[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5790-5792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1659]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No. 080123079-8081-01]
RIN 0648-XF35


Notice of Funding Availability for Postsecondary Internship 
Program

AGENCY: Office of Human Resources Management, U.S. Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (DOC) established a postsecondary 
internship program to aid and promote experiential training activities 
which foster future employment opportunities within DOC and the Federal 
Government in general. United States citizens enrolled as students in 
post-secondary accredited educational institutions, i.e., community 
college, undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate, and professional 
institutions will participate in onsite work experiences in DOC bureaus 
and offices in order to: integrate academic theory and workplace 
requirements, gain relevant skills and knowledge, explore federal 
career options, develop professional networks, and develop a greater 
awareness of the role of federal agencies. The program will be 
administered through a partnership between DOC and nonprofit and/or 
educational institution(s) of higher education and funded by 
cooperative agreement(s).
    The DOC will serve as host for the student interns and provide 
program support through the financial assistance award. There will be 
no employer-employee relationship between DOC and its hosted interns. 
The nonprofit and/or educational institution will be the supervisor of 
record for the intern and shall control the means and manner of the 
interns' activities. This notice solicits proposals from eligible 
institutions that desire to collaborate with the DOC on this 
initiative.

DATES: Proposals must be received through Grants.gov no later than 5 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 3, 2008. If applicants submit through 
surface mail, proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. EST, 
March 3, 2008. For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and 
time receipt indication by Grants.gov will be the basis of determining 
timeliness. Hard copy applications delivered by mail will be date and 
time stamped when they are received. Applications received after that 
time will not be reviewed or considered. Applications or portions of 
applications will not be accepted by email or via facsimile.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the Federal Funding 
Opportunity (FFO) announcement for this request for proposals, please 
note the website below listed under ``Electronic Access.'' For a paper 
copy of the FFO, announcement contact Adam Santo, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Office of Human Resources Management, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Room 5204, Washington DC 20230, or via e-Mail at 
[email protected], or via telephone at (202) 482-4286.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Electronic Access: Applicants are advised to carefully read the FFO 
announcement for a detailed description of program information and 
application requirements. The FFO for the Postsecondary Internship 
Program is available via the Internet at: http://www.grants.gov.
    Funding Availability: Projections based upon previous experience 
indicate an average availability of between $300,000-$1,000,000 to 
support from 25 up to about 100 interns. However, the exact level of 
funding available is not yet known until DOC and other agency host 
offices project their participation levels. Actual awards may differ 
from these estimates. Funding for the program listed in this notice is 
contingent upon the availability of Fiscal year 2008 appropriations 
under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161).
    Statutory Authority: Authority for the Postsecondary Internship 
Program is provided by 5 U.S.C. 7201, which requires that each 
Executive agency conduct a continuing program for the recruitment of 
members of minorities to address under representation of minorities in 
various categories of federal employment. Executive Order 13256 
provides for Executive departments to enter into, among other things, 
cooperative agreements with Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs) to further the goals of the Executive Order, 
principally that of strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to provide 
quality education, and to increase opportunities to participate in and 
benefit from federal programs. Executive Order 13230 calls for 
increasing opportunities for Hispanic Americans to participate in and 
benefit from federal education programs. Executive Order 13270 helps 
ensure that greater federal resources are available to the tribal 
colleges. Executive Order 13216 directs federal agencies to increase 
participation of Asian and Pacific Islanders in federal programs. 
Applications will be accepted from any eligible institution, and 
applications for internships shall be accepted from all students 
meeting program eligibility criteria. Application, referral and 
selection processes shall be conducted without any consideration of 
race, ethnicity, gender, or other personal factors.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 11.702-Internship Program for 
Postsecondary Students

    Eligibility: Accredited universities, colleges and nonprofit 
organizations are eligible to apply. Eligible institutions may form 
joint ventures to submit a joint application to share costs and 
administration roles and

