[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33290-33294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8912]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education--Comprehensive Program; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116B

    Dates: Applications Available: June 8, 2006.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 20, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 10, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 6, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or 
combinations of those institutions and other public and private 
nonprofit institutions and agencies.
    Estimated Available Funds: $11,250,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$275,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $195,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 50-60.


    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.
    Under this competition we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2006 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:
    Invitational Priority 1: Projects developing innovative 
instructional and administrative efficiencies to broaden access to high 
quality and affordable higher education.
    Invitational Priority 2: Projects aligning curriculum on a state or 
multi-state level between high schools and colleges, and between two-
year and four-year postsecondary programs, to ensure continuing 
academic progress and transferability of credits.
    Invitational Priority 3: Projects increasing the number and 
improving the pre-service preparation and professional development of 
science and mathematics teachers through career change programs and/or 
programs that combine a bachelor's degree in science or math with a 
bachelor's degree in education and/or teacher certification, especially 
collaborative projects involving K-12 educators, college departments of 
science and mathematics, private sector partnerships, and teacher 
education programs.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.
    Applicable Regulations: 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 IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants or cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $11,250,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$275,000 per year.

[[Page 33291]]

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $195,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 50-60.

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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or combinations of those institutions 
and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Although this program does not require 
cost sharing or matching for eligibility, it is expected that 
applicants will provide an institutional financial commitment to the 
project.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You may obtain an 
application package via the Internet by downloading the package from 
the program Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/FIPSE.
    If you are unable to access the Internet, you may obtain a copy of 
the application package at the following address: Levenia Ishmell, Fund 
for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6147, Washington, DC 20006-8544. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7668.
    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 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.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: In order to allow for the timely 
selection of appropriate external reviewers in this competition, 
applicants are asked to submit a brief statement of intent to apply by 
June 20, 2006. This statement should include (1) the name, mailing 
address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the proposed project 
director, (2) the name of the applicant institution, and (3) no more 
than one paragraph on the topic and/or invitational priority you intend 
to address. Please e-mail this statement to: [email protected]. There will 
be no penalty for applications submitted without this statement.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate the 
application. You must limit your narrative to the equivalent of no more 
than 20 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, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Choose one of these four fonts only--Times New Roman, 
Courier, Courier New, or Arial--and use a font that is either 12 point 
or larger.
    The page limit does not apply to the title page; the one-page 
abstract; the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; the assurances and certifications; or the appendix, 
which may include only a project evaluation chart, qualifications of 
key personnel, the response to section 427 of the Department of 
Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), short descriptions 
of projects that will complement the proposed project, and letters of 
support.
    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: June 8, 
2006. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 20, 2006. Deadline 
for Transmittal of Applications: July 10, 2006. Applications for grants 
under this program must be submitted electronically using the 
Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) available through 
the Department of Education's e-Grants System. For information 
(including dates and times) about how to submit your application 
electronically or by mail or by hand delivery if you qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, 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: September 
6, 2006.
    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 program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Comprehensive Program--CFDA 
Number 84.116B must be submitted electronically using e-Application 
available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through 
the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    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:
     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 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 6:00 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 qualify for

[[Page 33292]]

an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described 
elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for the Comprehensive Program (ED 40-514), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications. You must attach any narrative sections 
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or 
.PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than 
the three file types specified above or submit a password protected 
file, we will not review that material.
     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 acknowledgment 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 the Comprehensive Program Title Page (ED 40-514) from e-
Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form 
(ED 40-514).
    (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 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 to enable you 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 acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact (see section 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 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.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the e-Application system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Department's e-Application system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Cassandra Courtney, 
FIPSE Comprehensive Program Coordinator, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., Room 6166, Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 
502-7877.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 84.116B), 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 
84.116B), 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.116B), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

[[Page 33293]]

    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--on the Comprehensive Program Title Page the CFDA number and 
suffix letter (84.116B) 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
    (a) Need for project. The Secretary considers the need for the 
proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, 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 of the proposed 
project, 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, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (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 of the proposed project, 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 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.
    (e) Adequacy of resources. The Secretary considers the adequacy of 
resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of 
resources for the proposed project, 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 percentage of projects that are adopted in 
full or in part, or whose materials are used by other institutions and 
(2) the percentage of projects with a high likelihood of sustainability 
beyond Federal funding, based on the project officer's determination. 
These two results constitute FIPSE's indicators of the success of the 
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 indicators in 
conceptualizing the design, implementation and evaluation of the 
proposed project. Consideration of FIPSE's two performance indicators 
is an important part of many of the review criteria. Thus, it is 
important to the success of your application that you include these 
indicators. Their measure should be a part of the project evaluation 
plan, along with measures of goals and objectives specific to your 
project.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Cassandra Courtney, Fund for the

[[Page 33294]]

Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., room 6166, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7506 or by e-mail: [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 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 GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html


    Dated: June 5, 2006.
James F. Manning,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E6-8912 Filed 6-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P