[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19536-19539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9876]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; 
Predominantly Black Institutions Program; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.382A.

DATES:
    Applications Available: April 29, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 29, 2009.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 28, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Predominantly Black 
Institutions (PBIs) Program is to strengthen PBIs to carry out programs 
in the following areas: Science, technology, engineering, or 
mathematics (STEM); health education; internationalization or 
globalization; teacher preparation; or improving educational outcomes 
of African-American males.
    FY 2009 Competition Background: The PBIs Program was originally 
authorized under Title IV, Part J, Section 499A of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the College Cost Reduction and Access 
Act (CCRAA) of 2007. The Higher Education Opportunity Act, which 
reauthorized the Higher Education Act, transferred the PBIs program to 
Title III, Part F, Section 371 of the HEA.

    Program Authority: Title III, Part F, Section 371 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $6,000,000.
    Estimated Size of Awards: $600,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Your institution must be designated as an 
eligible applicant under Title III of the HEA. The regulations can be 
found in 34 CFR 607.2 through 607.5. In addition, your institution 
must:
    (a) Have an enrollment of needy students as defined by section 
371(c)(3) of the HEA. The term enrollment of needy students means the 
enrollment at an institution of higher education with respect to which 
not less than 50 percent of the undergraduate students enrolled in an 
academic program leading to a degree--
    (i) In the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which 
the determination is made, were Federal Pell Grant recipients for such 
year;
    (ii) Come from families that receive benefits under a means-tested 
Federal benefit program (as defined in section 371(c)(5) of the HEA);
    (iii) Attended a public or nonprofit private secondary school--
    (A) That is in the school district of a local educational agency 
that was eligible for assistance under Part A of Title I of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) for 
any year during which the student attended such secondary school; and
    (B) Which for the purpose of this paragraph and for that year, was 
determined by the Secretary (after consultation with the State 
educational agency of the State in which the school is located) to be a 
school in which the enrollment of children counted under a measure of 
poverty described in section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA exceeds 30 percent 
of the total enrollment of such school; or
    (iv) Are first-generation college students (as that term is defined 
in section 402A(h) of the HEA), and a majority of such first-generation 
college students are low-income individuals. The term low-income 
individual has the meaning given that term in section 402A(h) of the 
HEA.
    (b) Have an average educational and general expenditure which is 
low, per full-time equivalent undergraduate student in comparison with 
the average educational and general expenditure per full-time 
equivalent undergraduate student of institutions of higher education 
that offer similar instruction. The Secretary may waive this 
requirement, in accordance with section 392(b) of the HEA, in the same 
manner as the Secretary applies the waiver requirements to grant 
applicants under section 312(b)(1)(B) of the HEA;
    (c) Have an enrollment of undergraduate students--

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    (i) That is at least 40 percent Black American students;
    (ii) That is at least 1,000 undergraduate students;
    (iii) Of which not less than 50 percent of the undergraduate 
students enrolled at the institution are low-income individuals (as 
that term is defined in section 402A(h) of the HEA) or first generation 
college students. The term first generation college student means--(A) 
an individual both of whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate 
degree; or (B) in the case of any individual who regularly resided with 
and received support from only one parent, an individual whose only 
such parent did not complete a baccalaureate degree; and
    (iv) Of which not less than 50 percent of the undergraduate 
students are enrolled in an educational program leading to a bachelor's 
or associate's degree that the institution is licensed to award by the 
State in which the institution is located;
    (d) Is legally authorized to provide, and provides within the 
State, an educational program for which the institution of higher 
education awards bachelor's degree; or, in the case of a junior or 
community college, an associate's degree;
    (e) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as 
to the quality of training offered, or is, according to such an agency 
or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation; and
    (f) Is not receiving assistance under Part B of Title III of the 
HEA.
    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: Blanca Rodriguez, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6162, Washington, DC 
20006-8515. Telephone: (202) 502-7728, or by e-mail: 
[email protected] or Sara Starke, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., room 6019, Washington, DC 20006-8515. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7688, 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 accessible 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: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit the application narrative [Part III] that 
addresses the selection criteria to no more than 30 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 outside of the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be singled spaced 
and will count toward the page limit.
     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. Applications submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will be rejected.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet SF-424; 
Part II, the budget section including the narrative budget 
justification; and Part IV, the assurances and certifications. The page 
limit also does not apply to a table of contents. If you include any 
attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will 
be counted as part of the program narrative (Part III) for purposes of 
the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to 
the selection criteria in the program narrative.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 29, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 29, 2009.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using e-Application, accessible through the Department's 
e-Grants Web site at: http://e-grants.ed.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 of 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 
either of the persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 
section VII of 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: July 28, 2009.
    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 reference 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 Predominantly Black Institutions Program, CFDA number 
84.382A, must be submitted electronically using e-Application, 
accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site at http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data

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online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this 
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait 
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of 
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and 6:00 a.m. 
on Thursday, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are 
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     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 followings forms: the 
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. 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 other than the three 
files 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.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in 
Case of e-Application Unavailability: If you are prevented from 
electronically submitting your application on the application deadline 
date because e-Application is unavailable, we will grant you an 
extension of one business day to enable you to transmit your 
application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant 
this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between 
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the persons listed elsewhere in this notice under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grant help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application 
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users 
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this 
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; 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: Blanca Rodriguez, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6162, Washington, DC 
20006-8515. FAX: (202) 502-7675.
    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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.382A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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

[[Page 19539]]

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 84.382A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 75.209(a) and 75.210, and are as follows--
    Need for the project (20 points);
    Quality of the project design (15 points);
    Quality of project services (15 points);
    Quality of project personnel (10 points);
    Adequacy of resources (5 points);
    Quality of the management plan (20 points);
    Quality of project evaluation (15 points).

Additional information regarding these criteria is in the application 
package for this competition.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Applicants must provide, as an 
attachment to the application, the documentation the institution relied 
upon to determine that at least 40 percent of the institution's 
undergraduate enrollment are Black American students.

    Note: The 40 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate 
Black American students and is calculated based upon unduplicated 
undergraduate enrollment. Instructions for formatting and submitting 
the verification documentation to e-Application are in the 
application package for this competition.

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 notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we will notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section 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. Grantees are required to use the 524B Grant 
Performance Report to complete both annual and the final report. 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 
the PBI Program:
    (1) The number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolling 
at PBIs.
    (2) The increase in the persistence rate for students enrolled at 
PBIs.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blanca Rodriguez, Teacher and Student 
Development Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 
Street, NW., room 6162, Washington, DC 20006-8515. Telephone: (202) 
502-7728, or by e-mail: [email protected] or sara starke, Teacher 
and Student Development Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., room 6019, Washington, DC 20006-8515. Telephone: 
(202) 502-7688, or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to either of the program contact persons listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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.

    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy 
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the 
function of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

    Dated: April 24, 2009.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-9876 Filed 4-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P