposed activities should
not duplicate those of other entities in the community and should be
appropriate for an institution of higher education to undertake in
light of its teaching, research, and service missions.
D. Eligible Applicants
Applicants for this competition must be public or private nonprofit
institutions of higher education granting two-or four-year degrees and
accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by
the U.S. Department of Education. Consortia of eligible institutions
may apply, as long as one institution is designated the lead applicant.
Each institution may be part of only one consortium or submit only one
application or it will be disqualified. HUD will hold an institution
responsible for ensuring that neither it nor any part of the
institution, including specific faculty, participates in more than one
application. Applicants must submit proposals that address the problems
of urban areas (see rating factor 1, for further enumeration of these
problems).
Different campuses of the same university system are eligible to
apply, even if one campus has already received COPC funding. Such
campuses are eligible as separate applicants only if they have
administrative and budgeting
[[Page 13508]]
structures independent of other campuses in the system.
E. Program Requirements
Grantees must meet the following program requirements:
1. Responsibilities. In accordance with section 851(h) of the HCD
Act of 1992, each COPC shall:
``(a) Employ the research and outreach resources of its sponsoring
institution of higher education to solve specific urban problems
identified by communities served by the Center;
(b) Establish outreach activities in areas identified in the grant
application as the communities to be served;
(c) Establish a community advisory committee comprised of
representatives of local institutions and residents of the communities
to be served to assist in identifying local needs and advise on the
development and implementation of strategies to address those issues;
(d) Coordinate outreach activities in communities to be served by
the Center;
(e) Facilitate public service projects in the communities served by
the Center;
(f) Act as a clearinghouse for dissemination of information;
(g) Develop instructional programs, convene conferences, and
provide training for local community leaders, when appropriate; and
(h) Exchange information with other Centers.
The clearinghouse function in (f) above refers to a local or
regional clearinghouse for dissemination of information and is separate
and distinct from the functions in (h) above, which relate to the
provision of information to the University Partnerships Clearinghouse,
which is the national clearinghouse for the program.
2. Cap on Research Costs. No more than 25 percent of the total
project costs (Federal share plus match) can be spent on research
activities.
3. Match. Grantees must meet the following match requirements.
Note, as shown in the selection factors (II.A.(2)), applicants will
receive points for providing matching funds above those required.
(a) Research Activities. 50 percent of the total project costs of
establishing and operating research activities.
(b) Outreach Activities. 25 percent of the total project costs of
establishing and operating outreach activities.
This non-Federal share may include cash or the value of non-cash
contributions, equipment and other allowable in-kind contributions as
detailed in 24 CFR Part 84, and in particular Section 84.23 entitled
``cost sharing or matching.''
In order to avoid confusion about the calculation of the match, an
example is provided.
Assume that the total project cost for a COPC was $500,000, with
$125,000 for research and $375,000 for outreach. Note that this project
meets the requirement that no more than one-quarter of the total
project costs be for research. The total amount of the required match
would be $156,250. The research match would be $62,500 ($125,000 x 50
percent) and the outreach match would be $93,750 ($375,000 x 25
percent). The Federal grant requested would be $343,750 ($500,000 minus
the match of $156,250). In calculating the match, administrative costs
should be applied to the appropriate attributable outreach or research
component.
4. Administrative. The grant will be governed by the provision of
24 CFR Part 84 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher
Education, Hospitals and other Nonprofit Organizations), A-122 (Cost
Principles for Nonprofit Organizations), and A-133 (Audits of
Institutions of Higher Education and other Nonprofit Institutions), as
implemented at 24 CFR part 45. No more than 20% of the Federal grant
funds may be used for planning and program administrative costs.
Overhead costs directly related to carrying out activities under
research and outreach need not be considered planning and program
administrative costs, since those costs are eligible under that
section. The 20% limitation imposed under this program applies only to
Federal funds received through this grant, not to matching funds.
F. Eligible Activities
Eligible activities include:
1. Research activities which have practical application for solving
specific problems in designated communities and neighborhoods,
including evaluation of the effectiveness of the outreach activities.
Such activities may not total more than one-quarter of the total
project costs contained in any grant made under this NOFA (including
the required 50 percent match).
2. Outreach, technical assistance and information exchange
activities which are designed to address specific urban problems in
designated communities and neighborhoods. Such activities must total no
less than three-quarters of the total project costs contained in any
grant made under this NOFA (including the required 25 percent match).
