[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51402-51412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24691]



[[Page 51401]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part III





Environmental Protection Agency





_______________________________________________________________________



Solicitation Notice; Environmental Education Grants Program

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 183 / Wednesday, September 22, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 51402]]



ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6441-9]


Solicitation Notice; Environmental Education Grants Program; 
Fiscal Year 2000

Contents

Section I
    Overview and Deadlines
Section II
    Eligible Applicants and Activities
Section III
    Funding Priorities
Section IV
    Requirements for Proposals and Matching Funds
Section V
    Review and Selection Process
Section VI
    Grantees Responsibilities
Section VII
    Resource Information and Mailing List
Appendices
    Federal Forms and Instructions

Section I. Overview and Deadlines

A. Purpose of Solicitation

    This document solicits grant proposals from education institutions, 
environmental and educational public agencies, and not-for-profit 
organizations to support environmental education projects, as defined 
in this document. This solicitation notice contains all the information 
and forms necessary to prepare a proposal. If your project is selected 
as a finalist after the evaluation process is concluded, EPA will 
provide you with additional Federal forms needed to process your 
proposal. These grants require non-federal matching funds for at least 
25% of the total cost of the project.

    Please Note: EPA has a new agencywide policy in effect this year to 
streamline the grant application process. Consequently, a number of 
changes have been incorporated into this grant program, including 
brevity in the workplans of proposals submitted to Headquarters.
    The Environmental Education Grants Program provides financial 
support for projects which design, demonstrate, or disseminate 
environmental education practices, methods, or techniques, including 
assessing environmental and ecological conditions or specific 
environmental issues or problems. This program is authorized under 
Section 6 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (the Act) 
(Public Law 101-619).

B. Environmental Education versus Environmental Information

Environmental Education
    Increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues 
and provides the skills to make informed decisions and take responsible 
actions. It does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of 
action. It teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an issue 
through critical thinking and it enhances their own problem-solving 
skills.
Environmental Information
    Proposals that simply disseminate ``information'' will not be 
funded. These would be projects that provide facts or opinions about 
environmental issues or problems, but may not enhance critical-
thinking, problem solving or decision-making skills. Although 
information is an essential element of any educational effort, 
environmental information is not, by itself, environmental education.

C. Due Date and Grant Schedule

    An original proposal signed by an authorized representative plus 
one copy, must be mailed to EPA postmarked no later than November 22, 
1999. Proposals postmarked after that date will not be considered for 
funding. EPA expects to announce the grant awards in the early Summer 
of 2000. Applicants should anticipate project start dates for next 
Summer and, for planning purposes, may use July 1, 2000, as the 
earliest start date.

D. Addresses for Mailing Proposals

    Proposals requesting over $25,000 in Federal environmental 
education grant funds must be mailed to EPA Headquarters in Washington, 
DC; proposals requesting $25,000 or less must be mailed to the EPA 
Regional Office where the project takes place. The Headquarters address 
and the list of Regional Office mailing addresses by state is included 
at the end of this notice.

E. Funding Limits Per Proposal

    EPA anticipates funding of less than $3 million for this annual 
grant cycle, subject to appropriations and the availability of funds. 
Since implementation of this grants program in 1992, there has been a 
great deal of public enthusiasm for developing environmental education 
projects. Consequently, EPA has consistently received many more 
applications for these grants than can be supported with available 
funds. The competition for grants is intense, especially at 
Headquarters which usually receives about 300 proposals and is able to 
fund less than 5% of the applicants. Regional offices generally fund 
about 15% of proposals seeking over $5,000 and more than 30% of 
proposals for $5,000 or less.
    Grants in excess of $150,000 have seldom been awarded through this 
program. Although the Act sets a maximum limit of $250,000 in 
environmental education grant funds for any one project, because of 
limited funds, EPA prefers to award smaller grants to more recipients. 
Also, Congress requires that at least 25% of available funds go to 
small grants of $5,000 or less. In summary, you will significantly 
increase your chance of being funded if you request $5,000 or less from 
a Regional Office or $100,000 or less from Headquarters.

Section II. Eligible Applicants and Activities

F. Eligible Applicants

    Any local education agency, state education or environmental 
agency, college or university, not-for-profit organization as described 
in section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or noncommercial 
educational broadcasting entity may submit a proposal. ``Tribal 
education agencies'' which may also apply include a school or community 
college which is controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which 
is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by 
the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and 
which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These terms 
are defined in section 3 of the Act and 40 CFR 47.105.
    Applicant organizations must be located in the United States and 
the majority of the educational activities must take place in the 
United States, Canada and/or Mexico. A teacher's school district, an 
educator's nonprofit organization, or a faculty member's college or 
university may apply, but an individual teacher, educator, or faculty 
member may not. Tribal organizations also do not qualify unless they 
meet the criteria listed above.

