[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53381-53388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25567]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6450-1]


Invitation for Proposals; National Environmental Education 
Training Program (Referred to as ``Training Program'')

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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Section I. Summary of Important Application Information

    Application Deadline: Applications must be postmarked no later than 
December 15, 1999.
    Where to Mail Applications: U.S. EPA, Office of Environmental 
Education, Training Program, 401 M Street SW (MC: 1704, RM: 366WT), 
Washington, DC 20460.
    Eligible Applicants: U.S. institutions of higher education or not-
for-profit institutions or a consortia of such institutions.
    Purpose: To build on existing efforts that deliver environmental 
education training and related support services to education 
professionals across the U.S.
    Funding: One cooperative agreement of approximately $1.4 million 
per year for a three year project period (for a total of approximately 
$4.2 million), subject to annual performance reviews and Congressional 
appropriations. The program may be extended to a maximum of five years 
subject to these conditions. Matching funds of at least 25% 
(approximately $350,000 per year) are required. This requirement may be 
met with in-kind contributions.
    Project Period: October 1, 2000-September 30, 2003 (with a possible 
extension to 2005).
    Award Date: By September 30, 2000.

Section II. Purpose of Notice and Relationship to Other Programs

A. What is the Purpose of This Notice?

    The purpose of this notice is to invite eligible institutions to 
submit proposals to operate the Training Program as authorized under 
section 5 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (the Act) 
(Pub. L. 101-619).

B. What Is the Relationship Between the Training Program and the 
Environmental Education Grants Program?

    This notice applies only to the Training Program authorized under 
section 5 of the Act. This notice does not apply to the Environmental 
Education Grants Program authorized under section 6 of the Act. The 
grants program funds approximately 200 individual projects annually. 
Please visit our web site at <www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html> to 
obtain information on the grants program or contact Diane Berger, U.S. 
EPA, Office of Environmental Education (1704), Environmental Education 
Grants Program, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, 
[email protected], 202-260-8619.

C. What Is the Relationship Between the Training Program and the 
Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP) and Its 
Predecessor the National Consortium for Environmental Education and 
Training (NCEET)?

    In 1995, EPA awarded a cooperative agreement to a consortium led by 
the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) to 
operate the training program authorized under section 5 of the Act. 
This program, titled the Environmental Education and Training 
Partnership (EETAP), will operate from October 1, 1995 through 
September 30, 2000. Additional information on EETAP can be obtained by 
accessing EPA's web site at <www.epa.gov/enviroed/educate.html> or 
EETAP's web site at <www.eetap.org>. NCEET as a separate entity no 
longer exists. However, some key elements of NCEET's program have been 
incorporated into EETAP (e.g., promotion of the ``EE Toolbox'' and 
expansion of the World Wide Web Site ``EE-Link'' (<www.eelink.net>)).
    This solicitation notice requests proposals that build on the 
current EETAP program. This new program can be viewed as an evolution 
of EETAP which reflects the progress the environmental education field 
has made over the past few years. This means that EETAP's core themes 
of building state capacity, linking environmental education to 
education reform, reaching out to diverse audiences, ensuring quality, 
utilizing technology, and promoting synergy in the environmental 
education field will remain key components of the new program (see 
section III.E.1-6. below).

Section III. Definitions

D. What Is ``Environmental Education Training''?

    Environmental education (EE) increases public awareness and 
knowledge about environmental issues and provides the skills needed to 
make informed and responsible decisions. It enhances critical-thinking, 
problem-solving, and effective decision-making skills and teaches 
individuals how to weigh various sides of an environmental issue before 
making decisions. Environmental education does not advocate a 
particular viewpoint or course of action. Training refers to activities 
such as classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, programs, and other 
forums which are designed to prepare education professionals to teach 
about the environment.

