[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 332-339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34228]



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_______________________________________________________________________

Part VII





Department of Commerce





_______________________________________________________________________



National Telecommunications and Information Administration



_______________________________________________________________________



Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 1 / Monday, January 4, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 332]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[Docket Number: 981203295-8295-01; CFDA: 11.552]
RIN 0660-ZA06


Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance 
Program

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issues this Notice describing the conditions under which 
applications will be received under the Telecommunications and 
Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) and how NTIA will 
determine which applications it will fund. TIIAP assists eligible 
organizations by promoting the widespread use and availability of 
advanced telecommunications and information technologies in the public 
and non-profit sectors. By providing matching grants for information 
infrastructure projects, this program will help develop a nationwide, 
interactive, multimedia information infrastructure that is accessible 
to all Americans, in rural as well as urban areas.

DATES: Complete applications for the Fiscal Year 1999 TIIAP grant 
program must be mailed or hand-carried to the address indicated below 
and received by NTIA no later than 9:00 p.m. EST, March 11, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be mailed to:

Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, HCHB, Room 4092, 
Washington, D.C. 20230
      Or hand-delivered to:
Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 1874, Herbert Clark Hoover Building, 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20230

    Room 1874 is located at entrance #10 on 15th Street NW, between 
Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Stephen J. Downs, Director of the 
Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program. 
Telephone: 202/482-2048; fax: 202/501-5136; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Purposes

    NTIA announces the sixth annual round of a competitive matching 
grant program, the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure 
Assistance Program (TIIAP). TIIAP was created to promote the 
development, widespread availability, and use of advanced 
telecommunications and information technologies to serve the public 
interest.
    To accomplish this objective, TIIAP will provide matching grants to 
state, local, and tribal governments; 1 non-profit health 
care providers and public health institutions; schools; libraries; 
museums; colleges; universities; public safety providers; non-profit 
community-based organizations; and other non-profit entities. TIIAP 
will support projects that improve the quality of, and the public's 
access to, cultural, educational, and training resources; reduce the 
cost, improve the quality, and/or increase the accessibility of health 
care and public health services; promote responsive public safety 
services; improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government and 
public services; and foster communication, resource-sharing, and 
economic development within communities, both rural and urban.
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    \1\ American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages.
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Authority

    Title II of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 1999, Pub. L. No. 105-277 (1998).

Funding Availability

    Approximately $17 million is available for federal assistance. A 
small amount of funds that have been deobligated from grants awarded in 
previous fiscal years may also be available for Fiscal Year 1999 
grants. Based on past experience, NTIA expects this year's grant round 
to be very competitive. In Fiscal Year 1998, NTIA received more than 
750 applications collectively requesting more than $300 million in 
grant funds. From these applications, the Department of Commerce 
announced 46 TIIAP awards totaling $18.5 million in federal funds.
    Based on previous grant rounds, TIIAP anticipates that the average 
size of a grant award will be approximately $350,000 and last between 
two and three years. An applicant may request up to $650,000 in total 
federal support.

Eligible Organizations

    Non-profit entities; state, local, and tribal governments; and 
colleges and universities are eligible to apply. Although individuals 
and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply, they may 
participate as project partners.

Matching Funds Requirements

    Grant recipients under this program will be required to provide 
matching funds toward the total project cost. Applicants must document 
their capacity to provide matching funds. Matching funds may be in the 
form of cash or in-kind contributions. Grant funds under this program 
are usually released in direct proportion to local matching funds 
utilized and documented as having been expended. NTIA will provide up 
to 50 percent of the total project cost, unless the applicant can 
document extraordinary circumstances warranting a grant of up to 75 
percent. Generally, federal funds (such as grants) may not be used as 
matching funds, except as provided by federal statute. If you plan to 
use funds from a federal agency, you should contact the federal agency 
that administers the funds in question and obtain documentation from 
that agency's Office of General Counsel to support the use of federal 
funds for matching purposes.

Completeness of Application

    TIIAP will initially review all applications to determine whether 
all required elements are present and clearly identifiable. The 
required elements are listed and described in the Guidelines for 
Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 1999. Each of the required elements 
must be present and clearly identified. Failure to do so may result in 
rejection of the application.

Application Deadline

    As noted above, complete applications for the Fiscal Year 1999 
TIIAP grant program must be received by NTIA no later than 9:00 p.m. 
EST, March 11, 1999. A postmark date is not sufficient. Applications 
which have been provided to a delivery service on or before March 10, 
1999, with ``delivery guaranteed'' before 9:00 p.m. on March 11, 1999, 
will be accepted for review if the applicant can document that the 
application was provided to the delivery service with delivery to the 
address listed above guaranteed prior to the closing date and time. 
Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine transmission or 
electronic

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mail. NTIA anticipates that it will take approximately six months to 
complete the review of applications and make final funding decisions.

