[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12678-12683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6233]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[981203295-3055-08]
RIN 0660-ZA06


Technology Opportunities Program

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issues this Notice describing the conditions under which 
applications will be received under the Technology Opportunities 
Program (TOP) and how NTIA will select applications for funding.
    As an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA is the 
Executive Branch's principal voice on domestic and international 
telecommunications and information technology issues. NTIA works to 
spur innovation, encourage competition, help create jobs and provide 
consumers with more choices and better quality telecommunications 
products and services at lower prices.
    TOP supports this mission through funding demonstrations of new 
telecommunications and information applications for the provision of 
educational, cultural, health care, public information, public safety, 
or other social services.

DATES: Complete applications for the Fiscal Year 2003 TOP grant program 
must be either postmarked no later than April 23, 2003, or hand-
delivered no later than 5 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on April 23, 2003, 
to the respective addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. Applications submitted through guaranteed carrier services will 
be considered postmarked on the date they are submitted to the carrier.
    Applications must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the 
following:

[[Page 12679]]

    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; or
    3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    If an application is sent through the U.S. Postal Service, neither 
of the following will be accepted as proof of mailing:
    1. A private metered postmark; or
    2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    Applicants should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not 
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, 
applicants should check with their local post office.
    Due to screening procedures at the Department of Commerce, packages 
arriving via the United States Postal Service's Priority Mail, First 
Class, and Parcel Post services are irradiated, which can damage the 
contents, or delay delivery to the TOP Program Office. Thus, applicants 
are encouraged to consider the impact of these procedures in selecting 
their chosen method for application delivery.
    Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine 
transmission or electronic mail.
    Applications with postmarked dates after April 23, 2003, will not 
be considered in the current grant round and will be returned to the 
applicant.

ADDRESSES: Completed applications must be mailed, shipped, or sent 
overnight express to:

Technology Opportunities Program, National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW., HCHB, Room 4096, Washington, DC 20230; or 
hand-delivered to:
Technology Opportunities Program, National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, HCHB, Room 
1874, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.

    Room 1874 is located at entrance 10 on 15th Street NW., 
between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lammot du Pont by telephone: (202) 
482-2048; fax: (202) 501-8009; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority

    NTIA issues this notice pursuant to Public Law 108-7, the 
Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, FY 2003.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

    CFDA Number 11.552; Technology Opportunities Program (TOP)

Eligibility Criteria

    Non-profit entities, public sector organizations as well as state, 
local and tribal governments are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants 
include, but are not limited to, faith-based organizations, national 
organizations and associations, non-profit community-based 
organizations, non-profit health care providers, schools, libraries, 
museums, colleges, universities, public safety providers or other 
providers of social services.
    Individual persons are not eligible to apply.
    For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply. They are 
encouraged, however, to participate as project partners as described in 
the ``Matching Funds Requirements'' and ``Review Criteria'' sections of 
this Notice.
    Applications submitted by those who are or designate themselves as 
``individuals'' or ``for-profit organizations'' on the Standard Form 
424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance, will not be 
considered in the current grant round and will be returned to the 
applicant.

Funding Availability

    Approximately $12.4 million is available for Federal assistance 
under a grant. Based on past experience, NTIA expects this year's grant 
round to be very competitive. In Fiscal Year 2002, NTIA received 741 
applications collectively requesting more than $330 million in federal 
funds. From these applications, the Department of Commerce announced 25 
awards totaling $12.4 million in federal funds.

Award Amount

    An applicant may request up to a total of $700,000 in funds from 
NTIA. TOP expects the federal amounts awarded to range from $350,000 to 
$700,000, with an average of approximately $500,000. The amount awarded 
covers the duration of the project.