E. How Are the Training Program's ``Core Themes'' Defined?

    (1) Building state capacity refers to the development of effective 
leaders and organizations that ensure the quality and long-term 
sustainability of coordinated and comprehensive EE programs across a 
state or states. Effective efforts address both leadership and 
organizational needs as well as coordination issues that decrease 
fragmentation and duplication across programs. ``Coordination'' refers 
to the involvement of all major education and environmental education 
providers in a state or across states (e.g., especially

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state and local education, environmental protection, natural resource, 
and related government agencies as well as schools and school 
districts, professional education associations, and nonprofit education 
and environmental education organizations). Coordination efforts are 
also encouraged to include tribal entities where tribal lands are 
involved, as appropriate. ``Comprehensive'' refers to EE programs that 
have multiple components such as an EE coordinator, master plan, 
curriculum and instruction requirements, and frameworks and assessments 
as determined by each state or tribe.
    (2) Linking EE to education reform refers to using EE as a catalyst 
to advance state, local, or tribal education reform goals for improving 
student academic achievement. Reform efforts often focus on changes in 
curriculum, instruction, assessment or how schools are organized. EE 
can be used to advance these changes by providing a real-world, 
interdisciplinary context for learning; developing critical-thinking 
and problem-solving skills; promoting ``hands-on,'' cooperative, and 
learner-centered instruction methods; and setting, measuring, and 
meeting high academic standards.
    (3) Reaching diverse audiences refers to targeting traditionally 
under-served education professionals, especially educators who work 
with low-income and culturally-diverse audiences. Other traditionally 
under-served audiences include non-formal educators, high school 
teachers, community college faculty, pre-service education 
institutions, and state, local, and tribal education, environmental 
protection, natural resource, and other related agency officials.
    (4) Ensuring quality refers to the development, use, and 
dissemination of guidelines on what constitutes quality EE that is, 
among other things, scientifically-sound, educationally-appropriate, 
and inclusive of diverse perspectives.
    (5) Utilizing technology refers to using the latest computer and 
World Wide Web technologies to provide education professionals with 
increased opportunities for accessing EE information and resource 
materials, communicating and networking, and learning.
    (6) Promoting synergy refers to forming and encouraging 
partnerships among key EE providers and educational institutions to 
leverage resources, improve efficiency, and reduce duplication of 
effort.

F. Are There Priorities Among the ``Core Themes''?

    EPA believes that addressing all six ``core themes'' is essential 
to a successful Training Program. However, to enable the field of EE to 
become more unified and sustainable over the long-term, the state 
capacity building ``core theme'' will serve as the ``umbrella'' for 
guiding all training and support activities that encompass the other 
five ``core themes.'' Over the past few years, tremendous progress has 
been made with respect to several other ``core themes'' such as 
promoting quality through the development of EE guidelines and 
furthering communication and access to information and resources 
through the World Wide Web. These efforts as well as those to promote 
synergy among EE providers should be continued. Regarding efforts to 
link with education reform (and the education community in general) and 
in reaching low income and culturally-diverse communities, progress has 
been made but a significant amount of additional work needs to be done. 
Thus, greater emphasis needs to be placed on meeting the needs of the 
education community as well as low-income and culturally-diverse 
audiences.

Section IV. Purpose of Training Program and Eligible Participants

G. What Is the Purpose of the Training Program?

    The purpose of this program is to provide training and related 
support services to education professionals who are or can become 
leaders in ensuring the quality and long-term sustainability of 
coordinated and comprehensive EE efforts across a state or states. Such 
state capacity building efforts must support all of the Training 
Program's five other ``core themes'' of education reform, diversity, 
quality, technology, and synergy as described under section III.E. and 
F. Ultimately, through this Training Program, education professionals 
will be better able to develop and deliver more effective programs that 
will enable students and communities to make informed and responsible 
environmental decisions.

H. Who Should Be Targeted for Training and Related Support Services 
Under This Program?

    The education professionals who may receive training and related 
support services under this program are:
    (1) Teachers, faculty, curriculum specialists, administrators and 
others who are employed by or impact decision-making in schools and 
school districts, community colleges, and four-year colleges and 
universities;
    (2) Employees of federal, state, local, and tribal education, 
environmental protection, natural resource, and related agencies; and 
(3) Employees of not-for-profit organizations, including non-formal 
educators, as well as businesses and their professional trade groups 
and associations who are involved in EE and education efforts.
    Training and related support services must include opportunities 
for both formal and non-formal education professionals and address both 
pre-service and in-service education needs, as appropriate. In 
addition, as required under the Act, training opportunities must also 
include education professionals from Mexico and Canada. Note that 
federal employees may be included in training opportunities, but can 
not receive funds for any travel related expenses.

