[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7512-7514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3868]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.184H]


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools--Grant Competition to 
Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students--
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Purpose of Program: The Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk 
Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students provides awards to 
develop or enhance, implement, and evaluate campus- and/or community-
based strategies to prevent high-risk drinking or violent behavior 
among college students.
    For FY 2003 the competition for new awards focuses on projects 
designed to meet the priorities we describe in the Priorities section 
of this application notice.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs), 
consortia thereof, public and private nonprofit organizations, or 
individuals.
    Applications Available: February 14, 2003.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 31, 2003.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 30, 2003.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Department expects to make available 
$2,250,000 for this program for FY 2003. The actual level of funding, 
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications at this time to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process before the end of the current fiscal year.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 18.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) the notice of final priority 
and selection criteria, as published in the Federal Register on 
December 27, 2000 (65 FR 82224-82226) and January 10, 2001 (66 FR 
1963), apply to this competition.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application under this program should 
address the specific needs of the

[[Page 7513]]

applicant and propose activities specifically designed to meet those 
needs. The Deputy Under Secretary strongly discourages applicants from 
using ``form'' applications or proposals that address general rather 
than specific local needs.
    Priorities: This competition focuses on projects designed to meet 
either of the two priorities in the notice of final priorities for this 
program, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2000 (65 FR 
82224-82226) and January 10, 2001 (66 FR 1963).

Absolute Priority 1--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and 
Evaluate Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies To Prevent High-Risk 
Drinking Among College Students

    Under this priority, applicants are required to:
    (1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the 
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
    (2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on 
campus to document prevalence rates related to high-risk drinking by 
the population selected;
    (3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project 
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will 
be measured annually;
    (4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input 
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in 
preventing high-risk drinking by the target population;
    (5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation 
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators 
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that 
assess and document the strategies used; and
    (6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days 
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available 
to show impact within the grant period.

Absolute Priority 2--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and 
Evaluate Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies To Prevent Violent 
Behavior Among College Students

    Under this priority, applicants are required to:
    (1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the 
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
    (2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on 
campus to document prevalence rates related to violent behavior;
    (3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project 
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will 
be measured annually;
    (4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input 
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in 
preventing violent behavior among college students;
    (5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation 
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators 
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that 
assess and document the strategies used; and
    (6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days 
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available 
to show impact within the grant period.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet 
either of the priorities.
    Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria are used to 
evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The 
maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum 
score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is indicated in 
parentheses.
    (1) Need for project. (15 points)
    In determining the need for the proposed project, the following 
factors are considered:
    (a) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project. (10 points)
    (b) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
    (2) Significance. (20 points)
    In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
following factors are considered:
    (a) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement. (5 points)
    (b) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the 
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the 
field of study. (10 points)
    (c) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (5 points)
    (3) Quality of the project design. (30 points)
    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
the following factors are considered:
    (a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(10 points)
    (b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (5 points)
    (c) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points)
    (d) The extent to which the proposed project will establish 
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing 
services to the target population. (5 points)
    (4) Quality of project personnel. (10 points)
    In determining the quality of project personnel, the following 
factors are considered:
    (a) 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. (3 points)
    (b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel. (7 points)
    (5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
    In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors 
are considered:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (10 points)
    (b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible. (10 points)
    (c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
    For Applications and Further Information Contact: Richard Lucey, 
Jr., U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free 
Schools, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E252, Washington, DC 20202-
6123. Telephone: 202/205-5471. Fax: 202/260-7767. E-mail: 
[email protected]. To download a copy of the application, visit the 
Web site for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800/877-8339.

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    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 also 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.

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 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project for electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking 
or Violent Behavior Among College Students is one the programs included 
in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Grant 
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among 
College Students, 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) portion of the Grants Administration 
and Payment System (GAPS). Users of e-Application will be entering data 
on-line while completing their applications. You may not e-mail 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 be saved into a database. We request your 
participation in e-Application. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you 
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize 
you if you submit an application in paper format. When you enter the e-
Application system, you will find information about its hours of 
operation.
    [sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
    [sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award 
Number (an identifying number unique to your application).
    [sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from the e-Application system.
    (2) The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    (4) Fax the signed 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.
    [sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If 
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Grant 
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among 
College Students and you are prevented from submitting your application 
on the closing date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we 
will grant you an extension of one business day in order to transmit 
your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us 
to grant this extension--
    (1)You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes 
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET), on the 
deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of 
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (ET)) on the deadline date. The 
Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension you must 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS help desk at 888/336-
8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Grant 
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among 
College Students 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.

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 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/


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.

    Dated: February 12, 2003.
Judge Eric G. Andell,
Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 03-3868 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P