Matching Funds Requirements

    Grant recipients under this program will be required to provide 
matching funds toward the total project cost. Applicants must document 
their capacity to provide matching funds. Matching funds may be in the 
form of cash or in-kind contributions.
    NTIA will provide up to 50 percent of the total project cost, 
unless the applicant can document extraordinary circumstances 
warranting a grant of up to 75 percent. Grant funds under this program 
are usually released in direct proportion to local matching funds 
utilized and documented as having been expended.
    Generally, federal funds may not be used as matching funds, except 
as provided by federal statute. If you plan to use funds from a federal 
agency as matching funds, you should contact the federal agency that 
administers the funds in question and obtain documentation from that 
agency's Office of General Counsel to support the use of federal funds 
for matching purposes.

Completeness of Application

    TOP will initially review all applications to determine whether all 
required elements are present and clearly identifiable. In order to be 
accepted for review, each application must contain, at a minimum, the 
following required elements: (1) A Standard Form 424 (SF-424), 
Application for Federal Assistance, with an original signature, (2) a 
project narrative, and (3) a budget narrative.
    Applications that are missing any of the three required elements 
with the appropriate signatures will not be considered in the current 
grant round and will be returned to the applicants.
    Standard forms and materials needed to complete an application can 
be obtained electronically via TOP's Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top or by contacting the TOP office at (202) 482-2048.
    More details regarding the required elements and suggestions for 
preparing a competitive application are described in the Guidelines for 
Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 2003. Applicants can obtain a copy 
of the Guidelines for Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 2003, via 
TOP's Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top or by contacting the TOP 
office at (202) 482-2048.

Program Description

    As a national program, TOP emphasizes innovation, learning, and 
diffusion of new ideas and practical knowledge. Through TOP, NTIA 
provides organizations with opportunities to explore the possibilities 
that new telecommunications and information technology offer to improve 
the provision of educational, cultural, health care, public 
information, public safety, or other social services.
    TOP projects demonstrate innovative applications of new 
telecommunications and information technology to address pressing needs 
in the public and non-profit sectors. Therefore, TOP expects applicants 
to present a clear vision and

[[Page 12680]]

a workable plan to apply technologies to address specific challenges in 
their communities. Rather than simply requesting funds to build 
capacity or upgrade existing equipment, each application should 
describe a project that pinpoints specific problems, proposes creative 
solutions, and postulates measurable outcomes.
    All funded projects must be interactive in that they foster the 
exchange and sharing of information among individuals and/or groups, as 
opposed to one-way or broadcast systems. Because these grants will 
serve as national models for other communities, NTIA expects each 
project to include provisions for a thorough, independent evaluation 
that will provide valid and reliable data as well as valuable lessons 
learned to be shared with others interested in the project.
    In previous fiscal years, NTIA supported planning projects. The 
emphasis for Fiscal Year 2003 is on projects that deploy, use, and 
evaluate applications of new telecommunications technology. NTIA will, 
however, support projects that incorporate some planning activities as 
part of the proposed project.