Section V. Program Activities

I. What Activities Must Be Carried Out Under This Program?

    Activities must, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) Training
    The continuation and expansion of existing EE training efforts that 
support the ``core themes'' and the priorities among them as defined 
under section III.E. and F. Such training must, at a minimum, include 
classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, programs or other forums 
which provide education professionals with knowledge and skills on the 
following:
    a. Leadership and organizational development issues such as how to 
effectively recruit board members and volunteers, raise funds, 
communicate, develop partnerships, as well as reach low-income and 
culturally-diverse audiences;
    b. Educational approaches such as how to effectively integrate 
environmental problem-solving into existing science, social science, 
and other subject areas, use existing and future EE guidelines and link 
them to national and state academic standards and curriculum 
frameworks, as well as use specific instructional methods or practices 
to teach effectively; and
    c. Environmental education approaches such as how to effectively 
identify, evaluate, adapt, and expand existing materials and programs 
that are, among other things, scientifically-sound, inclusive of 
diverse perspectives, and use an investigative, problem-solving, and 
critical-thinking approach to learning and decision-making.

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(2) Information
    The collection, evaluation, and dissemination of information, 
especially through the World Wide Web, regarding quality EE materials, 
programs, and teaching methods as well as the benefits, challenges, 
techniques, and progress made in using the ``core themes'' identified 
under section III.E. to advance the field of EE. The goal is to ensure 
that a wide array of education professionals have access to such 
information and are able to replicate such efforts, as appropriate. 
Information collection, evaluation, and dissemination activities must, 
at a minimum, include the following:
    a. An existing EE resource library (or libraries), primarily based 
on the World Wide Web, which provides information on quality materials, 
programs, and teaching methods and links libraries across the country 
(and in Mexico and Canada, as appropriate);
    b. An existing World Wide Web site (or sites) with state-of-the-art 
communication technology that enables education professionals to share 
information, to network, and to learn;
    c. The continued development, use, and dissemination of EE 
guidelines (including existing guidelines for EE materials, learners, 
and educator preparation as well as new guidelines for programs and 
professional development) and their correlation to national and state 
education standards and curriculum frameworks, as appropriate;
    d. The continued development, use, and dissemination of existing 
and new assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness of addressing 
the ``core themes'' identified under section III.E. and F.; and
    e. Support for the development and dissemination of newsletters and 
other publications which communicate the successes and challenges of 
addressing the ``core themes'' identified under section III.E. and F.
(3) Partnerships and Networks
    Continuation and expansion of existing EE partnerships and 
networks, especially those which seek to include organizations, 
institutions, or agencies that represent the education community, low-
income and culturally-diverse audiences, and state and local government 
agencies. The goal is to improve the effectiveness of the EE community 
by facilitating communication, sharing information, leveraging scarce 
resources, and expanding partnerships and networks beyond existing 
relationships. Various important partnership and networking activities 
have already been identified under the training and information 
activities identified above such as leadership conferences and 
electronic communications.

J. Are All Three Types of Activities Discussed Above of Equal 
Importance?

    EPA believes that all three types of activities identified above 
are inter-related and, therefore, essential to an effective program. 
Note that in designing and implementing these activities, special 
emphasis must be placed on:
    (1) Continuing and expanding existing quality state capacity 
building training programs, partnerships, and networks;
    (2) Improving linkages between the EE and education communities;
    (3) Expanding the inclusion of low-income and culturally-diverse 
education professionals, audiences, organizations, and programs;
    (4) Designing classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, programs 
or other forums that can be broadly disseminated to education 
professionals; and
    (5) Including opportunities for teachers and other education 
professionals from Canada and Mexico to participate in training along 
with their U.S. counterparts.

