[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 72 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20034-20057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9140]



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Part V





Department of Education





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Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 72 / Thursday, April 13, 2000 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.255A]


Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000

    Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package. 
Together with the statute authorizing the program and applicable 
regulations governing the program, including the Education Department 
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice contains all of 
the information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply 
for an award under this competition.
    Purpose of Program: The Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners 
Program provides financial assistance for establishing and operating 
programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and 
improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult 
prisoners into society.
    Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible for an 
award under this program:
    (a) State or local correctional agencies.
    (b) State or local correctional education agencies.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 30, 2000.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 31, 2000.
    Available Funds: $4,750,000 for the first 12 months. Funding for 
the second and third 12 months is subject to availability of funds and 
to a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $315,000--$475,000 (funding for first 12 
months).
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $395,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10-15.

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

    Project period: Up to 36 months (3 twelve-month grant cycles).
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit the application narrative to the equivalent 
of no more than 75 pages (including appendices) or 2,000 characters per 
page for the page limit specified, using the following standards:
     A page is 8.5 inches x 11 inches, on one side only, with 
1-inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. For an electronic 
submission, a page equals 2,000 characters; and the Department of 
Education will convert any charts, tables, figures, and graphs from a 
page equivalency to a character count.
     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.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page and character count limits do not apply to the Application 
for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424); the Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs Form (ED 524), including the 
itemized budget; the other application forms; the assurances and 
certifications; or the table of contents, the text of the selection 
criteria within the narrative, the resumes, or the letters of support.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and the regulations for this program in 34 
CFR Part 490.

Definitions

    Applicants are encouraged to take particular note of the following 
definitions that are contained in 34 CFR 490.4:
    ``Life skills'' includes self-development, communication skills, 
job and financial skills development, education, interpersonal and 
family relationship development, and stress and anger management.
    ``Local correctional agency'' means any agency of local government 
that provides corrections services to incarcerated adults.
    ``Local correctional education agency'' means any agency of local 
government, other than a local correctional agency, that provides 
educational services to incarcerated adults.
    ``State correctional agency'' means any agency of State government 
that provides corrections services to incarcerated adults.
    ``State correctional education agency'' means any agency of State 
government, other than a State correctional agency, that provides 
educational services to incarcerated adults.

Invitational Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), the Secretary is particularly interested 
in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational 
priorities. However, an application that meets these invitational 
priorities does not receive competitive or absolute preference over 
other applications.

Invitational Priority #1

    Applications that demonstrate ways in which eligible entities and 
the private sector can effectively work together to assist students who 
are criminal offenders under the supervision of the justice system to 
attain the life skills they need to make a successful transition from 
correctional education programs to productive employment, including--
    (a) Work experience or apprenticeship programs;
    (b) Transitional worksite job training for students that is related 
to their occupational goals and closely linked to classroom and 
laboratory instruction provided by an eligible entity;
    (c) Placement services in occupations that the students are 
preparing to enter;
    (d) Where practical, projects that include activities that will 
benefit the public, such as the rehabilitation of public schools or 
housing in inner cities or economically depressed rural areas; or
    (e) Employment-based learning programs.

Invitational Priority #2

    Applications received from eligible entities, that establish or 
operate a life skills program for incarcerated adults within an 
Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone (EZ), or an 
Enterprise Community (EC) designated by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development or the United States Department of 
Agriculture. The Department seeks to encourage eligible applicants 
within EZ/EC communities to apply for grants in this competition. A 
list of EZ/EC communities is included in this notice.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications for new grants under this competition. The maximum score 
for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    The program regulations in 34 CFR 490.20(b) provide that the 
Secretary may award up to 100 points for the selection criteria, 
including a reserved 15 points. For this competition, the Secretary 
distributes the reserved 15 points as follows:
    Program Factors (34 CFR 490.21(a)). An additional ten points are 
added to