Program Funding Priorities

    NTIA supports innovative and exemplary projects that can serve as 
models for using information infrastructure in the public and non-
profit sectors and thereby contribute to the development of an advanced 
National Information Infrastructure (NII).2 NTIA believes 
that every project supported under TIIAP should be a nationally 
significant demonstration of how telecommunications and information 
technologies can be used to extend valuable services and opportunities 
to all Americans, especially the underserved. ``Underserved'' refers to 
individuals and communities that are subject to barriers that limit or 
prevent their access to the benefits of information infrastructure 
technologies and services. In terms of information infrastructure, 
these barriers may be technological, geographic, economic, physical, 
linguistic, or cultural.
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    \2\ The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is a federal 
policy initiative to facilitate and accelerate the development and 
utilization of the nation's information infrastructure. The 
Administration envisions the NII as a seamless web of communications 
networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will 
put vast amounts of information at users' fingertips. For more 
information on various aspects of the NII initiative, see The 
National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action, 58 Fed. Reg. 
49,025 (September 21, 1993).
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    NTIA expects each project to serve as a national model and offer 
potentially new and useful insights into the use of network 
technologies. Each project should identify specific problems or needs 
in a community, use information infrastructure services and 
technologies to offer concrete solutions, and produce measurable 
outcomes. TIIAP emphasizes the application of technology to meet 
people's needs, and not simply on the technology as an end in itself. 
In addition, the development of the NII depends upon the contribution 
of a wide variety of skills, ideas, and perspectives. Therefore, TIIAP-
supported projects should, to the greatest degree possible, reach out 
to all members of a community and catalyze partnerships 3 to 
help erase the distinction between information ``haves'' and ``have-
nots.''
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    \3\ A ``partner'' is defined as an organization that supplies 
cash or in kind resources and/or plays an active role in the 
planning and implementation of the project.
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    As a national program, TIIAP supports a variety of model projects 
among different application areas,4 geographic regions, and 
underserved populations. Each project awarded a grant, however, must be 
innovative in its application of technology. TIIAP defines innovation 
broadly. It can encompass, but is not restricted to, a new application 
of proven technologies; a creative strategy for overcoming traditional 
barriers to access; a new configuration of existing information 
resources; or uses of cutting edge technologies.
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    \4\ For a discussion of the application areas TIIAP supports, 
please see Notice, page 6.
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    For FY 1999, TIIAP is especially interested in projects developed 
by smaller, locally-based organizations that both serve and represent 
technologically underserved communities across the nation. For example, 
these organizations may include but are not limited to: community-based 
organizations; small non-profits; colleges and universities serving 
rural communities; Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities; 
and organizations representing Empowerment Zones and Enterprise 
Communities. TIIAP wants to build the capacity of smaller organizations 
that work closely with the community. These non-profits often are able 
to understand the local dynamics that are helpful in defining the 
problem and creating a community-driven, successful solution.
    For the FY 1999 grant competition, TIIAP is also especially 
interested in projects that propose to use advanced network 
technologies to enhance the quality and efficiency of services 
delivered through non-profit organizations. Driven by research efforts 
in academia, the federal government, and the private 
sector,5 technological advances promise to improve 
significantly the quality of today's networks. For example, higher 
bandwidth networks will afford the opportunity to deliver high 
resolution video to the desktop; emerging wireless networks will give 
end users greater flexibility in how and when they can access 
information. TIIAP encourages applicants to explore the capabilities of 
these technologies.
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    \5\ The Internet2 and the Next Generation Internet initiatives 
are but two examples of the partnerships working to enhance the 
quality of today's networking technologies.
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    Applicants who are not ready to prepare a project demonstrating 
innovative uses of advanced network technologies this year may want to 
consider preparing a planning grant. While the emphasis for Fiscal Year 
1999 is on projects that deploy, use, and evaluate the use of 
information infrastructure applications, NTIA will also consider 
allocating a limited amount of funds to support outstanding planning 
projects that explore potential uses of advanced network technologies. 
Applications for such projects will be evaluated against the same 
criteria applied to all other applications.
    In Fiscal Year 1999, TIIAP will support projects in five 
application areas: Community Networking; Education, Culture, and 
Lifelong Learning; Health; Public Safety; and Public Services. Each 
application will be reviewed with other applications in the same area. 
In this grant round, TIIAP is especially interested in projects that 
cut across application areas to better serve the needs of individuals 
and communities. Different application areas often share the same end 
users. TIIAP encourages applications in which the use of network 
technology enables partners in different disciplines (e.g., health, 
education, and public safety) to share information. For example, health 
providers and field emergency services that share responsibility in the 
rescue and care of accident victims, or schools and social service 
providers that work to serve the same families, could benefit by 
increasing coordination and information sharing.
    The five application areas are described below.

