Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices 36729

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed information collection; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the information collection on

respondents, including through the use

of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all

comments received by August 8, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

recommendations on the proposed

information collection should be sent to

National Communications System, Code

N31, Attn: Deborah Bea, 701 South

Court House Road, Arlington, VA

22204–2198.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To

request more information on this

proposed information collection or to

obtain a copy of the proposal and

associated collection instruments,

please write to the above address, or call

the Office of Priority

Telecommunications at 703–607–4933.

Title; Associated Forms; and OMB

Number: Telecommunications Service

Priority (TSP) System Revalidation for

Service Users, Standard Form 314; OMB

Number 0704–0305;

Telecommunications Service Priority

(TSP) System TSP Request for Service

Users, Standard Form 315, OMB

Number 0704–0305;

Telecommunications Service Priority

(TSP) System TSP Action Appeal for

Service Users, Standard Form 317, OMB

Number 0704–0305;

Telecommunications Service Priority

(TSP) System TSP Service Confirmation

for Service Vendors, Standard Form

318, OMB Number 0704–0305;

Telecommunications Service Priority

(TSP) System TSP Service

Reconciliation for Service Vendors,

Standard Form 319; OMB Number

0704–0305.

Needs and Uses: The

Telecommunications Service Priority

(TSP) System forms are used to

determine participation in the TSP

system, facilitate TSP system

administrative requirements, and to

maintain TSP system database accuracy.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit institutions, not-for-profit

institutions, the Federal Government,

and state and local governments.

Annual burden Hours: 3600.

Number of Respondents: 94.

Responses per Respondent: 18.

Average Burden per Response: 2.13

hours.

Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the TSP system is to provide

a legal basis for telecommunications

vendors to provide priority provisioning

and restoration of telecommunications

services supporting national security or

emergency preparedness functions. The

information gathered via the TSP system

forms is the minimum necessary for the

NCS to effectively manage the TSP

system.

Frank McClelland,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, National

Communications System.

[FR Doc. 00–14647 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5001–08–M

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY

[CFDA No. 84.257S]

NIFL Content Development Partners

(Special Collections); Notice Inviting

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal

Year 2000

AGENCY: The National Institute for

Literacy (NIFL).

ACTION: Notice.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to

establish a first generation of Content

Development Partners to extend the

work of the Literacy Information aNd

Communication System (LINCS) in

developing subject oriented Special

Collections of Internet-based resources

for adult education and adult and family

literacy practice. The Content

Development Partners will maintain,

refine, and enhance the existing Special

Collections available through the LINCS

network by locating, evaluating, and

organizing Web-based resources and

Web-based pointers to other materials

(videos, research reports, etc.). These

partners will work in collaboration with

the National LINCS staff and the staff at

the LINCS Regional Technology Centers.

Content Development Partners will be

expected to follow National LINCS

guidelines, protocols, and common

design templates. (See Background and

Definitions: NIFL Standards.)

Eligible Applicants

Public and private nonprofit

organizations with knowledge of and

expertise in adult literacy and the

subject matter of the Special Collection,

or consortia of such organizations.

Deadline for Applications: July 15,

2000.

Estimated Range of Awards

$20,000–$50,000 for year 1; funding

for years 2 and 3 is subject to program

authorization and availability of

appropriations, and is contingent upon

satisfactory completion of the previous

year’s plan of action.

Estimated Number of Awards

Up to 10 awards. Awards will be

made to organizations with experience

in the defined subject areas. Consortia

efforts are encouraged. No more than

two Content Development Partner

awards will be made to the same

applicant.

Note: The National Institute for Literacy is

not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period

Three years, with the possibility of

renewal for 2 subsequent years.

Applicable Regulations

The National Institute for Literacy has

adopted the following regulations

included in the Education Department

General Administrative Regulations

(EDGAR): 34 CFR parts 74, 77, 80, 82,

and 85, and 34 CFR part 75, Secs. 75.50,

75.51, 75.100–102, 75.104, 75.109–192,

75.200–201, 75.215–217, 75.231–236,

75.250–251, 75.253, 75.261, 75.525,

75.531, 75.560–569, 75.591, 75.620–21,

75.700–707; 75.77, 75.79, 75.80–82,

75.85–86(6/6/1997 and EDGAR

Expanded Authorities, 1/27/98).

