[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55144-55148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2165]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education--The Comprehensive Program; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116A 
(pre-application) and 84.116B (final application).
    Dates: Applications Available: September 13, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: November 3, 2004.

[[Page 55145]]

    Deadline for Transmittal of Final Applications: March 22, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 21, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or 
combinations of those institutions and other public and private 
nonprofit institutions and agencies.
    Estimated Available Funds: $12,700,000 for new awards.
    The Administration has requested $32 million for this program for 
FY 2005 (approximately $12.7 million of which will be available for new 
Comprehensive Program awards). The actual level of funding, if any, 
depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000--$600,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $212,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 60.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Comprehensive Program supports grants and 
cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary education 
opportunities. It encourages reforms, innovations, and improvements of 
postsecondary education that respond to problems of national 
significance and provide access to quality education for all.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2005 these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:
    Projects to support new ways to ensure equal access to 
postsecondary education and to improve rates of retention and program 
completion, especially for underrepresented students whose retention 
and completion rates continue to lag behind those of other groups, and 
especially to encourage wider adoption of proven approaches to this 
problem.
    Projects to promote innovative reforms in the curriculum and 
instruction of various subjects at the college preparation, 
undergraduate, and graduate/professional levels, especially through 
student-centered or technology-mediated strategies, and including the 
subject area of civic education.
    Projects designing more cost-effective ways of improving 
postsecondary instruction and operations, i.e., to promote more student 
learning relative to institutional resources expended.
    Projects to improve the quality of K-12 teaching through new models 
of teacher preparation and through new kinds of partnerships between 
schools and colleges and universities that enhance students' 
preparation for, access to, and success in college.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants or cooperative awards.
    Estimated Available Funds: $12,700,000 for new awards.
    The Administration has requested $32 million for this program for 
FY 2005 (approximately $12.7 million of which will be available for new 
Comprehensive Program awards). The actual level of funding, if any, 
depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000--$600,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $212,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 60.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or 
combinations of those institutions and other public and private 
nonprofit institutions and agencies.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: All applicants must submit a pre-application to be 
eligible to submit a final application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.116A.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fund for the Improvement of 
Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 
502-7500. The application text and forms may be obtained from the 
Internet address: http://www.ed.gov/FIPSE.
    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 competition.
    Pre-Application: Letters of support, references, and other 
appendices and attachments are discouraged for the pre-application.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where the applicant 
addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate the 
application. You must limit the pre-application narrative to the 
equivalent of no more than 5 pages or approximately 1,250 words and the 
final application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 25 pages 
or approximately 6,250 words, 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, except footnotes, quotations, 
references, and text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font size that is 11 point or larger and no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limits for the pre-application and final application do 
not apply to the title page; the assurances and certifications; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification for the 
final application; or the one-page abstract, resumes, letters of 
support, or bibliography for the final application.

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    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: September 13, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: November 3, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Final Applications: March 22, 2005.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Applications for grants under this program may be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to Section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 21, 2005.
    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: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this Comprehensive Program may be submitted electronically or in paper 
format by mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    If you submit your application to us electronically, you must use 
e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, 
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this program [competition] after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 
the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that 
you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the 
application process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the application for the Comprehensive Program (ED 40-514), the 
Comprehensive Program Budget Summary form, and all necessary assurances 
and certifications.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to download it and print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement that 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 Comprehensive Program Title Page 
(Form No. ED 40-514) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 40-514 from e-Application.
    2. The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner (Item 
1) of the hard-copy signature page of the ED 40-514.
    4. Fax the signed ED 40-514 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically 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 electronic 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 
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.
    Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to 
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an 
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your 
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with 
the instructions in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must send the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84116A and 84.116B), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    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;
    3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier; or
    4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the U.S. Secretary of 
Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    1. A private metered postmark, or
    2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

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    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: Applicants should note that the U.S. Postal Service does 
not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this 
method, you should check with your local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must hand deliver the original and two 
copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.116A 
or 84.116B), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays. A person delivering an application must 
show photo identification to enter the building.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    1. You must indicate on the envelope the CFDA number and suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    2. The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application 
Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the notification 
of application receipt within 15 days from the mailing of your 
application, you should call the U.S. Department of Education 
Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
as follows:
    In evaluating pre-applications and final applications for grants 
under this competition, the Secretary uses the following selection 
criteria chosen from those listed in 34 CFR 75.210. The Secretary gives 
equal weight to each of the selection criteria, and within each of 
these criteria, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the 
factors.
    Pre-applications. In evaluating pre-applications, the Secretary 
uses the following four selection criteria:
    (a) Need for project. The Secretary considers the need for the 
proposed project. In determining need, the Secretary considers each of 
the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (b) Significance. The Secretary considers the significance of the 
proposed project. In determining the significance, the Secretary 
considers each of the following factors:
    (1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or 
effective strategies.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    (3) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project.
    (4) The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings.
    (c) Quality of the project design. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the 
quality of the design, the Secretary considers each of the following 
factors:
    (1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (2) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (3) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating 
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible 
replication of project activities or strategies, including information 
about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the 
project.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    (d) Quality of the project evaluation. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the project evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers each of the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    Final Applications. In evaluating final applications, the Secretary 
uses the following seven selection criteria:
    (a) Need for project. The Secretary considers the need for the 
proposed project. In determining need, the Secretary considers each of 
the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (b) Significance. The Secretary considers the significance of the 
proposed project. In determining significance, the Secretary considers 
each of the following factors:
    (1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or 
effective strategies.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    (3) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project.
    (4) The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings.
    (c) Quality of the project design. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the 
quality of the design, the Secretary considers each of the following 
factors:
    (1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (2) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (3) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating 
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible 
replication of project activities or

[[Page 55148]]

strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the 
approach or strategies employed by the project.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    (d) Quality of the project evaluation. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of evaluation to be conducted, the Secretary 
considers each of the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (e) Quality of the management plan. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining 
the quality of the management plan, the Secretary considers the 
adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the 
proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined 
responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project 
tasks.
    (f) Quality of project personnel. The Secretary considers the 
quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of project personnel the Secretary considers 
each of the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (g) Adequacy of resources. The Secretary considers the adequacy of 
resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of 
resources, the Secretary considers each of the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    (2) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (3) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated 
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.

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 success of FIPSE's Comprehensive 
Program depends upon (1) the extent to which funded projects are being 
replicated, i.e., adopted or adapted by others; and (2) the manner in 
which projects are being institutionalized and continued after grant 
funding. These two results constitute FIPSE's indicators of the success 
of our program.
    If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data in your 
project's annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590) on steps 
taken toward these goals. Consequently, applicants to FIPSE's 
Comprehensive Program are advised to include these two outcomes in 
conceptualizing the design, implementation and evaluation of the 
proposed project. Consideration of FIPSE's two performance outcomes is 
an important part of many of the review criteria discussed below. Thus, 
it is important to the success of your application that you include 
these objectives. Their measure should be a part of the project 
evaluation plan, along with measures of objectives specific to your 
project.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Levenia Ishmell, Fund for the 
Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., suite 6147, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7668 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) on request to the program contact person listed in this 
section.
    For additional program information call the FIPSE office (202-502-
7500) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Washington, DC time, 
Monday through Friday.

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.
    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: September 8, 2004.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E4-2165 Filed 9-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P