FR Doc E9-9876[Federal Register: April 29, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 19536-19539]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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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:
blanca.rodriguez@ed.gov 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: sara.starke@ed.gov.
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
[[Page 19538]]
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: blanca.rodriguez@ed.gov 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: sara.starke@ed.gov.
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]
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