G. Multiple or Repeat Proposals

    An organization may submit more than one proposal if the proposals 
are for different projects. No organization will be awarded more than 
one grant for the same project during the same fiscal year. Applicants 
who received one of these grants in the past may submit a new proposal 
to expand a previously funded project or to fund an entirely different 
one. Each new proposal will be

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evaluated based upon the specific criteria set forth in this 
solicitation and in relation to the other proposals received in this 
fiscal year. Due to limited resources, EPA does not generally sustain 
projects beyond the initial grant period. This grant program is geared 
toward providing seed money to initiate new projects or to advance 
existing projects that are ``new'' in some way, such as reaching new 
audiences or new locations. If you have received a grant from this 
program in the past, it is essential that you explain how your current 
proposal is ``new.''

H. Restrictions on Curriculum Development

    EPA strongly encourages applicants to demonstrate or disseminate 
existing environmental education materials (curricula, training 
materials, activity books, etc.) rather than designing new materials, 
because experts indicate that a significant amount of quality 
educational materials have already been developed and are under-
utilized. EPA will consider funding new materials only where the 
applicant demonstrates that there is a need, e.g., that existing 
educational materials cannot be adapted well to a particular local 
environmental concern or audience, or existing materials are not 
otherwise accessible. The applicant must specify what steps they have 
taken to determine this need, e.g., you may cite a conference where 
this need was discussed, the results of inquiries made within your 
community or with various educational institutions, or a research paper 
or other published document. Further, EPA recommends the use of a 
publication entitled Environmental Education Materials: Guidelines for 
Excellence which was developed in part with EPA funding. These 
guidelines contain recommendations for developing and selecting quality 
environmental education materials. Please visit our website at 
``www.epa.gov/enviroed/resources.html'' for viewing these guidelines 
and for information about ordering copies.

I. Ineligible Activities

    Environmental education funds cannot be used for:
    1. Technical training of environmental management professionals;
    2. Non-educational research and development;
    3. Environmental ``information'' projects that have no educational 
component, as described in section I(B); and/or
    4. Construction projects--EPA will not fund construction activities 
such as the acquisition of real property (e.g., buildings) or the 
construction or modification of any building. EPA may, however, fund 
activities such as creating a nature trail or building a bird watching 
station as long as these items are an integral part of the 
environmental education project, and the cost is a relatively small 
percentage of the total amount of federal funds requested.

Section III. Funding Priorities

J. Educational Priorities

    All proposals must satisfy the definition of ``environmental 
education'' under Section I(B) and also address one of the following 
educational priorities. Headquarters will fund the proposals for larger 
grants (over $25,000 in Federal funds) that address any of the top 
three categories listed below; and regional offices will fund grants in 
any of seven categories listed below. The order of the list is random 
and does not indicate a ranking. Please read the definitions that are 
included in this section to prevent your application from being 
rejected for failure to correctly address a priority, especially 
``Capacity Building'' which has been completely redefined this year.
Headquarters Priorities (Federal funds in excess of $25,000)
    (1) Capacity Building: Increasing capacity to develop and deliver 
coordinated environmental education programs across a state or across 
multiple states.
    (2) Education Reform: Utilizing environmental education as a 
catalyst to advance state, local, or tribal education reform goals.
    (3) Community Issues: Designing and implementing model projects to 
educate the public about environmental issues and/or health issues in 
their communities through community-based organizations or through 
print, film, broadcast, or other media.
Regional Office Priorities ($25,000 or less in Federal funds)
    (1-3) All of the Above.
    (4) Health: Educating teachers, students, parents, community 
leaders, or the public about human-health threats from environmental 
pollution, especially as it affects children.
    (5) Teaching Skills: Educating teachers, faculty, or nonformal 
educators about environmental issues to improve their environmental 
education teaching skills, e.g., through workshops.
    (6) Career Development: Educating students in formal or nonformal 
settings about environmental issues to encourage environmental careers.
    (7) Environmental Justice: Educating low-income or culturally-
diverse audiences about environmental issues, thereby advancing 
environmental justice.
Definitions
    The terms used above and in section IV are defined as follows:
    Wide application pertains to a project that targets a large and 
diverse audience in terms of numbers or demographics; or that can serve 
as a model program elsewhere.
    Environmental issue is one of importance to the community, state, 
or region being targeted by the project, e.g., one community may have 
significant air pollution problems which makes teaching about human 
health effects from it and solutions to air pollution important, while 
rapid development in another community may threaten a nearby wildlife 
habitat, thus making habitat or ecosystem protection a high priority 
issue.
    Partnerships refers to the forming of a collaborative working 
relationship between two or more organizations such as governmental 
agencies, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and/
or the private sector. It may also refer to intra-organizational unions 
such as the science and art departments within a university 
collaborating on a project.
    Capacity Building refers to developing effective leaders and 
organizations that design, implement, and link environmental education 
programs across a state or states to promote long-term sustainability 
of the programs. Effective efforts address both leadership and 
organizational needs, as well as coordination to decrease fragmentation 
of effort and duplication across programs. Coordination should involve 
all major education and environmental education providers (e.g., state 
education and natural resource agencies, tribal education agencies, 
schools and school districts, professional education associations, and 
nonprofit education and environmental education organizations). 
Examples of capacity building activities include identifying and 
assessing needs and setting priorities; identifying, evaluating and 
linking programs; developing and implementing strategic plans; 
identifying funding sources and resources; facilitating communication 
and networking; promoting sustained professional development; and 
sponsoring leadership seminars. For purposes of this definition, States 
and tribal lands are equivalent and thus capacity building can take 
place ``across'' either or both.