Limitations on Project Scope

    Each TOP project is expected to include a range of activities that 
support project development, implementation, and evaluation. However, 
TOP will not support projects whose primary purpose falls into the 
categories discussed below.
    1. Single-Organization Projects. TOP will not support projects 
whose primary emphasis is on the internal communications needs of a 
single organization, even if the organization has a considerable number 
of offices or users in different cities or regions of the country.
    2. Infrastructure Development Projects. Every TOP applicant is 
expected to create a project that describes and provides funding for 
specific applications of technologies to address important community 
challenges. Therefore, TOP will not support projects whose primary 
purpose is to create telecommunications or network infrastructure 
without significant dedication of resources to specific applications of 
that infrastructure.
    3. Hardware or Software Development Projects. Some projects may 
require limited software development or the customization or 
modification of existing software or hardware in order to meet 
particular end-user requirements or to enable the exchange of 
information across networks. However, the creation of a software or 
hardware product cannot be a project's primary purpose.
    4. Training Projects. While TOP considers training to be an 
essential aspect of most projects, TOP will not support projects whose 
primary purpose is to provide training in the use of software 
applications, Internet use, or other network technologies.
    5. Voice-based Systems. Two-way, interactive voice networks are an 
important element of existing network systems. Voice as a means for 
conveying information and voice input tools play critical roles in 
ensuring people with disabilities have access to network technology. 
However, TOP will not support projects whose primary purpose is to 
either build or install voice-based communication networks such as call 
centers, two-way radio networks, enhanced-911 and 311 systems, or 800 
MHZ radio systems.
    6. Curriculum Development Projects. As indicated in the 
``Eligibility Criteria'' section of this Notice, K-12 schools and non-
profit entities that provide lifelong learning opportunities are 
eligible to apply for grants. However, TOP will not support projects 
whose primary purpose is the development of curricula for K-12 
students.
    In addition, NTIA places a priority on avoiding duplication of 
other federal initiatives. As indicated in the ``Selection Procedures'' 
section of this notice, the selection official will recommend awards 
based, in part, on avoidance of redundancy with initiatives of other 
federal agencies. Therefore, applicants should carefully review other 
federal initiatives, and, if necessary, describe how their project 
would not be eligible for support by other federal initiatives. For 
assistance in researching other federal initiatives, please see the 
discussion of Electronic Information in the ``Other Information'' 
section of this Notice.

Review Criteria

    Reviewers will analyze and rate each application using the 
following criteria. The relative weights of each criterion are 
identified in parentheses.

1. Project Purpose (20%)

    Each application must describe a clearly defined project that uses 
telecommunications and information technology for the provision of 
educational, cultural, health care, public information, public safety, 
or other social services.
    In assessing the project purpose, reviewers will examine the degree 
to which the applicant clearly describes and convincingly links three 
major elements: (1) The problem(s) to be addressed, (2) the proposed 
solution, and (3) the anticipated outcomes of the project.
    Reviewers will assess the evidence and severity of the identified 
problem(s) and need(s). With respect to the proposed solution, 
reviewers will assess the degree to which the project will address the 
identified problem(s). With respect to anticipated project outcomes, 
reviewers will assess the degree to which the proposed results and 
outcomes of the project are both realistic and measurable. Reviewers 
will also assess the degree to which an applicant convincingly links 
the three major elements-problem(s), solution(s), and outcome(s).

2. Innovation (20%)

    Reviewers will assess innovation by examining both the technology 
to be used and the application of the technology in a particular 
setting, to serve a particular population, or to solve a particular 
problem. TOP defines innovation broadly. For example, projects that 
involve imaginative partnerships, the introduction of new business 
processes designed to offer more effective services, untested 
strategies for overcoming access barriers, or new techniques that 
transform inter-organizational relationships can all be considered 
innovative. TOP encourages applicants to experiment with leading edge 
technologies. It is, however, the creativity behind the application of 
the technology to meet community needs that ultimately determines the 
level of innovation.
    Using experience gained in their respective fields, reviewers will 
examine each project in a national context and evaluate how an 
application compares with, complements, and improves on what is known 
about using telecommunications and information technology for the 
provision of educational, cultural, health care, public information, 
public safety, or other social services.

3. Community Involvement (20%)

    Each application will be rated on the level of community 
involvement in the development and implementation of the proposed 
project. Reviewers will:
    (1) Analyze the applicant's partnerships to ensure that they 
include linkages among unaffiliated organizations (from the public, 
non-profit, or private sectors) as an ongoing and integral part of 
project planning and implementation. TOP considers partners to be 
organizations that supply cash, in-kind resources (including personnel,

[[Page 12681]]

equipment, facilities, etc.), and/or are actively involved in the 
planning and implementation of the project;
    (2) consider the degree of attention paid to the needs, skills, 
working conditions, and living environments of the targeted end 
users.\1\ Reviewers will consider the extent to which applicants 
involve representatives from a broad range of potential users in both 
the design and implementation of the project and consider the varying 
degrees of abilities of all end users, including individuals with 
disabilities. Reviewers will also assess the degree to which the 
project addresses barriers which limit a community's or a group's 
access to network technologies. Finally, reviewers will assess the 
applicant's plans for training end users and upgrading their skills; 
and
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    \1\ An ``end user'' is an individual who directly uses the 
network technology.
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    (3) examine the steps the applicant has taken to include and 
sustain the involvement of a variety of community stakeholders. 
Reviewers will look for documented evidence of demand--from the 
community, end users, and potential beneficiaries--for the services 
proposed by the project.

