[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43061-43062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17397]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[DR.5B711.IA000814]


Sovereignty in Indian Education Grant Program

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Education, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Education announces the availability of 
competitive grants to tribes and their tribal education agencies to 
promote tribal control and operation of bureau-funded schools on their 
reservations. This notice invites tribes with three or more Bureau of 
Indian Education-funded schools to submit grant proposals.

DATES: Grant proposals must be received by September 12, 2014, at 4:00 
p.m. Eastern Time. Questions related to the grant process must be 
received by August 20, 2014. Questions received after August 20, 2014, 
and before September 12, 2014, may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Complete details on requirements for proposals and the 
evaluation and selection process can be found on the BIE Web site at 
this address: www.bie.edu. Submit grant applications to: Bureau of 
Indian Education, Attn: Wendy Greyeyes, 1849 C Street NW., MS-4655-MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240. Email submissions will be accepted at this 
address: [email protected]. Limit email submissions to attachments 
compatible with Microsoft Office Word 2007 or later and files with a 
.pdf file extension. Emailed submissions may not exceed 3MB total in 
size. Fax submissions are not acceptable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Wendy Greyeyes, Bureau of Indian 
Education, Office of the Director, (202) 208-5810; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2013, the Secretary of the Interior and 
the Secretary of Education convened an American Indian Education Study 
Group to diagnose the systemic challenges facing the Bureau of Indian 
Education (BIE) and to propose a comprehensive plan for reform to 
ensure that all students attending BIE-funded schools receive a world-
class education.
    The Study Group drafted a framework for reform based on several 
listening sessions last fall with tribal leaders, Indian educators and 
others throughout Indian Country on how to facilitate

[[Page 43062]]

tribal sovereignty in American Indian education and how to improve 
educational outcomes for students at BIE-funded schools. Overall, the 
Study Group met with nearly 400 individuals and received nearly 200 
comments that helped it prepare the draft framework for educational 
reform that became the subject of four tribal consultation sessions 
held in April and May of 2014. The Study Group incorporated feedback it 
received from tribal leaders and other BIE stakeholders into the final 
Blueprint for Reform, released on June 13, 2014.
    Acting on the recommendations in the Blueprint, BIE will award 
competitive grants to tribes and their tribal education agencies to 
promote tribal control and operation of BIE-funded schools on their 
Indian reservations. The purpose of the grants is to support the 
tribe's capacity to manage and operate tribally controlled schools as 
defined in the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-
297). These funds will (a) support development of a school-reform plan 
to improve educational outcomes for students and (b) improve 
efficiencies and effectiveness in the operation of BIE-funded schools 
within a reservation.
    Grant awards will range from $100,000 to $200,000 per fiscal year 
depending on the number of schools involved, number of students, 
complexity of creating new tribally managed school system and the 
tribe's technical approach. The grants will provide funds for the tribe 
to:
     Develop an implementation plan that will reform a tribe's 
current organizational structure towards an expert and independent 
tribal education agency that will support schools and students; and
     Cover the execution of the implementation plan with 
identified staffing, projected timelines, proposed budgets, and 
activities.
    BIE is seeking proposals from tribes that support efforts to take 
control and operate BIE-funded schools located on the tribe's 
reservation. Each proposal must include a project narrative, a budget 
narrative, a work plan outline, and a Project Director to manage the 
execution of the grant. The Project Directors will participate in 
monthly collaboration meetings, submit quarterly budget updates, ensure 
an annual report is submitted at the end of each project year, and 
ultimately ensure that the tribal education agency fulfills the 
obligations of the grant. Complete details on requirements for 
proposals and the evaluation and selection process can be found on the 
BIE Web site at the address in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    The grant proposal is due September 12, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time. The proposal should be packaged for delivery to permit timely 
arrival. The proposal package should be sent or hand delivered to the 
address in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    Fax applications will NOT be accepted. Email submissions will be 
accepted at the address in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Email 
submissions are limited to attachments compatible with Microsoft Office 
Word 2007 or later or files with a .pdf file extension. Emailed 
submissions must not exceed 3MB total in size.
    Proposals submitted by Federal Express or Express Mail should be 
sent two or more days before the closing date. The proposal package 
should be sent to the address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. The tribe is solely responsible for ensuring that its proposal 
arrives in a timely manner.

    Dated: July 16, 2014.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-17397 Filed 7-23-14; 8:45 am]
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