27108 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

[Declaration of Disaster #3082]

Commonwealth of Kentucky

As a result of the President’s major

disaster declaration on April 29, 1998,

I find that the following counties in

Kentucky constitute a disaster area due

to damages caused by severe storms,

tornadoes, and flooding beginning on

April 16, 1998 and continuing: Adair,

Barren, Bell, Casey, Clay, Floyd, Knott,

Knox, Metcalfe, Perry, Warren, and

Whitley. Applications for loans for

physical damages as a result of this

disaster may be filed until the close of

business on June 28, 1998, and for loans

for economic injury until the close of

business on January 29, 1999 at the

address listed below or other locally

announced locations: Small Business

Administration, Disaster Area 2 Office,

One Baltimore Place, Suite 300, Atlanta,

GA 30308.

In addition, applications for economic

injury loans from small businesses

located in the following contiguous

counties in Kentucky may be filed until

the specified date at the above location:

Allen, Boyle, Breathitt, Butler,

Cumberland, Edmonson, Green, Harlan,

Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Laurel, Leslie,

Letcher, Lincoln, Logan, Magoffin,

Marion, Martin, McCreary, Monroe,

Owsley, Pike, Pulaski, Russell,

Simpson, and Taylor.

Any counties contiguous to the abovenamed primary counties and not listed

herein have been previously declared

under a separate declaration for the

same occurrence.

The interest rates are:

Physical Damage:

Homeowners with credit

available elsewhere .......... 7.000%

Homeowners without credit

available elsewhere .......... 3.500%

Businesses with credit available elsewhere .................. 8.000%

Businesses and non-profit

organizations without

credit available elsewhere 4.000%

Others (including non-profit

organizations) with credit

available elsewhere .......... 7.125%

For Economic Injury:

Businesses and small agricultural cooperatives

without credit available

elsewhere ....................... 4.000%

The number assigned to this disaster

for physical damage is 308212 and for

economic injury the number is 985300.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. 59002 and 59008)

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Bernard Kulik,

Associate Administrator for Disaster

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 98–12975 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

[Declaration of Disaster #3078]

State of Tennessee; Amendment #1

In accordance with notices from the

Federal Emergency Management Agency

dated April 27 and 29, and May 4, 1998,

the above-numbered Declaration is

hereby amended to include the

following counties in the State of

Tennessee as a disaster area due to

damages caused by severe storms,

tornadoes, and flooding beginning on

April 16, 1998 and continuing: Blount,

Carroll, Cheatham, Gibson, Giles,

Grainger, Hardin, Hawkins, Jefferson,

Macon, Monroe, Roane, Sumner, and

Williamson.

In addition, applications for economic

injury loans from small businesses

located in the following contiguous

counties may be filed until the specified

date at the previously designated

location: Benton, Chester, Greene,

Hamblen, Henderson, Henry, Jackson,

Lincoln, McNairy, Sullivan,

Washington, and Weakley Counties in

Tennessee; Cherokee and Graham

Counties in North Carolina; and Alcorn

and Tishomingo Counties in

Mississippi.

Any counties contiguous to the abovename primary counties and not listed

herein have been previously declared.

All other information remains the

same, i.e., the deadline for filing

applications for physical damage is June

19, 1998 and for economic injury the

termination date is January 20, 1999.

The economic injury number for

Mississippi is 987500.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. 59002 and 59008)

Dated: May 8, 1998.

Bernard Kulik,

Associate Administrator for Disaster

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 98–12976 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Program Announcement No. SSA–ORES–

98–2]

Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and

Disability Insurance

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Announcement of the

availability of fiscal year 1998 funds for

Section 1110 research grants.

SUMMARY: The Social Security

Administration (SSA) announces that

competing applications will be accepted

for new research grants authorized

under section 1110 of the Social

Security Act. This announcement,

consisting of three parts, describes the

nature of the grant activities and gives

notice of the anticipated availability of

fiscal year (FY) 1998 funds in support

of the proposed activities. Part I

discusses the purpose of the

announcement and briefly describes the

application process. Part II describes the

programmatic priorities under which

SSA is soliciting applications for

funding. Part III describes the

application process and provides

guidance on how to submit an

application.