Community Networking

    This area focuses on multi-purpose projects that enable a broad 
range of community residents and organizations to communicate, share 
information, promote community economic development, and participate in 
civic activities. While TIIAP will continue to support a full range of 
projects in the Community Networking application area, this year TIIAP 
is particularly interested in projects that: (1) provide individual end 
users with sophisticated and useful tools for gathering, analyzing, and 
applying a variety of information resources to concrete community or 
regional problems; (2) enable small firms, non-profit providers of 
services, and persons involved in community development to communicate, 
share resources, and launch collaborative initiatives more effectively 
in order to promote local or regional community and economic 
development; or (3) develop collaborative, regional approaches which 
address the needs of both rural and urban populations.
    Examples of Community Networking projects may include, but would 
not be limited to: projects involving multiple stakeholder 
organizations that wish to

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link services, reduce duplicative record-keeping, simplify and/or 
expand end-user access to a variety of information resources, engage in 
initiatives that would not have been possible without networking 
technologies, or provide information across various application areas 
within a specific geographic region.

Education, Culture, and Lifelong Learning

    Projects in this area seek to improve education and training for 
learners of all ages and provide cultural enrichment through the use of 
information infrastructure in both traditional and non-traditional 
settings. While TIIAP will continue to support a full range of projects 
in the Education, Culture, and Lifelong Learning application area, this 
year TIIAP is particularly interested in projects which propose 
partnerships among multiple institutions to address lifelong learning 
needs.
    Examples of Education, Culture, and Lifelong Learning projects may 
include, but would not be limited to: projects that explore creative 
partnerships among schools, libraries, museums, colleges, or 
universities to deliver network-based learning resources; projects 
linking workplaces and job-training sites to educational institutions; 
projects that enrich communities by delivering on-line informational, 
educational, and cultural services from public libraries, museums, and 
other cultural centers; and projects that allow users to collaborate in 
the creation of cultural works or participate actively in meaningful 
on-line learning exchanges.

Health

    Projects in this area involve the use of information infrastructure 
in the delivery of health care and public health services. While TIIAP 
will continue to support a full range of projects in the Health 
application area, this year TIIAP is particularly interested in 
projects that support the delivery of public health services such as 
efforts to identify physical, mental, and environmental health 
problems; define priorities for public health response; prevent 
disease, injury, and disability; and enforce laws and regulations that 
protect physical, mental, and environmental health.
    Examples of Health projects may include, but would not be limited 
to: systems that improve the care and treatment of patients in their 
homes; telemedicine systems that offer new approaches to extending 
medical and dental expertise to rural or underserved urban areas or 
non-traditional settings; projects designed to improve communication 
between health care providers and patients and enable consumers to 
participate more actively in their health care; projects to improve 
treatment of patients in emergency situations and extend trauma care 
services beyond the emergency room; and networks or information 
services aimed at disease prevention and health promotion.

Public Safety

    Projects in this area will seek to increase the effectiveness of 
law enforcement agencies, emergency, rescue, and fire departments, the 
court system, or other entities involved in providing safety services 
that respond to, prevent, or intervene in crises. While TIIAP will 
continue to support a full range of projects in the Public Safety 
application area, this year TIIAP is particularly interested in 
projects that include multiple agencies (such as those that combine 
police, emergency medical services, fire companies, or courts) or 
participation across municipal boundaries.
    Examples of Public Safety projects may include, but would not be 
limited to: projects that facilitate information exchange among public 
safety agencies located in single or multiple geographic areas to 
increase efficiency and share resources, including spectrum resources; 
projects that provide information in a timely manner to ``first-
response officials,'' such as police officers, emergency medical 
technicians, and firefighters; projects that help public safety 
agencies provide community outreach services; and projects that aim to 
increase the safety and security of children and reduce domestic 
violence.

Public Services

    Projects in this area aim to improve the delivery of services to 
people with a range of social service needs. This area includes, for 
example, employment counseling, housing and transportation support, 
child welfare, food assistance, and other services typically delivered 
by state, tribal, and local governments or by community-based non-
profit organizations. While TIIAP will continue to support a full range 
of projects in the Public Services application area, this year TIIAP is 
particularly interested in projects that aim to link multiple 
organizations to provide a client-based focus to the delivery of 
services. Such projects would focus on the comprehensive needs of 
individuals and families who require the coordinated services of 
multiple organizations.
    Examples of Public Services projects may include, but would not be 
limited to: projects that use information technology creatively to 
promote self-sufficiency and independence among individuals and 
families; electronic information and referral services that provide 
information on a variety of community-based and government services; 
projects that make public agencies more accessible and responsive to 
community residents; electronic benefits transfer projects; projects 
that employ geographic information systems to study demographic or 
environmental trends and target community strategies to assist 
individuals; and projects that focus on the needs of special 
communities, such as seniors or individuals with disabilities.