Examples of outreach activities include, but are not limited to:
(a) Job training and other training projects, such as workshops,
seminars and one-on-one and on-the-job training;
(b) Design of community strategies to resolve urban problems of
communities and neighborhoods;
(c) Innovative use of funds to provide direct technical expertise
and assistance to local community groups and residents to assist them
in resolving local problems such as homelessness, housing
discrimination, and impediments to fair housing choice;
(d) Technical assistance in business start-up activities for low-
and moderate-income individuals and organizations, including business
start-up training and technical expertise and assistance, mentor
programs, assistance in developing small loan funds, business
incubators, etc;
(e) Technical assistance to local public housing authorities on
welfare-to-work initiatives and physical transformations of public or
assisted housing;
(f) Assistance to communities to improve consolidated housing and
community development plans and remove impediments to design and
implementation of such plans; and
(g) Assistance to communities to improve the fair housing planning
process.
3. Funds for faculty development including paying for course time
or summer support to enable faculty members to work on the COPC.
4. Funds for stipends for students (which cannot cover tuition and
fees) when they are working on the COPC.
5. Activities to carry out the ``Responsibilities'' listed under
Section I.E.1 of this NOFA. These activities may include leases for
office space in which to house the Community Outreach Partnership
Center, under the following conditions:
a. The lease must be for existing facilities;
b. No repairs or renovations of the property may be undertaken with
Federal funds; and
c. Properties in the Coastal Barrier Resource System designated
under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501) cannot be
leased with Federal funds.
G. Ineligible Activities
Grants funds cannot be used for:
1. Research activities which have no clear and immediate practical
application for solving urban problems or do not address specific
problems in designated communities and neighborhoods.
2. Any type of construction, rehabilitation, or other physical
development costs.
3. Costs used for routine operations and day-to-day administration
of regular
[[Page 13509]]
programs of institutions of higher education, local governments or
neighborhood groups.
II. Rating Factors/Selection Process for New Grantees
A. Rating Factors
HUD will use the following criteria to rate and rank applications
for New Grants received in response to this NOFA. Several modifications
have been made to the factors, as they were issued last year. These
modifications are described below. Selection factors for
Institutionalization Grants are described below in Section IV of this
NOFA.
The factors and maximum points for each factor are provided below.
The maximum number of points is 100.
Rating of the ``applicant'' or the ``applicant's organization and
staff,'' unless otherwise specified, will include any sub-contractors,
consultants and sub-recipients which are firmly committed to the
project.
(1) (5 points) The demonstrated research and outreach resources
available to the applicant for carrying out the purposes of the COPC
Act. In rating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which the
applicant's organization and staff have recent, relevant and successful
experience in:
(a) Undertaking research activities in specific communities which
have clear near-term potential for practical application to significant
urban problems associated with affordable housing, fair housing,
economic development, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure,
health care, job training, education, crime prevention, planning and
community organizing, and
(b) Undertaking outreach activities in specific communities to
solve or ameliorate significant urban problems. Under this factor, HUD
will also evaluate the capability of the applicant to provide
leadership in solving community problems and in making national
contributions to solving long-term and immediate urban problems. In
assessing this factor, HUD will look at past and current relevant
projects of the applicant with community-based organizations or local
governments.
(2) (10 points) The demonstrated commitment of the applicant to
supporting research and outreach programs by providing matching
contributions for the Federal assistance received. In rating this
factor, HUD will provide an increasing number of points for increasing
amounts of contributions beyond the statutory 50 percent for research
and 25 percent for outreach, up to a maximum of five points. Maximum
points will be awarded for applications that secure 50 percent more
than the amount of match required. Because the Department is interested
in promoting the institutionalization of COPC projects, up to an
additional five points will be awarded for the extent to which matching
funds are provided from sources other than the applicant (e.g., funds
from the city, including CDBG, other State or local government
agencies, public or private organizations, or foundations). Factor 7
has been reduced by five points to compensate for the points added to
this factor.
(3) (10 points) The extent of need in the communities to be served
by the applicant. The applicant must demonstrate that it is serving
areas with substantial low-income populations, low standards of living,
and large numbers of empty or abandoned dwellings. HUD will consider
the extent to which the proposal clearly delineates a need or needs in
the specific communities or neighborhoods, that can be resolved through
the activities of a COPC. The applicant must demonstrate how these
needs were determined and how the COPC will help resolve these needs.
