[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20535-20538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8012]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Overview Information, The 
Challenge Newsletter Grant Competition; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

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

    Dates: Applications Available: April 20, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 19, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Public and private entities and individuals.
    Estimated Available Funds: $300,000.
    Estimated Size of Award: $300,000.
    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: The Challenge Newsletter grant competition 
funds one cooperative agreement for the development and dissemination 
of The Challenge newsletter to provide information about effective 
strategies to prevent drug use and violent behavior among youth.
    Priority: We are establishing this priority for this competition 
only, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education 
Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    (1) Design, write, publish, and disseminate The Challenge, a 
newsletter for educators, prevention specialists, and other 
professionals in fields related to drug abuse and violence prevention 
and education. The Challenge newsletter communicates information on 
current and future program directions, research-based activities, and 
other information related to effective strategies to prevent drug use 
and violent behavior among youth.
    (2) Create or maintain and expand a subscriber database for the 
U.S. Department of Education (ED).
    (3) Post each issue of The Challenge newsletter to a Web site for 
public access.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on a proposed priority. Section 437(d)(1) of 
GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking 
requirements regulations governing the first grant competition under a 
new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first The 
Challenge Newsletter grant competition under the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001 and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public 
comment on the priority under section 437(d)(1). This priority

[[Page 20536]]

will apply to this grant competition only.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and 299.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $300,000.
    Estimated Size of Award: $300,000.
    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: Public and private entities and 
individuals.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application 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 84.184P.
    You also may access the electronic version of the application at 
either of the following Web sites: http://www.ed.gov/programs/thechallenge/index.html or http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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 section VII. Agency Contact elsewhere in this notice.
    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 (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You should limit Part III 
to the equivalent of no more than 25 double-spaced typewritten pages on 
8.5'' x 11'' paper, using a standard font no smaller than 12-point type 
with 1-inch margins on all sides.
    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, 
resumes, or bibliography. However, you must include all of the 
application narrative in Section III.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 20, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition 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.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 19, 2005.
    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: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    If you choose to 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 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 6:00 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 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.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to 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 ED 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 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 of the 
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 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.

[[Page 20537]]

    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application 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. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail message will be sent to 
all registered users who have initiated an e-Application.
    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 section.
    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 84.184P, 
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 84.184P, 
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, 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 84.184P, 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 ED Form 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 acknowledgement 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from Sec.  75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.

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. We also may require more frequent performance reports.
    4. Performance Measure: We have identified the following key GPRA 
performance measure for assessing the effectiveness of this program: 
The Challenge Newsletter will receive an overall rating of satisfactory 
or better from at least 80 percent of subscribers surveyed by the 
grantee in any given year of the grant.

VII. Agency Contacts

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Lucey, Jr., U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E335, 
Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 205-5471. E-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative

[[Page 20538]]

format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the 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.
    You may also view this document in text or PDF at the following 
site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/thechallenge/applicant.html.

    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: April 18, 2005.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 05-8012 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P