DATES: The closing date for the receipt

of grant applications in response to this

announcement is July 14, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information on the application or for an

application kit: Mr. E. Joe Smith, Grants

Management Officer; Office of

Operations Contracts and Grants; Office

of Acquisition and Grants; Social

Security Administration; 1–E–4 Gwynn

Oak Building; 1710 Gwynn Oak

Avenue; Baltimore, Maryland 21207–

5279; telephone (410) 965–9503. Mr.

Smith’s e-mail address is:

joe.smith@ssa.gov.

For information on the program

content of the announcement: Ms.

Eleanor Cooper, Coordinator for

Extramural Research; Office of Research,

Evaluation and Statistics; Social

Security Administration; 4–C–15

Operations; 6401 Security Boulevard;

Baltimore, Maryland 21235; telephone

(410) 966–9824. Ms. Cooper’s e-mail

address is: eleanor.l.cooper@ssa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Part I. Purpose and The Grants Process

A. Program Purpose

This research is intended to add to

existing knowledge about components

of economic security and about the

changing economic status of the aged or

disabled, with emphasis on Social

Security beneficiaries. Policymakers and

social scientists are potential users of

the results.

There is much discussion of Social

Security reform and the future shape of

the program, which provides economic

security for the aged, survivors and

those who are disabled. We are

interested in focusing our efforts on the

major ideas being put forth to help
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices 27109

inform the Social Security reform

discussion. Information will be needed

both before and after consensus is

reached on potential reforms. There is

no specific plan contemplated at this

time, so information is needed about the

many broad reforms being discussed.

In general, SSA will fund a select

number of projects in the following

areas:

1. Research on issues pertaining to

major changes in the structure of Social

Security.

2. Research which develops models

and other analyses that aid in

understanding the likely behavioral

consequences of increasing the

retirement age.

3. Research on Social Security/Private

Pension Integration which will explore

how pension integration affects the

economic status of retirees.

4. Research that uses data from the

Luxembourg Income Study to assess the

relative effectiveness of different social

insurance systems in combating poverty

among elderly women.

5. Research on economic and

demographic assumptions that will

affect the future financial status of the

Social Security Old Age, Survivors and

Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs.

B. FY 1998 Grant Process

The grant application process for FY

1998 will consist of a one-stage, full

application. Applications are limited to

20 single-or 40 double-spaced pages

(excluding resumes, forms, etc.) and

must relate to the selection criteria

established for review of applications.

Some priority areas in this

announcement permit applicants to

propose research efforts from 12 to 24

months in duration. In item 11 of the

Face Sheet (page 1 of form SSA–96–BK)

indicate the priority area under which

the application is submitted; i.e., ORES–

98–001, ORES–98–002, etc.

Part II. Priority Research Areas and

Evaluation Criteria

In general, grant proposals must be

based on well-developed rigorous

analysis, including at a minimum the

elements specified in the evaluation

criteria in Part II.B. below.

A. Priority Research Areas

In particular, the following priority

project areas will be considered for

funding:

1. Issues Pertaining to Major Changes in

the Structure of Social Security—

ORES–98–001

The 1994–96 Advisory Council on

Social Security was appointed to

examine the long-term financing

problems facing the Social Security

system and to propose possible

solutions for putting the system on firm

financial footing. As part of this effort,

the Council considered many different

options designed to restore the longterm fiscal integrity of the program,

including options which would lead to

a partial privatization of Social Security.

In order to respond with better

information to the increasing call for

Social Security reform, we propose a

program of small grants which would

foster research regarding Social Security

reform.