Section VI. Eligible Institutions

K. What Types of Institutions Are Eligible To Apply To Operate This 
Program?

    Only U.S. institutions of higher education or not-for-profit 
institutions (or a consortia of such institutions) may apply to operate 
the Training Program as specified under the Act.

L. What Approach or Organizational Structure Has the Best Chance of 
Being Selected To Operate the Training Program?

    EPA strongly encourages institutions to form a consortium to manage 
and implement this program, as appropriate. EPA believes that an 
effective consortium would build upon existing national, regional, and 
state capacity building training efforts as well as the other ``core 
themes'' discussed under section III.E. and F. Under this scenario, a 
lead institution would provide strong leadership in setting the 
direction of the entire consortium, select other institutions as 
partners that would implement specific activities, manage the overall 
implementation of the program, and ensure the program meets the goals 
and requirements in this notice. To be most effective, the lead 
institution should have experience in delivering state capacity 
building training and in addressing other ``core themes.'' Partners may 
include not-for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, 
and Federal, state, local, and/or tribal education, environmental 
protection, natural resource, and related agencies. Partners may not 
necessarily have prior experience in addressing the ``core themes,'' 
but their addition to a consortium should strengthen these themes. Note 
that a balance needs to be reached between the benefits of including a 
large number of partners with a broad range of programs and the 
administrative costs of managing a large, broad-based consortium.
    EPA believes that a cooperative approach is important because 
strong partnerships can expand current networks, help leverage scarce 
resources, improve effectiveness, and avoid duplication of effort in a 
field which remains fragmented. Cooperation is also important to ensure 
that the program reaches low-income and culturally-diverse audiences 
and reaches both formal and non-formal education professionals. Thus, 
the lead institution and its partners would be working cooperatively to 
deliver a cohesive training program which benefits education 
professionals in all geographic regions of the U.S. and includes 
training opportunities for education professionals from Canada and 
Mexico.

M. May an Institution Be Part of or Submit More Than One Application?

    Yes, eligible institutions may appear in more than one application 
as a member of a consortium. However, such institutions may not apply 
as the sole applicant or as the lead institution in a consortium in 
more than one application.

Section VII. Funding and Project Period

N. How Much Money Is Available To Fund This Program? When Will the 
Award Be Made?

    To implement this program over the past five years, EPA awarded 
between $1.4 and $1.95 million each year from FY 1995--FY 1999 for a 
total of $8.875 million. Funding levels for this program are subject to 
annual Congressional appropriations. For planning purposes, EPA 
suggests that applicants plan for approximately $1.4 million per year 
for three years. EPA expects to announce the award by September 30, 
2000.

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O. How Many Awards Will Be Made? What Is the Expected Project Period 
for This Program?

    EPA will award only one cooperative agreement, with annual 
amendments, on or about September 30 of each year for an estimated 
three year project period. The agreement may be extended to a maximum 
of five years. Funding for any given year is subject to Congressional 
appropriations and annual performance reviews. The award will be made 
to only one institution (or to the lead institution in a consortium) 
which is responsible for managing the entire Training Program. EPA 
expects to award this cooperative agreement, and its annual amendments, 
to the same institution (or the same lead institution in a consortium) 
over the three to five year project period. Thus, EPA expects to fund 
this program for a project period which runs from approximately October 
1, 2000 through September 30, 2003 (or to September 30, 2005 if the 
program is extended to five years).

P. What Is a Cooperative Agreement? How Is a Cooperative Agreement 
Different From a Grant?

    Under the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 
(Public Law 95-224), both a grant and cooperative agreement are legal 
instruments in which the Federal government transfers money to a state 
or local government or other recipient for the benefit of the public. A 
grant is used when ``no substantial involvement'' is anticipated 
between the federal agency and the recipient during the performance of 
the project. By contrast, a cooperative agreement is used when 
``substantial involvement'' is anticipated between the federal agency 
and the recipient of the funds.
    Because EPA will award a cooperative agreement to fund this 
program, applicants should expect EPA to have ``substantial 
involvement'' in the recipient's overall implementation of this program 
to ensure that it meets the goals of this notice. EPA's involvement 
will include active participation in planning meetings, review and 
approval of annual work plans, as well as review of all major draft and 
final products and publications prior to use and dissemination. 
Specific conditions regarding the relationship of EPA and the recipient 
will be identified in the award document.