This document is available through

your public library and the National

Institute for Literacy’s Website (http://

www.nifl.gov). It is recommended that

appropriate administrative officials

become familiar with the EDGAR

policies and procedures that are

applicable to this award.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

William Hawk; National Institute for

Literacy; 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 730;

Washington, DC 20006; Telephone:

202–233–2042; FAX: 202–233–2050; Email: whawk@nifl.gov Information about

the NIFL’s funding opportunities,

including Application Notices, etc., can

be viewed on the NIFL server (under

What’s New and Grants & Funding) at

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs; however, the

official application notice for a

discretionary grant competition is the

notice published in the Federal

Register.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Definitions

For purposes of this announcement

the following definitions apply:

Adult Education and Literacy

Community—The aggregate of

individuals and groups at all levels

nationwide that are actively involved

with adult education and adult and

family literacy instruction, including

36730 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices

individuals such as researchers,

practitioners, policymakers, adult

learners, and administrators, and groups

such as state and local departments of

education, human services, and labor;

libraries; community-based

organizations; businesses and labor

unions; and volunteer and civic groups.

Content Development Partners—

LINCS partners responsible for

maintaining, refining, and enhancing

the Special Collections of Webaccessible resources available through

the LINCS network. These partners

locate, evaluate, and organize Webbased resources and Web-based pointers

to other materials (videos, research

reports, etc.).

Core Knowledge Group—An Advisory

Group of subject experts to assist in the

quality control of the collection. Ideally,

this group will include NIFL Discussion

List moderators, researchers, and subject

specialists from the Department of

Education’s Office of Vocational and

Adult Education (OVAE), among others.

LINCS Affiliates—National, state, or

local organizations that support LINCS

and want to be a part of the expanding

LINCS network, but are not considered

partners.

LINCS Network—Including LINCS

national, regional, state and local

partners and affiliates.

LINCS Partners—State level

organizations that provide professional

development, technical assistance, and

other informational services to local

programs. There may be more than one

state-level partners depending on the

needs of the state and the resources

available. Decisions about the selection

of the LINCS partner will be made

jointly with the state adult education

office and other state-level

organizations. Through a formal

agreement with the Regional LINCS

organization, state organizations will

receive services and contribute to

LINCS.

LINCS Standards—NIFL’s quality

guidelines and standards for organizing

materials in a uniform format for

posting on the Internet. These standards

are found in NIFL’s ‘‘Starting Point’’

manual, LINCS Selection Criteria (http:/

/www.nifl.gov/lincs/

selection_criteria.html), LINCS Special

Collections Guidelines (http://

www.nifl.gov/lincs/

special_collections.html), the Adult

Literacy Thesaurus (ALT), the Adult

Literacy Thesaurus User’s Manual, the

template for state and local program

Websites (http://hub2.coe.utk.edu/

adopt/default.html) and other

documentation.

LINCS Web Sites—Include LINCS

national, regional, and state sites and

Special Collections.

Literacy—An individual’s ability to

read, write, and speak in English, and

compute and solve problems at levels of

proficiency necessary to function on the

job and in society, to achieve one’s goals

and develop one’s knowledge and

potential (as stated in the National

Literacy Act of 1991).

Regional Hub or Regional Technology

Center—The lead site acting as the focal

point for implementing LINCS grants

requirements and activities, including

serving states and local programs in a

particular region.

Special Collections—One-stop

electronic gateways to high-quality

resources related to specific subject

areas judged to be of high interest to the

adult education and literacy

community. Resources include Webbased resources and resources in other

media, including descriptions of

research and evaluation results, policyrelated information, curricula, best

practices, fact sheets, and directories.

LINCS Special Collections are built

around specific content areas (such as

English as a Second Language), specific

settings or contexts (such as Workforce

Education), and professional

development topics (such as the use of

Technology in Professional

Development).

Background

The National Institute for Literacy

(NIFL), as authorized by Title II of the

Workforce Investment Act of 1998, has

the legislative mandate to develop a

national literacy database. The intent of

this mandate is to assure the

consolidation and accessibility of

scattered and hard-to-access information

resources for literacy. For more

background information on the LINCS

Network, visit http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/

about/about.html#history.

Now in its fifth full year of operation,

LINCS is steadily pursuing its mission

of using technology to strengthen the

adult basic education and literacy

community. Beginning in mid-1994

with a single national site on the

Internet, LINCS is now well on its way

to fulfilling its goals. Visit http://

www.nifl.gov/lincs/millennium/

achievements.html for a summary of the

national and regional LINCS

achievements.