[[Page 5791]]

responsibilities. In such cases, one of the institutions must be 
designated as the lead organization for purposes of receipt and overall 
accountability for any financial assistance award received under this 
program.
    Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Cost sharing or matching is 
not required for the internship program.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: Prior to the formal paneling 
process, each application will receive an initial screening to ensure 
that all required forms, signatures and documentation are present. Each 
application will receive an independent, objective review by a panel 
qualified to evaluate the applications submitted. The Independent 
Review Panel, consisting of at least three individuals (who are federal 
employees), will review all applications based on the criteria stated 
above. The Independent Review Panel will evaluate and rank the 
proposals. Each reviewer will evaluate and provide a score for each 
proposal. After all proposals are assigned a score, each proposal will 
be ranked according to the average total score given by reviewers. The 
final decision on awards will be based upon the proposal ranking, 
availability of funding, and the Selecting Official's (DOC Program 
Manager) determination of which proposals best meet the objectives of 
the program, specifically related to ensuring who will best reach the 
targeted audience of intern candidates. The amount of funds awarded to 
each recipient will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the 
applicant, the Grants Officer, and the DOC Program Manager.
    Evaluation Criteria (total 100 points, plus 5 bonus points): The 
evaluation criteria and weighting of the criteria are as follows:
    1. Quality of Program Plan (45 total points). Includes quality of 
strategy for outreach, recruitment, and publicity; procedures for 
collecting and evaluating applications; comprehensiveness of program 
design to include plans for onsite orientation for summer sessions; 
other program activities; and practicality of approach. This criterion 
is broken down into the following sub-criteria:
    (1a.) Recruitment (20 points). DOC internship positions will 
require academic studies in the diverse fields of business, math, 
science and engineering. Recruitment must be conducted so that students 
who have the required academic background are identified for the 
program. Applications should be solicited from a broad range of 
students who meet defined program criteria such as U.S. citizenship, 
Grade Point Average (GPA) and academic standing.
    (1b.) Outreach and Publicity (15 points). Must be conducted so that 
women and minorities that are underrepresented in the DOC are included 
in the target groups. Publicity should be conducted to inform academic 
institutions and students about upcoming program opportunities. 
Participation in the program must be open to all eligible students 
without regard to age, race, ethnicity, gender, or other pertinent 
factors.
    (1c.) Other Program Activities (10 points). Includes procedures for 
collecting and evaluating applications, comprehensiveness of program 
design to include plans for onsite orientation for summer sessions, and 
other required program activities described in Section I.B of this FFO.
    2. Proposed Costs (20 points). The proposed budget must be 
comprehensive and should include all costs for program personnel, 
fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, and other associated 
items. The stipend level and other benefits (i.e., housing, local 
transportation, etc.) proposed for students should be stated in the 
budget and the budget narrative. Proposals should be based upon the 
cost of administering a summer program for 25 student interns and 
should include a per capita cost for additional interns. Proposals for 
a semester or quarter session (spring and fall) should be projected on 
the basis of 5 interns, and should include a per capita cost for 
additional interns. Actual awards may differ from these estimates.
    3. Key Personnel Qualifications (15 points). This includes an 
assessment of the number, qualifications, and proposed roles of staff 
who will administer the internship program. Resumes of proposed 
personnel will facilitate the evaluation of the competency and 
experience of the proposed staff.
    4. Capabilities of the Applicant Organization (20 points). This 
considers, among other things, previous experience and success 
administering similar programs, and staff and resources to assure 
adequate development, supervision, and execution of the proposed 
program. Additionally, an organization's commitment to educate/advance 
the education of women and minorities will be a consideration in 
evaluating this factor.
    5. Bonus criteria: Accredited universities, colleges and nonprofit 
organizations that form joint ventures to increase the diversity of 
their talent pool and submit a joint application to share costs and 
administration roles and responsibilities will receive five (5) bonus 
points to their score.
    Limitation of Liability: In no event will the DOC be responsible 
for proposal preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding 
or is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this 
announcement does not oblige the DOC to award any specific project or 
to obligate any available funds.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award 
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 
78389) are applicable to this notice.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 has been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, 
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning 
public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 
inapplicable. Therefore,

[[Page 5792]]

a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.

    Dated: January 25, 2008.
Deborah A. Jefferson,
Director for Human Resources Management, Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E8-1659 Filed 1-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-BS-S