    Note: Proposals must identify existing capacity building 
efforts, if any, and discuss

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how the proposed project will support these efforts.

    Education Reform refers to state, local, or tribal efforts to 
improve student academic achievement. Where feasible, collaboration 
with private sector providers of technology and equipment is 
recommended. Education reform efforts often focus on changes in 
curriculum, instruction, assessment or how schools are organized. 
Curriculum and instructional changes may include inquiry and problem 
solving, real-world learning experiences, project-based learning, team 
building and group decision-making, and interdisciplinary study. 
Assessment changes may include developing content and performance 
standards and realigning curriculum and instruction to the new 
standards and new assessments. School site changes may include creating 
magnet schools or encouraging parental and community involvement.

    Note: All proposals must identify existing educational 
improvement needs and goals and discuss how the proposed project 
will address these needs and goals.

    Human health threats from environmental pollution as used here is 
intended to address recommended actions stated in EPA's ``National 
Agenda to Protect Children's Health from Environmental Threats.'' The 
agenda reads as follows: ``An informed, involved local community does a 
better job of making environmental decisions than a distant 
bureaucracy--and never more so than when it comes to our children. 
Parents, teachers and community leaders can and should play a vital, 
day-to-day role in learning about the particular environmental hazards 
their children face in their own communities, and then use that 
knowledge to make more informed decisions that prevent environmental 
health problems and protect children.'' Therefore, EPA encourages 
environmental education projects to educate the public about 
environmental hazards and how to minimize human exposure to preserve 
good health.
    Environmental Justice refers to EPA's goal to encourage applicants 
to submit proposals that include efforts to target low-income and 
culturally-diverse populations, thereby promoting environmental 
justice. The term environmental justice refers to the fair treatment of 
people of all races, cultures, and income with respect to the 
development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, 
regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no racial, ethnic, 
or socioeconomic group should bear a disproportionate share of the 
negative environmental consequences that might result from the 
operation of industrial, municipal, and commercial enterprises and from 
the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and 
policies. An example would be an education project directed at an 
environmental problem with a disproportionately high and adverse human 
health or environmental impact on a low-income or culturally-diverse 
community.

