[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 32 (Friday, February 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7639-7642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2748]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Grant 
Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.304A.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 16, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 2, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 1, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United States experienced 
in the development of curricula and programs in civic and government 
education and economic education for students in elementary schools and 
secondary schools in countries other than the United States, to carry 
out civic education activities.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration's budget request for 
FY 2007 does not include funds for this program. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress 
appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$1,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1-2.

    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 Cooperative Civic Education and Economic 
Education Exchange Program provides grants to improve the quality of 
civic education through cooperative civic education exchange programs 
with emerging democracies.
    Priority: This competition includes one absolute priority and one 
invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the 
absolute priority is from section 2345(c) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6715(c)). To be 
considered for funding, each applicant must address the absolute 
priority. The priorities are as follows.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2007, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Each applicant must propose to carry out each of the following 
activities:
    (1) Provide to the participants from eligible countries--
    (A) Seminars on the basic principles of United States 
constitutional democracy, including seminars on the major governmental 
institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such 
institutions;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and 
government education, in the United States;
    (C) Translations and adaptations with respect to United States 
civics and government education, curricular programs for students and 
teachers, and in the case of training programs for teachers, 
translations and adaptations into forms useful in schools in eligible 
countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and
    (D) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the cooperative education exchange programs on students' 
development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential 
for the

[[Page 7640]]

preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy.
    (2) Provide to the participants from the United States--
    (A) Seminars on the histories and systems of government of eligible 
countries;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government 
education, located in eligible countries;
    (C) Assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in 
the development of curricular materials on the history and government 
of such countries that are useful in United States classrooms;
    (D) Opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States 
curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; 
and
    (E) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the cooperative education exchange programs assisted through 
this grant on students' development of the knowledge, skills, and 
traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of 
constitutional democracy.
    (3) Assist participants from eligible countries and the United 
States to participate in international conferences on civics and 
government education for educational leaders, teacher trainers, 
scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.
    Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.

Invitational Priority--Performance Data

    The Secretary is particularly interested in projects that use pre- 
and post-intervention testing, or more rigorous methods, to measure the 
effects of the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program on the knowledge and skills of students and the 
classroom practice(s) of participating teachers.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6711-6716.

    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, and 99.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration's budget request for 
FY 2007 does not include funds for this program. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress 
appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$1,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1-2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United States 
experienced in the development of curricula and programs in civics and 
government education and economic education for students in elementary 
schools and secondary schools in countries other than the United 
States.
    2. Eligible Country: For the purpose of this grant competition, the 
term eligible country means a Central European country, an Eastern 
European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of 
the former Soviet Union as defined in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support 
Act (22 U.S.C. 5801), the Republic of Ireland, the province of Northern 
Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing country (as such term 
is defined in section 209(d) of the Education for the Deaf Act, 20 
U.S.C. 4359a(d)) if the Secretary, with the concurrence of the 
Secretary of State, determines that such developing country has a 
democratic form of government. A list of the countries is included in 
the application package.
    3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    4. Other: Primary participants in the cooperative education 
exchange programs assisted through this grant shall be educational 
leaders in the areas of civics and government education, including 
teachers, curriculum and teacher training specialists, scholars in 
relevant disciplines, educational policymakers, and government and 
private sector leaders from the United States and eligible countries.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: To request an 
application and further information contact Rita Foy Moss, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E247, 
Washington, DC 20202, Telephone: (202) 205-8061 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
    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 person 
listed in this section of the 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 the Cooperative Civic 
Education and Economic Education Exchange Program competition.
    Page Limit: The program narrative section should not exceed 25 
double-spaced pages using standard font not smaller than 12-point, with 
1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right). The narrative should 
follow the format and sequence of the selection criteria.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 16, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 2, 2007.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov application site, or in paper 
format by mail or hand delivery. For information about how to submit 
your application electronically, or by mail, or by hand delivery, 
please refer to section 6. Other Submission Requirements in this 
notice.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in Section VII 
of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 1, 2007.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This Cooperative Civic Education and 
Economic Education Exchange Program 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 applicable regulations that 
address funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of 
this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted

[[Page 7641]]

electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. To comply with the 
President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the 
Government-wide Grants.gov Apply site. The Grant Competition for the 
Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program, 
CFDA Number 84.304A, is included in this project. We request your 
participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Government-wide 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 the Grant 
Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.304, not 84.304A).
    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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and 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 and 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 Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date and 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 submission 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 competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the 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 all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) 
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative 
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. 
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step 
Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must 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, and you must have completed all registration steps to 
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three 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.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
submit all documents electronically, including all information you 
typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note 
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education 
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424 
(Application for Federal Education Assistance).
     If you 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 in 
this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support 
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application 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. We 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 Department will contact you after 
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


[[Page 7642]]


    Note: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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), 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 
84.304A), 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 
84.304A), 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.
    (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.
    (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 84.304A), 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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 
from 34 CFR part 75.210 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 in 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.720(c).
    4. Performance Measure: If funded, applicants will be expected to 
collect and report information pursuant to the statutory requirement 
that all grantees provide independent research and evaluation 
assistance to determine the effects of [the cooperative civic education 
and economic education exchange program] on students' development of 
the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the 
preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy. In addition, 
funded applicants responding to the Invitational Priority should 
collect and submit data on the effects of the program on the knowledge 
and skills of students, and the classroom practice(s) of participating 
teachers.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Rita Foy Moss, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E247, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 205-8061 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 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: 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/coopedexchange/index.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: February 9, 2007.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
 [FR Doc. E7-2748 Filed 2-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P