Limitations on Project Scope

    Projects funded by TIIAP must meet the Program Funding Priorities 
described in this Notice. Projects must involve innovative approaches 
to the delivery of useful, practical services in real-world 
environments within the grant award period.
    Listed below are types of projects TIIAP will not support in Fiscal 
Year 1999.
    (1) One-Way Networks. TIIAP will not support construction or 
extensions of one-way networks, that is, networks which deliver 
information to a passive audience; all networks and services proposed 
for TIIAP support must be interactive. 6 For example, TIIAP 
will not fund one-way broadcast systems, tape duplication and/or 
delivery projects, or any project which does not permit the end user in 
some fashion to select the information he or she will receive.
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    \6\  ``Interactivity'' is defined as the capacity of a 
communications system to allow end users to communicate directly 
with other users, either in real time (as in a video teleconference) 
or on a store-and-forward basis (as with electronic mail), or to 
seek and gain access to information on an on-demand basis, as 
opposed to a broadcast basis.
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    (2) Single-Organization Projects. TIIAP will not support projects 
whose primary emphasis is on the internal communications needs of a 
single organization, even if the organization has a considerable number 
of offices in different cities or regions of the country. For example, 
TIIAP will not consider projects that create or expand Local Area 
Networks or internal e-mail systems whose end users are principally, or 
exclusively, staff members of a single organization. However, TIIAP 
will support applications that extend communications among multiple 
organizations and agencies within a governmental jurisdiction. Projects 
should, to the maximum degree feasible,

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include appropriate partnerships, with plans for inter-organizational 
communications among the partners.
    (3) Replacement or Upgrade of Existing Facilities. TIIAP will not 
support any projects whose purpose is to upgrade or replace existing 
systems, add workstations or servers to existing networks, or complete 
the installation of a network.
    In addition, TIIAP will not support projects whose primary purpose 
is to develop content, hardware, or software, to provide training on 
the use of the information infrastructure, 7 or to build 
voice-based systems.
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    \7\  ``Information infrastructure'' includes telecommunication 
networks, computers, other end-user devices, software, standards, 
and skills that collectively enable people to connect to each other 
and to a vast array of services and information resources.
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    (1) Content Development Projects. Many projects necessarily involve 
some modification or development of content. 8 Therefore, 
TIIAP will support projects in which the creation or conversion of 
content is part of a larger effort to utilize information 
infrastructure technologies to address real-world problems. However, 
TIIAP will not support projects whose primary purpose is to develop 
data resources, or in any other way produce information content. For 
example, TIIAP will not consider projects which are designed only to 
develop curriculum, create databases, convert existing paper-based 
information to a digital format, digitize existing graphics 
collections, or establish World Wide Web sites.
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    \8\  ``Content development'' refers to the creation of 
information resources, such as databases or World Wide Web sites, 
for the purpose of dissemination through one or more on-line 
services.
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    (2) Hardware or Software Development Projects. Some projects may 
require limited software development or the customization or 
modification of existing software or hardware in order to meet 
particular end-user requirements or to enable the exchange of 
information across networks. However, the creation of a software or 
hardware product cannot be a project's primary purpose.
    (3) Training Projects. While TIIAP does consider training to be an 
essential aspect of most implementation projects, TIIAP will not 
support projects whose primary purpose is to provide training in the 
use of software applications, Internet use, or other use of information 
infrastructure.
    (4) Voice-based Systems. Two-way, interactive voice networks are an 
important element of the existing information infrastructure. Voice as 
a means for conveying information and voice input tools play critical 
roles in ensuring people with disabilities have access to network 
technology. However, TIIAP will not support projects whose primary 
purpose is to either build or install voice-based communication 
networks such as call centers or two-way radio networks.

Review Criteria

    Reviewers will review and rate each application using the following 
criteria. The relative weights of each criterion are identified in 
parentheses.

1. Project Definition (10%)

    Each application will be judged on the overall purpose of the 
proposed project and its potential impact on a community. In assessing 
the ``Project Definition,'' reviewers will examine the degree to which 
the applicant clearly: (1) identifies a specific problem(s) or need(s) 
within the community to be served; (2) proposes a feasible means of 
addressing the community's problem(s) employing network services and 
technologies; and (3) identifies anticipated outcomes and potential 
impacts that are both realistic and measurable.
    Reviewers will assess the degree to which an applicant convincingly 
links the three major elements--problem, solution, and outcomes.