Research proposals in any of the

following general areas are sought: (1)

Research into the possible

macroeconomic impacts of investing a

significant portion of the Social Security

trust fund in private equities; (2)

research into the possible

macroeconomic effects of a full or

partial privatization of Social Security;

(3) research concerning potential

impacts on financial markets, rates of

return, and/or capital formation of

either partial investment of Social

Security trust fund monies in private

securities or of the full or partial

conversion of the Social Security

program into one of individualized

accounts; (4) analysis of the financial

and economic risks faced by individuals

in a privatized Social Security system;

(5) analysis to determine whether or not

private insurance markets could, or

would, provide equivalent retirement,

survivors, and disability insurance to

that provided by the current Social

Security program, as well as

investigating the likely cost to

individuals of such insurance; (6)

research on the possible effects that

major changes in the structure of Social

Security might have on individuals’

saving behavior, national savings, and/

or the unified budget; and (7) research

into other topics of interest and

importance associated with the debate

surrounding reform proposals.

Applications may be submitted for

multi-year funding not to exceed either

12 months or 24 months in duration. It

should be noted that, for grants of 24

months duration, an interim report of

research findings will be required at the

end of the initial 12-month period. It is

particularly important for the agency to

receive grant results within the first year

on the implications of retirement policy

assessments, such as individual

accounts, retirement age, other

structural changes, etc. It is anticipated

that up to $400,000 will be allocated to

fund one or more projects under this

priority area for the initial 12-month

budget period. Applications for multiyear funding should include a budget

for the first budget period (not to exceed

12 months). If the application is

approved, a grant will be awarded for

the initial 12-month budget period.

Funding will subsequently be provided

for up to an additional 12-month budget

period dependent on satisfactory

performance of the initial budget period,

continued relevance of the project, and

the availability of FY funds.

2. Retirement Age Changes—ORES–98–

002

Social Security’s normal retirement

age (NRA) is scheduled to rise gradually

to 67 by 2027. Concern about the Old

Age Survivors Insurance program’s

long-term financial balance has

prompted consideration of additional

changes in Social Security’s retirement

ages. Among the possibilities discussed

are: (a) an accelerated rise in the NRA;

(b) increasing the NRA beyond age 67;

(c) indexing the NRA to reflect changes

in life expectancy; (d) increasing Social

Security’s early retirement age (ERA); or

(e) some combination of (a)–(d).

Policy questions of this type have

been explored by researchers in the

past, and the estimated effects of some

of these policy changes on work and

retirement patterns are available. The

existing estimates were, for the most

part, generated using econometric

models based on the somewhat dated

Retirement History Study data. With the

availability of successive waves of new

data from the Health and Retirement

Survey (HRS) to support new research,

as well as other databases that measure

the labor force activity of older workers,

we seek to fund the development of new

retirement models and other analyses.

SSA is primarily interested in

research proposals that develop models

and other analyses that aid in

understanding the likely behavioral

consequences of increasing the

retirement age. This research should

examine the effects of Social Security’s

retirement ages on the timing of

retirement within the context of a

framework that jointly addresses the

influence of other known factors such as

pensions, assets, earnings opportunities,

and health. Acceptable proposals might

also consider one or more of the

following issues: How will the timing of

first-receipt of Social Security benefits

by persons aged 62 and older change?

What will be the effects of raising the

retirement age on women? To what

extent would this type of policy change

affect the mix of part-time and full-time

employment desired by older workers?

Are ‘‘bridge jobs’’ likely to become more

or less important? How will the labor

supply response of older workers vary

by gender, age, occupation, health
27110 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

status, and ethnicity? Do other Social

Security program features significantly

deter work among the elderly, thereby

offsetting (at least to some extent) the

increased work that a higher retirement

age is likely to promote?

It is anticipated that up to $400,000

will be allocated to fund one or more

projects for up to 12 months under this

priority area. Preliminary results are to

be submitted 6 months after the grant is

awarded.

3. Social Security/Private Pension

Integration—ORES–98–003

Many employer-provided pension

plans contain rules that coordinate

pension benefits with Social Security

benefits that the retired worker receives.

These pension plans are said to be

integrated with Social Security. SSA

seeks research proposals that explore

how pension integration affects the

economic status of retirees.

SSA is interested in projects which

explore the economics of and rationale

for the existence of private pension plan

integration provisions. They should

document the prevalence of integrated

plans and identify any trends and their

causes (e.g., to what extent has the shift

from defined benefit to defined

contribution plans had an impact on the

numbers of workers with integrated

plans?). The projects should examine

the effects of pension integration on the

post-retirement distribution of income.

