[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 17 (Tuesday, January 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3901-3904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1727]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Minority 
Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.120A.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 28, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 12, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 11, 2004.

    Eligible Applicants: There are three types of MSEIP projects, each 
with a different set of eligible applicants. For institutional, design, 
and special projects described in 34 CFR 637.12 through 637.14, 
eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit minority 
institutions of higher education as defined in Section 361(1) and (2) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) and described 
later in this notice. For special projects described in 34 CFR 
637.14(b) and (c), eligible applicants include nonprofit science-
oriented organizations, professional scientific societies, institutions 
of higher education, and consortia of organizations as defined in 
section 361(3) and (4) of the HEA and described later in this notice. 
For cooperative projects described in 34 CFR 637.15, eligible 
applicants include groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and 
universities whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible minority 
institution as defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

    Note: A minority institution is defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b) as an 
accredited college or university whose enrollment of a single 
minority group or combination of minority groups exceeds 50 percent 
of the college's or university's total enrollment.

    Estimated Available Funds: Although Congress has not enacted a 
final appropriation for FY 2004, the Department is inviting 
applications for this competition now so that it may be prepared to 
make awards following enactment of that final appropriation. Based on 
the congressional action to date, we estimate $4.6 million will be 
available for new awards under this program for FY 2004. The actual 
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. 
Additional funding information is provided in the following chart.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN27JA04.000


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. Applicants should periodically check the MSEIP's Web site 
for further information on this program. The address is: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect long-range 
improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly 
minority institutions and to increase the flow of underrepresented 
ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and 
technological careers.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067-1067k.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

[[Page 3902]]

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 637.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: Although Congress has not enacted a 
final appropriation for FY 2004, the Department is inviting 
applications for this competition now so that it may be prepared to 
make awards following enactment of that final appropriation. Based on 
the congressional action to date, we estimate $4.6 million will be 
available for new awards under this program for FY 2004. The actual 
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Total Number of Awards: See chart.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. Applicants should periodically check the MSEIP's Web site 
for further information on this program. The address is: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (a) For institutional, design, and special 
projects described in 34 CFR 637.12 through 637.14, eligible applicants 
include public and private nonprofit minority institutions of higher 
education as defined in Section 361(1) and (2) of the HEA. Section 
361(1) and (2) define such institutions as:
    (1) Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that:
    (A) Award baccalaureate degrees; and
    (B) Are minority institutions;
    (2) Public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that:
    (A) Award associates degrees; and
    (B) Are minority institutions that:
    (i) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering 
subjects; and
    (ii) Enter into a partnership with public or private nonprofit 
institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees in 
science and engineering;
    (b) For special projects described in 34 CFR 637.14(b) and (c), 
eligible applicants include nonprofit science-oriented organizations, 
professional scientific societies, institutions of higher education, 
and consortia of organizations. Section 361(3) and (4) of the HEA 
describes these types of entities as:
    (3) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional 
scientific societies, and institutions of higher education that award 
baccalaureate degrees, that:
    (A) Provide a needed service to a group of minority institutions; 
or
    (B) Provide in-service training for project directors, scientists, 
and engineers from minority institutions; or
    (4) Consortia of organizations that provide needed services to one 
or more minority institutions, the membership of which may include:
    (A) Institutions of higher education that have a curriculum in 
science or engineering;
    (B) Institutions of higher education that have a graduate or 
professional program in science or engineering;
    (C) Research laboratories of, or under contract with, the 
Department of Energy;
    (D) Private organizations that have science or engineering 
facilities; or
    (E) Quasi-governmental entities that have a significant scientific 
or engineering mission.
    (c) For cooperative projects described in 34 CFR 637.15, eligible 
entitles include groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and 
universities whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible minority 
institution as defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