The applicant should demonstrate a strong familiarity (based on
sufficient investigation) with the existing and planned efforts of
government agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based
institutions, for-profit firms and any other entities to address such
needs in the communities to be served, and should demonstrate that the
applicant can cost-effectively complement any such efforts to attain
measurable impacts.
(4) (5 points) The demonstrated ability of the applicant to
disseminate results of research and successful strategies developed
through outreach activities to other COPCs and communities served
through this demonstration program. In rating this factor, HUD will
evaluate the past experience of the applicant's staff and the scope and
the quality of the applicant's proposal to disseminate information on
COPC research results and strategies to: (a) local communities in its
area and (b) other communities and COPCs through the OUP Clearinghouse.
(5) (35 points) The projects and activities that the applicant
proposes to carry out under the grant. This factor has three sub-
factors: (a) effectiveness of the research strategy (5 points); (b)
effectiveness of the outreach strategy (15 points); and (c) work on
specific HUD priority activities (15 points).
(a) In rating the effectiveness of the research strategy, HUD will
consider:
(i) The extent to which the applicant's proposal outlines a clear
research agenda, based on a thorough familiarity with existing research
on the subject, that can be successfully carried out within the grant
period. (The applicant should demonstrate that the proposed research
builds on existing research in the field and does not duplicate
research previously completed, or currently underway, by others.); and
(ii) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates how the
research to be undertaken will fit into the outreach strategy and
activities. For example, an applicant proposing to study the extent of
housing abandonment in a neighborhood and then designing a plan for
reusing this housing would be able to demonstrate the link between the
proposed research and outreach strategies.
(b) In rating the effectiveness of the outreach strategy factor,
HUD will consider the extent to which:
(i) The application identifies a clear outreach agenda related to
locally-identified needs that can be successfully carried out within
the period of this grant. In assessing this sub-factor, HUD will look
at whether the agenda includes specific projects, based on the needs
identified in Selection Factor 3, with time lines within the grant
period.
(ii) The outreach agenda includes design or strengthening and
implementation of a community strategy to resolve community and
neighborhood problems. Applicants will be expected to have involved the
community in designing the strategy and to identify an agenda that they
have already worked with the community to design. Applicants should
refer to concepts 1 and 2 of the key concepts of the program, under
Section I.C., to understand the kinds of community strategy HUD would
fund.
(iii) There is a plan for involving the university in the execution
of the outreach strategy; and
(iv) The outreach program provides for on-site or a frequent
presence in the communities and neighborhoods to be assisted through
outreach activities.
(c) (15 points) HUD Priority Areas.
(i) If all of the applicant's research and outreach agenda is to be
in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community, five (5) points will be
awarded.
(ii) If some of an applicant's research and outreach agenda is
related to public housing transformation, HUD-assisted distressed
housing, or Campus of Learners/Neighborhood Networks, five (5) points
will be awarded. These
[[Page 13510]]
programs are described in more detail in the application kit.
In awarding points for these two sub-factors, HUD will look for
evidence of participation, including letters from the responsible
entities describing the relationship and work to be undertaken. The
level of work to be devoted to these priority areas will be based on
the percentage of the COPC grant and matching funds proposed to be
spent on them.
(iii) If some of the applicant's work is on activities that
affirmatively further fair housing, for example: (a) overcoming
impediments to fair housing, such as discrimination in the sale or
rental of housing or in advertising, provision of brokerage services,
or lending; (b) promoting fair housing through the expansion of
homeownership opportunities and improved quality of city services for
minorities, families with children, and persons with disabilities; or
(c) providing mobility counseling, five (5) points will be awarded.
(6) (15 points) The extent of neighborhood and neighborhood based
organization and local government participation in the planning and
implementation of the COPC. The points for this factor have been
increased from 10 points in last year's NOFA to reflect the addition of
subfactor (d). In rating this factor, HUD will consider whether:
(a) One or more community advisory committees, meeting the tests of
sub-factors (b) and (c) immediately below, comprised of representatives
of local institutions and a balance of the race, ethnic, disability
status, gender and income of residents of the communities to be served
has been or will be formed to participate in identifying local needs to
be addressed by the COPC and to form a partnership with the COPC to
develop and implement strategies to address those needs. Applicants
will be expected to demonstrate that they have already formed such a
committee(s) or secured the commitment of the appropriate persons to
serve on the committee(s), rather than just describing generally the
types of persons whose involvement they will seek.
