[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 166 (Friday, August 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46966-46967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22289]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Assistance Program for Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs) and Other Minority Institutions of Higher 
Education (MIHE)

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of restricted eligibility for a competitive assistance 
program.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is considering the establishment of a competitive 
assistance program which will be limited to HBCUs and MIHE. Under the 
assistance program envisioned, these schools and universities would be 
competing amongst themselves for grants and cooperative agreements that 
are relevant to one or more of the FHWA's five strategic goals. This 
notice seeks Expressions of Interest from HBCUs and other MIHE that 
would like to participate in such a program.

DATES: Expressions of Interest must be received on or before November 
10, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Your Expressions of Interest may be mailed or hand-carried 
to the Federal Highway Administration, Office of Acquisition 
Management, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 4410, Washington, DC 20590-0001, 
Mail Stop HAAM-20, or submitted electronically to: 
Debbie.R[email protected] in WordPerfect 6.1 or higher.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debbie Ridgely, Office of Acquisition 
Management, HAAM-10, (202)-366-4233, or Mr. Wilbert Baccus, Office of 
the Chief Counsel, HCC-32, (202) 366-1396, Federal Highway 
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. 
Office hours are from 7:45 am to 4:15 pm, e.t., Monday through Friday 
except Federal Holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office's Electronic bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's home page at: 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's 
database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
    Internet users may access the FHWA Strategic Plan by going to: 
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov (select Major Program Areas, then FHWA 
Strategic Plan). Users may also review major program areas of the FHWA 
from this home page.
    Internet users may also access the pertinent Executive Orders for 
HBCUs and MIHE at www.whitehouse.gov (select Virtual Library, then 
Executive Orders).

Background

    The National Task Force on Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Institutions of Higher 
Education (MIHE) was formed to make recommendations to the 
Administrator which would facilitate, enhance and increase the 
participation of these schools in all phases of the FHWA Federal and 
Federal-aid programs with a special emphasis on research and technology 
programs. The Task Force made numerous recommendations to the Acting 
Federal Highway Administrator in December 1997. As a result of those 
recommendations, the Office of Acquisition Management has proposed the 
establishment of the assistance program as a viable method of matching 
the capabilities of the HBCUs and MIHE, with the needs of the FHWA. The 
purpose of this program is to foster the HBCUs/MIHE* research and 
development activities which contribute substantially to the FHWA's 
mission and to prepare the faculty and students at HBCUs/MIHE to 
successfully participate in the competitive research arena.
    *A HBCUs is defined in 34 CFR 608.2 as an accredited college or 
university, established prior to 1964, whose principle mission was and 
is, the education of African-Americans.
    An Indian Serving Institution, which includes Tribal Colleges, as 
well as, Bureau of Indian Affairs affiliated institutions must have a 
student body of at least 51% American Indian to acquire and maintain 
Tribal College status.
    A Hispanic Serving Institution, as defined by the Hispanic 
Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), must have at least a 
25% Hispanic student body. This entitles the school to a full 
membership in HACU. The HACU accepts associate memberships from 
institutions with a smaller percentage, of not less than 10% Hispanic 
students.
    Under the program envisioned by the FHWA, all assistance program 
awards would be required to be relevant to one or more of the FHWA's 
five strategic goals of mobility, safety, productivity, human and 
natural environment, and national security. The mobility goal concerns 
the continual improvement of the public's access to activities, goods, 
and services through the preservation, improvement, and expansion of 
the highway transportation system and enhancement of its operations, 
efficiency, and intermodal connections. The safety goal concerns 
continual improvement of highway safety by reducing the number of 
fatalities and injuries. The productivity goal concerns the continual 
improvement of the economic efficiency of the Nation's transportation 
system to enhance America's position in the global economy. The human 
and natural environment goal concerns the protection and enhancement of 
the natural environment and communities affected by highway 
transportation. The

[[Page 46967]]

national security goal seeks the improvement of the capacity and 
operation of the highway system to support defense mobilization.
    The assistance program envisioned would be an annual program under 
which awards would be made on a competitive basis, predicated on merit 
review, typically for a period of three years. Funding beyond the first 
year would be based on an annual evaluation of documented progress, 
availability of funds, and the amount of funds reported as unexpended 
by the awardee at the end of each year's period of performance. A 
preliminary estimate of total award amounts would be approximately 
$100,000 on an annual basis.
    The HBCUs and the MIHE that are interested in participating in such 
an assistance program are invited to submit an ``Expression of 
Interest.'' Your submission should include:
    1. Full name and address of school/university, point of contact, 
phone number, fax number and E-Mail address,
    2. Specific FHWA goal(s) that your institution would be interested 
in participating under and your actual recent (past three years) 
experience in the area,
    3. A list of your institution's current curriculum/majors as they 
relate to the FHWA strategic goals,
    4. Any laboratories/research facilities that you currently have 
access to, and
    5. Any specific future plans you have for expanding your curriculum 
and or research facilities.
    Provided that a sufficient number of relevant ``Expressions of 
Interest'' are received in response to this notice, the FHWA would 
issue a program-based solicitation calling for submission of 
applications. The application process would be open to all HBCUs and 
MIHE and is not dependent upon submitting an initial ``Expression of 
Interest.'' Applications would be assessed according to specific 
criteria that relate to the goals of the FHWA's National Strategic Plan 
and would be awarded to a limited number of applicants according to the 
merit of the application and the availability of funds in each fiscal 
year. The target date for initial awards would be FY 2000.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 307 and 403; E.O. No. 12876, 58 FR 58735, 3 
CFR, 1994 Comp., p. 671; E.O. No. 13021, 61 FR 54929, 3 CFR, 1997 
Comp., p. 221; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on August 18, 1999.
Gloria J. Jeff,
Federal Highway Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-22289 Filed 8-26-99; 8:45 am]
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