2. Evaluation (15%)

    Each application will be rated on the quality of its plans for 
evaluation and its potential to measure both the effectiveness and 
efficiency of the proposed solution(s) and anticipated outcome(s) of 
the project.
    Reviewers also will assess the degree to which the evaluation links 
to the overall formulation of project goals and objectives (i.e., the 
problem, solution, and anticipated outcomes identified in the ``Project 
Definition'' section) and the Review Criteria treated below.
    When examining an applicant's evaluation, reviewers will assess the 
evaluation design, an implementation plan for the evaluation, and the 
allocation of resources (i.e., budget, staff, and management) for 
evaluation. Reviewers will also analyze the evaluation questions; the 
methodological approach for answering the evaluation questions; how 
data will be collected; and how the data will be analyzed. Finally, 
reviewers will assess the qualifications of any proposed evaluators.

3. Significance (20%)

    When considering ``Significance,'' reviewers will assess the degree 
to which the proposed project is innovative and can serve as a model.
    When rating the degree to which an application demonstrates 
innovation, reviewers will use their experience as experts in their 
respective fields to determine whether a proposed project introduces a 
unique or novel approach and extends the state-of-the-art in a given 
application area. As noted in the section on ``Program Funding 
Priorities,'' reviewers will assess innovation broadly, examining both 
the technology to be used and the application of technology in a 
particular setting, to serve a particular population, or to solve a 
particular problem. Reviewers will examine each project in a national 
context and ask: (1) how an application compares with, complements, or 
improves upon other activities in a given application area, and (2) 
what insight(s) a proposed project could add to what is known about 
using network technologies in a given application area.
    With respect to identifying projects that could serve as models for 
other communities across the country, reviewers will draw on their own 
experience as experts in the field to assess the degree to which a 
project has the potential to be readily duplicated or adapted to other 
communities across the country.

4. Project Feasibility (15%)

    Each application will be rated on the overall feasibility of the 
proposed project and its plan of implementation. In assessing project 
feasibility, reviewers will focus on the following issues: the 
technical approach; the qualifications of the applicant team; the 
proposed budget and implementation schedule; and the applicant's plan 
for sustaining the project beyond the grant period.
    Reviewers will assess how the proposed system would work, how it 
would operate with other systems, the technological alternatives that 
have been examined, the plans for the maintenance and/or upgrading of 
the system, and the capability of the system to accommodate growth and 
new technological developments. Applicants are expected to make use of 
existing infrastructure and commercially available telecommunications 
services, unless extraordinary circumstances require the construction 
of new network facilities.
    In assessing the qualifications of the project team, reviewers will 
assess the applicant and its partners to determine if they have the 
resources, expertise, and experience necessary to undertake the project 
and complete it within the

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proposed period. Reviewers will also examine the proposed duration of 
the project to determine if the implementation schedule is reasonable.
    Reviewers will analyze the budget in terms of clarity and cost-
effectiveness. The proposed budget should be appropriate to the tasks 
proposed and sufficiently detailed so that reviewers can easily 
understand the relationship of items in the budget to the project 
narrative.
    Finally, reviewers will examine the potential long-term viability 
of the applicant's plans. In evaluating the plan, reviewers will 
consider the economic circumstances of the community or communities to 
be served by the proposed project and the applicant's strategies to 
sustain the project after the completion of the grant.

5. Community Involvement (20%)

    Each application will be rated on the overall level of community 
involvement in the development and implementation of the proposed 
project. Reviewers will pay particular attention to the partnerships 
involved, the strength and diversity of support for the project within 
the community, the support for the project's end users,9 and 
any applicable privacy and security issues.
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    \9\ An ``end user'' is one who customarily employs or seeks 
access to, rather than provides, information infrastructure. An end 
user may be a consumer of information (e.g., a member of the public 
employing a touch-screen public access terminal); may be involved in 
an interactive communication with other end users; or may use 
information infrastructure to provide services to the public.
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    Reviewers will examine the breadth of community involvement to 
ensure it includes the development of partnerships among unaffiliated 
organizations,10 from the public, non-profit, or private 
sectors, as an integral part of each project. TIIAP considers partners 
to be organizations that supply cash or in-kind resources and/or play 
an active role in the planning and implementation of the project. 
Reviewers will:
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    \10\ ``Unaffiliated'' organizations are institutions that do not 
have formal associations or relationships with the applicant.
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    (1) Examine the steps the applicant has taken to involve a variety 
of community stakeholders in project development and the plans for 
ongoing community involvement in the project. Reviewers will look for 
evidence of demand, from the community, the end users, and the 
potential beneficiaries, for the services proposed by the project;
    (2) Consider the degree of attention paid to the needs, skills, 
working conditions, and living environments of the targeted end users. 
Reviewers will also consider the extent to which applicants involve 
representatives from a broad range of potential users in both the 
design and implementation of the project and consider the varying 
degrees of abilities of all end users, including individuals with 
disabilities;
    (3) Assess the applicant's plans for training end users, upgrading 
their skills, and building community awareness and knowledge of the 
project;
    (4) Evaluate the steps applicants have taken to involve and 
document the support of a variety of stakeholder groups and 
organizations; and
    (5) examine the applicant's efforts to safeguard the privacy of the 
end users and beneficiaries 11 of the project. In 
circumstances where proprietary or sensitive individual data is 
involved, reviewers will closely examine the applicant's strategies for 
addressing the privacy and confidentiality of user data.
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    \11\ Project beneficiaries are those individuals or 
organizations deriving benefits from a project's outcome(s). A 
project beneficiary may also, but not necessarily, be a project end 
user.
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6. Reducing Disparities (15%)