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this criterion for a possible total of 25 points.
    Evaluation Plan (34 CFR 490.21(d)). An additional five points are 
added to this criterion for a possible total of 20 points.
    (a) Program factors (25 points). The Secretary reviews the 
application to determine the quality of the proposed project, including 
the extent to which the application includes--
    (1) A clear description of the services to be offered; and
    (2) Life skills education designed to prepare adult offenders to 
reintegrate successfully into communities, schools, and the workplace.
    (b) Educational significance (15 points). The Secretary reviews 
each application to determine the extent to which the applicant 
proposes--
    (1) Project objectives that contribute to the improvement of life 
skills;
    (2) To use unique and innovative techniques to produce benefits 
that address life skills problems and needs that are of national 
significance; and
    (3) To demonstrate how well those national needs will be met by the 
project.
    (c) Plan of operation (15 points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the 
project, including--
    (1) The quality of the design of the project;
    (2) The extent to which the project includes specific intended 
outcomes that--
    (i) Will accomplish the purposes of the program;
    (ii) Are attainable within the project period, given the project's 
budget and other resources;
    (iii) Are susceptible to evaluation;
    (iv) Are objective and measurable; and
    (v) For a multi-year project, include specific objectives to be 
met, during each budget period, that can be used to determine the 
progress of the project toward meeting its intended outcomes;
    (3) The extent to which the plan of management is effective and 
ensures proper and efficient administration of the project;
    (4) The quality of the applicant's plan to use its resources and 
personnel to achieve each objective and intended outcome during the 
period of Federal funding; and
    (5) How the applicant will ensure that project participants who are 
otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disabling condition.
    (d) Evaluation plan (20 points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the evaluation plan for the 
project, including the extent to which the applicant's methods of 
evaluation--
    (1) Are clearly explained and appropriate to the project;
    (2) Will determine how successful the project is in meeting its 
intended outcomes, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
project in improving life skills of prisoners. To the extent feasible, 
the assessment must include a one-year post-release review, during the 
grant period, to measure the success of the project with respect to 
those prisoners who received services and were released. The assessment 
must involve comparison of the project to other existing education and 
training programs or no treatment for individuals, as appropriate. To 
assess program effectiveness, consideration may be given to 
implementing a random assignment evaluation design.
    (3) Provide for an assessment of the efficiency of the program's 
replication efforts, including dissemination activities and technical 
assistance provided to other projects;
    (4) Include formative evaluation activities to help assess program 
management and improve program operations; and
    (5) To the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are 
quantifiable.
    (e) Demonstration and dissemination (10 points). The Secretary 
reviews each application to determine the efficiency of the plan for 
demonstrating and disseminating information about project activities 
and results throughout the project period, including--
    (1) High quality in the design of the demonstration and 
dissemination plan;
    (2) Identification of target groups and provisions for publicizing 
the project at the local, State, and national levels by conducting or 
delivering presentations at conferences, workshops, and other 
professional meetings and by preparing materials for journal articles, 
newsletters, and brochures;
    (3) Provisions for demonstrating the methods and techniques used by 
the project to others interested in replicating these methods and 
techniques, such as by inviting them to observe project activities;
    (4) A description of the types of materials the applicant plans to 
make available to help others replicate project activities and the 
methods for making the materials available; and
    (5) Provisions for assisting others to adopt and successfully 
implement the project or methods and techniques used by the project.
    (f) Key personnel (5 points).
    (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality 
of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project, including--
    (i) The qualifications, in relation to the objectives and planned 
outcomes of the project, of the project director;
    (ii) The qualifications, in relation to the objectives and planned 
outcomes of the project, of each of the other key personnel to be used 
in the project, including any third-party evaluator;
    (iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (f)(1)(i) 
and (ii) of this section will commit to the project; and
    (iv) How the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment 
practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment 
without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disabling condition.
    (2) To determine personnel qualifications under paragraphs 
(f)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section, the Secretary considers experience 
and training in project management and in fields related to the 
objectives and planned outcomes of the project.
    (g) Budget and cost effectiveness (5 points). The Secretary reviews 
each application to determine the extent to which the budget--
    (1) Is cost effective and adequate to support the project 
activities;
    (2) Contains costs that are reasonable and necessary in relation to 
the objectives of the project; and
    (3) Proposes using non-Federal resources available from appropriate 
employment, training, and education agencies in the State to provide 
project services and activities and to acquire project equipment and 
facilities.
    (h) Adequacy of resources and commitment (5 points).
    (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent 
to which the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the 
project. The Secretary considers the extent to which--
    (i) Facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate; and
    (ii) Equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are 
adequate.
    (2) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the 
applicant's commitment to the project, including the extent to which--
    (i) Non-Federal resources are adequate to provide project services 
and activities, especially resources of the public and private sectors; 
and
    (ii) The applicant has the capacity to continue, expand, and build 
upon the project when Federal assistance ends.