Section IV. Requirements for Proposals and Matching Funds

K. Contents of Proposal and Scoring

    The proposal must contain two standard federal forms, a work plan 
with budget, and appendices, as described below. Please follow 
instructions and do not submit additional items.
Federal Forms
    Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and Budget Information 
(SF-424A): The SF-424 and SF-424A are required for all federal grants 
and must be submitted as part of your proposal. These two forms, along 
with instructions and samples, are included at the end of this notice. 
Only finalists will be asked to submit additional federal forms needed 
to process their proposal. EPA will make copies of your proposal for 
use by grant reviewers. Unnecessary forms create a paperwork burden for 
the reviewers.
Work Plan and Appendices
    A work plan describes your proposed project, and your appendices, 
establishes your timeline, your qualifications, and your partnerships 
with other organizations, where applicable. Include all five sections 
described below which will be evaluated and scored by reviewers. The 
total number of points possible for each proposal is 100. Each of the 
following five sections of the work plan are assigned points which add 
up to 90. Reviewers will be given the flexibility to provide up to 10 
bonus points for exceptional projects based upon the overall quality of 
the proposal, evidence that educational priorities will be effectively 
advanced by the project, and that it will provide a good return on the 
investment. Examples of factors for bonus points include strong 
partnerships, creative use of resources, innovation, and sustainability 
of the project.
    (1) Project Summary: Provide the following overview of your entire 
project in this format and on one page only:
    (a) Organization: Describe: (1) Your organization, and (2) list 
your key partners for this grant, if applicable. Partnerships are 
encouraged and considered to be a major factor in the success of 
projects.
    (b) Summary Statement: Provide an overview of your project that 
explains the concept and your goals and objectives. This should be a 
very basic explanation in layman's terms to provide a reviewer with an 
understanding of the purpose and expected outcome of your educational 
project.
    (c) Educational Priority: Identify which priority listed in section 
III you will address, such as education reform. Proposals may address 
several educational priorities, however, EPA cautions against losing 
focus on projects. Evaluation panels often select projects with a 
clearly defined purpose, rather than projects that attempt to address 
multiple priorities at the expense of a quality outcome.
    (d) Delivery Method: Explain how you will reach your audience, such 
as workshops, conferences, interactive programs, etc.
    (e) Audience: Describe the demographics of your target audience 
including the number and types you expect to reach, such as, teachers, 
students, specific grade levels, ethnic composition, members of the 
general public, etc.
    (f) Costs: List the types of activities for which the EPA portion 
of grant funds will be spent.
    The project summary will be scored on how well you provide an 
overview of your entire project using the topics stated above.
Project Summary Maximum Score: 10 points
    (2) Project Description: Describe precisely what your project will 
achieve--why, how, when, with what, and who will benefit. Explain each 
aspect of your proposal in enough detail to answer a grant reviewer's 
questions. This section is intended to provide you with the flexibility 
to be creative and does not require any specific format for describing 
your project. However, you should address the following to ensure that 
grant reviewers can fully comprehend and score your project. Address 
each criteria in any sequence that best demonstrates the strengths of 
your project.
    This subsection will be scored on how well you design and describe 
your project and how effectively your project meets the following 
criteria:
    (a) Why: Explain the purpose of your project and how it will 
address an educational priority listed in section III, such as 
education reform or children's

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health; and address an environmental issue, such as clean air, 
ecosystem protection, or cross-cutting issues; and explain the 
importance to your community, state, or region;
    (b) Who: Explain who will conduct the project and identify the 
target audience and demonstrate an understanding of the needs of that 
audience (including cultural diversity where appropriate); and specify 
if it has the potential for wide application, and/or can serve as a 
model for use in other locations with a similar audience;
    (c) How: Explain your strategy, objectives, activities, delivery 
methods, and outcomes to establish for reviewers that you have 
realistic goals and objectives and will use effective methods for 
reaching the target audience; and
    (d) With What: Demonstrate that the project uses or produces 
quality educational products or methods that teach critical-thinking, 
problem-solving, and decision-making skills. (Please note restrictions 
on the development of curriculum and educational materials in section 
H.)
Project Description Maximum Score: 40 points (10 points for each of (a) 
through (d))
    (3) Project Evaluation: Explain how you will ensure that you are 
meeting the goals and objectives of your project. Evaluation plans may 
be quantitative and/or qualitative and may include, for example, 
evaluation tools, observation, or outside consultation.
    The project evaluation will be scored on how well your plan will: 
(a) measure the project's effectiveness; and (b) apply evaluation data 
gathered during your project to strengthen it.
Project Evaluation Maximum Score: 10 points (5 points for each of (a) 
and (b))
    (4) Budget: Clarify how EPA funds and non-federal matching funds 
will be used for specific items or activities, such as personnel/
salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, 
and indirect costs. Include a table which lists each major proposed 
activity, and the amount of EPA funds and/or matching funds that will 
be spent on each activity. Smaller grants with uncomplicated budgets 
may have a table that lists only a few activities. Budget periods not 
to exceed one-year are preferred by EPA for all grants and are 
mandatory for small grants of $5,000 or less. Budget periods for larger 
grants cannot exceed two-years. PLEASE NOTE the following funding 
restrictions:

--Indirect costs may be requested only if your organization has already 
prepared an indirect cost rate proposal and has it on file, subject to 
audit.
--Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for 
those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the proposed 
project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly related to 
specific products or outcomes of the proposed project. EPA strongly 
encourages applicants to request reasonable amounts of funding for 
salaries and fringe benefits to ensure that your proposal is 
competitive.
--EPA will not fund the acquisition of real property (including 
buildings) or the construction or modification of any building.