4. Evaluation and Dissemination (15%)

    Each application will be rated on its proposed plans for evaluating 
the project and sharing the knowledge learned. Reviewers will assess 
the extent to which the applicant's research or evaluation design: (1) 
Provides for continuous feedback for project planning, implementation, 
review, and revision; (2) addresses the problems, solutions, and 
anticipated outcomes described in the project purpose; (3) proposes a 
research design that yields valid and reliable findings; (4) captures 
lessons learned and sufficient descriptive data so that others may 
easily adapt and replicate the project; and (5) meets TOP's 
requirements for an independent evaluation as described in the 
``Reporting Requirements'' section of this Notice.
    In assessing evaluation, reviewers will examine:
    (1) The research design and methodology;
    (2) evaluation questions, data collection, and data analysis plans;
    (3) the qualifications of any staff or external evaluators working 
on the evaluation; and
    (4) the allocation of resources for implementing the evaluation and 
reporting project findings.
    With respect to dissemination of the lessons learned, reviewers 
will assess:
    (1) the extent to which the project would be easy to replicate or 
adapt, based on considerations such as cost and complexity;
    (2) the applicant's plans and budget resources dedicated to 
disseminate actively the best practices and lessons learned from the 
project's successes and failures; and
    (3) the capability and experience of an applicant or their partner 
organizations to reach communities across the country and disseminate 
their findings.

5. Project Feasibility (15%)

    In assessing the feasibility of each application, reviewers will 
focus on five issues: The technical approach, the qualifications of the 
project staff, the implementation schedule, plans for protecting 
privacy, and the applicant's plan for sustaining the project beyond the 
grant period.
    (1) In assessing the technical approach, reviewers will examine the 
degree to which the proposed system offers advantages over established 
approaches to addressing the specified problems and would work and 
operate with other systems. In addition, reviewers will assess the 
technological alternatives that have been considered; designs for 
system maintenance and periodic upgrades; and plans for project 
expansion. Applicants are expected to make use of existing 
infrastructure and commercially available telecommunications services, 
unless extraordinary circumstances require the construction of new 
network facilities.
    (2) In assessing the qualifications of the project team, reviewers 
will assess the applicant and its partners to determine if they have 
the resources, expertise, and experience necessary to undertake, 
evaluate, and complete the project and disseminate results within the 
proposed period.
    (3) Reviewers will assess the degree to which the proposed project, 
from implementation through evaluation, will be completed in the 
proposed time frame.
    (4) Reviewers will evaluate the applicant's plans to safeguard the 
privacy of the project's end users and others affected by the project.
    (5) Finally, reviewers will examine the applicant's strategies to 
sustain the project after the completion of the grant.

6. Project Budget (10%)

    Reviewers will analyze the budget in terms of clarity and cost-
effectiveness. Reviewers will also assess the reasonableness of the 
proposed budget and whether the allocation of funds is sufficient to 
complete the tasks outlined in the project narrative.

Eligible Costs

    Eligible Costs. Allowable costs incurred under approved projects 
shall be determined in accordance with applicable federal cost 
principles, i.e., OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-122, or Appendix E of 45 
CFR part 74. If included in the approved project budget, TOP will allow 
costs for personnel; fringe benefits; computer hardware, software, and 
other end-user equipment; telecommunication services and related 
equipment; consultants, evaluators, and other contractual items; 
travel; rental of office equipment, furniture, and space; and supplies.
    All costs must be reasonable and directly related to the project.