(b) There is a plan for involving the community advisory
committee(s) in the execution of the research and outreach agenda; and
(c) The outreach agenda includes training projects for local
community leaders, for example, to increase their capacity to direct
their organizations or undertake various kinds of community development
projects.
(d) The research and outreach plans show evidence of consultation
and collaboration with the appropriate local government. This subfactor
has been added in order to ensure that COPC activities are part of the
broader plans a city has for the neighborhoods affected by the
application.
(7) (20 points) The extent to which the proposed COPC will result
in the COPC function and activities becoming part of the urban mission
of the institution. In reviewing this factor, HUD will consider the
extent to which the COPC activities relate to the institution's urban
mission, are part of a climate that rewards faculty and student work on
these activities, and are reflected in course work. HUD will also look
at the extent to which these activities are supported at the highest
levels of institutional leadership.
B. Selection Process for New Grantees
Applications for funding under this NOFA will be evaluated
competitively and points will be awarded as specified in the Rating
Factors section described above. After assigning points based upon the
factors all applications will be listed in rank order. Applications
will then be funded in rank order until all available funds have been
expended. However, in order to be funded, an applicant must receive a
minimum score of 70. HUD reserves the right to fund all or portions of
the proposed activities identified in each application, based upon the
eligibility of the proposed activities.
If two or more applications have the same number of points, the
application with the most points for rating factor (7) shall be
selected. If there is still a tie, the application with the most points
for rating factor (6) shall be selected.
If the amount remaining after funding as many of the highest
ranking applications as possible is insufficient for the next highest
ranking application, HUD shall determine (based upon the proposed
activities) if it is feasible to fund part of the application and offer
a smaller grant to the applicant. If HUD determines that given the
proposed activities a smaller grant amount would render the activities
infeasible, or if the applicant turns down the reduced grant amount,
HUD shall make the same determination for the next highest ranking
application until all applications with scores of at least 70 points or
available funds have been exhausted.
C. Geographic Distribution
HUD reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to
provide for a geographic distribution of funded COPCs. The approach HUD
will use, if it decides to implement this option, will be based on
combining two adjacent standard HUD regions (e.g., Southwest and
Southeast Regions, Great Plains and Midwest Regions, etc.) If the rank
order does not yield at least one fundable COPC within each combined
region, then HUD may select the highest ranking application from such a
combination, as long as the minimum score of 70 is achieved.
It is HUD's intent to fund at least one eligible applicant (see
Section I.D. of this NOFA) that serves the colonias, as defined by
Section 916(d) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act, as long as the applicant receives a minimum score of 70.
III. Application Content and Review Process
Applicants must complete and submit applications in accordance with
instructions contained in the application kit and must include all
certifications, assurances, and budget information requested in the
kit. Following the expiration of the application submission deadline,
HUD will review and rank applications in a manner consistent with the
procedures described in this Notice.
IV. Program and Application Requirements for Institutionalization
Grants
(a) General Requirements. All requirements of Parts I and III of
this NOFA apply also to this part unless otherwise herein noted. The
maximum size of any Institutionalization Grant will be $100,000, and
grant requests shall not exceed this amount. The term of the grant will
be for one year. If the grantee proposes entirely new activities, it
may conduct activities under both grants, until funds from both are
fully expended. If the applicant proposes continuation of current
activities, it must expend all the funds under the current grant before
expending any new funds under an Institutionalization Grant. Current
grantees may request a no-cost extension from HUD if necessary to
finish expending all their FY 1995 grant funds.
(b) Eligible Applicants. Only institutions awarded COPC grants in
FY 1995 are eligible for Institutionalization Grants. These grantees
are not eligible for New Grants. Institutionalization Grants to current
grantees will be for a one-year period. Current COPC grantees that
received grants as consortia must apply again as consortia, with all
current member institutions participating in the proposed
Institutionalization Grant, and with the same lead applicant as in
their current COPC.