Plans for the Future

Over the past seven years, the NIFL

has provided the leadership and tools to

prepare the adult literacy community

for the 21st century through major

system-building initiatives, including

the creation of LINCS and its regional

hubs. The NIFL intends to sustain the

momentum of building systems that

help professionalize the adult literacy

community by continuing its initiatives

in technology. Please see the LINCS

Vision Statement at http://www.nifl.gov/

lincs/millennium/vision.html for

additional information about the future

plans for the LINCS project.

Application Requirements

A. Overview of Content Development

Partners (Special Collections)

Grants will be awarded to up to ten

Content Development Partners for the

development of Special Collections on

the following subjects—as defined by

LINCS and/or in the Adult Literacy

Thesaurus:

1. Assessment;

2. Correctional Education;

3. English as a Second Language

(inclusive of citizenship and civic

participation);

4. Family Literacy;

5. Health and Literacy;

6. International Literacy;

7. Literacy & Learning Disabilities;

8. Science & Numeracy;

9. Technology Training (for Professional

Development); and

10. Workforce Education.

The focus of each Special Collection

must be on the subject as it relates to

adult literacy instruction, learning,

policy, or other dimensions of the

practice of adult and family literacy and

adult education. Applicants must

clearly identify the subject area of the

Special Collections(s) they are

proposing to be the Content

Development Partners for. The existing

LINCS Special Collections can be

accessed through the index page—

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/.

B. Project Narrative

The project narrative is critical and

must thoroughly reflect the capacity of

the applicant to organize the

development of a Special Collection.

The narrative must encompass the full

three years of project activities, with

detailed plans for Year 1 and milestones

for Years 2 and 3. The narrative must

clearly describe the applicant’s plan for

attaining measurable goals as identified

in each of the sections listed below and

propose specific mechanisms for

collecting and developing resources for

the Special Collection. The narrative

should not exceed ten (10) single-spaced

pages, or twenty (20) double-spaced

pages. The narrative may be amplified

by material in attachments and

appendices (not exceeding 10 pages),

but the body should stand alone to give

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices 36731

a complete picture of the project.

Proposals that exceed 10 single-spaced

pages or 20 double-spaced pages will

not be reviewed. The format for the

project narrative should follow the order

and format of the following selection

criteria.

C. Selection Criteria

In evaluating applications for a grant

under this competition, the Director

uses the following seven selection

criteria set out in this notice. The

maximum combined score for all the

criteria in this section is 100 points. The

maximum score for each criterion is

indicated in parentheses.

1. Mission and Strategy (5 Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the appropriateness of the

applicant’s stated mission and strategy

for the proposed Content Development

Partner, including consideration of: (a)

The degree to which the stated mission

and strategy for developing a Special

Collection reflect an understanding of

NIFL’s goals and purposes for LINCS

and the Special Collections as outlined

in this notice; (b) The degree to which

the application demonstrates an

understanding of the Special

Collection’s scope and the existing

special collection’s strengths and

weaknesses (where applicable); (c) The

quality and coherence of proposed

strategies for refining, enhancing, and

maintaining the existing collection to

meet the field’s need for information;

and (d) How the project will serve (and

be marketed to) the entire adult

education and literacy community,

including the full range of public and

private programs (libraries, local

education agencies, community

colleges, volunteer and communitybased organizations, etc.).

2. Institutional Capabilities (15 Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the capabilities of the

organization to sustain a long-term, high

quality, and coherent program,

including consideration of: (a) The

organization’s expertise in the chosen

subject area and its familiarity with the

information needs of the Adult and

Family Literacy and Adult Education

Community around this topic; (b) The

applicant’s experience in establishing

and carrying out collaborative working

relationships with LINCS member

states, state agencies, local programs,

and other public and private groups; (c)

The applicant’s capacity to maintain

and continuously enhance a sizable

literacy collection on the Internet that

includes resources produced by other

agencies and individuals as well as the

organization’s own resources; (d) The

applicant’s use of technology to enhance

accessibility of information; (e) The

applicant’s capacity to provide training

and technical assistance to users of the

collection(s); (f) A secure funding base

for the organization for the duration of

the project; (g) The applicant’s

willingness and ability to continue the

project at the end of the three-year grant

period; and (h) The applicant’s ability to

leverage other funding and resources to

sustain the project beyond the grant

through pursuing partnerships with

private entities, including

telecommunications and high tech

business and industry partners.