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Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order is 
to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism 
by relying on State and local processes for State and local government 
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
    Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of 
Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State's process 
under Executive order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities 
in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of 
Contact for each of those States and follow the procedure established 
in each State under the Executive order. If you want to know the name 
and address of any State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), see the list 
included in this notice, or you may view the latest SPOC list on the 
OMB Web site at the following address:

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.

    In States that have not established a process or chosen a program 
for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit 
comments directly to the Department. Any State Process Recommendation 
and other comments submitted by a State Single Point of Contact and any 
comments from State, areawide, regional, and local entities must be 
mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this notice to the 
following address: The Secretary, E.O. 12372--CFDA #84.255A, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 7E200, 
Washington, DC 20202-0125.
    Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as 
applications (see 34 CFR 75.102). Recommendations or comments may be 
hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date indicated in 
this notice.
    Please note that the above address is not the same address as the 
one to which the applicant submits its completed application. Do not 
send applications to the above address.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

    Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make 
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. 
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined 
that proposed rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    The U.S. Department of Education is conducting a limited pilot 
project of electronic submission of discretionary grant applications 
for selected programs. The Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners 
Program (CFDA 84.255A) is one of the programs included in the pilot 
project. If you are an applicant under the Life Skills for State and 
Local Prisoners Program, you may submit your application to us in 
either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-GAPS) portion of the Grant Administration and 
Payment System (GAPS). We request your participation in the e-GAPS 
pilot project. By participating you will have an opportunity to have 
input into the overall design and approach of e-GAPS. At the conclusion 
of the pilot project, we will evaluate its success and solicit 
suggestions for improvements.
    If you participate as a grant applicant in an e-GAPS pilot, please 
note the following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED Form No. 524), and all necessary assurances 
and certifications. We may request that you give us original signatures 
on forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Life Skills 
for State and Local Prisoners Program at:
    http://e-grants.ed.gov
    We have included additional information about the e-GAPS pilot 
project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in this notice.
    If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you 
must meet the following deadline requirements:
    (A) If You Send Your Application by Mail:
    You must mail the original and two copies of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: CFDA #84.255A, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
    You must show one of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
    If you mail an application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    (B) If You Deliver Your Application by Hand:
    You or your courier must hand deliver the original and two copies 
of the application by 4:30 P.M. (Washington, DC time) on or before the 
deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control 
Center, Attention: CFDA #84.255A, Room 3633, Regional Office Building 
3, 7th and D Streets, SW., Washington, DC.
    The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 P.M. (Washington, DC time), except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays. The Center accepts application 
deliveries through the D Street entrance only. A person delivering an 
application must show identification to enter the building.
    (C) If You Submit Your Application Electronically:
    You must submit your grant application through the Internet using 
the software provided on the e-Grants Web site (http://e-grants.ed.gov) 
by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
    The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. till 12:00 midnight (Washington, DC time) daily, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays. Please note that on Wednesdays the Web 
site is closed for maintenance at 7:00 p.m. (Washington, DC time).
    Notes:
    (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.
    (2) If you send your application by mail or deliver it by hand or 
by a courier service, the Application Control Center will mail a Grant 
Application Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the 
notification of application

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receipt within 15 days from the date of mailing the application, you 
should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center 
at (202) 708-9493.
    (3) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 3 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424; revised January 12, 1999) the CFDA number--and 
suffix letter--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    (4) If you submit your application through the Internet via the e-
Grants Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment when we 
receive your application.