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(c) Eligible Activities. Instead of proposing a range of activities
to be undertaken, applicants should propose activities that will bring
their COPC projects to a successful conclusion or could result in
securing funding to continue either current or new COPC activities from
other sources, such as local governments or foundations.
(d) Rating Factors/Selection Process.
(i) Rating Factors. The selection factors contained in Section
II.A. of this NOFA have been modified. Applicants will be required to
meet three selection factors (which are simply consolidations of the
factors used for new grantees), summarized as ``Past Performance,''
``Proposed Activities,'' and ``Potential for Institutionalization.''
Each factor and the maximum points assigned to it are described below:
((a)) (30 points) The demonstrated past performance of the
applicant, as measured by: the research and outreach resources made
available to the applicant under the current COPC grant; the ability of
the applicant to provide local leadership and disseminate results of
the grant; and the effectiveness of the activities undertaken in the
grant.
((b)) (30 points) The effectiveness of the proposed research and
outreach activities, as measured by: need for the activities;
involvement of the community in these activities; demonstrated
commitment of the application by providing a matching contribution; and
likelihood that these activities can be successfully carried out within
the grant period.
((c)) (40 points) The potential of the proposed outreach strategy
to ensure institutionalization of the COPC functions at the college or
university, as measured by the extent to which the proposed COPC
functions will become an integral part of the teaching, research and
urban service mission of the institution and the extent to which the
COPC activities are supported by the highest levels of institutional
leadership. In reviewing this factor, HUD will consider the extent to
which the COPC activities are part of and will enhance a broader set of
existing or planned activities and will foster a culture that rewards
faculty and student work on these activities.
(ii) Selection Process. An applicant must receive a score of at
least 70 points in order to be funded. Applications will be rated but
not ranked. There is sufficient funding for all eligible applications.
Applications requesting over $100,000 will be ineligible.
V. Corrections to Deficient Applications
After the submission deadline date, HUD will screen each
application to determine whether it is complete. If an application
lacks certain technical items or contains a technical error, such as an
incorrect signatory, HUD will notify the applicant in writing that it
has 14 calendar days from the date of HUD's written notification to
cure the technical deficiency. If the applicant fails to submit the
missing material within the 14-day cure period, HUD may disqualify the
application.
This 14-day cure period applies only to non-substantive
deficiencies or errors. Any deficiency capable of cure will involve
only items not necessary for HUD to assess the merits of an application
against the factors specified in this NOFA.
VI. Findings and Certifications
Federalism Impact
The General Counsel, as the Designated Official under section 6(a)
of Executive Order 12612, Federalism, has determined that the policies
and procedures contained in this notice will not have substantial
direct effects on States or their political subdivisions, or the
relationship between the federal government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of
government. As a result, the notice is not subject to review under the
Order.
Specifically, the notice solicits participation in an effort to
provide assistance to institutions of higher education for establishing
and carrying out research and outreach activities addressing the
problems of urban areas. The COPCs established under this notice will
work with local communities to help resolve urban problems. The notice
does not impinge upon the relationships between the Federal government
and State or local governments.
Impact on the Family
The General Counsel, as the Designated Official under Executive
Order 12606, The Family, has determined that this notice will likely
have a beneficial impact on family formation, maintenance, and general
well-being. The assistance to be provided by the funding under this
NOFA is expected to help local residents to become self-sufficient by
improving living conditions and standards. Accordingly, since the
impact on the family is beneficial, no further review is considered
necessary.
Accountability in the Provision of HUD Assistance.
Section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Reform Act of 1989 (HUD Reform Act) and the final rule codified at 24
CFR part 4, subpart A, published on April 1, 1996 (61 FR 1448), contain
a number of provisions that are designed to ensure greater
accountability and integrity in the provision of certain types of
assistance administered by HUD. On January 14, 1992, HUD published, at
57 FR 1942, a notice that also provides information on the
implementation of section 102. The documentation, public access, and
disclosure requirements of section 102 are applicable to assistance
awarded under this NOFA as follows:
Documentation and public access requirements. HUD will ensure that
documentation and other information regarding each application
submitted pursuant to this NOFA are sufficient to indicate the basis
upon which assistance was provided or denied. This material, including
any letters of support, will be made available for public inspection
for a five-year period beginning not less than 30 days after the award
of the assistance. Material will be made available in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and HUD's implementing
regulations at 24 CFR part 15. In addition, HUD will include the
recipients of assistance pursuant to this NOFA in its Federal Register
notice of all recipients of HUD assistance awarded on a competitive
basis.
