[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6843-6846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-532]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information Grants 
To Reduce Alcohol Abuse; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184A.

DATES: Applications Available: February 9, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 28, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 11, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs).
    Estimated Available Funds: $22,600,000. The Secretary may reserve 
up to 25 percent of funds to award grants to low-income and rural LEAs. 
Contingent upon the availability of funds, we may make additional 
awards in FY 2006 from the list of non-funded applications from this 
competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $400,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 57.

    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: This program provides grants to LEAs to develop 
and implement innovative and effective programs to reduce alcohol abuse 
in secondary schools.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from section 4129 of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities 
Act, 20 U.S.C. 7139.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards on the basis of the list of non-funded applications from 
this competition, this priority is an absolute

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priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:

Alcohol Abuse Reduction

    A project must develop and implement innovative and effective 
programs to reduce alcohol abuse in secondary schools.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7139.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, 99, and 299.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $22,600,000. The Secretary may reserve 
up to 25 percent of funds for grants to low-income and rural LEAs. 
Contingent upon the availability of funds, we may make additional 
awards in FY 2006 from the list of non-funded applications from this 
competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $400,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 57.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: To be eligible to receive a grant under this competition, 
an LEA's application must include--
    i. A description of the activities to be carried out under the 
grant;
    ii. An assurance that such activities will include one or more of 
the proven strategies for reducing underage alcohol abuse as determined 
by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
(SAMHSA);
    iii. An explanation of how other activities to be carried out under 
the grant that are not part of a SAMHSA model program will be effective 
in reducing underage alcohol abuse, including references to the past 
effectiveness of such activities; and
    iv. An assurance that the applicant will submit to the Secretary an 
annual report concerning the effectiveness of the programs and 
activities funded under the grant.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), PO 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 84.184A.
    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 under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT elsewhere in this notice.
    You may also obtain the application package electronically by 
downloading it from the following Web site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvalcoholabuse/index.html.
    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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 9, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 28, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), 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.

Other Submission Requirements

    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 11, 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 competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2005. Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse--CFDA 
Number 84.184A is one of the programs included in this project.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). Through this site, you will 
be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. We request your 
participation in Grants.gov.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Grants to 
Reduce Alcohol at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted with a 
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not 
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on 
the application deadline date.
     If you experience technical difficulties on the 
application deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, deadline, print out your application and follow 
the instructions in this notice for the submission of paper 
applications by mail or hand delivery.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors

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including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet 
connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until 
the application deadline date to begin the application process through 
Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that 
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
     To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR 
registration.
     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 may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative 
sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC 
(document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    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 mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.184A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20202-4260, or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.184A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, 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 Secretary of the 
U.S. Department 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.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: 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 deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, 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 
84.184A), 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.
    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 and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) 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 grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
in 34 CFR 75.210 and in the application package for this competition.
    2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider 
in selecting an application for an award is rural and low-income 
status.
    Applications from rural and low-income applicants will be read and 
scored separately and up to 25 percent of the available funds will be 
reserved for awards to these LEAs. The following is a suggested 
definition of rural and low-income that has been used by this program 
in previous competitions; however, LEAs that want to be considered as 
rural and low-income applicants may provide other supporting evidence 
of their status as rural and low-income.
    A rural and low-income LEA is one (a) that is designated with a 
locale code of 6, 7, or 8, as determined by the Department's National 
Center for Education Statistics (NCES); and (b) in which 20 percent or 
more of the children ages 5 through 17 years served by the LEA are from 
families with incomes below the poverty line.

    Note: Applicants wishing to be considered under this factor must 
be both rural and low-income.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we will 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 will 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.

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    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 75.718.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), three measures have been developed for evaluating 
the overall effectiveness of the Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse 
competition: (1) The percentage of grantees whose target students show 
a measurable decrease in binge drinking; (2) the percentage of grantees 
that show a measurable increase in the percentage of target students 
who believe that alcohol abuse is harmful to their health; and (3) the 
percentage of grantees that show a measurable increase in the 
percentage of target students who disapprove of alcohol abuse. These 
three measures constitute the Department's indicators of success for 
this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program 
are advised to give careful consideration to these three measures in 
conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their 
proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to collect and 
report data in their annual performance reports about progress toward 
these goals.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Ethel F. Jackson, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., room 3E246, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 260-2812 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.

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 GPOAccess at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: February 3, 2005.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. E5-532 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P