    Reviewers will assess the degree to which each application targets 
underserved communities specifically and/or reaches out to underserved 
groups within a broader community. ``Underserved'' refers to 
individuals and communities that are subject to barriers that limit or 
prevent their access to the benefits of information infrastructure and 
services. These barriers may be technological, geographic, economic, 
physical, linguistic, or cultural. For example,
    (1) A rural community may be geographically isolated from 
information resources and lack local technical expertise to help 
install and manage the network infrastructure;
    (2) An inner city neighborhood may contain large numbers of 
potential end users who lack the technical and financial resources to 
access the information infrastructure; or
    (3) People with disabilities may need a variety of special hardware 
or software interfaces to facilitate their use of the information 
infrastructure.
    Reviewers will assess evidence of community need and the 
applicant's proposed strategies for overcoming barriers to the access 
and use of information technologies. Reviewers will focus on the 
applicant's strategies for reaching out to targeted groups and for 
tailoring services which address the learning mechanisms, attitudes, 
abilities, and customs of the community.

7. Documentation and Dissemination (5%)

    Applicants will also be rated on the quality of their plans for 
documentation and dissemination. Reviewers will assess whether an 
applicant has allocated sufficient funds and resources to document 
project activities and disseminate project findings and lessons 
learned.
    Applicants will be rated on the extent to which their documentation 
plans include effective record keeping strategies that will assist in 
the applicant's assessment of the project and facilitate future 
evaluations of the applicant's efforts. Reviewers will also assess an 
applicant's plans for disseminating the knowledge gained as a result of 
the project.

Eligible Costs

    Eligible Costs. Allowable costs incurred under approved projects 
shall be determined in accordance with applicable federal cost 
principles, i.e., OMB Circular A-21, A-87, A-122, or Appendix E of 45 
C.F.R. Part 74. If included in the approved project budget, TIIAP will 
allow costs for personnel; fringe benefits; computer hardware, 
software, and other end-user equipment; telecommunication services and 
related equipment; consultants, evaluators, and other contractual 
services; travel; rental of office equipment, furniture, and space; and 
supplies. All costs must be reasonable and directly related to the 
project.
    Indirect Costs. The total dollar amount of the indirect costs 
proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the 
indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant federal 
agency or 100 percent of the total proposed direct costs dollar amount 
in the application, whichever is less.

Ineligible Costs

    Costs associated with the construction or major renovation of 
buildings are not eligible. While costs for the construction of new 
network facilities are eligible costs, applicants are expected to make 
use of existing infrastructure and commercially available 
telecommunications services. Only under extraordinary circumstances 
will the construction of new network facilities be approved. Costs of 
the professional services, such as instruction, counseling, or medical 
care, provided via a network supported through this program are not 
eligible.
    Note that costs that are ineligible for TIIAP support may not be 
included as part of the applicant's matching fund

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contribution. In addition, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1999 places restrictions on 
eligible costs for applicants which are recipients of Universal Service 
Fund discounts and applicants receiving assistance from the Department 
of Justice's Regional Information Sharing Systems Program as part of 
the project costs.
    This statute provides:

    That notwithstanding any other provision of law, no entity that 
receives telecommunications services at preferential rates under 
section 254(h) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)) 
or receives assistance under the regional information sharing 
systems grant program of the Department of Justice under part M of 
title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(42 U.S.C. 3796h) may use funds under a grant under this heading to 
cover any costs of the entity that would otherwise be covered by 
such preferential rates or such assistance, as the case may 
be.12

    \12\ Title II of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 1999, Pub. L. No. 
105-277 (1998).
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    Accordingly, recipients of the above-described preferential rates 
or assistance are prohibited from including any costs that would be 
covered by such preferential rates or assistance in their proposed 
TIIAP grant budget.

Award Period

    Successful applicants will have between 12 and 36 months to 
complete their projects. While the completion time will vary depending 
on the complexity of the project, NTIA has found that most applicants 
require at least two years to complete and fully evaluate their 
projects. Accordingly, NTIA encourages applicants to propose projects 
that last two to three years.