Fully developed proposals might also

outline research that addresses one or

more of the following issues: What

factors are associated with the

occurrence of integration provisions in

private pension plans? For example, is

plan integration associated with

employer characteristics, the level of

workers’ total compensation, the mix of

employer-employee contributions, or

the generosity of the pension plan? How

would changes in basic OASDI program

features, such as the Early and Normal

Retirement Ages, or in major changes in

the structure of the OASDI program,

such as individual accounts, likely

affect the prevalence and form of

integrated pension plans and retirement

income? We will entertain proposals for

other research projects that contribute to

our understanding of how pension plan

integration affects the economic wellbeing of Social Security beneficiaries.

It is anticipated that up to $100,000

will be allocated to fund a project for up

to 12 months under this priority area.

4. Poverty Among Older Women CrossNationally—ORES–98–004

Although in recent decades many

Western industrialized nations have

undergone demographic, labor market,

and social changes akin to those in the

United States, poverty rates among older

women continue to differ. Older women

in the United States, particularly those

who are unmarried, fare comparatively

worse economically than their

counterparts in other industrialized

nations. The Luxembourg Income Study

is a unique source of information on the

economic circumstances of individuals

in more than twenty countries. For

many of the countries, data are available

for multiple years. We seek to fund

research that uses these data to assess

the relative effectiveness of different

social insurance systems in combating

poverty among elderly women. The

project should include not only a

description and comparison of the

economic status of elderly women in the

chosen countries but also an analysis of

its correlates (e.g., marital status,

sources and amounts of each type of

income). Particular attention should be

paid to the institutional structure of

each country’s social insurance program

as it pertains to women (e.g., spousal

benefits, widow’s and divorced spouse

benefits, compensations for

interruptions in a woman’s work history

for child-rearing and caregiving) as well

as the extent to which the program is

integrated with private sources of

retirement income. To isolate the effects

of public policies on older women’s

poverty, consideration of multiple years

of data in select countries may be

warranted.

It is anticipated that up to $100,000

will be allocated to fund a project for up

to 12 months under this priority area.

5. Economic and Demographic

Assumptions Recommended for Study

by Past Advisory Councils—ORES–98–

005

The past two Advisory Councils on

Social Security (as well as other

Councils before them) recognized the

need to conduct research regarding the

assumptions and methods used to

project the future financial status of the

OASDI programs, including measures of

the financial soundness of these

programs. In addition to examining the

economic and demographic

assumptions behind these forecasts, the

1994 Advisory Council on Social

Security highlighted the need for

research into the feasibility of using

stochastic simulation modeling for

forecasting future economic and

demographic trends. In order to respond

to these needs, we propose a program of

small grants designed to foster original

research in these areas.

Research proposals in the following

areas are being sought: (1) Research into

the determinants and projection of

productivity and earnings; (2) research

into the effects of changes in the number

of hours worked and in fringe benefits

on the linkages between productivity

and covered earnings; (3) research into

the interrelationship of interest rates,

productivity, wages, and other

economic variables, with some focus on

the role of the global economy; (4)

research into the use of stochastic

simulation models to forecast future

economic and demographic trends; (5)

research concerning the ultimate rates of

mortality decline at all ages as well as

investigation of various methods of

projecting such rates; and (6) research

concerning the impact of the age

composition of the population (cohort

effects) on labor force participation

(particularly female labor force

participation), fertility, marriage and

divorce with the intention of improving

our long-range projections of these

variables.

Applications may be submitted for

multi-year funding not to exceed 24

months in duration. It is anticipated that

up to $200,000 will be allocated to fund

one or more projects under this priority

area for the initial 12-month budget

period. Applications for multi-year

funding should include a budget for the

first budget period (not to exceed 12

months). If the application is approved,

a grant will be awarded for the initial

12-month budget period. Funding will

subsequently be provided for up to an

additional 12-month budget period

dependent on satisfactory performance

of the initial budget period, continued

relevance of the project, and the

availability of FY funds.

