[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19324-19341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9126]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Office of Postsecondary Education



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Application for Grants for the Underground Railroad Educational and 
Cultural Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 72 / Friday, April 13, 2001 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

[CFDA No. 84.345]


Notice Inviting Applications for Grants for the Underground 
Railroad Educational and Cultural Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001

    Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package. 
Together with the statute authorizing the program and the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), the notice 
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions 
you need to apply for a grant under this competition.
    Purpose of Program: To provide grants to nonprofit educational 
organizations that are established to research, display, interpret, and 
collect artifacts relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
    Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that are 
established to research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts 
relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 27, 2001.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 29, 2001.
    Available Funds: $1,750,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $1,750,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $580,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1-3.

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

    Project Period: 12 months.
    Applicable Statute and Regulations: (a) Section 841 of the Higher 
Education Amendments of 1998, Public Law 105-244, 20 U.S.C. section 
1153; and (b) the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, 86, 97, 
98, and 99.
    Description of Program: As required by statute, each nonprofit 
educational organization awarded a grant under this program must enter 
into an agreement with the Department. Each agreement must require the 
organization--(1) To establish a facility to house, display, and 
interpret the artifacts related to the history of the Underground 
Railroad, and to make the interpretive efforts available to 
institutions of higher education that award a baccalaureate or graduate 
degree; (2) To demonstrate substantial private support for the facility 
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a 
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of 
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the 
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the 
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more 
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal 
Government; (3) To create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls 
in the costs of the on-going operations of the facility; (4) To 
establish a network of satellite centers throughout the United States 
to help disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad 
throughout the United States, if these satellite centers raise 80 
percent of the funds required to establish the satellite centers from 
non-Federal public and private sources; (5) To establish the capability 
to electronically link the facility with other local and regional 
facilities that have collections and programs that interpret the 
history of the Underground Railroad; and (6) To submit, for each fiscal 
year for which the organization receives funding under this program, a 
report to the Department that contains--(a) A description of the 
programs and activities supported by the funding; (b) The audited 
financial statement of the organization for the preceding fiscal year; 
(c) A plan for the programs and activities to be supported by the 
funding, as the Secretary may require; and (d) An evaluation of the 
programs and activities supported by the funding, as the Secretary may 
require.
    Selection Criteria: Applications for Underground Railroad 
Educational and Cultural Program grants will be evaluated using the 
following weighted selection criteria from section 841 of the Higher 
Education Amendments of 1998 and 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The maximum 
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum 
overall score is 100 points. Your grant application must carefully 
address each of the selection criteria and describe your efforts in 
these areas in detail.
    (1) Overall Concept (20 points). How well the facility supported by 
the proposed grant would effectively house, display, and interpret 
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad and make 
the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher education 
that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
    (2) Public-Private Support (20 points). How well the applicant 
organization demonstrates substantial private support for the facility 
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a 
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of 
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the 
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the 
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more 
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal 
Government.
    (3) Endowment (5 points). How well the applicant organization 
addresses the requirement to create an endowment to fund any and all 
shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the facility.
    (4) Satellite Centers (10 points). How well the applicant 
organization addresses the requirement to establish a network of 
satellite centers throughout the United States to disseminate 
information regarding the Underground Railroad and demonstrates the 
ability to raise 80 percent of the funds required from non-Federal 
public and private sources.
    (5) Electronic Link (10 points). How well the applicant 
organization addresses the requirement to establish the capability to 
electronically link the facility with other local and regional 
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the 
history of the Underground Railroad.
    (6) Quality of Program Personnel (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
program. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the following: (a) The qualifications, including relevant 
training and experience of key personnel. (5 points) (b) The extent to 
which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons 
who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented 
based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (5 
points)
    (7) Quality of Management Plan (15 points). The Secretary considers 
the quality of the management plan for the proposed grant program. In 
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following: (a) The adequacy of the 
management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on 
time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, 
timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (5 points) 
(b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points) (c) 
How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives are 
brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (8) Quality of Project Evaluation (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be

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conducted of the proposed program. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following: (a) The extent to 
which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate 
to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (7 
points) (b) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance 
about effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings. (3 points)

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    One of the objectives of the Executive order is to foster an 
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism. The 
Executive order relies on processes developed by State and local 
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial 
assistance.
    If you are an applicant, you must contact the appropriate State 
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about, and to comply with, 
the State's process under Executive Order 12372. If you propose to 
perform activities in more than one State, you should immediately 
contact the SPOC for each of these States and follow the procedure 
established in each State under the Executive order. If you want to 
know the name and address of any SPOC, see the latest official SPOC 
list on the web site of the Office of Management and Budget 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 
SPOC and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and local 
entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this 
application notice to the following address: The Secretary, E.O. 
12372--CFDA 84.345, U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-0125.
    We will determine proof of mailing under 34 CFR 75.102 (Deadline 
date for applications). Recommendations or comments may be hand-
delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the date indicated 
in this notice.
    PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE ADDRESS IS NOT THE SAME ADDRESS AS THE 
ONE TO WHICH AN 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 expanding its pilot project of 
electronic submission of applications to include certain formula grant 
programs, as well as additional discretionary grant competitions. The 
Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program--CFDA 84.345 is 
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural 
Program--CFDA 84.345, 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-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION 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 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     Fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal 
Assistance (ED 424) after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center within three 
working days of submitting your electronic application. We will 
indicate a fax number in e-APPLICATION at the time of your submission.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Underground 
Railroad Educational and Cultural Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) elsewhere 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 No. 84.345, 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 No. 84.345, Room 3633, Regional Office Building 
3, 7th and D Streets, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