Disclosures. HUD will make available to the public for five years
all applicant disclosure reports (HUD Form 2880) submitted in
connection with this NOFA. Update reports (also Form 2880) will be made
available along with the applicant disclosure reports, but in no case
for a period less than three years. All reports--both applicant
disclosures and updates--will be made available in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and HUD's implementing
regulations at 24 CFR part 15.
Prohibition Against Advance Information on Funding Decisions
HUD's regulation implementing section 103 of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, codified as 24 CFR
part 4, applies to the funding competition announced today. The
requirements of the rule continue to apply until the announcement of
the selection of successful applicants. HUD employees involved in the
review of applications and in the making of funding decisions are
limited by part 4 from providing advance information to any person
(other than an authorized employee of HUD) concerning funding
decisions, or from otherwise giving any
[[Page 13512]]
applicant an unfair competitive advantage. Persons who apply for
assistance in this competition should confine their inquiries to the
subject areas permitted under 24 CFR part 4.
Applicants or employees who have ethics related questions should
contact HUD's Ethics Law Division (202) 708-3815. (This is not a toll-
free number.)
Byrd Amendment
The Byrd Amendment, which is implemented in regulations at 24 CFR
part 87, prohibits applicants for Federal contracts and grants from
using appropriated funds to attempt to influence Federal executive or
legislative officers or employees in connection with obtaining such
assistance, or with its extension, continuation, renewal, amendment or
modification. The Byrd Amendment applies to the funds that are subject
to this NOFA. Therefore, applicants must file a certification stating
that they have not made and will not make any prohibited payments and,
if payments or agreement to make payments of nonappropriated funds for
these purposes have been made, a SF-LLL disclosing such payments should
be submitted. The certification and the SF-LLL are included in the
application package issued pursuant to this NOFA.
Protection of Human Subjects
45 CFR part 46, Subtitle A on the protection of human subjects does
not apply to the COPC program because the research activities to be
conducted under the program are only incidentally regulated by the
Department solely as part of its broader responsibility to regulate
certain types of activities whether research or non-research in nature.
Environmental Impact
A Finding of No Significant Impact with respect to the environment
has been made in accordance with HUD regulations at 25 CFR part 50,
implementing section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). The Finding of No Significant Environmental
Impact is available for public inspection during business hours in the
Office of the Rules Docket Clerk, Room 10276, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC
20410-0500.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program
is 14.511.
Dated: February 10, 1997.
Michael A. Stegman,
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
appendix A--Hud Nofas Published and Expected to be Published in FY 1997
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Program
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public and Indian Housing.............. Indian Emergency Shelter
Grants.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Traditional Indian Housing
Development.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Indian HOME Program.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Indian Community Devt. Block
Grant.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Family Unification.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Comprehensive Improvement
Assistance Program (CIAP).
Public and Indian Housing.............. Demo/Revitalization/HOPE VI.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Public Housing Drug Elimination
Grant.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Tenant Opportunity Program.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Economic Development and
Supportive Services.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Drug Elimination Technical
Assistance.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
Service Coordinators.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Section 8/Designated Housing.
Public and Indian Housing.............. Moving to Work Demonstration.
Housing................................ Drug Elimination--Housing
Programs.
Housing................................ 202 Elderly Housing.
Housing................................ 811 Disabled Housing.
Housing................................ Single Family Counseling.
Housing................................ Crime/Security.
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity..... Fair Housing Initiatives
Program (FHIP).
Community Planning and Development..... Historically Black Colleges.
Community Planning and Development..... Continuum of Care Homeless
Assistance Including:
Section 1403 Supportive
Housing.
Section 1405 Section 8 SRO.
Section 1406 Shelter Plus
Care.
Community Planning and Development..... Youthbuild.
Community Planning and Development..... Housing Opportunities for
Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)--
competitive.
Policy Development and Research........ *Community Development Work
Study Published March 4, 1997
(62 FR 9898).
Policy Development and Research........ Community Outreach Partnership
Centers.
Policy Development and Research........ Hispanic Serving Institutions.
Lead-based Paint....................... Lead-based Paint Hazard
Reduction.
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[FR Doc. 97-7018 Filed 3-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P