[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21618-21622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8708]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Training 
Program for Federal TRIO Programs (Training Program); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.103A.)

    DATES:
    Applications Available: April 22, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 23, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Training Program provides grants to train 
staff and leadership personnel employed in, participating in, or 
preparing for employment in, projects funded under the Federal TRIO 
Programs to improve the operation of these projects.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(ii), these priorities are from section 402G(b) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and the regulations for 
this program (34 CFR 642.34).

    Note: Each successful applicant must provide at least one 
training session annually on each topic listed within the specific 
priority for which it receives a grant. The training must be 
tailored to the needs of TRIO staff with less than two years of TRIO 
project experience. In addition, to be consistent with the goal of 
serving all regions of the country, as provided in 34 CFR 642.33, 
each grantee must provide training to at least 290 participants each 
year, unless we specify another number of participants.

    Each application must clearly identify the specific priority number 
for which a grant is requested, and must address each of the topics 
listed under that specific priority. To ensure fair consideration, an 
application for a grant under a specific priority should address only 
that priority. A grantee who wants to apply under more than one 
priority should submit separate applications for each priority. Each 
application also must identify how the applicant will meet the 
requirement to provide at least one training session tailored to the 
needs of TRIO staff with less than two years of experience, annually.
    For example, an application for a grant under Priority 1 should 
address only training to improve recordkeeping, reporting student and 
project performance, and the rigorous evaluation of project performance 
as a means for designing, and operating a model TRIO project, and must 
describe

[[Page 21619]]

how the applicant will provide at least one training session each year 
on each of these topics that is geared to the needs of TRIO staff with 
less than two years of TRIO project experience.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2008, these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications 
that meet these priorities. These priorities are:
    Priority 1. Training to improve: recordkeeping; reporting student 
and project performance; and the rigorous evaluation of project 
performance in order to design and operate a model TRIO project.
    Under this priority, one award will be made for training designed 
specifically for staff working on projects funded under the Upward 
Bound Program only. Any other awards under this priority will be made 
for training for staff working on projects funded under the TRIO 
Programs other than the Upward Bound Program.
    Number of expected awards: 3-4.
    Maximum award amount: $450,000.
    Priority 2. Training on: budget management and the legislative and 
regulatory requirements for operation of projects funded under the 
Federal TRIO Programs.
    Under this priority, one award will be made for training designed 
specifically for staff working on projects funded under the Upward 
Bound Program only. Any other awards under this priority will be made 
for training for staff working on projects funded under the TRIO 
Programs other than the Upward Bound Program.
    Number of expected awards: 3-4.
    Maximum award amount: $400,000.
    Priority 3. Training on: Assessment of student needs; proven 
retention and graduation strategies; and the use of educational 
technology in order to design and operate a model TRIO project.
    Number of expected awards: 2-3.
    Maximum award amount: $450,000.
    Priority 4. Training on: Student financial aid and college and 
university admissions policies and procedures.
    Number of expected awards: 1-2.
    Maximum award amount: $400,000.
    Maximum number of applications for a priority: Under Priorities 1 
and 2, an applicant may submit only one application under each specific 
priority for a grant to provide training designed specifically for 
staff working on projects funded under the Upward Bound Program only. 
In addition, under Priorities 1 and 2, an applicant may submit a second 
application under each specific priority to provide training for staff 
working on projects funded under TRIO Programs other than the Upward 
Bound Program. Under Priorities 3 and 4 an applicant may submit only 
one application for a grant under each specific priority. If an 
applicant submits more than one application under a specific priority, 
other than as noted for Priorities 1 and 2, we will accept only the 
application with the latest ``date/time received'' validation, and we 
will reject all other applications.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 1070a-17.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
    (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 642.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    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: $4,250,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000--$450,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding the maximum amount listed for each of the four 
absolute priorities, listed as follows, for a single budget period of 
12 months:
     Priority 1: $450,000;
     Priority 2: $400,000;
     Priority 3: $450,000; and
     Priority 4: $400,000.
    To be consistent with the goal of serving all regions of the 
country, as provided in 34 CFR 642.33, successful applicants will be 
expected to provide training to at least 290 participants, annually, 
unless we specifically approve another number.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 9-13.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education and other 
public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Jane Wrenn, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 
20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-7600 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can 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.
    Page Limit: Part III, the application narrative is where you, the 
applicant, address the selection criteria and priorities that reviewers 
use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III, the program 
narrative, to no more than 50 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. Page numbers and an 
identifier may be within the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, 
tables, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the application for 
Federal assistance face sheet (SF 424); Part II, the budget information 
summary form (ED Form 524); Part III-A, the program profile form; Part 
III-B, the one-page narrative form; and Part IV, the assurances and 
certifications. The page limit also does not apply to the table of 
contents. If you include any attachments or appendices, these items 
will be counted as part of Part III, the program narrative, for 
purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete 
response to the selection criteria and priorities in Part III, the 
program narrative.