Application Instructions and Form

    To apply for an award under this program competition, your 
application must be organized in the following order and include the 
following five parts:
    Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (ED Form 424 (Rev. 4-
88)).
    Part II: Budget Information.
    Part III: Budget Narrative.
    Part IV: Program Narrative.
    Part V: Assurances and Certifications:
    a. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
    b. Certification regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 
80-0013) and Instructions.
    c. Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90) 
and Instructions.
    (Note:)
    ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees and should not be 
transmitted to the Department.)
    d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL-A) (if 
applicable) and Instructions, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 
Continuation Sheet (Standard Form LLL-A).
    e. An assurance that the applicant will report annually to the 
Secretary on the participation rate, cost, and effectiveness of the 
program and any other aspect of the program on which the Secretary may 
request information. (20 U.S.C. 1211-2(e)(2))
    This notice contains all forms and instructions, including a 
statement regarding estimated public reporting burden, a notice to 
applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), various assurances, certifications, 
and required documentation, and additional information.
    All applicants submitting hard copy applications must submit ONE 
original signed application, including ink signatures on all forms and 
assurances and ONE copy of the application. Please mark each 
application as original or copy.
    No grant may be awarded unless a completed application form has 
been received.

Instructions for Part III--Budget Narrative

    The budget narrative should explain, justify, and, if needed, 
clarify your budget summary. For each line item (personnel, fringe 
benefits, travel, etc.) in your budget, explain why it is there and how 
you computed the costs.

Instructions for Part IV--Program Narrative

    The program narrative will comprise the largest portion of your 
application. This part is where you spell out the who, what, when, 
where, why, and how of your proposed project.
    Although you will not have a form to fill out for your narrative, 
there is a format. This format is the selection criteria. Because your 
application will be reviewed and rated by a review panel on the basis 
of the selection criteria, your narrative should follow the order and 
format of the criteria.
    Before preparing your application, you should carefully read the 
legislation and regulations of the program, eligibility requirements, 
information on any priority set by the Secretary, and the selection 
criteria for this competition.
    Your program narrative should be clear, concise, and to the point. 
Begin the narrative with a one page abstract or summary of your 
proposed project. Then describe the project in detail, addressing each 
selection criterion in order.
    You may include supporting documentation as appendices. Be sure 
that this material is concise and pertinent to this program 
competition.
    You are advised that--
    (a) The Department considers only information contained in the 
application in ranking applications for funding consideration. Letters 
of support sent separately from the formal application package are not 
considered in the review by the technical review panels. (34 CFR 
75.217)
    (b) The technical review panel evaluates each application solely on 
the basis of the established technical review criteria. Letters of 
support contained in the application will strengthen the application 
only if they contain commitments that pertain to the established 
technical review criteria, such as commitment of resources.
    For Further Information Contact: Jennifer Arnold, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 4529 Mary E. Switzer 
Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-7142, Telephone (202) 205-5621.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an 
alternate format (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to 
reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in this 
notice.
    Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including 
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can 
be viewed on the Department's Website (at http://www.ed.gov/). However, 
the official application notice for a discretionary grant competition 
is the notice published in the Federal Register.

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 Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet 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 preceding sites. If 
you have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government 
Printing Office, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498 or in the Washington, DC 
area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
    http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1211-2.


    Dated: April 6, 2000.
Robert D. Muller,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.

Instructions for Estimated Public Reporting Burden

    Under terms of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended, and

[[Page 20038]]

the regulations implementing that Act, the Department of Education 
invites comment on the public reporting burden in this collection of 
information. Public reporting burden for this collection of information 
is estimated to average 90 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. You may send comments regarding this burden 
to the U.S. Department of Education, Information Management Team, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and to the Office of Management and 
Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, OMB 1830-0013, Washington, D.C. 
20503. (Information collection approved under OMB control number 1830-
0013. Expiration date: 3/31/2001)