3. Core Knowledge Group and

Collaborations (20 Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the capabilities of the

organization to sustain a long-term, high

quality, and coherent program,

including consideration of: (a)The

applicant’s plans for organizing and

managing a Core Knowledge Group to

advise the development of the Special

Collection and assist in the quality

control of the collection; please provide

names of expected or confirmed

members of the group; (b) The extent to

which the applicant will consider the

perspectives of a variety of users and

stakeholders in developing the Special

Collection; (c) The applicant’s ability to

ensure close collaboration with NIFL

and the LINCS Regional Technology

Centers, including cooperation in

implementing new requirements or

standards developed by NIFL in concert

with the LINCS Regional Technology

Centers to assure uniformity across the

LINCS network; (d) The applicant’s

plans to ensure broad-based

collaborative relationships with other

appropriate agencies, organizations, and

projects (especially those dealing with

education, labor, and human services

and the topics of each Special

Collection) with similar or

complementary subject expertise; (e)

Mechanisms for attracting/collecting or

developing additional resources for

inclusion in the Special Collections (see

the LINCS Special Collections

Guidelines and Recommendations

available at http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/

special_collections.html and the LINCS

Special Collections Protocol available at

http://www.nifl.gov/2000_rfp/

collections_protocol.html); and (f)The

extent to which the applicant

demonstrates a commitment to provide

a minimum of 2 training sessions per

year and collect direct user feedback at

those times.

4. Quality of Plan of Operation (30

Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the quality of the threeyear plan of operation, including

consideration of: (a) The quality of the

design of the project and plans for

collecting high quality resources,

instructional materials, and tools; (b)

How well the objectives of the project

relate to the intended purposes of the

Special Collections, as outlined in this

request for applications; (c) The quality

of the applicant’s three-year plan of

operation to use its resources and

personnel to achieve each project

objective; (d) The extent to which the

plan of management is effective and

ensures proper and efficient

administration of the project; (e)The

quality of the plan to establish effective

working relationships with the members

of the Core Knowledge Group and other

organizations as required for effective

development of the project; (f) The

quality of the plan for determining the

information needs of the customers or

users of the Special Collection; (g) The

quality of the plan for developing

unique selection criteria and guidelines

specific to each Special Collection based

on the LINCS general selection criteria

and Special Collections protocols (http:/

/www.nifl.gov/lincs/

selection_criteria.html and http://

www.nifl.gov/lincs/2000_rfp/

collections_protocol.html); (h) The

quality of the plan for organizing the

Special Collection according to the NIFL

standards for quality control, access,

and organization (see LINCS Special

Collections Guidelines and

Recommendations http://www.nifl.gov/

lincs/special_collections.html) and for

working with NIFL and the LINCS

Regional Technology Centers to ensure

uniformity across the network; (i) The

quality of the plan for enhancing the

knowledge base of the field by updating

the Special Collection on a regularly

scheduled basis with the Content

Development Partner’s own materials

and materials from other content

developers, including making

provisions for including summaries of

or pointers to quality print and nonprint materials, such as audio and video

materials, in their entirety, as well as

Web-based materials print and nonprint materials, all of which respond to

end users’ educational, informational,

and training needs; (j) The quality of the

plan for marketing the Special

Collection, training users, and

leveraging additional resources for the

project; (k) The extent of the

application’s understanding of

cataloging form and LINCS

36732 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices

infrastructure; and (l) The extent to

which the applicant’s plan includes

sound methods for achieving

measurable goals and outcomes.

5. Budget and Cost Effectiveness (10

Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the extent to which: (a)

The budget is adequate to support

project activities and allocations are

deemed cost-effective; (b) Costs are

reasonable in relation to the objectives

of the project; (c) The budgets for any

subcontracts are detailed and

appropriate; (d) Provisions are made for

identifying and securing additional

funds to continue and expand the

project beyond the end of the grant; (e)

The applicant’s inclusion of a timeline

for the project, consisting of a table or

diagram listing major tasks or

milestones and including estimates of

funds, time (including presentations),

personnel, facilities, and equipment

allocated to each program area, as well

as the timing of quarterly progress and

other reports, meetings, etc. (A format of

approximately 2 pages will be provided

for quarterly reports; a final report will

be expected at the end of each year in

lieu of a 4th quarter report.); and (f) The

budget details resources, cash and inkind, that the applicant and others will

provide to the project in addition to

grant funds. Please note that overhead

for this project is restricted as per

EDGAR CPR 75–562.

