[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8941-8944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4297]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; the 
Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.304A.

DATES: Applications Available: February 26, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 10, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United States experienced 
in the development of curricula and programs in civic and government 
education and economic education for students in elementary schools and 
secondary schools in countries other than the United States, to carry 
out civic education activities.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. We 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: Through the Cooperative Civic Education and 
Economic Education Exchange program, the Department of Education 
provides grants to improve the quality of civic education through 
cooperative civic education exchange programs with emerging 
democracies. For FY 2004 the competition for new awards focuses on 
statutory requirements we describe in the Statutory Requirements 
section of this notice.
    Statutory Requirements: We will award grants to eligible applicants 
to--
    (1) Provide to the participants from eligible countries--
    (A) Seminars on the basic principles of United States 
constitutional democracy, including seminars on the major governmental 
institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such 
institutions;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and 
government education in the United States;
    (C) Translations and adaptations with respect to United States 
civics and government education curricular programs for students and 
teachers and, in the case of training programs for teachers, 
translations and adaptations into forms useful in schools in eligible 
countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and
    (D) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the Cooperative Education Exchange program on students' 
development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential 
for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy.
    (2) Provide to the participants from the United States--
    (A) Seminars on the histories and systems of government of eligible 
countries;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government 
education located in eligible countries;
    (C) Assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in 
the development of curricular materials on the histories and 
governments of such countries that are useful in United States 
classrooms;
    (D) Opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States 
curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; 
and
    (E) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the Cooperative Education Exchange program assisted under 
this section on students' development of the knowledge, skills, and 
traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of 
constitutional democracy.
    (3) Assist participants from eligible countries and the United 
States to participate in international conferences on civics and 
government education for educational leaders, teacher trainers, 
scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6711-6716.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

[[Page 8942]]

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and 
299.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. We 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United
    States experienced in the development of curricula and programs in 
civics and government education and economic education for students in 
elementary schools and secondary schools in countries other than the 
United States, to carry out civic education activities.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: a. Eligible Countries: A Central European country, 
Eastern European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent 
states of the former Soviet Union as defined in section 3 of the 
FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5801), the Republic of Ireland, the 
province of Northern Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, the province 
of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing country 
(as such term is defined in section 209(d) of the Education for the 
Deaf Act) if the Secretary, with concurrence of the Secretary of State, 
determines that such developing country has a democratic form of 
government. A listing of the countries also is included in the 
application package.
    b. Primary Participants: Primary participants in the Cooperative 
Education Exchange Program shall be leaders in the areas of civics and 
government education, including teachers, curriculum and teacher 
training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines, educational 
policymakers, and government and private sector leaders from the United 
States and eligible countries.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Rita Foy Moss, U.S. 
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 202c, 
Washington, DC 20208. Telephone: (202) 219-2027 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call 1-877-576-7734 or 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) on request to the program contact 
person listed in this section. However, the Department is not able to 
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the 
application package.
    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 the Cooperative Civic 
Education and Economic Education Exchange program competition. 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 50 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, as well as 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 (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to part I, the cover sheet; part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; part 
IV, 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.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
    [sbull] Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
    [sbull] Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 26, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2004.
    The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or 
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the 
application package for this competition. The application package also 
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 10, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: The regulations on determining allowable 
costs are set out in 34 CFR part 80. We reference additional applicable 
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 
competition.
    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: We are 
continuing to expand our pilot project of electronic submission of 
applications to include additional formula grant programs and 
additional discretionary grant competitions. The Cooperative Civic 
Education and Economic Education Exchange Program--CFDA 84.304A--is one 
of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant 
under the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange 
Program competition, you may submit your

[[Page 8943]]

application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (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. If you 
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an 
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved 
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We 
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its 
improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] 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.
    [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.
    [sbull] You may 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] Your e-Application must comply with any page limit 
requirements described in this notice.
    [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 
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 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot 
for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange 
Program and you are prevented from submitting your application on the 
application deadline 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 e-Application, and 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 must 
contact either (1) the person 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 Cooperative 
Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in 
selecting an application for an award are in 20 U.S.C. 7247.

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 
Notification (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.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following performance measure to assess the effectiveness of the 
Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program: 
The percentage of teachers participating in training programs or 
professional development activities under the program (in the United 
States and in participating foreign countries) who have demonstrated 
improved quality of instruction will increase. This measure constitutes 
the Department of Education's indicator of success for this program. 
Consequently, applicants are advised to give careful consideration to 
the outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and 
evaluation of a proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked 
to collect and to report data about progress toward this goal in their 
annual performance reports.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita Foy Moss, U.S. Department of 
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., room 202c, Washington, DC 
20208. Telephone: (202) 219-2027 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call 1-877-576-7734 or the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this document in 
an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or 
computer diskette) on request to the program contact person 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

[[Page 8944]]

following site: www.ed.gov/news/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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: February 23, 2004.
Deborah A. Price,
Deputy Undersecretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 04-4297 Filed 2-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4001-01-P