[Federal Register: April 29, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 82)]
[Notices]
[Page 21089-21108]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29ap02-130]
[[Page 21089]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part III
Department of Education
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of Postsecondary Education--Underground Railroad Educational and
Cultural Program; Notice Inviting Applications for Grants for the
Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2002
[[Page 21090]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.345A]
Office of Postsecondary Education--Underground Railroad
Educational and Cultural Program; Notice Inviting Applications for
Grants for the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002
Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package.
Together with the statute authorizing the program and the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions
you need to apply for a grant under this competition.
Purpose of Program: The Underground Railroad Educational and
Cultural Program provides grants to nonprofit educational organizations
that are established to research, display, interpret, and collect
artifacts relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that are
established to research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts
relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 30, 2002.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 30, 2002.
Available Funds: $2,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $437,500.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1-4.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: A maximum of three years.
Applicable Statute and Regulations: (a) The Education Department
General Administrative General Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74,
75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) Other required
activities as required by section 841 of the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998, Public Law 105-244, 20 U.S.C. 1153.
Special Requirements: Each nonprofit educational organization
awarded a grant under this program must enter into an agreement with
the Department. Each agreement must require the organization--
(1) To establish a facility to house, display, and interpret the
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad, and to
make the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher
education that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree;
(2) To demonstrate substantial private support for the facility
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a
State or local public entity and a private partnership between a State
or local public entity and a private entity for the support of the
facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal
Government;
(3) To create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls in the
costs of the on-going operations of the facility;
(4) To establish a network of satellite centers throughout the
United States to help disseminate information regarding the Underground
Railroad throughout the United States, if these satellite centers raise
80 percent of the funds required to establish the satellite centers
from non-Federal public and private sources;
(5) To establish the capability to electronically link the facility
with other local and regional facilities that have collections and
programs that interpret the history of the Underground Railroad; and
(6) To submit, for each fiscal year for which the organization
receives funding under this program, a report to the Department that
contains--
(a) A description of the program and activities supported by the
funding.
(b) The audited financial statement of the organization for the
preceding fiscal year; A plan for the programs and activities to be
supported by the funding, as the Secretary may require; and
(c) A plan for the programs and activities to be supported by the
funding, as the Secretary may require; and
(d) An evaluation of the programs and activities supported by the
funding, as the Secretary may require.
Selection Criteria
We will use the following selection criteria to evaluate
applications for new grants under this competition.
The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
Your grant application must carefully address each of the selection
criteria and describe your efforts to these areas in detail.
(1) Overall Concept (20 points)
How well the facility supported by the proposed grant would
effectively house, display, and interpret artifacts related to the
history of the Underground Railroad and make the interpretive efforts
available to institutions of higher education that award a
baccalaureate or graduate degree.
(2) Public-Private Support (20 points)
How well the applicant organization demonstrates substantial
private support for the facility through the implementation of a pubic-
private partnership between a State or local public entity and a
private entity for the support of the facility. The private entity must
provide matching funds for the support of the facility in an amount
equal to 4 times the amount of the contribution of the State or local
public entity, except that not more than 20 percent of the matching
funds may be provided by the Federal Government.
(3) Endowment (5 points)
How well the applicant organization addresses the requirement to
create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls in the costs of the
on-going operations of the facility.
(4) Satellite Centers (10 points)
How well the applicant organization addresses the requirement to
establish a network of satellite centers throughout the United States
to disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad and
demonstrates the ability to raise 80 percent of the funds required from
non-Federal public and private sources.
(5) Electronic Link (10 points)
How well the applicant Organization addresses the requirement to
establish the capability to electronically link the facility with other
local and regional facilities that have collections and programs which
interpret the history of the Underground Railroad.
(6) Quality of Program Personnel (10 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry
out the proposed program. In determining the quality of project
personnel, the Secretary considers the following:
(a) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience
of key personnel. (5 points)
(b) 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,
[[Page 21091]]
national origin, gender, age, or diability. (5 points)
(7) Quality of Management Plan (15 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the
proposed grant program. In determining the quality of the management
plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following:
(a) The adequacy of the managment 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. (5 points)
(b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
(c) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspective
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project. (5
points)
(8) Quality of Project Evaluation (10 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed program. In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluations are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (7 points)
(b) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings. (3 points)
Application Requirements (Project Narrative):
An application submitted for funding under this program must
include--
(1) The name, address, and web site address, if any, of the
nonprofit educational organization seeking to participate, and the
name, title, mailing and e-mail address, and telephone number of a
contact person for the organization.