6. Quality of Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan (10 Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the quality of the

evaluation plan for the project,

including consideration of the NIFL’s

adherence to Federal Government

Performance Reporting Act (GPRA)

requirements (See the Notice to

Applicants at http://ocfo.ed.gov/

grntinfo/gposbul/gpos23.htm for more

information.) and: (a) The strength of

the applicant’s statement of measurable

outcomes for all project goals; (b) The

quality of methods and mechanisms to

be used to document and evaluate

progress in relation to the project’s

mission and goals; (c) The quality of

methods that will be used to document

and evaluate the impact—both quality

of usefulness and quantity of use—of

the project on target audiences; and (d)

The effectiveness of the Content

Development Partner’s role in working

with partners, particularly by using online methods (such as web tools) to

collect and analyze data on the

effectiveness of the resources presented.

7. Quality of Key Personnel (10 Points)

The Director reviews each application

to determine the quality of key

personnel for all project activities,

including consideration of: (a) The

qualifications of the project director

with regard to the creation of a Special

Collection on the subject selected; (b)

The qualifications of other key

personnel with regard to the creation of

a Special Collection on the subject

selected; (c) The experience and training

of key personnel in facilitating teams of

advisors/reviewers and working in

fields related to project objectives; (d)

The roles of key personnel and the

number of hours dedicated to carrying

out their tasks; and (d) The applicant’s

policy, as part of its nondiscriminatory

employment practices, to ensure that its

personnel are selected for employment

without regard to race, color, national

origin, religion, gender, age, or

disability. (See http://ocfo.ed.gov/

grntinfo/gposbul/gpos15.htm for

additional information on Key

Personnel.)

Additional Application Requirements

The application shall include the

following:

Project Summary

The proposal must contain a 200-

word summary of the proposed project

suitable for publication. It shall not be

an abstract of the proposal, but rather a

self-contained description of the

activities that would explain the

proposal. The summary should be free

of jargon and technical terminology, and

should be understandable by a nonspecialist reader.

Budget Proposal

ED Form 524 must be completed and

submitted with each application. The

form consists of Sections A, B, and C.

On the back of the form are general

instructions for completion of the

budget. All applicants must complete

Sections A and C. If Section B is

completed, include the nature and

source of non-federal funds. Attach to

Section C a detailed explanation and

amplification of each budget category.

Included in the explanation should be

complete justification of costs in each

category. Additional instructions

include:

• Prepare an itemized budget

narrative for the project as a whole.

• Personnel items should include

names (titles or position) of key staff,

number of hours proposed and

applicable hourly rates.

• Include the cost, purpose, and

justification for travel, equipment,

supplies, contractual and other.

Training stipends are not authorized

under this program.

• Clearly identify in all instances

contributed costs and support from

other sources, if any.

• Show budget detail for financial

aspects of any cost-sharing, joint or

cooperative funding.

Disclosure of Prior NIFL Support

If any partner has received NIFL

funding in the past 2 years, the

following information on the prior

awards is required.

• NIFL award number, amount and

period of support;

• A summary of the results of the

completed work; and

• A brief description of available

materials and other related research

products not described elsewhere.

If the applicant has received a prior

award, the reviewers will be asked to

comment on the quality of the prior

work described in this section of the

proposal.

Reporting

In addition to working closely with

the National Institute for Literacy, the

applicant will be required to submit

Quarterly Performance reports, which

are to be brief, 3–4 page reports of

progress; a final annual report of

activities replaces the 4th quarterly

report. Due: Within 30 days at the end

of each quarter. Detailed specifications

for the reports will be provided within

three months after the awards are made.

Instructions for Transmittal of

Applications

(a) To apply for a Content

Development Partner grant—

(1) Mail the original and seven (7)

copies of the application on or before

the deadline date of July 15, 2000 to

National Institute for Literacy, 1775 I

Street, NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC

20006, Attention: William B. Hawk

(CFDA #257S).

(2) Hand deliver the application by

4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the

deadline date to the address above.

(b) An applicant 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.

(c) If an application is mailed through

the U.S. Postal Service, the Director

does 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.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices 36733

Notes:

(1) The U.S. Postal Service does not

uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before

relying on this method, an applicant should

check with the local post office.

(2) The NIFL will mail a Grant Applicant

Receipt Acknowledgment to each applicant.

If an applicant fails to receive the notification

of application receipt within 15 days from

the date of mailing the application, the

applicant should call the NIFL at (202) 233–

2055.