    Matching Funds Requirement: Non-federal matching funds of at least 
25% of the total cost of the project are required, and EPA encourages 
matching funds of greater than 25%. The 25% match may be provided by 
the applicant or a partner organization or institution, and may be 
provided in cash or by in-kind contributions and other non-cash 
support. In-kind contributions often include salaries or other 
verifiable costs and this value must be carefully documented. In the 
case of salaries, applicants may use either minimum wage or fair market 
value.
    IMPORTANT: The matching non-federal share is a percentage of the 
entire cost of the project. For example, if the 75% federal portion is 
$10,000, then the entire project should, at a minimum, have a budget of 
$13,333, with the recipient providing a contribution of $3,333. To 
assure that your match is sufficient, simply divide the Federally 
requested amount by three. Your match must be at least one-third of the 
requested amount to be sufficient. For a $5,000 EPA grant your match 
cannot be less than $1,667. All grants are subject to Federal audit.
    Other Federal Funds: You may use other Federal funds in addition to 
those provided by this program, but not for activities that EPA is 
funding. You may not use any federal funds to meet any part of the 
required 25% match described above, unless it is specifically 
authorized by statute. If you have already been awarded federal funds 
for a project for which you are seeking additional support from this 
program, you must indicate those funds in the budget section of the 
work plan. You must also identify the project officer, agency, office, 
address, phone number, and the amount of the federal funds.
    This subsection will be scored on: (a) How well the budget 
information clearly and accurately shows how funds will be used; and 
(b) whether the funding request is reasonable given the activities 
proposed.
Budget Maximum Score: 15 points ((a) 5 points and (b) 10 points)
    (5) Appendices:
    (a) Timeline--Include a ``time line'' to link your activities to a 
clear project schedule and indicate at what point over the months of 
your budget period each action, event, product, development, etc. 
occurs.
    (b) Key Personnel--Attach a one page resume for the key personnel 
conducting the project (Maximum of three resumes please).
    (c) Letters of Commitment--If there are partners, include one page 
letters of commitment from partners explaining their role in the 
proposed project. Do not include letters of endorsement or 
recommendation or have them mailed in later; they will not be 
considered in evaluating proposals.
    Please do not submit other appendices or attachments such as video 
tapes or sample curricula. EPA may request such items if your proposal 
is among the finalists under consideration for funding.
    This subsection will be scored based upon: (1) Whether the timeline 
clarifies the workplan and allows reviewers to determine that the 
project is well thought out and feasible as planned; (2) whether the 
key personnel are qualified to implement the proposed project; and (3) 
whether letters of commitment are included (if partners are used) and 
the extent to which a firm commitment is made.
Appendices Maximum Score: 15 points (5 points for each of (a) through 
(c))

L. Page Limits

    The Work Plan should not exceed 5 pages. ``One page'' refers to one 
side of a single-spaced typed page. The pages must be letter sized (8 
\1/2\  x  11 inches), with margins at least one-half inch wide and with 
normal type size, rather than extremely small type. This page limit 
applies to parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Work Plan, (i.e., the Summary, 
Project Description, and Project Evaluation). Parts 4 and 5 (i.e. 
Budget and Appendices) are not included in these page limits.

M. Submission Requirements and Copies

    The applicant must submit one original and one copy of the proposal 
(a signed SF-424, an SF-424A, a work plan, a budget, and the appendices 
listed above). Do not include other attachments such as cover letters, 
tables

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of contents, additional Federal forms or appendices other than those 
listed above. Grant reviewers often lower scores on proposals for 
failure to follow instructions. The SF-424 should be the first page of 
your proposal and must be signed by a person authorized to receive 
funds. Blue ink for signatures is preferred. Proposals must be 
reproducible; they should not be bound. They should be stapled or 
clipped once in the upper left hand corner, on white paper, and with 
page numbers. Mailing addresses for submission of proposals are listed 
at the end of this document.

N. Regulatory References

    The Environmental Education Grant Program Regulations, published in 
the Federal Register on March 9, 1992, provide additional information 
on EPA's administration of this program (57 FR 8390; Title 40 CFR, part 
47 or 40 CFR part 47). Also, EPA's general assistance regulations at 40 
CFR part 31 applies to state, local, and Indian tribal governments and 
40 CFR part 30 applies to all other applicants such as nonprofit 
organizations.

