7218 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Notices

on scientific and technical matters as

they affect the perceived needs of the

Department of Defense. At this meeting

the Task Force will explore the

relationship between low observable

and electronic warfare technologies in

providing future weapon system

survivability.

In accordance with Section 10(d) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act,

Public Law 92–463, as amended (5

U.S.C. App. II, (1994)), it has been

determined that this DSB Task Force

meetings concern matters listed in 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) (1994), and that

accordingly this meeting will be closed

to the public.

Dated: February 12, 1997.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 97–3880 Filed 2–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Educational Research and

Improvement (OERI), National Institute

on Educational Governance, Finance,

Policy-Making, and Management

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority for

fiscal year 1997.

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes a

priority for a National Research and

Development Center. The Secretary

takes this action to support research on

policymaking and policies to support

excellence in teaching.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before March 20, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning

this proposed priority should be

addressed to Ron Anson, U.S.

Department of Education, 555 New

Jersey Avenue, NW., room 608F,

Washington, DC 20208–5510.

Comments can be faxed to Mr. Anson at

(202) 219–2159 or e-mailed through the

internet to: ronlanson@ed.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron

Anson, telephone: (202) 219–2214.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time,

Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office

of Educational Research and

Improvement, authorized under Title IX

of Public Law 103–227 (20 U.S.C.

section 6001 et seq.), supports

educational research and development

activities. The National Institute on

Educational Governance, Finance,

Policy-Making, and Management is one

of five research institutes that carry out

coordinated and comprehensive

programs of research, development,

evaluation, and dissemination activities

designed to provide research-based

leadership for the improvement of

education.

The National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management supports a range of

research, development, and

dissemination activities focused on core

issues in education. Activities are

carried out by national research and

development centers, field-initiated

studies, and a variety of directed

research, development, and

dissemination activities.

The Secretary believes that increasing

the capacity of the nation’s education

system to improve the quality of

education depends on knowledge

generated by an enduring program of

education research and development.

Knowledge gained from education

research and development can help

guide the national investment in

education and support local and State

improvement efforts. Because they carry

out sustained, long-term research and

development, centers are a primary

mechanism for pursuing new

knowledge about education. Center

awards are made to institutions of

higher education, institutions of higher

education in consort with public

agencies or non-profit organizations,

and interstate agencies established by

compact that operate subsidiary bodies

to conduct postsecondary education

research and development.

The Secretary invites comments on

the priority described in this notice.

Prior to this announcement and in

conjunction with planning for

Educational Research and Development

Center competitions in 1996, OERI

engaged in a series of meetings, regional

hearings, and Federal Register notices

that solicited advice from parents,

teachers, administrators, policymakers,

business people, researchers, and others

to identify the most needed research

and development activities. Following

these activities and subsequent research

priorities planning meetings in which

OERI engaged, OERI prepared this

notice of proposed priority. The subject

matter of this proposed priority has

been reviewed by OERI’s National

Research Policy and Priorities Board,

whose mandate includes the

development of a Research Priorities

Plan.

The Secretary will announce the final

priority in a notice in the Federal

Register. The final priority will be

determined by responses to this notice

and other considerations of the

Department. This notice does not

preclude the Secretary from proposing

or funding additional priorities, subject

to meeting applicable rulemaking

requirements.

Note: This notice of proposed priority does

not solicit applications. A notice inviting

applications under this competition will be

published in the Federal Register concurrent

with or following publication of the notice of

final priority.

Proposed Priority: Policy and Teaching

Excellence

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the

Secretary will give an absolute

preference to applications that meet the

following specific priority area. The

Secretary intends to fund only one

application that meets the priority listed

below. Funding this priority will

depend on the availability of funds, the

nature of the final priority, and the

quality of applications received. The

Secretary proposes to support a national

center to conduct research and

development in the priority area of

improving policymaking and policy

structures to achieve excellence in

teaching.

A: This center must:

(1) Conduct a coherent, sustained

program of research and development to

address problems and issues of national

significance in the specific priority area,

using a well-conceptualized and

theoretically sound framework;

(2) Contribute to the development and

advancement of theory in the specific

priority area;

(3) Conduct scientifically rigorous

studies capable of generating findings

that contribute substantially to

understanding the field;

(4) Conduct work of sufficient size,

scope, and duration to produce

definitive guidance for improvement

efforts and future research;

(5) Address issues of both equity and

excellence in education for all students

in the specific priority area; and

(6) Document, report, and disseminate

information about its research findings

and other accomplishments in ways that

will facilitate effective use of that

information by decisionmakers and

others as appropriate.