    Note: A minority institution is defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b) as an 
accredited college or university whose enrollment of a single 
minority group or combination of minority groups exceeds 50 percent 
of the total enrollment.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has no cost sharing or 
matching requirements.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Dr. Bennie Samuels, Ms. 
Mary Payne or Ms. Carolyn Proctor, Institutional Development and 
Undergraduate Education Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 
502-7777 or by e-mail: [email protected]
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
persons listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: We have established a mandatory page limit for the 
narrative portion for each type of project application. The page limits 
are as follows:
    Design Project Application: The narrative portion must not exceed 
the equivalent of 10 double-spaced pages.
    Institutional and Cooperative Project Application: The narrative 
portions must not exceed the equivalent of 20 double-spaced pages.
    Special Project Application: The narrative portion must not exceed 
the equivalent of 15 double-spaced pages. You must use the following 
standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, 
with 1'' margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per 
vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles 
and headings. You may single space the abstract, footnotes, quotations, 
references, captions, tables, and forms (including the ED Forms), 
however, you must still use font size 12.
     Use a font that is size 12.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page 
limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the 
equivalent of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 28, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 12, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 11, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions:
    (a) Executive Order 13202. Applicants that apply for construction 
funds under MSEIP must comply with Executive Order 13202, signed by 
President Bush on February 17, 2001 and amended on April 6, 2001. This 
Executive order provides that recipients of Federal Construction funds 
may not ``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or 
subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more 
labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s)'' or 
``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors,

[[Page 3903]]

contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or 
remain signatories or otherwise adhere to agreements with one or more 
labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s).'' 
However, the Executive order does not prohibit contractors or 
subcontractors from voluntarily entering into these agreements.
    (b) We reference additional regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for 
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier 
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this 
program. Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination 
Act (GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial 
Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) 
encourage us to undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. 
Enhancing the ability of individuals and entities to conduct business 
with us electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts. 
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means 
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our 
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
    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.
    We are requiring that applications for grants under the MSEIP--CFDA 
Number 84.120A be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-Application) available through the Department's 
e-GRANTS system. The e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal 
page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
    If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS 
system, you may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason 
or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your 
application. Address your request to: Ms. Sandra Steed, U.S. Department 
of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8517. 
Please submit your request no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are 
unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper 
application by the application deadline date in accordance with the 
transmittal instructions in the application package. The paper 
application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the 
reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your 
application.
    Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are 
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of 
applications to include additional formula grant programs and 
additional discretionary grant competitions. The MSEIP--CFDA 84.120A is 
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under the MSEIP, you must submit your application to us in 
electronic format or receive a waiver.
    The pilot project involves the use of e-Application. If you use e-
Application, you will be entering data online while completing your 
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a 
database. We shall continue to evaluate the success of e-Application 
and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
     When you enter the e-Application system, you 
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly 
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
initiate an e-Application package.
     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.
     You must submit all documents electronically 
including the Application for Federal Assistance under MSEIP (OMB 1840-
0109), Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
     Your e-Application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     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).
     Within three working days after submitting your 
electronic application, fax a signed copy of the Application for 
Federal Assistance MSEIP, OMB 1840-0109, to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    1. Print the OMB 1840-0109, from e-Application.
    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 OMB 1840-0109.
    4. Fax the signed OMB 1840-0109 to the Application Control Center 
at (202) 260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original 
signatures on other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from submitting your application 
on the application deadline 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. We will grant this extension if--
    1. You are a registered user of the e-Application system and you 
have initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is 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., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the persons listed elsewhere in this notice under 
For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the MSEIP at 
http://e-grants.ed.gov
    Projects funded under MSEIP that include construction activity will 
be provided a copy of this Executive Order and will be asked to certify 
that they will adhere to it.

[[Page 3904]]

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in 
34 CFR 637.32.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice 
(GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 75.720.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Dr. Bennie Samuels, Ms. Mary 
Payne, or Ms. Carolyn Proctor, Institutional Development and 
Undergraduate Education Services, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 
502-7777, or by e-mail: [email protected]
    If you use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), you 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 program contact persons listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html
    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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html


    Dated: January 22, 2004.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 04-1727 Filed 1-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P