[[Page 21620]]

    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 22, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 23, 2008.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or 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.
    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 
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    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 specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 
642. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions 
in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 Training Program, CFDA Number 
84.103A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 
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.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Training 
Program 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 (e.g., search for 84.103 
not 84.103A).
    Please note the following:
     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 accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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 program 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 qualify for 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 
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).
     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

[[Page 21621]]

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, toll free, 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 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice 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 4:30:00 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.

    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.

    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 Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov 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: Eileen S. Bland, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 7000, Washington, DC 
20006-8510. Fax: (202) 502-7857.
    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 84.103A), 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 
84.103A), 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 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 84.103A,) 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 
competition are from 34 CFR 642.31 and are listed in the application 
package.

    Note: For the FY 2008 competition, the Secretary has identified 
``the Need'' for

[[Page 21622]]

training projects through the selection of four absolute priorities. 
Therefore, the Secretary will consider that an applicant has 
satisfied the ``Need'' criterion listed in 34 CFR 642.31(f) by 
applying for a grant under one of these priorities, and applicants 
are not required to address this criterion. The application package 
contains instructions on addressing the remaining selection 
criteria.

    2. Review and Selection Process: A panel of non-Federal readers 
will review each application in accordance with the selection criteria, 
pursuant to 34 CFR 642.30(a). The individual scores of the readers will 
be added and the sum divided by the number of readers to determine the 
reader score received in the review process. In accordance with 34 CFR 
642.32, the Secretary will award prior experience points to applicants 
that have conducted a Training Program project within the last three 
fiscal years, based on their documented experience. Prior experience 
points, if any, will be added to the application's averaged reader 
score to determine the total score for each application.
    Under section 402A(c)(3) of the HEA, the Secretary is not required 
to make awards under the Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs in 
the order of the scores received by the application in the review 
process and adjusted for prior experience. For FY 2008, the Secretary 
will select an application for funding within each specific absolute 
priority for which a grant is requested in the order of the reader 
score received by the application in the review process, as follows:
    Under Priorities 1 and 2, within each specific priority, the 
Secretary will select an application for funding from among those 
applications that proposed to provide training designed specifically 
for staff working on projects funded under the Upward Bound Program 
only, in the order of the reader score received by the applications in 
the review process. The Secretary will also select an application for 
funding from among the applications that proposed to provide training 
for staff working on projects funded under TRIO Programs other than the 
Upward Bound Program in the order of the reader score received by the 
application in the review process.
    Under Priorities 3 and 4, within each specific priority, the 
Secretary will select an application for funding in the order of the 
reader score received by the application in the review process.
    Within each specific priority, if there are insufficient funds to 
fund all applications at the next reader score, the Secretary will use 
the reader score received by the application in the review process, 
adjusted for prior experience, to make awards. In the event a tie still 
exists, the Secretary will select for funding the applicant that has 
the greatest capacity to provide training in all regions of the Nation 
in order to assure accessibility to the greatest number of prospective 
training participants, consistent with 34 CFR 642.33.

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 Notice 
(GAN). We also may notify you informally; however, informal 
correspondence does not constitute an award notice or a binding funding 
decision.
    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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 directed by the Secretary 
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The success of the Training Program is 
measured by its cost-effectiveness, based on the percentage of 
personnel working on TRIO funded projects who receive training each 
year, and by the percentage of those receiving training who rate the 
training as highly useful. All grantees will be required to submit an 
annual performance report documenting their success in training 
personnel working on TRIO funded projects, including the average cost 
per trainee and the trainees' evaluations of the effectiveness of the 
training provided. The success of the Training Program also is assessed 
on the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the training projects 
based on project evaluation results.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Wrenn, or if unavailable, contact 
Eileen S. Bland, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 
7000, Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone: (202) 502-7600 or by e-
mail: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
    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: April 17, 2008.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E8-8708 Filed 4-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P