Selection Process

    NTIA will publish a notice in the Federal Register listing all 
applications received by TIIAP. Listing an application in such a notice 
merely acknowledges receipt of an application that will compete for 
funding with other applications. Publication does not preclude 
subsequent return or disapproval of the application, nor does it ensure 
that the application will be funded. The selection process will last 
approximately six months and involves four stages:
    (1) During the first stage, each eligible application will be 
reviewed by a panel of outside readers, who have demonstrated expertise 
in both the programmatic and technological aspects of the application. 
The review panels will evaluate applications according to the review 
criteria provided in this Notice and make non-binding written 
recommendations to the program.
    (2) Upon completion of the external review process, program staff 
may analyze applications as necessary. Program staff analysis will be 
based on the degree to which a proposed project meets the program's 
funding scope as described in the section entitled ``Limitations on 
Project Scope;'' the eligibility of costs and matching funds included 
in an application's budget; 13 and the extent to which an 
application complements or duplicates projects previously funded or 
under consideration by NTIA or other federal programs. The analysis of 
program staff will be provided to the TIIAP Director in writing.
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    \13\ See discussion of ``Eligible Costs'' and ``Matching Funds 
Requirements'' in this Notice.
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    The TIIAP Director then prepares and presents a slate of 
recommended grant awards to the Office of Telecommunications and 
Information Applications' (OTIA) Associate Administrator for review and 
approval. 14 The Director's recommendations and the 
Associate Administrator's review and approval will take into account 
the following selection factors:
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    \14\ The Office of Telecommunication and Information 
Applications is the division of the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration that supervises NTIA's grant awards 
programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1. The evaluations of the outside reviewers;
    2. The analysis of program staff;
    3. The degree to which the proposed grants meet the program's 
priorities as described in the section entitled ``Program Funding 
Priorities;''
    4. The geographic distribution of the proposed grant awards;
    5. The variety of technologies and strategies employed by the 
proposed grant awards;
    6. The extent to which the proposed grant awards represent a 
reasonable distribution of funds across application areas;
    7. The promotion of access to and use of the information 
infrastructure by rural communities and other underserved groups;
    8. Avoidance of redundancy and conflicts with the initiatives of 
other federal agencies; and
    9. The availability of funds.
    (3) Upon approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the 
Director's recommendations will then be presented to the Selecting 
Official, the NTIA Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the 
applications to be negotiated for possible grant award taking into 
consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which 
the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the selection 
factors described above and the program's stated purposes as set forth 
in the section entitled ``Program Purposes.''
    (4) After applications have been selected in this manner, 
negotiations will take place between TIIAP staff and the applicant. 
These negotiations are intended to resolve any differences that exist 
between the applicant's original request and what TIIAP proposes to 
fund, and if necessary, to clarify items in the application. Not all 
applicants who are contacted for negotiation will necessarily receive a 
TIIAP award. Final selections made by the Administrator will be based 
upon the recommendations by the Director and the OTIA Associate 
Administrator and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken 
as a whole, satisfies the program's stated purposes as set forth in the 
section entitled ``Program Purposes,'' upon the conclusion of 
negotiations.

Use of Program Income

    Applicants are advised that any program income generated by a 
proposed project is subject to special conditions. Anticipated program 
income must be documented appropriately in the project budget. In 
addition, should an application be funded, unanticipated program income 
must be reported to TIIAP, and the budget for the project must be 
renegotiated to reflect receipt of this program income. Program income 
means gross income earned by the recipient that is either directly 
generated by a supported activity, or earned as a result of the award. 
In addition, federal policy prohibits any recipient or subrecipient 
receiving federal funds from the use of equipment acquired with these 
funds to provide services to non-federal outside organizations for a 
fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services. 
This prohibition does not apply to services provided to outside 
organizations at no cost.

Policy on Sectarian Activities

    Applicants are advised that on December 22, 1995, NTIA issued a 
notice in the Federal Register on its policy with regard to sectarian 
activities. Under NTIA's policy, while religious activities cannot be 
the essential thrust of a grant, an application will not be ineligible 
where sectarian activities are only incidental or attenuated to the 
overall project purpose for which funding is requested. Applicants for 
whom this policy may be

[[Page 338]]

relevant should read the policy that was published in the Federal 
Register at 60 FR 66491, Dec. 22, 1995.

Waiver Authority

    It is the general intent of NTIA not to waive any of the provisions 
set forth in this Notice. However, under extraordinary circumstances 
and when it is in the best interest of the federal government, NTIA, 
upon its own initiative or when requested, may waive the provisions in 
this Notice. Waivers may only be granted for requirements that are 
discretionary and not mandated by statute. Any request for a waiver 
must set forth the extraordinary circumstances for the request and be 
included in the application or sent to the address provided in the 
``Addresses'' section above. NTIA will not consider a request to waive 
the application deadline for an application until the application has 
been received.