Note: To foster the sharing of research,

principal investigators for each grant

awarded will be required to (1) include in the

final report an executive summary which

SSA could publish in the quarterly Social

Security Bulletin and (2) discuss the results

of their research with SSA staff. Funds

should be included in the grant budget for a

meeting at the SSA Office of Research,

Evaluation and Statistics, Washington, D.C.

B. Evaluation Criteria

Applications which pass the

screening process will be reviewed by at

least three individuals. Reviewers will

score the applications, basing their

scoring decisions on the criteria shown

below. An unacceptable rating on any

individual criterion may render the

application unacceptable. Consequently,

applicants should take care to ensure

that all criteria are fully addressed in

the application. Relative weights for the

criteria are shown in parentheses.

(1) Project Objective: (25 points)

How closely do the project objectives

fit those of the announcement? Is the
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices 27111

need for the project discussed in terms

of the importance of the issues to be

addressed? Does it describe how the

project builds upon previous research?

What is the potential usefulness of the

anticipated result and expected benefits

to the target groups? What is the

potential usefulness of the proposed

project for the advancement of scientific

knowledge?

(2) Project Design: (30 points)

Is the design of the project adequate

and feasible as indicated by the

appropriateness of the work statement

and the technical approach, including:

(a) A concise and clear statement of

goals and objectives; (b) theoretical

analysis of the problem and, if

appropriate, hypotheses to be tested

and/or parameters to be estimated; (c)

specification of data sources; (d) plan

for data analysis, including

appropriateness of statistical methods to

be used; and (e) scheduling of tasks and

milestones in the progress of the

project? Does the proposal describe

specific plans for conducting the project

in terms of the tasks to be performed,

and how the approach will accomplish

the project objectives?

(3) Qualifications: (30 points)

Do the qualifications of the project

personnel, as evidenced by training,

experience, and publications,

demonstrate that they have the

knowledge of subject matter and skills

required to competently carry out the

research and to produce a final report

that is comprehensible and usable? Is

the staffing pattern appropriate for the

proposed research, linking

responsibilities clearly to project tasks?

(4) Organization and Budget: (15 points)

Are the resources needed to conduct

the project specified, including

personnel, time, funds, and facilities?

Are any collaborative efforts with other

organizations clearly identified and

written assurances referenced? Is all

budget information provided including

a description by category (personnel,

travel, etc.) of the total of the Federal

funds required, and written assurances

referenced? Where appropriate, are

justifications and explanations of costs

provided? Are the project’s costs

reasonable in view of the level of effort

and anticipated outcome? Does the

applicant’s organization have adequate

facilities and resources to plan, conduct,

and complete the project?

Part III. Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

Any State or local government, public

or private organization, nonprofit or forprofit organization, hospital, or

educational institution may apply for a

grant under this announcement.

Applications will not be accepted from

applicants which do not meet the above

eligibility criteria at the time of

submission of applications.

Individuals are not eligible to apply.

For-profit organizations may apply with

the understanding that no grant funds

may be paid as profit to any grant

recipient. Profit is considered as any

amount in excess of the allowable costs

of the grant recipient. A for-profit

organization is a corporation or other

legal entity which is organized or

operated for the profit or benefit of its

shareholders or other owners and must

be distinguishable or legally separable

from that of an individual acting on his/

her own behalf.

In accordance with section 18 of the

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2

U.S.C. 1611, organizations described in

section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue

Code of 1968 that engage in lobbying are

not eligible to receive grant awards.

B. Availability and Duration of Funding

SSA anticipates allocating funds for

each priority area as follows:

ORES–98–001, ‘‘Issues Pertaining to

Major Changes in the Structure of

Social Security’’—up to $400,000 to

fund either the 12-month budget

period or the initial 12-month budget

period (depending on whether a grant

is for 1 or 2 years) of one or more

projects in this priority area.

ORES–98–002, ‘‘Retirement Age

Changes’’—up to $400,000 to fund the

12-month budget period for one or

more projects in this priority area.