Section V. Review and Selection Process

O. Proposal Review

    Proposals submitted to EPA headquarters and regional offices will 
be evaluated using the same criteria, as defined in sections IV and V 
of this solicitation. Proposals will be reviewed in two phases--the 
screening phase and the evaluation phase. During the screening phase, 
proposals will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the basic 
requirements of this document. Only those proposals which meet all of 
the basic requirements will enter the full evaluation phase of the 
review process. During the evaluation phase, proposals will be 
evaluated based upon the quality of their work plans. Reviewers 
conducting the screening and evaluation phases of the review process 
will include EPA officials and external environmental educators 
approved by EPA. At the conclusion of the evaluation phase, the 
reviewers will score work plans based upon the scoring system described 
in more detail in section IV. In summary, the maximum score of 100 
points can be reached as follows:

(1) Project Summary--10 Points
(2) Project Description--40 Points
(3) Project Evaluation--10 Points
(4) Budget--15 Points
(5) Appendices--15 Points
(6) Bonus Points--10 Points (Reviewers grant these for outstanding 
proposals)

P. Final Selections

    After individual projects are evaluated and scored by reviewers, as 
described under section IV, EPA officials in the regions and at 
headquarters will select a diverse range of finalists from the highest 
ranking proposals. In making the final selections, EPA will take into 
account the following:

(1) Effectiveness of collaborative activities and partnerships, as 
needed to successfully develop or implement the project;
(2) Environmental and educational importance of the activity or 
product;
(3) Effectiveness of the delivery mechanism (i.e., workshop, 
conference, etc.);
(4) Cost effectiveness of the proposal; and
(5) Geographic distribution of projects.

Q. Notification to Applicants

    Applicants will receive a confirmation that EPA has received their 
proposal once EPA has received all proposals and entered them into a 
computerized database, usually within two months of receipt. EPA will 
notify applicants about the outcome of their proposal when grant awards 
are announced in early summer.

Section VI. Grantees Responsibilities

R. Responsible Officials

    The Act requires that projects be performed by the applicant or by 
a person satisfactory to the applicant and EPA. All proposals must 
identify any person other than the applicant who will assist in 
carrying out the project. These individuals are responsible for 
receiving the grant award agreement from EPA and ensuring that all 
grant conditions are satisfied. Recipients are responsible for the 
successful completion of the project.

S. Incurring Costs

    Grant recipients may begin incurring costs on the start date 
identified in the EPA grant award agreement. Activities must be 
completed and funds spent within the time frames specified in the 
document.

T. Reports and Work Products

    Specific reporting requirements will be identified in the EPA grant 
award agreement. Grant recipients with a federal environmental 
education grant greater than $100,000 will be required to submit formal 
semi-annual progress reports; and grantees for less may be required to 
submit brief semi-annual reports. Grant recipients will submit two 
copies of their final report and two copies of all work products to the 
EPA project officer within 90 days after the expiration of the budget 
period. This report will be accepted as the final report unless the EPA 
project officer notifies you that changes must be made.

Section VII. Resource Information and Mailing List

U. Internet Access--www.epa.gov/enviroed

    Please visit our website where you can view and download this 
solicitation notice, a list of EPA environmental education contacts, 
tips for developing successful grant applications, descriptions of past 
projects funded under this program, and other education links and 
resource materials, such as Excellence in EE--Guidelines for Learning 
(K-12) which, among other things, will help you channel your 
environmental education efforts towards education reform goals. In 
addition, a tutorial for grant applicants is available at: http://
www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm
    If you receive this solicitation electronically and if the standard 
federal forms for Application (SF-424) and Budget (SF-424A) cannot be 
printed by your equipment, you may locate them the following ways (but 
please read our instructions which have been modified somewhat for this 
grant program): the Federal Register in which this document is 
published contains the forms and is available to be copied at many 
public libraries; many federal offices use the forms and have copies 
available; or you may call or write the appropriate EPA office listed 
at the end of this document.

V. Other Funding

    Please note that this is a very competitive grants program. Limited 
funding is available and many grant applications are expected to be 
received. Therefore, the Agency cannot fund all applications. If your 
project is not funded, you may wish to review a listing of other EPA 
grant programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. This 
publication is available at local libraries, colleges, and 
universities.

W. Classification of Notice

    Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted a report 
containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, 
the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the 
General Accounting

[[Page 51407]]

Office prior to publication of this rule in today's Federal Register. 
This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the 
information collection requirements contained in this solicitation 
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq. and has assigned OMB control number 2030-0006.