(2) A description of the facility that will be used to house,
display, and interpret the artifacts related to the history of the
Underground Railroad and to make the interpretive efforts available to
institutions of higher education that award a baccalaureate or graduate
degree.
(3) A description of the substantial private support for the
facility through the implementation of a public-private partnership
between a State or local pubic entity and a private entity for the
support of the facility and documentation that these entities will
provide matching funds as required in section 841(b)(2) of the Higher
Education Amendments of 1998.
(4) A description of how the endowment will be created to fund any
and all shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the
facility and expected sources of these funds.
(5) A statement as to whether the applicant organization intends to
establish a network of satellite centers throughout the United States
and help disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad
throughout the United States. If the applicant's organization does
intend to establish a network, the applicant must describe the network
and document how the satellite centers will raise 80 percent of the
funds required from non-Federal public and private sources.
(6) A detailed description of how the applicant intends to
electronically link the facility with other local and regional
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the
history of the Underground Railroad, including a listing of the
facilities the applicant intends to include.
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
One of the objectives of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism. The
Executive order relies on processes developed by State and local
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance.
If you are an applicant, you must contact the appropriate State
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about, and comply with, the
States process under Executive Order 12372. If you propose to perform
activities in more than one State, you should immediately contact the
SPOC for each one of those States and follow the procedures established
in each State under the Executive order. If you want to know the name
and address of any SPOC, see the latest official SPOC list on the Web
site of the Office of Management and Budget at the following address:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
In States that have not established a process or chosen a program
for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit
comments directly to the Department.
Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a
SPOC and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and local
entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this
application notice to the following address: The Secretary, E.O. 12372-
CFDA# U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20202-0125.
We will determine proof of mailing under 34 CFR 75.102 (Deadline
date for applications). Recommendations or comments may be hand-
delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the date indicated
in this notice.
Please note that this address is not the same address as the one to
which an applicant submits its completed application. Do not send
applications to the above address.
Application Instructions and Forms
The Appendix to this notice contains forms and instructions, a
notice to applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of the
General Education Provisions Act, and various assurances and
certifications. Please organize the parts and additional materials in
the following order:
To apply for an award under this program competition, your
application must include the following parts:
1. Application for Federal Assistance (ED Form 424 (Exp. 11/30/
2004)) and instructions and definition.
2. Budget Information'Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524) and
instructions.
3. Budget Narrative.
4. Project Narrative--Applicants should submit a narrative that
addresses the elements described in this notice under ``Application
Requirements''.
5. Assurances and Certifications.
a. Assurances--Non Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) (Rev.
7-97).
b. Certification regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013, 12/98) and instructions.
c. Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and
Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90)
and instructions. (NOTE: ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees
and should not be transmitted to the Department.)
d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL (Rev. 7-
97)) and instructions.
You may submit information on a photocopy of the application and
budget forms, the assurances and the
[[Page 21092]]
certifications. However, the application form, the assurances, and the
certifications must each have an original signature. We will not award
a grant unless we have received a completed application form.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document 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. However, the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in this
application notice.
Electronic Access To This Documents
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
www.ed.gov/legislation/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.
You may also view this document in text at the following site:
www.ed.gov/FIPSE.
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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Donahue, U.S. Department of
Education, 8th Floor, 1990 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-8544.
Telephone: (202) 502-7507 or via Internet: Jay.Donahue@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Services (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education
Department General Administrative Procedure Act (EDGAR) (34 CFR
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy.
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined
that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In Fiscal Year 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing
to expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural
Program--CFDA No. 84.345A is one of the programs included in the pilot
project. If you are an applicant under the Underground Railroad
Educational and Cultural Program, you may submit your application to us
in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the
following:
Your participation is voluntary.
You will not receive any additional point value or penalty
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
You can submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
Within three working days of submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps.
