[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 151 (Monday, August 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44716-44720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6758]


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NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY


Overview Information; Literacy Information and Communication 
(LINCS) Resource Collections; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.257S.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: August 7, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 11, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 11, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies or institutions, 
or non-profit organizations, with knowledge and expertise in adult 
basic education and adult literacy; or consortia of such agencies, 
institutions, or organizations. Additional information concerning 
eligibility requirements is in Section III.1. of this notice.
    Estimated Available Funds: $650,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $175,000-$215,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Up to 3.

    Note: The National Institute for Literacy is not bound by any 
estimates in this notice.

    Project Period: Up to 36 months. Each grantee will be required to 
enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Institute for 
Literacy (Institute) for the duration of the project period.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Literacy Information and 
Communication (LINCS) Resource Collections (Collections) is to develop, 
organize, and support online subject-oriented collections of 
instructional resources, including multi-media resources, informed by 
highest-quality research, especially scientifically based and other 
rigorous research, for use by adult education and literacy educators. 
The Collections also shall provide information on how to use the 
featured resources to enhance teaching and learning.
    In addition, the Collections shall provide technical assistance on 
the content and use of the collections through presentations, 
workshops, and informational materials provided to adult education and 
literacy program administrators, project directors, and professional 
development staff. Limited technical assistance shall be provided via 
telephone and e-mail.
    The LINCS Resource Collections are grouped into three main 
categories: I. Basic Skills; II. Program Planning; or III. Workforce 
Competitiveness.
    I. Basic Skills Resource Collection shall focus on locating, 
reviewing, and selecting high-quality instructional materials, 
resources, and research on reading, writing, mathematics and numeracy 
for use by adult educators to improve instruction in basic skills.
    1. Reading & Writing.
    2. Mathematics & Numeracy.
    II. Program Planning Resource Collection shall focus on locating, 
reviewing and selecting high-quality instructional materials, 
resources, and research on assessment, learning disabilities, and 
program improvement for use by adult education and literacy program 
administrators, project directors and professional development staff. 
The combination of topics is intended to direct attention to the role 
that assessments and awareness of learning disabilities can play in 
strengthening the quality of adult education services and learner 
outcomes.
    1. Assessment.
    2. Learning Disabilities.
    3. Program Improvement.
    III. Workforce Competitiveness Resource Collection shall focus on 
locating, reviewing, and selecting high-quality instructional 
materials, resources, and research on workforce basic skills education, 
English language acquisition, and technology. The combination of topics 
in this collection is intended to encourage special attention to (a) 
the development of connections between resources that support the 
acquisition of English language literacy with preparation for and 
participation in the workforce and (b) the role technology can play in 
supporting both English language acquisition and workforce basic 
skills.
    1. English Language Literacy.
    2. Technology.
    3. Workforce Education.
    The Collections are intended to play a vital role in helping the 
Institute fulfill its authorization to establish a national electronic 
database of information that disseminates information to the broadest 
possible audience within the literacy and basic skills field and a 
communication network for literacy programs, providers, social service 
agencies, and students. These grants will be awarded as cooperative 
agreements, as the Institute will be substantially involved with the 
grantees in the implementation of the funded activities. Applicants 
should specify which Resource Collection (I. Basic Skills; II. Program 
Planning; or III.

[[Page 44717]]

Workforce Competitiveness) they are submitting an application for in 
their proposals. Grantees will be responsible for each of the subject 
areas within their selected categories.
    For background information on the Institute and LINCS, please 
visit: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/grants_contracts/info.html.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9252.
    Applicable Regulations: For purposes of this grant competition, the 
following regulations from the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) are applicable: 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 
79, 80, 82, 84, 85, and 97.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $650,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $175,000-$215,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Up to 3.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months. Continuation awards are contingent 
on a grantee's progress and future Congressional appropriations.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Public and private agencies or 
institutions, or non-profit organizations, with knowledge and expertise 
in adult basic education and adult literacy; or consortia of such 
agencies, institutions, or organizations. It is expected that 
applicants shall have significant knowledge and experience with the 
adult education and literacy system; understand current issues in adult 
education and literacy, especially content areas and professional 
development; and be familiar with researchers and experts in the adult 
education and literacy field, reading, learning disabilities, and 
research methods.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Although this program does not require 
cost sharing or matching for eligibility, the Institute encourages 
applicants to provide some institutional financial commitment to the 
project.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Jo Maralit; National 
Institute for Literacy; 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 730; Washington, DC 
20006; Telephone: 202-233-2028; fax: 202-233-2050; 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 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 competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part IV of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. The Director strongly 
encourages applicants to limit Part IV 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.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The suggested page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; 
Part V, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part VII, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in 
Part IV.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: August 7, 
2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 11, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this application notice may be 
submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site 
(www.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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 11, 2006.
    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

    Electronic submissions of applications have been submitted 
electronically through the U.S. Department of Education's e-Application 
system since FY 2000. In order to expand on those efforts and comply 
with the President's Management Agenda, the Institute is participating 
as a partner in the new government wide Grants.gov Apply site in FY 
2006. The Institute's LINCS Resource Collections application notice 
(CFDA Number 84.257S) is one of the programs included in this project. 
We request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for LINCS Resource 
Collections 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.
    Notes:
     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, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from

[[Page 44718]]

Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors 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 U.S. Department of 
Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through 
Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this 
application notice to ensure that you submit your application in a 
timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the U.S. 
Department of Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov 
at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted) and provide on your application the same D-
U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the 
registration process may take five or more business days to complete.
     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. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, 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.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Institute will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an Institute-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
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 of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). The Institute will 
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem 
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date. The Institute will contact you after 
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.