(3) The applicant must indicate on the

envelope and in Item 10 of the application

for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424)

the CFDA number of the competition under

which the application is being submitted.

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well

as National Institute for Literacy

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF) on the Web

from the following sites:

http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/

news_events.html

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/2000_rfp.html 

To view the PDF version, you must

have the Adobe Acrobat Reader

Program.

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

Application Instructions and Forms

The appendix to this application is

divided into three parts plus a statement

regarding estimated public reporting

burden and various assurances and

certifications. These parts and

additional materials are organized in the

same manner that the submitted

application should be organized. The

parts and additional materials follow.

(Additional forms for the completion of

this application are available from http:/

/ocfo.ed.gov/grnt/appforms.htm.)

Part I: Application for Federal

Assistance

(Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4–94)) and

instructions.

Part II. Budget Information

Non-Construction Programs (ED Form

524) and instructions.

Part III: Application Narrative

Additional Materials: Estimated

Public Reporting Burden.

Assurances-Non—Construction

Programs (Standard Form 424B).

Certification Regarding Lobbying;

Debarment, Suspension, and Other

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements (ED 80–0013).

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 recipients and should not be transmitted

to the NIFL.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(Standard Form LLL) (if applicable) and

instructions. An applicant may submit

information on a Photostat copy of the

application and budget forms, the

assurances and the certifications.

However, the application form, the

assurances, and certifications must each

have an original signature. No award

can be made unless a complete

application has been received.

Instructions for Estimated Public

Reporting Burden

According to the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are

required to respond to a collection of

information unless it displays a valid

OMB control number. The valid OMB

control number for this information is

under OMB control number 3430–0006,

Expiration date: 06/30/2003. The time

required to complete this information

collection is 40 hours per response,

including the time for reviewing

instructions, searching existing data

sources, gathering and disseminating

the data needed, and completing and

reviewing the collection of information.

If you have any comments concerning

the accuracy of the time estimate or

suggestions for improving this form,

please write to: the National Institute for

Literacy 1775 I Street, NW., Suite 730,

Washington, DC 20006.

Dated: June 5, 2000.

Andrew J. Hartman,

Director, NIFL.

[FR Doc. 00–14547 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6055–01–U

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY

[CFDA NO. 84.257T]

NIFL Regional Technology Centers

Project; Notice Inviting Applications

for New Awards for Fiscal Year 2000

AGENCY: The National Institute for

Literacy (NIFL).

ACTION: Notice.

Purpose:

The purpose of this project is to

establish Regional Technology Centers

that will work with the NIFL to:

1. Expand the Literacy Information

and Communication System (LINCS)

network to include the broadest possible

range of national, state, and local

partners.

2. Extend the knowledge and use of

LINCS web sites, infrastructure,

resources, and services throughout the

state and local adult education and

adult and family literacy communities

in each region.

3. Assist the adult education and

adult and family literacy community in

integrating LINCS resources and new

technology into teaching and staff

development.

4. Enhance the literacy field’s

electronic knowledge base by creating,

collecting, and organizing new high

quality literacy information resources

on-line, especially locally developed

materials.

Each regional center will be expected

to build on the achievements of the

region’s previous regional hub (where

applicable), to work with a consortium

of partners and affiliates in the region,

and, in cooperation with them, to:

1. Build new partnerships at the

regional, state and local level (expand

the number of partners and affiliates).

2. Implement a comprehensive

regional training plan for the use of

LINCS and related technology. This

plan is to result in the effective

integration of technology in teaching

and learning.

3. Market LINCS resources and

services widely to various potential

LINCS audiences, with a priority on

adult education and adult and family

literacy practitioners.

4. Implement a regional plan to locate

and organize high quality resources,

particularly for LINCS Special

Collections, and facilitate the creation of

new resources to meet target audience

needs.

5. Connect increasingly larger

numbers of literacy stakeholders of all

kinds—researchers, practitioners,

administrators, students, and

policymakers.

6. Build evaluation tools and

methods, based on the project’s goals,

that will show the impact of LINCS use

in improving professional development

and instruction.

7. Take advantage of the strengths and

unique capabilities of each region, the

regional training centers will work with

each other and the NIFL to coordinate

their activities, and whenever possible

carryout joint activities, in order to

maximize the total mount of resources

available to LINCS and allow them to

have the greatest impact possible.

Deadline for Applications: July 15,

2000.