[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 43 (Monday, March 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13382-13383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5253]



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Part II





Department of Education





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Electronic Grant Initiatives; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Electronic Grant Initiatives

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice announcing the development and implementation of a 
system to administer grants via the Internet.

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SUMMARY: The Chief Financial Officer announces the U.S. Department of 
Education Electronic Grant Initiatives (e-Grants) and requests comments 
on the effectiveness of this system. We intend to use your comments to 
assist us in improving our services and helping potential applicants 
and grantees to benefit from electronic commerce (e-commerce).

ADDRESSES: Address all comments and suggestions regarding e-Grants to 
Rebecca Harding-Spitzgo, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 4E310, Washington, DC 20202-4300. If you prefer to 
send your comments through the Internet, use the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blanca Rosa Rodriguez, Director, 
Grants Policy and Oversight Staff, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3652, ROB-3, Washington, DC 20202-4248. 
Telephone: (202) 260-0172; fax: (202) 205-0667; or via Internet: 
[email protected] or Rebecca Harding-Spitzgo, Project Manager 
(GAPS), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
4E310, Washington, DC 20202-4300. Telephone: (202) 205-0707; fax: (202) 
205-0729; or via Internet: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to either contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

New Initiatives in Electronic Grant-Making at the U.S. Department 
of Education

    The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998, (Pub. L. 
105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement 
Act of 1999, (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to undertake initiatives to 
improve our grant process. Enhancing the ability of individuals and 
entities to conduct business with us electronically is a major part of 
our response to these Acts. E-commerce--for example, conducting 
transactions via Internet--is playing a vital role in achieving our 
mission. This notice presents an overview of the Department's present 
and proposed activities.
    We are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means of 
conducting transactions in order to improve services to our customers 
and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
    We are also working with other Federal departments and agencies to 
develop the Federal Commons, which will be a shared location on the 
Internet for information about Federal financial assistance. The goal 
of this initiative is to create a single point of entry on the Internet 
to make it easier for prospective applicants to locate information 
about, and apply for, grants under all Federal programs. In the future, 
applicants who access the Federal Commons can search for available 
funding opportunities throughout the Federal Government, complete 
standard application forms, and submit grant applications online. You 
may obtain more information about the Federal Commons at: http://www.fedcommons.gov.

Accomplishments to Date

    During fiscal year (FY) 2000, under our Grant Administration and 
Payment System (GAPS), we conducted a pilot project using an Internet-
based software program for submitting applications. The project 
involved eight grant competitions. Applicants had the opportunity to 
submit their grant applications to us online through the e-Application 
Web site.
    A survey after the pilot project indicated that participants were 
positive about their experiences using e-Application. In fact, 90 
percent of the participating applicants found our system easy to use, 
and most said that they would use the system in future competitions. To 
help applicants get used to applying for grants electronically, we have 
established a demonstration and training area on the e-Grants Web site.
    We have also developed e-Reports, a new electronic enhancement to 
GAPS. Using e-Reports grantees will be able to submit their annual 
grant performance reports to us via the Internet. The system will also 
notify each grantee of the deadline for its annual grant performance 
report. Additional features of the system will include applicant 
registration, e-mail confirmations, and printing capabilities.
    In addition, we are developing e-Reader, another electronic 
enhancement to GAPS, to support the review of grant applications. With 
e-Reader, an ED discretionary grant program can use the Internet to 
transmit applications electronically to reviewers at various locations, 
enable reviewers to evaluate and score applications on a Web-based 
form; and collect the reviewers' scores and comments. One of the many 
benefits of e-Reader is that it will give program officials a cost-
effective way to facilitate and monitor the application review process 
from their offices in the Washington, DC area.

ED's Plans for the Future

    For FY 2001 we plan to--
     Provide applicants the option of submitting their 
applications electronically in up to 50 percent of our new grant 
competitions, including several formula programs;
     Increase the number of ED programs using e-Reports, 
allowing grantees in these programs to submit their annual grant 
performance reports electronically; and
     Complete the development of e-Reader and apply it in eight 
to ten grant competitions that use the electronic grant application 
review process.
    Beyond FY 2001 we plan to expand and promote the use of electronic 
procedures for the submission and review of applications and the filing 
of reports under all of our grant programs. Our goal over time is to 
encourage applicants and grantees to make e-commerce their preferred 
method of doing business. We will do this by communication and outreach 
efforts to the public.
    We plan to do the following to make applicants and grantees aware 
of our Electronic Grant Initiatives and familiar with our electronic 
business process:
     Continue to host public workshops on our electronic grant 
initiatives at various national conferences and meetings of project 
directors;
     Make the system more convenient for users by increasing 
the hours it is available;
     Provide ongoing support to applicants who need assistance 
using the system;
     Inform the public about changes and improvements to our 
Electronic Grant Initiatives; and
     Work toward further integration of our electronic 
applications system with the Governmentwide system known as the Federal 
Commons.
    Information concerning the availability of e-Application will be

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contained in specific program announcements and application packages, 
grant forecasts, and specific areas of our Web site. In addition, 
program offices will make grantees aware of electronic reporting 
options as they become available.
    Please be aware that electronic application and reporting will be 
voluntary. Paper-based application and reporting options will still be 
available to applicants and grantees who do not have the capability to 
do business electronically. We will give every application, whether 
paper or electronic, the same consideration in the review process.

Invitation To Comment

    We are determined to help make the transition to e-commerce as 
smooth as possible for our customers. As we develop e-commerce 
capabilities, we ask you for your support and welcome your suggestions 
regarding our plans for electronic grantmaking. We invite you, as 
potential applicants and grantees, to use the electronic methods 
described and to provide feedback about your experiences. We also 
invite you to comment now on the plans outlined in this notice. Please 
send your comments to the address in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.
    To obtain additional information about e-GRANTS or to participate 
in e-GRANTS pilot projects, see the portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You 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 PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using 
PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), 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.


    Dated: February 27, 2001.
Mark Carney,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-5253 Filed 3-2-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P