X. Mailing List for Year 2001 Environmental Education Grants

    EPA develops an entirely new mailing list for the grants program 
each year. The Fiscal Year 2001 mailing list will automatically include 
all applicants who submit proposals for a FY 2000 grant and anyone who 
specifically requests the next Solicitation Notice. If you do not 
submit a proposal for the year 2000 and wish to be added to our future 
mailing list, mail your request--please do not telephone--along with 
your name, organization, address, and phone number to: Enviro Education 
Grant Program (Year 2001), EPA Office of Environmental Education, 
(1704), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.

    Dated: September 16, 1999.
David L. Cohen,
Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Communications, Education, 
and Media Relations.

Mailing Addresses and Information

    Applicants who need more information about this grant program or 
clarification about specific requirements in this Solicitation 
Notice, may contact the EPA Environmental Education Division in 
Washington, D.C. for grant requests of more than $25,000 or their 
EPA regional office for grant requests of $25,000 or less.

U.S. EPA HEADQUARTERS--For Proposals Requesting More than $25,000

Mail proposals to:
    Environmental Education Grant Program, Office of Enviro 
Education (1704), 401 M Street, S.W., Room 364 WT, Washington, D.C. 
20460
Information:
    Diane Berger and Sheri Jojokian (202) 260-8619

U.S. EPA REGIONAL OFFICES--For Proposals Requesting $25,000 or Less

    Mail the proposal to the Regional Office where the project will 
take place, rather than where the applicant is located, if these 
locations are different.

EPA Region I--CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region I
    Enviro Education Grants (MGM)
    1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
    Boston, MA 02114
Hand-Deliver to:
    10th Floor Mail Room
    Boston, MA (M-F 8am-4pm)
Information:
    Kristen Conroy, (617) 918-1069

EPA Region II--NJ, NY, PR, VI

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region II
    Enviro Education Grants
    Grants and Contracts Management Branch
    290 Broadway, 27th Floor
    New York, NY 10007-1866
Information:
    Teresa Ippolito
    (212) 637-3671

EPA Region III--DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region III
    Enviro Education Grants
    Grants Management Section (3PM70)
    1650 Arch Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
Information:
    Nan Ides
    (215) 814-5546

EPA Region IV--AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region IV
    Enviro Education Grants
    Office of External Affairs
    61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
    Atlanta, GA 30303
Information:
    Janie Foy
    (404) 562-8432

EPA Region V--IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region V
    Enviro Education Grants
    Grants Management Section (MC-10J),
    77 West Jackson Boulevard
    Chicago, IL 60604
Information:
    Suzanne Saric
    (312) 353-3209

Region VI--AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region VI
    Enviro Education Grants (6XA)
    1445 Ross Avenue
    Dallas, TX 75202
Information:
    Jo Taylor,
    (214) 665-2204

Region VII--IA, KS, MO, NE

Mail proposal to:
    U.S. EPA, Region VII
    Enviro Education Grants
    Office of External Programs
    901 N. 5th Street
    Kansas City, KS 66101
Information:
    Rowena Michaels
    (913) 551-7003

Region VIII--CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region VIII
    Enviro Education Grants
    999 18th Street (80C)
    Denver, CO 80202-2466
Information:
    Cece Forget
    (303) 312-6605

Region IX--AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region IX
    Enviro Education Grants
    Communications & Gov't Relations (CGR-3)
    75 Hawthorne Street
    San Francisco, CA 94105
Information:
    Matt Gaffney
    (415) 744-1166

Region X--AK, ID, OR, WA

Mail proposals to:
    U.S. EPA, Region X
    Enviro. Education Grants
    Public Environmental Resource Center
    1200 Sixth Avenue (EXA-124)
    Seattle, WA 98101
Information:
Sally Hanft
(800) 424-4372
    (206) 553-1207