Parity Guidelines Between Paper and Electronic Applications

    The Department of Education is conducting a limited pilot project 
that allows applicants to use an Internet-based electronic system for 
submitting applications under selected discretionary grant programs. 
This competition is among those that have an electronic submission 
option available to all applicants. The system, called e-GAPS 
(Electronic Grant Application Package System), allows an applicant to 
submit a grant application to the Department (us) electronically, using 
a current version of the applicant's Internet browser. To see e-GAPS 
visit the following address:

    http://e-grants.ed.gov

    Because we want to ensure parity and a similar look between 
applications transmitted electronically and applications submitted in 
conventional paper form, e-GAPS has an impact on all applicants under 
this competition.
    E-GAPS is a data-driven system; that is, e-GAPS users will be 
entering data on-line while completing their applications. This will be 
more interactive than just e-mailing a soft copy of a grant application 
to us. If you participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting 
an application electronically, the data you enter on-line will go into 
a database and ultimately will be accessible in electronic form to our 
reviewers.
    However, this pilot project is only the first step in the 
Department's eventual transition to electronic applications for grants. 
The pilot project is designed to enable us to evaluate the experience 
of gathering application data on-line. We will assess the on-line 
review process separately; so, during this pilot project, we will 
ultimately review in hard copy all information that we receive.
    To help ensure parity and a similar look between electronic and 
paper copies of grant applications, we are asking each applicant that 
submits a paper application to adhere voluntarily to the following 
guidelines:
     Use consistent font throughout your document, with no 
formatting of any kind (that is, no bolding, underlining, italics, or 
colored text).
     If you are preparing your application on a conventional 
typewriter, make sure that the pitch (characters per inch) of the font 
is consistent throughout your document, and do not use formatting of 
any kind (for example, underlining or italics).
     For the narrative component, your application should 
consist of the number and text of each selection criterion followed by 
the narrative. The text of the selection criterion, if included, does 
not count against any page or character count limitation. You should 
append charts, tables, graphs, and graphics of any kind after you have 
completed the text of the relevant section. We suggest that you begin 
these items on a separate sheet of paper and refer to them within the 
text.
    Example:
    1. Please describe your project management plan.
    Our project plan is composed of three major components: start-up, 
fulfillment, and closure. The flow of these components into the stated 
outcomes for this project is described below and presented in figure 3-
1.
     Create all illustrations (including charts, tables, 
graphs, and pictures) in grayscale only.
     Place a page number at the bottom right of each page 
beginning with 1; and number your pages consecutively throughout your 
document.
    At the top right of each page, place the name of the applicant, the 
applicant's DUNS number (if available), and the CFDA number of the 
competition.

Additional Information

What Should I Know About ED Grants?

    What Should I Know About ED Grants? provides a non-technical 
summary of the Department of Education's discretionary grants process 
and the laws and regulations that govern it. An electronic copy of What 
Should I Know About ED Grants? is available at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/KnowAbtGrants/.
    To obtain a hard copy of What Should I Know About ED Grants?, 
please contact the Office of Correctional Education at: (202) 205-5621.
DUNS Number Instructions
    D-U-N-S No.: Please provide the applicant's D-U-N-S Number. You can 
obtain your D-U-N-S Number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by 
completing a D-U-N-S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via 
the Internet at the following URL: http://www.dnb.com/dbis/aboutdb/intlduns.htm.
    The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit number that does not 
convey any information about the recipient. A built in check digit 
helps assure the accuracy of the D-U-N-S Number. The ninth digit of 
each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the 
other digits. It lets computer systems determine if a D-U-N-S Number 
has been entered correctly.
    Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has 
assigned D-U-N-S numbers to over 43 million companies worldwide.
Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgment
    If you fail to receive the notification of application receipt 
within fifteen (15) days after the closing date, call: U.S. Department 
of Education, Coordination and Control Branch, (202) 708-9495.
Grant And Contract Funding Information
    The Department of Education provides information about grant and 
contract opportunities through the internet: ED Internet Home Page, 
http://www.ed.gov/.