ORES–98–003, ‘‘Social Security/Private

Pension Integration’’—up to $100,000

to fund the 12-month budget period

for a project in this priority area.

ORES–98–004, ‘‘Poverty Among Older

Women Cross-Nationally’’—up to

$100,000 to fund the 12-month budget

period for a project in this priority

area.

ORES–98–005, ‘‘Economic and

Demographic Assumptions

Recommended for Study by Past

Advisory Councils’’—up to $200,000

to fund the initial 12-month budget

period of one or more projects in this

priority area.

C. Grantee Share of the Project Costs

Grant recipients receiving assistance

to conduct these research projects are

expected to contribute a minimum of 5

percent towards the total cost of the

project (cash or in-kind). No grant will

be awarded that covers 100 percent of

the project’s costs.

D. The Application Process for

Proposals Requesting Grant Funds

Organizations wishing to compete for

grants under this announcement must

submit an application by July 14, 1998.

Applications received in response to

this announcement will be reviewed by

Federal and non-Federal personnel.

Successful applicants may expect

funding during the fourth quarter of FY

1998 (prior to September 30, 1998).

1. Availability of Application Forms

Application kits which contain the

prescribed application forms for grant

funds are available from the Grants

Management Team; Office of Operations

Contracts and Grants; Office of

Acquisition and Grants; Social Security

Administration; 1–E–4 Gwynn Oak

Building; 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue;

Baltimore, Maryland 21207–5279; Mr. E.

Joe Smith, Grants Management Officer;

telephone (410) 965–9503 (e-mail

address: joe.smith@ssa.gov) or Mr.

David S. Allshouse, telephone (410)

965–9262 (e-mail

address:dave.allshouse@ssa.gov).

When requesting an application kit,

the applicant should refer to program

announcement number SSA–ORES–98–

2 and the date of this announcement to

ensure receipt of the proper application

kit.

2. Additional Information

For additional information concerning

project development, please contact Ms.

Eleanor Cooper, Coordinator for

Extramural Research; Office of Research,

Evaluation and Statistics; Social

Security Administration; 4–C–15

Operations; 6401 Security Boulevard,

Baltimore, Maryland 21235; telephone

(410) 966–9824. Ms. Cooper’s e-mail

address is: eleanor.l.cooper@ssa.gov.

3. Application Submission

All applications requesting Federal

grant funds must be submitted on the

standard forms provided by the Grants

Management Team. The application

shall be executed by an individual

authorized to act for the applicant

organization and to assume for the

applicant organization the obligations

imposed by the terms and conditions of

the grant award.

As part of the project title (page 1 of

the application form SSA–96–BK, item

11), the applicant must clearly indicate

that the application submitted is in

response to this announcement (SSA–

ORES–98–2) and must show the

appropriate priority area project

identifier (i.e., ORES–98–001, –002,

–003, –004, or –005).
27112 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

Applications must be submitted to the

Grants Management Team at the address

specified in number 7, below.

4. Application Consideration

Applications are initially screened for

relevance to this announcement. If

judged irrelevant, the applications are

returned to the applicants.

Applications that conform to the

requirements of this program

announcement will be reviewed and

evaluated against the evaluation criteria

specified in this announcement and

evaluated by Federal and non-Federal

personnel. The results of this evaluation

will assist SSA in selecting the

applications to be funded.

5. Application Approval

Grant awards will be issued within

the limits of Federal funds available

following the approval of the

applications selected for funding. The

official award document is the ‘‘Notice

of Grant Award.’’ It will provide the

amount of funds awarded, the purpose

of the award, the budget period for

which support is given, the total project

period for which support is

contemplated, the amount of grantee

financial participation, and any special

terms and conditions of the grant award.

6. Screening Requirements

In order for an application to be in

conformance, it must meet all of the

following requirements:

(a) Number of Copies: An original

signed and dated application plus at

least two copies must be submitted. Five

additional copies are optional and will

expedite processing of the grant

application.

