[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 99 (Monday, May 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32111-32112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12695]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[Program Announcement No. ACYF-PA-HS-2000-09]


Fiscal Year 2000 Discretionary Announcement for the Head Start 
and Early Head Starts--Higher Education Faculty Initiative; 
Availability of Funds and Request for Applications

AGENCY: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, ACF, DHHS.

ACTION: Fiscal Year 2000 Discretionary Announcement for the Early 
Childhood Higher Education Faculty Initiative and Request for 
Application.

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    Statutory Authority 42 U.S. 9801, et. seq., The Head Start Act, as 
amended.
    Catalog of Federal Deomestic Assistance (CFDA): 93.600 Head Start 
Act as amended.
SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families, Administration 
on Children, Youth and Families announces the availability of $1 
million in funds to support one early childhood faculty initiative 
through a cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement will be 
funded to provide opportunities for faculty in higher education to 
enhance their skills, knowledge and effectiveness as they teach 
teachers in Head Start and Early Head Start programs in order to insure 
better outcomes for children. A cooperative agreement is a form of 
Federal financial assistance that allows substantial Federal 
involvement in the activities for which funds are awarded.

    Note: In order to satisfactorily compete under this 
announcement, it will be necessary for potential applicants to read 
the full announcement which is available through the Head Start 
Bureau's website: www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/announce/index.htm. 
Hard copies of the application may be obtained by writing or calling 
the ACYF Operations Center or sending an E-mail to: [email protected].


DATES: The closing date and time for the receipt of applications is 
5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone) on July 11, 2000. Applications received 
after the closing date will be classified as late.

ADDRESSES: Mail applications to: ACYF Operations Center, Attention: 
Early Childhood Higher Education Faculty Development Initiative 
Application, 1815 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209 
(1-800-351-2293). Prior to preparing and submitting an application, in 
order to satisfactorily compete under this announcement, it will be 
necessary for potential applicants to read the full announcement which 
is available through the Head Start Bureau's website:www2.acf.dhhs.gov/
programs/hsb/announce/index.htm

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ACYF Operations Center at: 1815 North 
Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209 (1-800-351-2292) or 
telephone: 1-800-351-2293- or E-mail:[email protected].
    Eligible Applicants: Universities, colleges, foundations, national 
organizations, public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies 
and organizations.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this announcement is to 
request applications for the design, implementation and management 
oversight for conducting Early Childhood Higher Education Faculty 
Initiative. The result of this initiative will be to improve the 
quality and effectiveness of child outcomes in Head Start and Early 
Head Start and other early childhood development programs nationwide. 
This cooperative agreement will be for a five year project period.
    Federal Share of Project Costs: The maximum Federal share is not to 
exceed $1 million for the first 12-month budget period and $1 million 
for each succeeding 12-month period.
    Matching Requirements: Non-Federal match is not required.
    Anticipated Number of Projects to be funded: It is anticipated that 
one project will be funded.

Evaluation Criteria

    Applications received by the due date will be reviewed and scored 
competitively. Experts in the field, generally persons from outside the 
Federal government, will use the evaluation criteria listed below.

Criterion 1. Objectives and Need for Assistance: (25 Points)

    The extent to which the application identifies relevant physical, 
economic, social, financial, institutional or other problems requiring 
a grant; demonstrates the need for assistance; states the principal and 
subordinate objectives of the project; provides supporting 
documentation or other testimonies from concerned interests other than 
the applicant.

Criterion 2. Results or Benefits Expected: (15 Points)

    The extent to which the application identifies the results and 
benefits to be derived; describes the anticipated contribution to 
policy, practice, theory and/or research; specific benefits should be 
described for faculty preparing Head Start and Early Head Start 
teachers, home visitors, and their supervisors and the whole early 
childhood community working with children birth through five.

Criterion 3. Approach: (50 Points)

    The extent to which the application outlines an acceptable plan of 
action pertaining to the scope of the project which details how the 
proposed work will be accomplished, including a timeline; list of each 
organization, consultants, including the evaluation process, or other 
key individuals who will work on the project along with a short 
description of the nature of their effort or contribution; assures the 
adequacy of time devoted to the project by key staff, the key staff 
should be knowledgeable of Head Start and Early Head Start, the 
applicant must fully describe the approach and/or methodology and 
delineate the relationship of each task to the accomplishment of the 
proposed objectives. There should be evidence that the planned approach 
reflects sufficient input from collaborating partners.

Criterion 4. Budget Appropriateness: (10 Points)

    The extent to which the project's costs are reasonable in view of 
the activities to be carried out and the anticipated outcomes. The 
annual budget should include the cost for staff members to attend 
required conferences in the Washington, DC area.

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

    This program is covered under Executive Order 12372,

[[Page 32112]]

``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR Part 100, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services 
Program and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own 
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance 
under covered programs.

    Note: State/territory participation in the intergovernmental 
review process does not signify applicant eligibility for financial 
assistance under a program. A potential applicant must meet the 
eligibility requirements of the program for which it is applying 
prior to submitting an application to its SPOC, if applicable, or to 
ACF.

    The following jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the 
Executive Order process: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, 
Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New 
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, 
Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, American Samoa and Palau. 
Applicants from these jurisdictions or for projects administered by 
federally-recognized Indian Tribes need take no action in regard to 
E.O. 12372. Although the jurisidictions listed above no longer 
participate in the process, entities which have met the eligibility 
requirements of the program are still eligible to apply for a grant 
even if a State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. 
All remaining jurisdictions participate in the Executive Order process 
and have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions 
should contact their SPOC as soon as possible to alert them of the 
prospective applications and receive instructions .
    Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon 
as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC 
comments as part of the award process. The applicant must submit all 
required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this 
submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the 
Standard Form 424, item 16a.
    Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application 
deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.
    SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine 
endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are 
requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and 
those offical State process recommendations which may trigger the 
``accommodate or explain'' rule. A list of the Single State Point of 
Contacts for each State and Territory can be found on the following 
website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
    When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be 
addressed to: William Wilson, Head Start Bureau, Office of Grants 
Management, 330 C. Street, SW, Washington, DC 20447. ATTN: Early 
Childhood Higher Education Faculty Initiative
    Reminder: In order to satisfactorily compete under this 
announcement, it will be necessary for potential applicants to read the 
full announcement which is available through the Head Start Bureau's 
website: www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/announce/index.html. Mail 
applications to: ACYF Operations Center, Attention: Early Childhood 
Higher Education Faculty Initiative, 1815 North Fort Myers Drive, Suite 
300, Arlington, VA 22209 (1-800-351-2293).

    Dated: May 15, 2000.
Patricia Montoya,
Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 00-12695 Filed 5-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M