[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13510-13513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6462]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; 
Institute of International Public Policy; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.269A.

DATES: Applications Available: April 5, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: Consortia consisting of one or more of the 
following entities: (1) An institution eligible for assistance under 
part B of Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA); (2) an institution of higher education that serves substantial 
numbers of African American or other underrepresented minority 
students; and (3) an institution of higher education with programs in 
training foreign service professionals.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,626,330.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,626,330 for a single budget period of 12 months. 
The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education may 
change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.


[[Page 13511]]


    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: To provide a grant that establishes an 
Institute for International Public Policy that will conduct a program 
to significantly increase the number of African Americans and other 
underrepresented minorities in the international service, including 
private international voluntary organizations and the foreign service 
of the United States.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1131-1131f.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, and 86.


    Note: Because there are no program specific regulations for the 
Institute for International Public Policy Program, applicants are 
encouraged to read the authorizing statute in sections 621-628 of 
part C, Title VI, of the HEA.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,626,330.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,626,330 for a single budget period of 12 months. 
The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education 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: Consortia consisting of one or more of the 
following entities: (1) An institution eligible for assistance under 
Part B of Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA); (2) an institution of higher education that serves substantial 
numbers of African American or other underrepresented minority 
students; and (3) an institution of higher education with programs in 
training foreign service professionals.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The matching requirement is described 
in section 621(e) of the HEA. The statute states that the applicant's 
share of the total cost of carrying out a program supported by a grant 
under this section must be at least one-half of the amount of the 
grant. The non-Federal share of the cost may be provided either in-kind 
or in cash.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Ms. Tanyelle Richardson, 
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7626 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 
person 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: The application narrative 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 
60 pages, using 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, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you 
may single space all text in charts, tables, figures and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or 
no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 
10-point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract or the appendices. 
However, you must include your complete response to the selection 
criteria in the application narrative.
    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: April 5, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 14, 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 program. 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: July 14, 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: We reference 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 Institute for 
International Public Policy--CFDA Number 269A be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-

[[Page 13512]]

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: Tanyelle Richardson, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6017, Washington, DC 
20006-8521. 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. Institute for 
International Public Policy--CFDA Number 269A is one of the programs 
included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under Institute 
for International Public Policy 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 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 Education Assistance (ED 424), 
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 Education assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center 
after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 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 ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 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 e-Application 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 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 Institute for International Public Policy at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from section 75.210 of EDGAR and are as follows: (a) meeting the 
purpose of the authorizing statute (20 points), (b) need for project 
(15 points), (c) quality of the management plan (15 points), (d) 
significance (10 points), (e) quality of project design (10 points), 
(f) quality of project personnel (10 points), (g) adequacy of resources 
(10 points), and (h) quality of the project evaluation (10 points). 
Applicants should review section 75.210 of EDGAR for a complete 
description of these criteria.

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. The applicant is required to use the electronic data 
instrument EELIAS system to complete the final report.
    4. Performance Measures: One performance measure has been developed 
to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Institute for 
International Public Policy program: the percentage of Title VI 
graduates who find employment in higher education, government service, 
and national security.

[[Page 13513]]

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Ms. Tanyelle Richardson, 
International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7626 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 this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) or 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 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: March 18, 2004.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 04-6462 Filed 3-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P