[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48155-48157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18602]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.299A]


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Indian 
Education; Demonstration Grants for Indian Children; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Discretionary Program Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 
2002

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Demonstration Grants program 
is to provide financial assistance to projects to develop, test, and 
demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve the 
educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary, and 
secondary students, through activities such as:
    (a) Innovative programs related to the educational needs of 
educationally deprived children;
    (b) Educational services that are not available to such children in 
sufficient quantity or quality, including remedial instruction, to 
raise the achievement of Indian children in one or more of the core 
academic subjects of English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, 
art, history, and geography;

[[Page 48156]]

    (c) Bilingual and bicultural programs and projects;
    (d) Special health and nutrition services, and other related 
activities, that address the special health, social, and psychological 
problems of Indian children;
    (e) Special compensatory and other programs and projects to assist 
and encourage Indian children to enter, remain in, or reenter school, 
and to increase the rate of secondary school graduation;
    (f) Comprehensive guidance, counseling, and testing services;
    (g) Early childhood and kindergarten programs, including family-
based preschool programs that emphasize school readiness and parental 
skills, and the provision of services to Indian children with 
disabilities;
    (h) Partnership projects between local educational agencies (LEAs) 
and institutions of higher education that allow secondary school 
students to enroll in courses at the postsecondary level to aid these 
students in the transition from secondary school to postsecondary 
education;
    (i) Partnership projects between schools and local businesses for 
school-to-work transition programs designed to provide Indian youth 
with the knowledge and skills they need to make an effective transition 
from school to a first job in a high-skill, high-wage career;
    (j) Programs designed to encourage and assist Indian students to 
work toward, and gain entrance into, an institution of higher 
education; or
    (k) Other services that meet the purpose of this program.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this program include a 
State educational agency (SEA); LEA; Indian tribe; Indian organization; 
federally supported elementary and secondary school for Indian 
students; Indian institution, including an Indian institution of higher 
education; or a consortium of such institutions that meet the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.

    Note: An application from a consortium of eligible entities must 
meet the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. The written 
agreement must be submitted with the application. The agreement must 
be signed or the applicant must submit other evidence that all the 
members of the consortium agree to the contents of the agreement. 
Letters of support do not meet the consortium requirements. The 
Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not 
meet these requirements.

    Applications Available: July 23, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 22, 2002.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 22, 2002.
    Available Funds: $4,200,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $400,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $280,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 15.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Budget Requirement: Projects funded under this competition must 
budget for a one and one-half day Project Directors' meeting during 
each year of the budget.
    Maximum Annual Award Amount: In no case does the Secretary make an 
award greater than $400,000 during any single budget period in the 
award. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that 
proposes a budget exceeding these maximum amounts.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where an applicant 
addresses the selection criteria that are used by reviewers in 
evaluating the application. An applicant must limit the narrative to 
the equivalent of no more than 75 double-spaced pages, using the 
following standards:
    (1) A ``page'' is 8\1/2\'' x 11'' (one side only) with one-inch 
margins (top, bottom and sides).
    (2) 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, must be double-spaced 
(no more than three lines per vertical inch).
    (3) For all text (including charts, tables, and graphs), use a font 
that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 
(characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section (including the narrative budget justification); the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract, appendices, resumes, 
bibliography, and letters of support. However, all of the application 
narrative addressing the selection criteria must be included in the 
narrative section.
    Reviewers will not read any pages of applications that--
     Exceed the page limit if one applies these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if one applies 
other standards.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) 34 CFR Part 263.

Priorities

Absolute Priority

    Under Section 34 CFR 75.102 of EDGAR, the Secretary gives an 
absolute preference to applications that meet the priority selected. 
The program regulations at 34 CFR 263.21(c) identify the absolute 
priorities for the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children program 
that may be selected by the Secretary. For the FY 2002 grant 
competition, the Secretary reserves all of the funds available for new 
awards under the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children program to 
fund only those applications that meet one or more of the following 
absolute priorities found at 34 CFR 263.21(c):
    (1) School readiness projects that provide age-appropriate 
educational programs and language skills to three- and four-year old 
Indian students to prepare them for successful entry into school at the 
kindergarten school level.
    (2) Early childhood and kindergarten programs, including family-
based preschool programs, emphasizing school readiness and parental 
skills.
    (3) College preparatory programs for secondary school students 
designed to increase competency and skills in challenging subject 
matters, including mathematics and science, to enable Indian students 
to successfully transition to postsecondary education.

Competitive Preference

    (1) In making multiyear grants under this program, the Secretary 
will award five (5) additional points to an application that presents a 
plan for combining two or more of the activities described in Section 
7121(c) of the Act over a period of more than one year.
    (2) In making grants under this program, the Secretary will award 
five (5) additional points to an application submitted by an Indian 
tribe, Indian organization, and Indian institution of higher education, 
including a consortium of any of these entities with other eligible 
entities. An application from a consortium of eligible entities that 
meet the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 and includes an 
Indian tribe, Indian organization, or Indian institution of higher 
education will be considered eligible to receive the five (5) 
additional priority points. The written consortium agreement must be 
submitted with the application. The agreement must be signed or the 
applicant must submit other evidence that all the members of the 
consortium agree to the contents of the agreement. Letters of support 
do not meet the consortium requirements. The Secretary rejects and does 
not consider an

[[Page 48157]]

application that does not meet these requirements.

    Authority: Section 7143; 20 U.S.C. 7473.

Selection Criteria

    The selection criteria are included in full in the application 
package for this competition. These selection criteria were established 
based on the regulations for evaluating discretionary grants found in 
34 CFR 75.200 through 75.209.

Application Procedures

    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

    In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Demonstration Grants for Indian Children 
program, CFDA 84.299A, is one of the programs included in the pilot 
project. If you are an applicant under the Demonstration Grants for 
Indian Children 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-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.
     Within three working days of submitting your electronic 
application fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Assistance 
(ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following these steps:
    1. Print the ED 424 form 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 at (202) 260-1349.
     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 
Demonstration Grants for Indian Children 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 and Transmittal Instructions) in the application package.

    Note: Your e-APPLICATION must be submitted 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. All e-APPLICATION submissions that are attempted after that 
time on the closing date will not be accepted. Applicants that miss 
the e-APPLICATION submission time must print out their entire 
application (an original and two copies) and transmit hard copies of 
the application, following the transmittal procedures for mail or 
hand delivery, not later than midnight of the closing date.

    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunication device for the 
deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also 
contact ED Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/edpubs.html) or its 
E-mail address ([email protected]). If you request an application from 
ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 
84.299A.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8351. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternative format the standard forms included in the application 
package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathie Martin, Office of Indian 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 
3W115, Washington, DC 20202-6335. Telephone: (202) 260-1683. Internet 
address: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Services (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.

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 the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. 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.
    You may also view this document at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/oie/index.html.

    Note: The official version of this document is 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. 7831.

    Dated: July 18, 2002.
Susan B. Neuman,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-18602 Filed 7-22-02; 8:45 am]
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