[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2971-2972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1208]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.116R]


Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-- 
Special Focus Competition: Controlling the Cost of Postsecondary 
Education; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 1998

    Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative 
agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing 
on problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, other public 
and private nonprofit educational institutions and agencies, or 
combinations of those institutions or agencies.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 20, 1998.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 1998.
    Applications Available: January 20, 1998.
    Available Funds: $1,300,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $70,000-$200,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-15.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 85 and 86.

Priority

Invitational Priority

    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 (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Invitational Priority

    Projects that are designed to deliver postsecondary education at 
less cost than in previous years, while maintaining high quality.

Methods for Applying Selection Criteria

    The Secretary gives equal weight to the listed criteria. Within 
each of the criterion, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the 
factors.

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 75.210:
    (a) The significance of the proposed project, as determined by--
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies; and
    (2) The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings.
    (b) The quality of the design of the proposed project, as 
determined by the extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes 
to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and 
measurable.
    (c) The quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project, as determined by the extent to which the methods of evaluation 
are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 
outcomes of the proposed project.
    (d) The quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project, as determined by--
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel; and
    (2) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (e) The adequacy of resources for the proposed project, as 
determined by--
    (1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project;
    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project;
    (3) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project;
    (4) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization; and
    (5) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated 
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
    For Applications or Information Contact: Fund for the Improvement 
of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, 600 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3100, ROB-3, Washington, D.C. 20202-
5175. You may request applications by calling 202-358-3041 (voice mail) 
or 732-544-2872 (fax-on-demand) or by submitting the name of the 
competition and your name and postal address to [email protected] (e-mail). 
Applications are also listed on the FIPSE Web Site <http://www.ed.gov/
offices/OPE/FIPSE>. 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. For additional program information call David Johnson at the 
FIPSE office (202-708-5750) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on

[[Page 2972]]

request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

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

    Dated: January 13, 1998.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 98-1208 Filed 1-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P