Ineligible Costs

    Costs associated with the construction or major renovation of 
buildings are not eligible. While costs for the construction of new 
network facilities are eligible, applicants are expected to make use of 
existing infrastructure and commercially available telecommunications 
services. Only under extraordinary circumstances will the construction 
of new network facilities be approved.
    Costs for professional services are also ineligible. TOP defines 
professional services as activities delivered over a network that would 
otherwise be provided in a face-to-face setting such as teaching 
students, counseling clients, providing direct patient care, or 
interpreting services, etc. For example, if the project proposes to 
create a telemedicine network, the costs of setting up, maintaining, 
and evaluating the use of the network are eligible, but payment for the 
time or services of physicians or other health professionals providing 
care over the network is not an eligible cost.
    Note that costs ineligible for TOP support may not be included as 
part of the applicant's matching fund contribution.
    In addition, Pub. L. 108-7, the Consolidated Appropriations 
Resolution, FY 2003, places restrictions on eligible project costs for 
applicants that are recipients of Universal Service Fund discounts and 
applicants receiving assistance from the Department of Justice's 
Regional Information Sharing Systems Program as part of the project 
costs. The statute provided:

    That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, no entity that 
receives telecommunications services at preferential rates under 
section 254(h) of the Act (47 U.S.C. 254(h)) or receives assistance 
under the regional information sharing systems grant program of the 
Department of Justice

[[Page 12682]]

under part M of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796h) may use funds under a grant 
under this heading to cover any costs of the entity that would 
otherwise be covered by such preferential rates or such assistance, 
as the case may be.

    Accordingly, recipients of the above-described preferential rates 
or assistance are prohibited from including any costs that would be 
covered by such preferential rates or assistance in their proposed TOP 
grant budget. More details on this restriction can be found in the 
Guidelines for Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 2003.

Award Period

    Applicants may propose projects that last a minimum of 18 months 
and will be completed by 36 months. While the completion time will vary 
depending on the complexity of the project, NTIA has found that most 
grant recipients require at least two years to complete and evaluate 
fully their projects.

Selection Procedures

    NTIA anticipates the processing and selection of applications for 
funding will require six months. The selection process involves four 
stages outlined below:
    1. During the first stage, each eligible application will be 
reviewed by a panel of outside peer reviewers, who have demonstrated 
expertise in both the programmatic and technological aspects of the 
application. The peer review panel members will evaluate applications 
according to the review criteria provided in this Notice and provide 
ratings to the program staff. As discussed below, these ratings 
constitute one of the selection factors to be used by the TOP Director 
when preparing the slate of recommended grant awards.
    2. Upon completion of the external peer review process, program 
staff will analyze applications considered for award to assess: (1) 
Whether a proposed project meets the program's funding scope as 
described in the section entitled ``Limitations on Project Scope''; (2) 
the eligibility of costs and matching funds included in an 
application's budget; and (3) the extent to which an application 
complements or duplicates projects previously funded or under 
consideration by NTIA or other federal programs.\2\
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    \2\ See discussion of ``Eligible Costs'' and ``Matching Funds 
Requirements'' in this Notice. Information on previously funded 
grants is available from the TOP. In the section ``Other 
Information'' of this notice, details are available on how to access 
this information.
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    The TOP Director then prepares and presents a slate of recommended 
grant awards to the Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications' (OTIA) Associate Administrator for review and 
approval.\3\ The Director's recommendations and the Associate 
Administrator's review and approval will take into account the 
following selection factors:
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    \3\ The Office of Telecommunication and Information Applications 
is the division of the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration that supervises NTIA's grant awards programs.
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    (1) The evaluations of the outside peer reviewers;
    (2) the analysis of program staff;
    (3) the degree to which the proposed grants meet the program's 
purpose as described in the section entitled ``Program Description'';
    (4) the geographic distribution of the proposed grant awards;
    (5) the variety of technologies and diversity of uses of the 
technologies employed by the proposed grant awards;
    (6) the provision of access to and use of telecommunications and 
information technologies by rural communities and other underserved 
groups;
    (7) avoidance of redundancy and conflicts with the initiatives of 
other Federal agencies; and,
    (8) the availability of funds.
    3. Upon approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the 
Director's recommendations will then be presented to the Selecting 
Official, the NTIA Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the 
applications to be negotiated for possible grant award taking into 
consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which 
the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the selection 
factors described above and the program's stated purposes as set forth 
in the section entitled ``Program Description.''
    4. After applications have been selected in this manner, 
negotiations will take place between TOP staff and the applicant. These 
negotiations are intended to resolve any differences that exist between 
the applicant's original request and what TOP proposes to fund, and if 
necessary, to clarify items in the application. Not all applicants who 
are contacted for negotiation will necessarily receive a TOP award. 
Final selections made by the Administrator will be based upon the 
recommendations by the Director and the OTIA Associate Administrator 
and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, 
satisfies the program's stated purposes as set forth in the section 
entitled ``Program Description,'' upon the conclusion of negotiations.