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    The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily 
between 8:00 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. until 12:00 midnight (Washington, DC time) Monday--Friday and 6:00 
a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Saturdays. The system is unavailable on the second 
Saturday of every month, 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 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 November 12, 1999) the CFDA number--and 
suffix letter, if any--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.

Parity Guidelines Between Paper and Electronic Applications

    The Department of Education is expanding the pilot project, which 
began in FY 2000, that allows applicants to use an Internet-based 
electronic system for submitting applications. This competition is 
among those that have an electronic submission option available to all 
applicants. The system, called e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS 
(Electronic Grant Application Package System), allows an applicant to 
submit a grant application to us electronically, using a current 
version of the applicant's Internet browser. To see e-APPLICATION visit 
the following address: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    In an effort to ensure parity and a similar look between 
applications transmitted electronically and applications submitted in 
conventional paper form, e-APPLICATION has an impact on all applicants 
under this competition.
    Users of e-APPLICATION, a data driven system, 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.
    This pilot project is another step in the Department's transition 
to an electronic grant award process. In addition to e-APPLICATION, the 
Department is conducting a limited pilot of electronic peer review (e-
READER) and electronic annual performance reporting (e-REPORTS).
    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 to the following guidelines:
     Submit your application on 8.5" by 11" paper.
     Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides.
     Use consistent font throughout your document. You may also 
use boldface type, underlining, and italics. However, please do not use 
colored text.
     Use black and white for illustrations, including charts, 
tables, graphs and pictures.
     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 limitation.
     Place a page number at the bottom right of each page 
beginning with 1; and number your pages consecutively throughout your 
document.
    Application Requirements: An application submitted for funding 
under this program must include--(1) The name, address, and web site 
address, if any, of the nonprofit educational organization seeking to 
participate, and the name, title, mailing and e-mail address, and 
telephone number of a contact person for the organization. (2) A 
description of the facility that will be used to house, display, and 
interpret the artifacts related to the history of the Underground 
Railroad and to make the interpretive efforts available to institutions 
of higher education that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree. (3) 
A description of the substantial private support for the facility 
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a 
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of 
the facility and documentation that these entities will provide 
matching funds as required in section 841(b)(2) of the Higher Education 
Amendments of 1998. (4) A description of how the endowment will be 
created to fund any and all shortfalls in the costs of the on-going 
operations of the facility and expected sources of these funds. (5) A 
statement as to whether the applicant organization intends to establish 
a network of satellite centers throughout the United States to help 
disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad throughout 
the United States. If the applicant's organization does intend to 
establish a network, the applicant must describe the network and 
document how the satellite centers will raise 80 percent of the funds 
required from non-Federal public and private sources. (6) A detailed 
description of how the applicant intends to electronically link the 
facility with other local and regional facilities that have collections 
and programs which interpret the history of the Underground Railroad, 
including a listing of the facilities the applicant intends to include.

Application Instructions and Forms

    To apply for an award under this program competition, your 
application must include the following parts:
    1. Application for Federal Assistance (ED Form 424).
    2. Budget Summary (ED Form 524).
    3. Budget Narrative.
    4. Project Narrative--Applicants should submit a narrative that 
addresses the elements described in this notice under Application 
Requirements.
    5. 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

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Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014) 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).
    Applications must be postmarked on or before the deadline date 
listed under DEADLINE FOR TRANSMITTAL OF APPLICATIONS. Mail the 
application on or before the deadline date to: Application Control 
Center, Attention: CFDA No. 84.345, Washington, DC 20202-4725 or hand 
deliver the application by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the 
deadline date to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia W. Crowder at: U.S. Department 
of Education, 8th Floor, 1990 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-8544, 
by e-mail at: [email protected] or by telephone at (202) 502-7514. 
Information concerning the program can also be found on the Web site of 
the Department (http://ed.gov). 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 document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. However, the Department is not able to reproduce 
in an alternative format the standard forms included in this 
application notice.

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


    Program Authority: U.S.C. 1153.

    Dated: April 9, 2001.
Maureen A. McLaughlin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office 
of Postsecondary Education.

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[FR Doc. 01-9126 Filed 4-12-01; 8:45 am]
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