Instructions for the SF 424-Application

    This is a standard Federal form to be used by applicants as a 
required face sheet for the Environmental Education Grants Program. 
These instructions have been modified for this program only and do 
not apply to any other Federal program.
    1. Check the box marked ``Non-Construction'' under 
``Application.''
    2. Date application submitted to Federal agency (or State if 
applicable) & applicant's control number (if applicable).
    3. State use only (if applicable).
    4. If you are currently funded for a related project, enter 
present Federal identifier number. If not, leave blank.
    5. Legal name of applicant organization, name of primary 
organizational unit which will undertake the grant activity, 
complete address of the applicant organization, and name and 
telephone number of the person to contact on matters related to this 
application.
    6. Enter Employer Identification Number (EIN) as assigned by the 
Internal Revenue Service. You can obtain this number from your 
payroll office. It is the same Federal Identification Number which 
appears on W-2 forms. If your organization does not have a number, 
you may obtain one by calling the Taxpayer Services number for the 
IRS.
    7. Enter the appropriate letter in the space provided.
    8. Check the box marked ``new'' since all proposals must be for 
new projects.
    9. Enter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    10. Enter 66.951 Environmental Education Grants Program
    11. Enter a brief descriptive title of the project.
    12. List only the largest areas affected by the project (e.g., 
State, counties, cities).
    13. Self-explanatory (see section IV, K4 in Solicitation 
Notice).
    14. In (a) list the Congressional District where the applicant 
organization is located; and in (b) any District(s) affected by the 
program or project. If your project covers many areas, several 
congressional districts

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will be listed. If it covers the entire state, simply put in 
STATEWIDE. If you are not sure about the congressional district, 
call the County Voter Registration Department.
    15. Amount requested or to be contributed during the funding/
budget period by each contributor. Line (a) is for the amount of 
money you are requesting from EPA. Lines (b-e) are for the amounts 
either you or another organization are providing for this project. 
Line (f) is for any program income which you expect will be 
generated by this project. Examples of program income are fees for 
services performed, income generated from the sale of a brochure 
produced with the grant funds, or admission fees to a conference 
financed by the grant funds. The total of lines (b-e) must be at 
least 25% of line (g), as this grant has a match requirement of 25% 
of the TOTAL ALLOWABLE PROJECT COSTS. Value of in-kind contributions 
should be included on appropriate lines as applicable. If both basic 
and supplemental amounts are included, show breakdown on an attached 
Budget sheet. For multiple program funding, use totals and show 
breakdown using same categories as item 15.
    16. Check (b) (NO) since your application does not have to be 
sent through the state clearinghouse for review.
    17. This question applies to the applicant organization, not the 
person who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of 
debt include delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes.
    18. The authorized representative is the person who is able to 
contract or obligate your agency to the terms and conditions of the 
grant. (Please sign with blue ink.) A copy of the governing body's 
authorization for you to sign this application as official 
representative must be on file in the applicant's office.

Instructions for the SF-424A--Budget

    This is a standard Federal form used by applicants as a basic 
budget. These instructions have been modified for this grant program 
only and do not apply to any other Federal Program.
    Do NOT fill in section A--Budget Summary.

Complete Section B--Budget Categories--Columns (1), (2) and (5).

    For each major program, function or activity, fill in the total 
requirements for funds by object class categories. Please round 
figures to the nearest dollar.
    All applications should contain a breakdown by the relevant 
object class categories shown in Lines (a-h): columns (1), (2), and 
(5) of section B. Include Federal funds in column (1) and non-
Federal (matching) funds in column (2), and put the totals in column 
(5). Many applications will not have entries in all object class 
categories.
    Line 6(i)--Show the totals of lines 6(a) through 6(h) in each 
column.
    Line 6(j)--Show the amount of indirect costs, but ONLY if your 
organization has already prepared an ``indirect cost rate'' proposal 
and has it on file, subject to audit.
    Line 6(k)--Enter the total of amounts of Lines 6(i) and 6(j).
    Line 7--Program Income--Enter the estimated amount of income, if 
any, expected to be generated from this project. Do not add or 
subtract this amount from the total project amount. Describe the 
nature and source of income in the detailed budget description.

Detailed Itemization of Costs

    The proposal must also contain a detailed budget description as 
specified in the Notice in section IV, K4, and should conform to the 
following:
    Personnel: List all participants in the project by position 
title. Give the percentage of the budget period for which they will 
be fully employed on the project (e.g., half-time for half the 
budget period equals 25%, full-time for half the budget period 
equals 50%, etc.). Give the annual salary and the total cost over 
the budget period for all personnel listed.
    Travel: If travel is budgeted, show destination and purpose of 
travel as well as costs.
    Equipment: Identify all equipment to be purchased and for what 
purpose it will be used.
    Supplies: If the supply budget is less than 2% of total costs, 
you do not need to itemize.
    Contractual: Specify the nature and cost of such services. EPA 
may require review of contracts for personal services prior to their 
execution to assure that all costs are reasonable and necessary to 
the project.
    Construction: Not allowable for this program.
    Other: Specify all other costs under this category.
    Indirect Costs: Provide an explanation of how indirect charges 
were calculated for this project.

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[FR Doc. 99-24691 Filed 9-21-99; 8:45 am]
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