Q. When Should Proposed Activities Start?

    Proposed activities cannot begin before the funds are awarded and 
the first year's annual work plan is approved by the EPA Project 
Officer. The project period is expected to begin October 1, 2000. 
However, actual training and related activities may not begin 
immediately, if the recipient and the EPA Project Officer need 
additional time to finalize the work plan. Work plans must be submitted 
to and approved by the EPA Project Officer annually.

R. How Will Funds Be Awarded in Years Two and Three of the Program?

    The institution which received funding for the first year of the 
program must submit a new application, work plan, and other required 
forms to obtain funding for each of the subsequent years of the 
program. The actual award of funds for subsequent years is subject to 
annual Congressional appropriations and annual performance reviews.

S. Are Matching Funds Required?

    Yes, non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of the total cost 
of the program are required. The matching funds must be from a non-
federal source. For planning purposes, applicants should estimate a 
matching share of approximately $350,000 per year. The source of 
matching funds must be identified in the application and may be 
provided in cash or by in-kind contributions. All in-kind contributions 
must be verifiable costs that are carefully documented.

T. What Cannot Be Funded Under This Program?

    As specified by the Act, no funds shall be used for (1) the 
acquisition of real property (including buildings) or construction or 
substantial modification of any building, (2) technical training for 
environmental management professionals, or (3) non-educational research 
and development. In addition, funds may not be used to pay for any 
travel related expenses for federal employees.

Section VIII. The Application

U. What Must Be Included in the Application?

    To qualify for review, the application must include the following 
three components. Note that only finalists will be asked to submit 
additional federal forms needed to process the application (e.g., 
certification regarding debarment and lobbying).
(1) Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)
    A form which requests basic information about proposals such as the 
name of the project and the amount of money requested. This form is 
required for all federal grants and cooperative agreements. A completed 
SF 424 for the first year of the program must be submitted as part of 
the application. See section VIII.W. below for information on how to 
obtain this form.
(2) Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A)
    A form which requests budget information by object class categories 
such as personnel, travel, and supplies. This form is also required for 
all federal grants and cooperative agreements. A completed SF 424A for 
the first year of the program must also be submitted as part of the 
application. See section VIII.W below for information on how to obtain 
this form. Note that additional budget information describing how the 
funds will be used for all major activities during the first year is 
also required under the budget section of the work plan as discussed 
under section VIII.V.3.e.1. below.
(3) Work Plan
    A detailed plan of no more than 20 pages (not including the 
appendices) which describes how the applicant proposes to operate the 
Training Program during the first year. The work plan must also discuss 
in general terms what the goals, objectives, and major activities will 
be for the second and third years. Note that the recipient of the award 
may be asked to revise their first year's work plan once the award is 
made subject to the discretion of the EPA Project Officer. Work plans 
must contain all four sections discussed below, in the format 
presented. Note that each section of the work plan includes a brief 
discussion of some of the factors that will be considered in reviewing 
and scoring applications.
    a. Summary: A brief synopsis of no more than two pages identifying:
    1. The institution requesting funding and its key partners, if 
applicable, and the mission of each organization;
    2. The primary goals, objectives, and activities of the proposed 
program, how it will be implemented, and how it builds on existing 
programs;
    3. The total number of education professionals to be reached as 
well as the expected demographics of such education professionals and 
the audiences they reach;
    4. The expected results of the project by the end of years one, 
two, and three; and
    5. How the funds will be used.
    Scoring: The summary will be scored on its overall clarity and the 
extent to which all five of the elements identified above are 
addressed. (Maximum Score: 5 points)