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), your package should 
include one original plus two copies of the application. Three 
additional copies (for a total of six applications) are requested, but 
not required. Each application should be clipped or stapled, not bound 
or enclosed in a folder and submitted on or before the application 
deadline date, to the Institute at the applicable following address:

By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: National Institute for 
Literacy, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.257S), 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 
730, Washington, DC 20006-2417; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: National Institute for Literacy, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.257S), 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 730, 
Washington, DC 20006-2417, phone: 202-233-2025.

    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 Director of the 
Institute.
    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 Institute at the following address: National Institute for 
Literacy, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.257S), 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 
730, Washington, DC 20006-2417.
    The National Institute for Literacy 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 Institute:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and Item 4 of the Application 
for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix 
letter--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application. For the LINCS Resource Collections competition: CFDA 
Number 84.257S.
    (2) The Institute 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

[[Page 44719]]

application deadline date, you should call the National Institute for 
Literacy at 202-233-2025.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from section 75.210 of EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.210, and are as follows. The 
maximum possible score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses 
following the criterion.
    1. Quality of the project design. (20 points).
    (1) The Director considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Director considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (ii) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and 
procedures for documenting project activities and results.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources.
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed project will establish 
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing 
services to the target population.
    2. Quality of project services. (20 points)
    (1) The Director considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Director considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Director considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which entities that are to be served by the 
propsoed project techical assistance project demonstrate support for 
the project.
    (ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and 
effective practice.
    (iii) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
    (v) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be 
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient 
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the 
leveraging of non-project resources.
    3. Quality of project personnel. (25 points)
    (1) The Director considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Director 
considers 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.
    (3) In addition, the Director considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
    4. Adequacy of resources. (25 points)
    (1) The Director considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Director considers the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (iii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (iv) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated 
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
    5. Quality of the management plan. (10 points)
    (1) The Director considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Director considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and 
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider 
in selecting an application for an award is the extent to which an 
applicant's response to the selection criteria addresses its ability to 
meet, and its commitment to, the following expectations of the 
Collections, which will be included in the cooperative agreements 
between the grantees and the Institute:
    a. Create and implement a comprehensive plan for collecting the 
highest-quality information, especially scientifically based research 
and resources based on the most rigorous research available, as it 
pertains to the specific subject/topic area, in a central online Web 
site for high quality literacy information available for effective 
integration in teaching and professional development.
    b. Nominate key personnel and content area experts, with expertise 
and knowledge, to work on each subject or topic to assist with 
identifying and selecting resources and providing technical assistance 
and training.
    c. Collaborate to finalize guidelines, protocols, criteria, quality 
standards and common design templates for the Resource Collections.
    d. Provide information on the application and implementation of how 
to use featured resources to enhance teaching and learning.
    e. Provide content area professional development technical 
assistance and informational materials to adult education and literacy 
program administrators, project directors, professional development 
staff and practitioners via the online Resource Collection and conduct 
a minimum of two presentation workshops.
    f. Gather data for measures established by the Institute concerning 
training and information dissemination.
    g. Integrate a national discussion list into the offerings of the 
Collections. Depending on the topic area, the Collection shall nominate 
and manage, upon Institute approval, a discussion list moderator for an 
existing Institute discussion list to increase and promote active 
participation on the lists, and to stimulate discussion by posing 
questions and developing themes for the

[[Page 44720]]

specific subject areas that fall within the list's topics. For more 
information, go to: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/grants_contracts/info.html.
    h. Collaborate with other Collections and carry out joint 
activities when appropriate to maximize impact. Collections project 
directors and key personnel shall meet two times a year with Institute 
staff, participate in monthly conference calls, and other telephone 
meetings, as necessary.
    i. Develop a sustainability plan that describes how the Collection 
plans to sustain the proposed activities after the grant period.

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 
Notification (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.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Institute. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit 
semi-annual performance reports, as well as an annual performance 
report that provides the most current performance and financial 
expenditure information as specified in 34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the following measure has been developed for 
evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Institute's technical 
assistance and training: The percentage of individuals who receive NIFL 
technical assistance who can demonstrate that they implemented 
instructional practices grounded in scientifically based research 
within six months of receiving the technical assistance. The Institute 
will expect all grantees to document in the performance reports 
referenced in section VI.3. of this notice information that addresses 
this measure.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contract:
    Jo Maralit; National Institute for Literacy; 1775 I Street, NW., 
Suite 730; Washington, DC 20006; Telephone: 202-233-2028; FAX: 202-233-
2050; 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 the Institute published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/grants_contracts/grants.html. 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: August 2, 2006.
Sandra L. Baxter,
Director.
[FR Doc. 06-6758 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6055-01-P