Use of Program Income

    Applicants are advised that any program income generated by a 
proposed project is subject to special conditions. Anticipated program 
income must be documented appropriately in the project budget. In 
addition, should an application be funded, unanticipated program income 
must be reported to TOP, and the budget for the project must be 
renegotiated to reflect receipt of this program income. Program income 
means gross income earned by the recipient that is either directly 
generated by a supported activity, or earned as a result of the award. 
In addition, federal policy prohibits any recipient or subrecipient 
receiving federal funds from the use of equipment acquired with these 
funds to provide services to non-federal outside organizations for a 
fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services. 
This prohibition does not apply to services provided to outside 
organizations at no cost.

Policy on Sectarian Activities

    Applicants are advised that on December 22, 1995, NTIA issued a 
notice in the Federal Register on its policy with regard to sectarian 
activities. Under NTIA's policy, while religious activities cannot be 
the essential thrust of a grant, an application will not be ineligible 
where sectarian activities are only incidental or attenuated to the 
overall project purpose for which funding is requested. Applicants for 
whom this policy may be relevant should read the policy that was 
published in the Federal Register at 60 FR 66491, Dec. 22, 1995.

Reporting Requirements

    To ensure compliance with federal regulations and collect systemic 
evaluation data on each project, successful TOP applicants have a 
number of basic reporting requirements once they are awarded a grant. 
At project outset, TOP grantees provide detailed baseline information 
on the project objectives, goals, partners, and populations served. 
Grantees then provide periodic financial reports and updates on project 
activities. At project completion, TOP grantees must also provide a 
closeout report.
    Finally, because evaluation results play such a critical role in 
helping other organizations learn about what works well and what does 
not, each TOP-supported project will provide NTIA a final evaluation 
report.
    To ensure the validity of the findings, the final evaluation report 
must be completed by an independent evaluator

[[Page 12683]]

or team of evaluators who are not in a direct reporting relationship 
with the applicant.\4\ TOP will make copies of the final evaluation 
report available to the public.
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    \4\ In large institutions, such as universities, colleges, and 
foundations, an independent evaluator can include a representative 
from departments not associated with the applicant. In addition, 
TOP's requirement for a grantee have an independent evaluator 
develop the final evaluation report does not preclude an applicant 
from conducting the evaluation in conjunction with an independent 
evaluator.
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Waiver Authority

    It is the general intent of NTIA not to waive any of the provisions 
set forth in this Notice. However, under extraordinary circumstances 
and when it is in the best interest of the federal government, NTIA, 
upon its own initiative or when requested, may waive the provisions in 
this Notice. Waivers may only be granted for requirements that are 
discretionary and not mandated by statute. Any request for a waiver 
must set forth the extraordinary circumstances for the request and be 
included in the application or sent to the address provided in the 
Addresses section above.
    As noted in the Dates section above, complete applications for the 
Fiscal Year 2003 TOP grant program must be either postmarked no later 
than April 23, 2003, or hand-delivered no later than 5 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time on April 23, 2003, to the respective addresses listed 
above. NTIA will not waive this requirement.