[[Page 53385]]

    b. Mission Statement: A discussion of the short (first year) and 
long-term (3 to 5 years) goals and objectives of the program and how 
such goals and objectives will meet the requirements of this notice. 
Also include a discussion about the needs of the EE and education 
communities and how these needs will be met.
    Scoring: The mission statement will be scored based upon factors 
that include its overall clarity as well as the extent to which the 
applicant demonstrates their capability to meet the goals of the 
Training Program identified in this notice and the stated needs of the 
EE and education communities. (Maximum Score: 5 points)
    c. Management and Implementation Plan: A detailed plan of how the 
project will be managed and implemented in the first year (i.e., what 
steps will be taken to reach the goals of the program), along with a 
summary of the project in the second and third years. The plan must 
discuss how the proposed program continues and expands existing 
national, regional, and state capacity building training efforts. The 
plan must also indicate how the proposed program will address other 
five ``core themes'' and priorities among them as identified under 
section III.E. and F., audiences identified under section IV.H., and 
activities identified under section V.I. The plan must also identify 
all key activities and deliverables/products as well as describe the 
major responsibilities of the Program Director, key staff, and key 
partners in the consortium, if applicable. The plan must include a 
matrix or table identifying all key activities and deliverables/
products as well as a precise schedule for conducting these activities 
and completing these deliverables/products during the first year. The 
plan must also include an organizational chart which clearly shows the 
responsibilities and relationships of the Program Director, key staff, 
and various partners, if applicable.
    Scoring: The management and implementation plan will be scored 
based upon factors that include its overall clarity as well as the 
extent to which the applicant demonstrates their capability to:
    1. Continue and expand existing national, regional, and state 
capacity building training efforts and address all other ``core 
themes'' identified under section III.E. and F.;
    2. reach audiences identified under section IV.H.;
    3. conduct the training and other activities identified under 
section V.; and
    4. effectively staff and manage the program, including effectively 
managing the lead institution's relationship with key partners, if 
applicable. (Maximum Score: 30 points)
    d. Evaluation Plan: A detailed plan on how the effectiveness of the 
program will be evaluated (i.e., how the applicant will know whether 
the goals and objectives of the program are being met, the program 
meets the requirements of this notice, and the program meets the needs 
of the EE and education communities). The evaluation plan must discuss 
the strengths and anticipated challenges expected in implementing the 
program. It must also discuss the approach, mechanisms, and amount of 
money that will be used to conduct independent annual evaluations of 
the program. This evaluation must be conducted by an institution that 
is independent of the lead institution and key partners and has 
appropriate credentials and experience in evaluating education 
programs.
    Scoring: The evaluation plan will be scored based upon factors that 
include its overall clarity as well as the extent to which the proposal 
demonstrates that an effective evaluation process will be used to 
strengthen the program. (Maximum Score: 20 points)
    e. Appendices: Important attachments to the work plan which contain 
information on the budget, qualifications and experience of key 
personnel, and letters of commitment from key partners, if applicable.
    1. Budget: A statement describing how funds will be used in the 
first year, including budget milestones for each major proposed 
activity and a timetable showing the month/year of completion. 
Estimates must include the allocation of funding for all major 
activities. Budget estimates are for planning and evaluation purposes 
only, recognizing that FY 2000 funds have not yet been appropriated by 
Congress for this program. Minor deviations from these amounts are 
expected. Include estimates of overhead costs as well as a statement on 
the relative economic effectiveness of the program in terms of the 
ratio of overhead costs to direct services. Note that competitive 
proposals are expected to use a relatively low overhead rate. For 
example, the current training program uses an overhead rate of 17% of 
the total cost of the project. Also note that additional budget 
information is also required on the SF 424A which must be submitted as 
part of the application as discussed under section VIII.U.2.
    Scoring: The budget will be scored based upon factors that include 
its overall clarity as well as the extent to which the budget is 
clearly and accurately linked to the project's goals and objectives, 
shows how the funds will be used, and demonstrates effective use of 
public funds. (Maximum Score: 20 points)
    2. Key Personnel and Letters of Commitment: Include resumes of up 
to three pages for the Program Director and each key staff member with 
major responsibilities for implementing the program. Resumes should 
describe the educational, administrative, management, and professional 
qualifications and experience. In addition, include up to three page 
resumes and one page letters of commitment from key partners with a 
significant role in the program, if applicable. Letters of endorsement 
from individuals or organizations who are not partners will not be 
considered in the evaluation process.
    Scoring: Personnel and partner commitment will be scored on the 
extent to which the Project Director, key staff, and key partners are 
identified in the proposal as well as qualified to manage and implement 
the program. In demonstrating the capability of key personnel, EPA 
strongly encourages applicants to provide examples of relevant 
experience in designing and delivering environmental education training 
on a large scale. In addition, the score will reflect whether letters 
of commitment are included from key partners and whether a firm 
commitment is made, if applicable. (Maximum Score: 20 points)

