[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 18 (Thursday, January 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4401-4402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2019]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA Nos.: 84.315A, 84.315B, 84.315C]


Capacity Building for Traditionally Underserved Populations; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999

    Purpose of Program: To improve services provided under the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), especially services 
provided to individuals from minority backgrounds, and to provide 
outreach and technical assistance to minority entities and Indian 
tribes to enhance their capacity and promote their participation in 
activities funded under the Act.
    Eligible Applicants: State and public or private nonprofit agencies 
and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher 
education. For Absolute Priority 1 and Absolute Priority 2, only 
minority entities as defined in section 21(b)(5)(B) of the Act and 
Indian tribes are eligible to apply for funds (section 21(b)(2)(B)).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Three types of projects are announced for FY 
1999 under this program, and they are authorized under section 
21(b)(2)(B) and (b)(2)(C) of the Act.
    The term ``minority entity'' is defined in section 21(b)(5)(B) of 
the Act to mean an entity that is a historically Black college or 
university, a Hispanic-serving institution of higher education, an 
American Indian tribal college or university, or another institution of 
higher education whose student minority enrollment is at least 50 
percent.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 24, 1999.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 23, 1999.

    Note: Assistance to federally recognized Indian tribes is 
excluded from coverage under 34 CFR Part 79 (Intergovernmental 
Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities).

    Applications Available: January 28, 1999.
    Available Funds: $2,000,000.
    Maximum Awards: In no case does the Secretary make an award greater 
than the maximum amount listed for a single budget period of 12 months 
for each absolute priority. The Secretary rejects and does not consider 
an application that proposes a budget exceeding the following maximum 
amounts:

Absolute Priority 1 `` $150,000
Absolute Priority 2 `` $400,000
Absolute Priority 3 `` $200,000

    Estimated Range of Awards: $120,000 to $400,000.

Absolute Priority 1 `` $120,000 to $150,000
Absolute Priority 2 `` $300,000 to $400,000
Absolute Priority 3 `` $150,000 to $200,000

    Note: Applicants should apply for level funding for each project 
year.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.

Absolute Priority 1--8
Absolute Priority 2--1
Absolute Priority 3--3

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Page Limit: Part III of the application, the application narrative, 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria used by 
reviewers in evaluating the application. You must limit Part III to the 
equivalent of no more than 45 pages, using the following standards:
    (1) A ``page'' is 8.5''  x  11'', on one side only with 1'' margins 
at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    (2) You must double space (no more than three lines per vertical 
inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    If you use a proportional computer font, you may not use a font 
smaller than a 12-point font or an average character density greater 
than 18 characters per inch. If you use a nonproportional font or a 
typewriter, you may not use more than 12 characters per inch.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget

[[Page 4402]]

section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must include 
all of the application narrative in Part III.
    If, in order to meet the page limit, you use print size, spacing, 
or margins smaller than the standards specified in this notice, we 
won't consider your application for funding.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, and 86.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

Priorities

    Absolute Priority 1 (84.315A): Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 
section 21(b)(2)(B) of the Act, the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications from minority entities and Indian tribes 
that propose projects that would provide training, technical 
assistance, or related activities in order to improve services under 
the Act, especially services provided to individuals from minority 
backgrounds. The Secretary funds under this competition only 
applications that meet this absolute priority.
    Invitational Priority: Within Absolute Priority 1, the Secretary is 
particularly interested in applications from minority entities that 
propose to do both of the following:
    (A) Provide training, technical assistance, or related activities 
in order to improve the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services 
provided under the Act, especially services provided to individuals 
from minority backgrounds.
    (B) Establish collaborative relationships and partnerships with 
community-based organizations, particularly those community-based 
organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities 
from minority backgrounds.
    However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an application that meets this 
invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications.
    Approved applications from this competition also may be funded in 
FY 2000.
    Absolute Priority 2 (84.315B): Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 
section 21(b)(2)(B) of the Act, the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications from minority entities and Indian tribes 
that propose projects that would improve services provided under the 
Act by providing training, technical assistance, or related activities 
to assist grantees funded under the Vocational Rehabilitation Service 
Projects for American Indians with Disabilities program (CFDA No. 
84.250). The Secretary funds under this competition only applications 
that meet this absolute priority.
    Absolute Priority 3 (84.315C): Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 
section 21(b)(2)(C) of the Act, the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that propose projects that would provide 
outreach and technical assistance to minority entities and Indian 
tribes to promote their participation in activities funded under the 
Act, including assistance to enhance their capacity to carry out those 
activities. Projects may provide technical assistance to minority 
entities who are first-time recipients of grants funded under the Act 
in order to increase their capacity to carry out their grants. The 
Secretary funds under this competition only applications that meet this 
absolute priority.
    Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant 
under these competitions, the Secretary uses selection criteria chosen 
from the general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The 
selection criteria to be used for these competitions will be provided 
in the application package for these competitions.
    For Applications Contact: The Grants and Contracts Service Team 
(GCST), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. (Room 
3317, Switzer Building), Washington, D.C. 20202-2649; Telephone (202) 
205-8351. 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. The preferred method for requesting applications is to FAX your 
request to (202) 205-8717.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format by contacting the GCST. However, the 
Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard 
forms included in the application package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen C. Chesley, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. (Room 3318 Switzer Building), 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2649. Telephone: (202) 205-9481. 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.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

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, Bulletin and Press Releases.

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

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 718b (Section 21 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended).

    Dated: January 22, 1999.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 99-2019 Filed 1-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P