Intergovernmental Review

    Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' All applicants 
are required to submit a copy of their application to their state 
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) offices, if they have one. For 
information on contacting state SPOC offices, refer to the Guidelines 
for Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 2003.

Other Information

    Electronic Information. Information about NTIA, TOP, and other 
resources to help prepare an application, including this document and 
the Guidelines for Preparing Applications--Fiscal Year 2003, can be 
retrieved electronically via the Internet using the World Wide Web at 
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top. This document can be provided in alternate 
formats, including braille. If you need assistance please contact TOP 
at (202) 482-2048 or [email protected].
    Through TOP's online tools available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top, applicants can prepare and print a number of the required forms. 
Please note that applicants must submit all application materials (even 
those forms prepared online) in hard copy with appropriate signatures.
    As indicated above, each application must contain, at a minimum, 
the following required elements: (1) A Standard Form 424 (SF-424), 
Application for Federal Assistance, with an original signature, (2) a 
project narrative, and (3) a budget narrative. Applications that are 
missing any of these three required elements with the appropriate 
signatures will not be accepted for review and will be returned to the 
applicants.
    In addition, applicants can use TOP's online tools to provide an 
electronic version of their executive summary that will be available to 
the public. TOP's online tools are optional and not required to prepare 
an application.
    Submission Requirements. TOP requests one original and five copies 
of the application. Applicants for whom the submission of five copies 
presents financial hardship may submit one original and two copies of 
the application.
    Disposition of Unsuccessful Applications. Applications accepted for 
review for the Fiscal Year 2003 grant round will be stored at the 
Department of Commerce until the start of the next grant competition or 
one year, whichever period is longer. At the end of that period, the 
applications will be destroyed.
    Sensitive Information. Because of the high level of public interest 
in projects supported by TOP, the program anticipates receiving 
requests for copies of successful applications. Applicants are hereby 
notified that the applications they submit are subject to the Freedom 
of Information Act. To assist NTIA in making disclosure determinations, 
applicants may identify sensitive information and label it 
``confidential.''
    Human Subjects Research Protection. The Department of Commerce, 
through part 27 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
requires that all applications awarded under the TOP ensure protections 
for any human subjects involved in research.
    If an application is considered for funding, the grant applicant 
will be asked to submit appropriate documentation of IRB approval or 
exemption status to the Federal Program Officer for approval by 
Department officials. More details on human subjects research 
protection are available through the TOP's Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top and the Guidelines for Preparing Applications--
Fiscal Year 2003.
    Grant Requirements. The Department of Commerce Pre-Award 
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 
49917), as amended by Federal Register notice published on October 30, 
2002 (67 FR 66109), is applicable to this solicitation.
    Limited English Proficiency. Executive Order 13166, ``Improving 
Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,'' 
requires all Departments and agencies to eliminate, to the maximum 
extent possible, limited English proficiency as an artificial barrier 
to the full and meaningful participation by beneficiaries in federally 
assisted and federally conducted programs and activities. The 
Department of Commerce is in the process of implementing this Executive 
Order, and all FY 2003 TOP grantees will be required to comply with the 
Department's final guidelines.
    Other Requirements. It has been determined that this Notice is not 
significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
    Because notice and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or 
any other law, for notices relating to public property, loans, grants, 
benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)), a Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis is not required and has not been prepared for this Notice, 5 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    It has been determined that this Notice does not contain policies 
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in E.O. 13132.
    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms 
424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL have been approved by OMB under the 
respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-
0046.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications.
[FR Doc. 03-6233 Filed 3-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P