1. Print Ed 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative
signs this form.
3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying
number unique to your application).
4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED
424.
5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date. You my access the electronic grant
application for the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural
Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet the following deadline requirements:
(A) If You Send Your Application by Mail:
You must mail the original and two copies of the application on or
before the deadline date. Mail your application to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA No. 84.345A, 7th
& D Streets, SW, Room 3633, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC
20202-4725.
You must show one of the following as proof of mailing:
(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.
If you mail an 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.
(B) If You Deliver Your Application by Hand:
You or your courier must hand deliver the original and two copies
of the application by 4:30p.m. (Washington, DC time) on or before the
deadline date. Deliver your application to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA No. 84.345A, 7th
& D Streets, SW, Room 3633, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC
20202-4725.
The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time), except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. The Center accepts
application deliveries through the D Street entrance only. A person
delivering an application must show identification to enter the
building.
(C) If You Submit Your Application Electronically:
You must submit your grant application through the Internet using
the software provided on the e-Grants Web site (http://e-grants.ed.gov)
by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m.
until 12
[[Page 21093]]
midnight (Washington, DC time) Monday-Friday and 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Saturdays. The system is unavailable on the second Saturday of every
month, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Please note that on Wednesdays
the Web site is closed for maintenance at 7 p.m. (Washington, DC time).
Notes:
(1) 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.
(2) If you send your application by mail or if you or your courier
deliver it by hand, the Application Control Center will mail a Grant
Application Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the
notification of application receipt within 15 days from the date of
mailing the application, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 708-9493.
(3) If your application is late, we will notify you that we will
not consider the application.
(4) You must indicate on the envelope and-if not provided by the
Department-in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA number-and suffix
letter, if any-of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(5) If you submit your application through the Internet via the e-
Grants Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment when we
receive your application.
Parity Guidelines Between Paper and Electronic Applications
In FY 2002, the U. S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand the pilot project, which began in FY 2000, which allows
applicants to use an Internet-based electronic system for submitting
applications. This competition is among those that have an electronic
submission option available to all applicants. The system, called e-
APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS (Electronic Grant Application System),
allows an applicant to submit a grant application to us electronically,
using a current version of the applicant's Internet browser. To see e-
APPLICATION visit the following address: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
Users of e-APPLICATION, a data driven system, will be entering data
on-line while completing their applications. This will be more
interactive than just e-mailing a soft copy of a grant application to
us. If you participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter on-line will go into a
database and ultimately will be accessible in electronic form to our
reviewers.
This pilot project continues the Department's transition to an
electronic grant award process. In addition to e-APPLICATION, the
Department plans to expand the number of discretionary programs using
the electronic peer view (e-READER) system and to increase the
participation of discretionary programs offering grantees the use of
the electronic annual performance reporting (e-REPORTS) system. To help
ensure parity and a similar look between electronic and paper copies of
grant applications, we are asking each applicant that submits a paper
application to adhere to the following guidelines:
Submit your application on 8\1/2\" by 11" paper.
Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides.
Use consistent font throughout your document. You may also
use boldface type, underlining, and italics. However, please do not use
colored text.
Please use black and white, also, for illustrations,
including charts, tables, graphs and pictures.
For the narrative component, your application should
consist of the number and text of each selection criterion followed by
the narrative. The text of the selection criterion, if included, does
not count against any page limitation.
Place a page number at the bottom right of each page
beginning with 1; and number your pages consecutively throughout your
document.
Program Authority: Section 841 of the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998, Pub. L. 105-244, 20 U.S.C. 1153.
Dated: April 22, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
BILLING CODE 4001-01-P
[[Page 21094]]
Appendix
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.001
[[Page 21095]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.002
[[Page 21096]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.003
[[Page 21097]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.004
[[Page 21098]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.005
[[Page 21099]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.006
[[Page 21100]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.007
[[Page 21101]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.008
[[Page 21102]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.009
[[Page 21103]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.010
[[Page 21104]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.011
[[Page 21105]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.012
[[Page 21106]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.013
[[Page 21107]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.014
[[Page 21108]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN29AP02.015
[FR Doc. 02-10367 Filed 4-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C