V. Where May I Obtain an Application and How Must the Application Be 
Submitted?

    Institutions may obtain an application (SF424 and SF424A) by 
downloading it from EPA's web site at <http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/
educate.html> or contacting U.S. EPA, Office of Environmental Education 
(MC:1704; RM 366WT), Training Program, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20460, 202-260-4965. The applicant must submit one original and three 
copies of the application (a signed SF 424, SF 424A, and a work plan). 
Applications must be reproducible. Do not submit bound copies of the 
application. They must be on white paper and stapled or secured in the 
upper left hand corner and include page numbers.
    Work plans must be no more than 20 pages (not including the 
appendices). A ``page'' refers to one side of a single-

[[Page 53386]]

spaced typed page. The pages must be letter sized (8 x 11 inches), with 
normal type size (10 or 12 cpi) with at least 1 inch margins. To 
conserve paper, please provide double-sided copies of the work plan and 
appendices, where possible.

W. When Are Applications Due to EPA and Where Must They Be Submitted?

    Applications must be mailed to EPA postmarked no later than 
December 15, 1999. Do not hand deliver applications due to restricted 
access to federal buildings. ``Mail'' refers to delivery by the U.S. 
Postal Service or any commercial overnight service. Any application 
postmarked after this date will not be considered for funding. All 
applications must be mailed to U.S. EPA, Office of Environmental 
Education, Training Program, 401 M St, SW (MC:1704, Rm 366WT), 
Washington, DC 20460.

Section IX. Review and Selection Process

X. What Will Be the Basis for Selection and Award?

    Applications will be evaluated on factors that include those 
identified under section VIII.U.3. Especially important will be the 
extent to which the proposed program builds on the existing training 
program, effectively incorporates all ``core themes,'' is able to 
deliver training and related support services early in the first year, 
and is able to hire management and staff that have the experience to 
successfully manage the program.

Y. How Will Applications Be Reviewed and the Final Selection Made?

    Applications will be reviewed by federal officials and external 
experts who are qualified to evaluate environmental education programs. 
EPA's Office of Environmental Education (OEE) will conduct an initial 
screening of all applications to identify those which meet the basic 
requirements of this document. OEE will then forward all eligible 
applications to federal and external experts for review and comment. 
Such reviewers may include individual members of the Federal Task Force 
on Environmental Education and the National Environmental Education 
Advisory Council. Reviewers' comments will be reviewed by OEE who will 
make recommendations for funding to the Associate Administrator of the 
Office of Communications, Education, and Public Affairs and the 
Administrator of EPA. EPA may conduct site visits to provide an 
opportunity for further discussion about the strengths and weaknesses 
of the top proposals, if needed.

Section X. Additional Information

Z. Where Do I Get Additional Information?

    Please contact Kathleen MacKinnon, U.S. EPA, Office of 
Environmental Education, 401 M St, SW (MC:1704; RM 366WT), Washington, 
DC, 20460, 202-260-4965 or [email protected] if you have any 
questions. Also, to obtain additional information about the existing 
training program, visit EPA's environmental education web site at 
<www.epa.gov/enviroed/educate.html> or EETAP's web site at 
<www.eetap.org>.

    Dated: September 24, 1999.
David L. Cohen,
Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Communications, Education, 
and Media Relations.

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[FR Doc. 99-25567 Filed 9-30-99; 8:45 am]
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