B: In carrying out its program of work,

the center must also:

(1) Conduct research and

development on the full range of policy

issues relevant to teaching excellence

and other associated policy issues;

(2) Conduct a program of research and

development that will aid policymakers

throughout the Nation at all levels of

government and at all levels of the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 32 / Tuesday, February 18, 1997 / Notices 7219

educational system improve policies

and policy decisions, as well as policy

formulation, implementation, and

evaluation processes, in order to achieve

the goal of teaching excellence and

ensure continuous efforts related to that

goal;

(3) Examine the effects that different

policies for fostering or sustaining

teaching excellence, or both, have on

continuous school improvement,

teacher performance, and student

learning;

(4) Examine the interactions of

various policies affecting teacher

performance and teaching excellence

and the costs and benefits of different

policies;

(5) Examine the role of policy

coordination and alignment in the

creation of an overall policy structure

that supports excellence in teaching;

and

(6) If appropriate, investigate

education policies in other nations as

they relate to and can inform education

policies in the United States.

Post-Award Requirements

The Secretary proposes the following

post-award requirements consistent

with the Educational Research,

Development, Dissemination and

Improvement Act of 1994, cited earlier

in this Notice (20 U.S.C. section 6001 et

seq.). A grantee receiving a center award

must:

(a) Collaborate with OERI and

appropriate clients in identifying

significant new issues and provide OERI

with information about center projects

and products and other appropriate

research information so that OERI can

monitor center progress and maintain its

inventory of funded research projects.

This information must be provided

through media that include an

electronic network;

(b) Reserve five percent of each

budget period’s funds to support

activities that fall within the center’s

priority area, are designed and mutually

agreed to by the center and OERI, and

enhance OERI’s ability to carry out its

mission. These activities may include

developing research agendas,

conducting research projects

collaborating with other federallysupported entities, and engaging in

research agenda setting and

dissemination activities; and

(c) Provide yearly summaries of

findings usable by education

decisionmakers and practitioners and

others as appropriate and, at the end of

the award period, synthesize the

findings and advances in knowledge

that resulted from the center’s program

of work and describe the potential

impact on the improvement of

American education, including any

observable impact to date.

Invitation To Comment

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments and recommendations

regarding this proposed priority.

Comments will be available for public

inspection, during and after the

comment period, in Room 608A, 555

New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington,

DC, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and

4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday of

each week except Federal holidays.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number (84.308B) Educational Research and

Development Centers Program)

Program Authority: Pub.L. 103–227, Title

IX (20 U.S.C. 6031).

Dated: February 11, 1997.

Marshall Smith,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational

Research and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 97–3906 Filed 2–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

National Committee on Foreign

Medical Education and Accreditation;

Meeting

AGENCY: National Committee on Foreign

Medical Education and Accreditation,

Education.

ACTION: Amendment of notice of

meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice amends the notice

published on January 28, 1997, Volume

62, page 4038. The purpose of this

amendment is to change the time that

the meeting will be convened on March

3, 1997, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The

location and matters to be considered

are not changed.

DATES AND TIMES: Monday, March 3,

1997, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and

Tuesday, March 4, 1997, from 9 a.m. to

5:30 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carol F. Sperry, Executive Director,

National Committee on Foreign Medical

Education and Accreditation, 7th and D

Streets, SW., Room 3905, ROB #3,

Washington, DC 20202–7563.

Telephone: (202) 260–3636.

David A. Longanecker,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary

Education.

[FR Doc. 97–3872 Filed 2–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Aluminum Partnership Solicitation for

Financial Assistance

AGENCY: Idaho Operations Office, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for

financial assistance number DE-PS07–

97ID13514: aluminum partnerships

solicitation.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE), Idaho Operations Office

(ID) is seeking applications for costshared research and development of

technologies which will enhance

economic competitiveness, and reduce

energy consumption and environmental

impacts for the aluminum industry. The

research is to address research priorities

identified by the aluminum industry in

the ‘‘Aluminum Technology Roadmap

Workshop Report’’ (November 1996) for

the aluminum sector areas of Primary

Aluminum Production, Semi-Fabricated

Products, and Finished Products.

Approximately $2,000,000 in federal

funds is available to fund the first year

of selected research efforts. DOE

anticipates making three or four

cooperative agreement awards for

projects with durations of four years or

less. A minimum 30% non-federal cost

share is required for research and

development projects. A minimum 50%

non-federal cost share is required for

demonstration projects. Collaborations

between industry, national laboratory,

and university participants are

encouraged.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Linda Hallum, Contract Specialist;

Procurement Services Division; U.S.

DOE, Idaho Operations Office, 850

Energy Drive, MS 1221, Idaho Falls, ID

83401–1563; telephone (208) 526–5545.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

statutory authority for the program is

the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L.

102–486, as amended by Pub. L. 103–

437 on November 2, 1994). The Catalog

of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

Number for this program is 81.078. The

solicitation text is expected to be posted

on the ID Procurement Services Division

home page on or about February 27,

1997, and may be accessed using

Universal Resource Locator address

http://www.inel.gov/doeid/solicit.html.

Application package forms will not be

included on the home page and should

be requested from the contract

specialist. Requests for application

packages must be written. Include

company name, mailing address, point

of contact, telephone number, and fax

number. Write to the contract specialist

at the address above, via fax number