Other Information

    Electronic Information. Information about NTIA and TIIAP, including 
this document and the Guidelines for Preparing Applications--Fiscal 
Year 1999, can be retrieved electronically via the Internet using the 
World Wide Web. Use http://www.ntia.doc.gov to reach the NTIA home page 
and follow directions to locating information about TIIAP. TIIAP can 
also be reached via electronic mail at [email protected].
    Application Forms. Standard Forms 424 (OMB Approval Number 0348-
0044), Application for Federal Assistance; 424A (OMB Approval Number 
0348-0043), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; and 424B 
(OMB Approval Number 0348-0040), Assurances--Non-Construction Programs, 
(Rev 4-92), and other Department of Commerce forms shall be used in 
applying for financial assistance. These forms are included in the 
Guidelines for Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 1999, which can be 
obtained by contacting NTIA by telephone, fax, or electronic mail, as 
described in the ``Addresses'' section above. TIIAP requests one 
original and five copies of the application. Applicants for whom the 
submission of five copies presents financial hardship may submit one 
original and two copies of the application. Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, no person is required to respond to nor shall a 
person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection 
of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act unless that collection of information displays a currently valid 
OMB control number. In addition, all applicants are required to submit 
a copy of their application to their state Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) offices, if they have one. For information on contacting state 
SPOC offices, refer to the Guidelines for Preparing Applications--
Fiscal Year 1999.
    Because of the high level of public interest in projects supported 
by TIIAP, the program anticipates receiving requests for copies of 
successful applications. Applicants are hereby notified that the 
applications they submit are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. 
To assist NTIA in making disclosure determinations, applicants may 
identify sensitive information and label it ``confidential.''
    Type of Funding Instrument. The funding instrument for awards under 
this program shall be a grant.
    Federal Policies and Procedures. Recipients and subrecipients are 
subject to all applicable federal laws and federal and Department of 
Commerce policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to federal 
financial assistance awards.
    Pre-Award Activities. If an applicant incurs any project costs 
prior to the project start date negotiated at the time the award is 
made, it does so solely at its own risk of not being reimbursed by the 
government. Applicants are hereby notified that, notwithstanding any 
oral or written assurance that they may have received, there is no 
obligation on the part of the Department of Commerce to cover pre-award 
costs.
    No Obligation for Future Funding. If an application is selected for 
funding, the Department of Commerce has no obligation to provide any 
additional future funding in connection with that award. Renewal of an 
award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the 
total discretion of the Department of Commerce.
    Past Performance. Unsatisfactory performance of an applicant under 
prior federal financial assistance awards may result in that 
applicant's proposal not being considered for funding.
    Delinquent Federal Debts. No award of federal funds shall be made 
to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent federal debt until:
    1. The delinquent account is paid in full;
    2. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one 
payment is received; or
    3. Other arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce 
are made.
    Purchase of American Made Products. Applicants are hereby notified 
that any equipment or products authorized to be purchased with funding 
provided under this program must be American-made to the maximum extent 
feasible.
    Name Check Review. All non-profit applicants are subject to a name 
check review process. Name checks are intended to reveal if any key 
individuals associated with the applicant have been convicted of or are 
presently facing criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury, or 
other matters that significantly reflect on the applicant's management, 
honesty, or financial integrity.
    Primary Applicant Certifications. All primary applicants must 
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby 
provided:
    1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective 
participants (as defined at 15 C.F.R. Part 26, Section 105) are subject 
to 15 C.F.R. Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and 
the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    2. Drug-Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 C.F.R. Part 26, 
Section 605) are subject to 15 C.F.R. Part 26, Subpart F, ``Government 
wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related 
section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    3. Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 C.F.R. Part 28, Section 
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. Sec. 1352, 
``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain federal 
contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of 
the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids 
for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than 
$100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the 
single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever 
is greater; and
    4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosure--Any applicant that has paid or will 
pay for lobbying in connection with a covered federal action, such as 
the awarding of any federal contract, the making of any federal grant, 
the making of any federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative 
agreement, or the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or 
modification of any federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative 
agreement using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of 
Lobbying Activities'' (OMB Control Number 0348-0046), as required under 
15 C.F.R. part 28, Appendix B.
    Lower Tier Certifications. Recipients shall require applicants/
bidders for

[[Page 339]]

subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered 
transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if applicable, a 
completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered 
Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of 
Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the use of 
recipients and should not be transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL submitted by 
any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to DOC in 
accordance with the instructions contained in the award document.
    False Statements. A false statement on an application is grounds 
for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment 
by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001.
    Intergovernmental Review. Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' It has been determined that this notice is a ``not 
significant'' rule under Executive Order 12866.
Larry Irving,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 98-34228 Filed 12-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P