[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61605-61607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24922]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO. 84.200A]


Office of Postsecondary Education; Graduate Assistance in Areas 
of National Need (GAANN) Program; Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Purpose of Program: GAANN provides fellowships in areas of national 
need to assist graduate students with excellent academic records who 
demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree 
available in their course of study.
    Eligible Applicants: Academic departments of institutions of higher 
education that meet the requirements in 34 CFR 648.2.
    Applications Available: October 11, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 22, 2002.

[[Page 61606]]

    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 22, 2003.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$31,000,000 for this program for FY 2003. The actual level of funding, 
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process, if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $145,184-$750,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $219,354.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 69.

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


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GAANN Stipend Level: The Secretary will 
determine the GAANN fellowship stipend for the academic year 2003-2004 
based on the level of support provided by the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowships as of February 1, 2003, except 
that the amount will be adjusted as necessary so as not to exceed the 
GAANN fellow's demonstrated level of financial need.
    GAANN Institutional Payment: The Secretary will determine the 
institutional payment for the academic year 2003-2004 by adjusting the 
previous academic year institutional payment, which was calculated to 
be $11,031 per fellow, by the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price 
Index for the 2002 calendar year.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 35 pages, using the following standards:
    [sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    [sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    [sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (character per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must include 
all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
    [sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
    [sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

    Note: Multi-disciplinary applications must abide by the page 
limits for each academic discipline for which fellowships are 
requested.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 648.
    Priority: Absolute Priority: This competition focuses on projects 
designed to meet a priority in the regulations for this program (34 CFR 
648.33).
    Areas of National Need: A project must provide fellowships in one 
or more of the following areas of national need: Biology, chemistry, 
computer and information sciences, engineering, geological and related 
sciences, mathematics, and physics.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet 
the priority.
    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

    In FY 2003, 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 GAANN Program--CFDA No. 84.200A is one of the 
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under 
the GAANN 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:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] 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 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 at (202) 260-1349.
    [sbull] 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 GAANN 
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) in the application package.

    Note: Please note that due to the Department's end of the fiscal 
year close out activities, the e-APPLICATION system will be 
unavailable on October 1. It will become available for users again 
on Wednesday, October 2.

    For Applications and Further Information Contact: Brandy A. 
Silverman, U.S. Department of Education, International Education and 
Graduate Programs Service, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, 
DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7886 or via Internet: ope--gaann--
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call

[[Page 61607]]

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 program contact person listed under For 
Applications and Further Information Contact.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, 
the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the 
standard forms included in the application package.

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: 
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.

    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. 1135.

    Dated: September 26, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-24922 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P