Important Notice to Prospective Participants in U.S. Department of 
Education Contract and Grant Programs

GRANTS
    Applicants for grants from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) 
have to compete for limited funds. Deadlines assure all applicants that 
they will be treated fairly and equally, without last minute haste.
    For these reasons, ED must set strict deadlines for grant 
applications. Prospective applicants can avoid disappointment if they 
understand that:
    Failure to meet a deadline will mean that an applicant will be 
rejected without any consideration whatever.
    The rules, including the deadline, for applying for each grant are 
published, individually, in the Federal Register. A one-year 
subscription to the Register may be obtained by sending $340.00 to: 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402-9371. (Send

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check or money order only, no cash or stamps.)
    The instructions in the Federal Register must be followed exactly. 
Do not accept any other advice you may receive. No ED employee is 
authorized to extend any deadline published in the Register. Questions 
regarding submission of applications may be addressed to: U.S. 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Washington, D.C. 
20202-4725.
CONTRACTS
    Competitive procurement actions undertaken by the ED are governed 
by the Federal Procurement Regulation and implementing ED Procurement 
Regulation.
    Generally, prospective competitive procurement actions are 
synopsized in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD). Prospective offerors 
are therein advised of the nature of the procurement and where to apply 
for copies of the Request for Proposals (RFP).
    Offerors are advised to be guided solely by the contents of the CBD 
synopsis and the instructions contained in the RFP. Questions regarding 
the submission of offers should be addressed to the Contracts 
Specialist identified on the face page of the RFP.
    Offers are judged in competition with others, and failure to 
conform with any substantive requirements of the RFP will result in 
rejection of the offer without any consideration whatever.
    Do not accept any advice you receive that is contrary to 
instructions contained in either the CBD synopsis or the RFP. No ED 
employee is authorized to consider a proposal which is non-responsive 
to the RFP.
    A subscription to the CBD is available for $208.00 per year via 
second class mailing or $261.00 per year via first class mailing. 
Information included in the Federal Acquisition Regulation is contained 
in Title 48, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1 ($49.00). The 
foregoing publication may be obtained by sending your check or money 
order only, no cash or stamps, to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9371.
    In an effort to be certain this important information is widely 
disseminated, this notice is being included in all ED mail to the 
public. You may therefore, receive more than one notice. If you do, we 
apologize for any annoyance it may cause you.
    ED Form 5348, 8/92, Replaces ED Form 5348, 6/86 which is obsolete.

GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING REQUIRED BREAKDOWN OF BUDGET CATEGORIES

Personnel
    For each staff member, please provide position, FTE, annual salary, 
and amount he or she will be paid for time devoted to grant. As 
explained in general information section, applicant must provide 
documentation of all other internal and external time commitments for 
each staff member.
Fringe Benefits
    Please indicate the rate used to calculate fringe benefits for each 
staff person. Applicant must include a signed statement that rates are 
standard for that institution.
Travel
    Please describe, for all staff travel, purpose, type of travel, who 
will be traveling, the number of days. Be as detailed as possible, 
including information as to costs for airfare (or mileage), lodging, 
food, and other expenses. Please also include all registration fees 
here.
Equipment
    Equipment is defined in the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as tangible, nonexpendable personal 
property including exempt property charged directly to the grant award 
having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of 
$5,000 or more per unit. Applicants should also include in this 
category any materials required to run such equipment (peripherals, 
software, installation costs, etc.)
Supplies
    These should be broken down by type, with a clear distinction made 
between those used for administrative purposes and those that will be 
used for instruction of students (indicate how many students will 
benefit). Must be tangible, thus services like printing should not be 
included here.
Contractual
    If an outside entity has been procured through a competitive bid 
procedure to perform tasks, include here. Please indicate whether done 
by open bid or sole source justification. If service provider not 
selected competitively, include in ``Other'' category.
Other
    Please include here all other costs (advertising, evaluation fees, 
printing, etc.). Applicant should indicate purpose of expenditure and 
how cost was calculated.
Indirect
    These are costs involved in upkeep (utilities, employee services, 
etc.) that cannot be attributed to a specific objective. In order for 
an applicant to claim an indirect rate they must have a negotiated 
agreement with a Federal agency.

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[FR Doc. 00-9140 Filed 4-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C