(b) Length: The narrative portion of

the application (Part III of form SSA–

96–BK) must not exceed 20 single-or 40

double-spaced pages, exclusive of

resumes, forms, etc., typewritten on one

side only using standard size (8 1⁄2′′ x

11′′) paper. Applications should neither

be unduly elaborative nor contain

voluminous documentation.

7. Closing Date for Receipt of

Applications

The closing date for receipt of grant

applications for Federal funds in

response to this announcement is July

14, 1998.

Applications may be mailed or sent

by commercial carrier or personally

delivered to: Grants Management Team;

Office of Operations Contracts and

Grants; Office of Acquisition and

Grants; Social Security Administration;

ATTN: SSA–ORES–98–2; 1–E–4 Gwynn

Oak Building; 1710 Gwynn Oak

Avenue; Baltimore, Maryland 21207–

5279.

Hand-delivered applications are

accepted during the hours of 8:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

An application will be considered as

meeting the deadline if it is either:

(a) Received on or before the deadline date

at the above address; or

(b) Mailed through the U.S. Postal Service or

sent by commercial carrier on or before

the deadline date and received in time to

be considered during the competitive

review and evaluation process.

Applicants are cautioned to request a

legibly dated U.S. Postal Service

postmark or to obtain a legibly dated

receipt from a commercial carrier as

evidence of timely mailing. Private

metered postmarks are not acceptable as

proof of timely mailing.

Applications which do not meet the

above criteria are considered late

applications. SSA will notify each late

applicant that its application will not be

considered.

Note: Facsimile Copies Will Not Be

Accepted.

Notice Procedures

Paperwork Reduction Act

This notice contains reporting

requirements in the ‘‘Application

Process’’ section. However, the

information is collected using form

SSA–96–BK, Federal Assistance, which

has Office of Management and Budget

clearance No. 0960–0184.

Executive Orders 12372 and 12416—

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs

This program is not covered by the

requirements of Executive Order 12372,

as amended by Executive Order 12416,

relating to Federal agencies providing

opportunities for consultation with

State and local elected officials on

proposed Federal financial assistance or

direct Federal development.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:

Program No. 96.007, Social Security-Research

and Demonstration)

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Kenneth S. Apfel,

Commissioner of Social Security.

[FR Doc. 98–12962 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice #2815]

Overseas Schools Advisory Council;

Notice of Meeting

The Overseas Schools Advisory

Council, Department of State, will hold

its Annual Meeting on Thursday, June

18, 1998, at 9:30 a.m. in Conference

Room 6320, Department of State

Building, 2201 C Street, NW.,

Washington, DC. The meeting is open to

the public.

The Overseas Schools Advisory

Council works closely with the U.S.

business community in improving those

American-sponsored schools overseas

which are assisted by the Department of

State and which are attended by

dependents of U.S. government families

and children of employees of U.S.

corporations and foundations abroad.

This meeting will deal with issues

related to the work and the support

provided by the Overseas Schools

Advisory Council to the Americansponsored overseas schools.

Members of the general public may

attend the meeting and join in the

discussion, subject to the instructions of

the Chair. Admittance of public

members will be limited to the seating

available. Access to the State

Department is controlled, and

individual building passes are required

for each attendee. Persons who plan to

attend should so advise the office of Dr.

Keith D. Miller, Department of State,

Office of Overseas Schools, SA–29,

Room 245, Washington, DC 20522–

2902, telephone 703–875–7800, prior to

June 7, 1998. Visitors will be asked to

provide their date of birth and Social

Security number at the time they

register their intention to attend and

must carry a valid photo ID with them

to the meeting. All attendees must use

the C Street entrance to the building.

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Keith D. Miller,

Executive Secretary, Overseas Schools

Advisory Council.

[FR Doc. 98–12945 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–24–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 2817]

Secretary of State’s Advisory

Committee on Private International

Law (ACPIL) International Project

Finance: Request for Public Comments

The United Nations Commission on

International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is

in the process of preparing a

‘‘Legislative Guide’’ for countries to use

as a basis for legislation or otherwise, so

as to provide enabling authority for

infrastructure projects to be privately

financed in whole or in part, and to

allow private sector development and

operation, often for a fixed period of

years. Legislation in this field often