[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 92 (Monday, May 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26970-26974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10520]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Asian 
American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions 
(AANAPISI) and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) 
Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2008

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.382B and 
84.382C.

DATES:
    Applications Available: May 12, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 26, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 25, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The AANAPISI and the NASNTI programs provide 
grants to eligible institutions of higher education to enable them to 
improve their academic quality, increase their self sufficiency and 
strengthen their capacity to serve students. To meet the definition of 
an AANAPISI, an institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate 
students that is at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American 
Pacific Islander. To meet the definition of an NASNTI, an institution 
must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 
percent Native American at the time of application.

    Program Authority: Section 499A and Title III of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1099e.

    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) 34 CFR 607.5. (c) Applicants are 
encouraged to carefully read the authorizing statute.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See following chart.
    Maximum Award: See following chart.
    Estimated Number of Awards: See following chart.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Estimated        Estimated
                Program name and type of award                  Maximum award      number  of     average award
                                                                    amount           awards           amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving
 Institutions (AANAPISI):
    2-year development grants................................      $1,250,0000                4       $1,250,000
Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI):
    2-year development grants................................        1,250,000                4        1,250,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education is 
eligible to receive funds if such institution is a AANAPISI or a 
NASNTI.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Darlene B. Collins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7576 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 packages for these programs.
    Page Limits: We have established mandatory page limits for the 
applications to be submitted under this notice. You must limit your 
application to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages for an 
individual development grant under the AANAPISI and the NASNTI 
programs, 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'' margins.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except single

[[Page 26971]]

space 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). However, you may use a 10 point 
font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will be rejected.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for 
Federal Assistance Face Sheet (SF 424); the Supplemental Information 
for SF 424 Form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the 
Budget Information Summary Form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the 
Assurances and Certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a 
Table of Contents and the Program Abstract. If you include any 
attachments or appendices, these items will be counted as part of the 
Program Narrative (Part III of the application) for purposes of the 
page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the 
selection criteria in the program narrative. The page limit applies to 
all of the application narrative section [Part III].
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 12, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 26, 2008.
    Applications for grants under these programs 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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 25, 2008.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: These programs are 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 these programs.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference the regulations outlining 
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this 
notice.
    Applicability of Executive Order 13202. Applicants that apply for 
construction funds must comply with Executive Order 13202 signed by 
President George W. Bush on February 17, 2001, and amended on April 6, 
2001. This Executive Order provides that recipients of Federal 
construction funds may not ``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, 
contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements 
with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other construction 
project(s)'' or ``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, 
contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or 
remain signatories or otherwise adhere to agreements with one or more 
labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s).'' 
However, the Executive Order does not prohibit contractors or 
subcontractors from voluntarily entering into these agreements. 
Projects funded under these programs that include construction activity 
will be provided a copy of this Executive Order and will be asked to 
certify that they will adhere to it.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the 
AANAPISI and the NASNTI Programs 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 AANAPISI and the NANSTI programs, 
authorized by Section 499A of the HEA 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 AANAPISI 
and the NASNTI programs at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for 
the downloadable application package for this program competition by 
the CFDA Number. Do not include the CFDA Number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.382, not 84.382B or 84.382C).
    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 consider 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 these programs 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.

[[Page 26972]]

     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 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 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: Darlene Collins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7861.
    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: 84.382B or 
84.382C), 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: 84.382B 
or 84.382C), 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.

[[Page 26973]]

    (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: 84.382B or 84.382C), 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 these programs 
are in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.210. Applicants must address each of the following 
selection criteria (separately for each proposed activity). The total 
weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each 
criterion is noted in parentheses.
    I. Need for project. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the need 
for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    A. The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the 
activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (10 points)
    B. The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 
points)
    C. The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
    II. Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers:
    A. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(10 points)
    B. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (5 points)
    III. Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) In 
determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project, the Secretary 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. In addition, the Secretary considers:
    A. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (10 points)
    B. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice. (5 points)
    IV. Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) In 
determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 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. In addition, the Secretary 
considers:
    A. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator. (5 points)
    B. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel. (5 points)
    V. Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points) In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers:
    A. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project. (3 points)
    B. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. 
(2 points)
    VI. Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points) In 
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    A. 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. (10 points)
    B. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    C. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project. (5 points)
    VII. Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) In 
determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:
    A. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (5 points)
    B. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of 
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended 
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative 
data to the extent possible. (5 points)
    C. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process: For two-year individual 
development grants, awards will be made in rank order according to the 
average score received from a panel of three readers.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and

[[Page 26974]]

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 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 specified by the Secretary in 
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 Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
these programs:
    (a) The percentage change, over the two-year grant period, of the 
number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at 
AANAPISI and NASNTI.
    (b) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary 
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at 
the same AANAPISI and NASNTI institution.
    (c) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at four-year AANAPISI and NASNTI who 
graduate within six years of enrollment.
    (d) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at two-year AANAPISI and NASNTI who 
graduate within three years of enrollment.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darlene Collins, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8513. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7576 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 person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in Section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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: May 7, 2008.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-10520 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P