36320 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.101]

Indian Vocational Education Program;

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

Notice to Applicants: This notice is a

complete application package. Together with

the statute authorizing the program and

applicable regulations governing the

program, including the Education

Department General Administrative

Regulations (EDGAR), the notice contains all

of the information, application forms, and

instructions needed to apply for a grant

under this competition.

Purpose of Program: To provide

financial assistance to Indian tribes and

certain schools funded by the

Department of the Interior to plan,

conduct, and administer projects, or

portions of projects, that are authorized

by and consistent with the Carl D.

Perkins Vocational and Applied

Technology Education Act of 1990

(Act), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 2301 et

seq.

Eligible Applicants: The following

entities are eligible for an award under

this program:

(a) A tribal organization of any Indian

tribe that is eligible to contract with the

Secretary of the Interior under the

Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act or under the

Act of April 16, 1934.

(b) A Bureau-funded school offering a

secondary program.

(c) Any tribal organization or Bureaufunded school described in paragraphs

(a) or (b) of this section may apply

individually or as part of a consortium

with one or more eligible tribal

organizations or schools.

When seeking to apply for funds as a

consortium, individual eligible

applicants must enter into an agreement

signed by all members of the consortium

and designating one member of the

consortium as the applicant and grantee.

The consortium’s agreement must detail

the activities each member of the

consortium plans to perform, and must

bind each member to every statement

and assurance made in the consortium’s

application. The designated applicant

must submit the consortium’s agreement

with its application.

Submission of Applications

(a) An application from a tribal

organization, other than a Bureaufunded school, must be submitted to the

Secretary by the Indian tribe.

(b) An application for a project to

serve more than one Indian tribe must

be approved by each tribe to be served.

(c) An application from a Bureaufunded school may be submitted

directly to the Secretary.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: September 18, 1998.

Available Funds: $12,529,088 for the

first 12 months of the 24-month project

period. Funding for the second 12-

month period of the 24-month project

period is subject to the availability of

funds and to a grantee meeting the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.

Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000

to $500,000 for the first 12 months.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$375,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 35.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 24 months.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as

follows:

(1) 34 CFR Part 74 (Administration of

Grants and Agreements to Institutions of

Higher Education, Hospitals and

Nonprofit Organizations).

(2) 34 CFR Part 75 (Direct Grant

Programs).

(3) 34 CFR Part 77 (Definitions that

Apply to Department Regulations).

(4) 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Cooperative Agreements to State

and Local Governments).

(5) 34 CFR Part 81 (General Education

Provisions Act—Enforcement).

(6) 34 CFR Part 85 (Government-wide

Debarment and Suspension

(Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free

Workplace (Grants)).

(7) 34 CFR Part 86 (Drug-Free Schools

and Campuses).

(b) The regulations for this program in

34 CFR parts 400 and 401.

Definitions

Applicants are encouraged to take

particular note of the following

definitions that are contained in 34 CFR

401.5:

Act of April 16, 1934 means the

Federal law commonly known as the

‘‘Johnson-O’Malley Act,’’ that authorizes

the Secretary of the Interior to make

contracts for the education of Indians

and other purposes (25 U.S.C. 455–457).

Bureau means the Bureau of Indian

Affairs, Department of the Interior.

Bureau-funded school means—

(1) A Bureau-operated elementary or

secondary day or boarding school or a

Bureau-operated dormitory for students

attending a school other than a Bureau

school;

(2) An elementary or secondary

school or a dormitory that receives

financial assistance for its operation

under a contract or agreement with the

Bureau under section 102, 104(1), or 208

of the Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.

450f, 450h(1), and 458d); or

(3) A school for which assistance is

provided under the Tribally Controlled

Schools Act of 1988.

Indian tribe means any Indian tribe,

band, Nation, or other organized group

or community, including any Alaska

Native village or regional or village

corporation as defined in or established

pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims

Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) that is

federally recognized as eligible for the

special programs and services provided

by the United States to Indians because

of their status as Indians.

Tribal organization means the

recognized governing body of any

Indian tribe or any legally established

organization of Indians that is

controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by

that governing body or that is

democratically elected by the adult

members of the Indian community to be

served by the organization and that

includes the maximum participation of

Indians in all phases of its activities.

However, in any case where a contract

is let or grant made to an organization

to perform services benefiting more than

one Indian tribe, the approval of each of

those Indian tribes must be a

prerequisite to the letting or making of

that contract or grant.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

response to recent notices inviting

applications under the Indian

Vocational Education Program, a

number of Indian tribal organizations

and Bureau-funded schools have

submitted applications proposing

projects that were designed to use a

majority of the funds to prepare

students for a high school equivalency

diploma. Although a high school

diploma or its equivalent certainly

enhances a student’s ability to benefit

from postsecondary vocational

education, applicants are reminded that

projects must use funds under the

Indian Vocational Education Program

only to provide vocational education

that is authorized by and consistent

with the Act. Vocational education

includes: (a) remedial education, only to

the extent that it is necessary for a

vocational education student to benefit

from vocational instruction, and (b) the

integration of academic and vocational

education through coherent sequences

of courses so that students achieve both

academic and occupational

competencies. Grantees may not pay for

the cost of academic courses that are not
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36321

directly related to the occupational skill

being taught in a vocational education

program.

The Secretary recognizes that in many

Indian communities the need for a high

school equivalency diploma may be as

great as the need for vocational training

and, therefore, encourages Indian tribal

organizations and Bureau-funded

schools to seek other resources to

address the former need.

Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1),

the Secretary is particularly interested

in receiving applications that meet the

following invitational priority:

Projects that include a valid, reliable,

and otherwise meaningful plan for

conducting an evaluation of the

effectiveness of the project. The project

must include an evaluation plan that—

(a) Is clearly explained and

appropriate for the project;

(b) Identifies at a minimum—

(1) The types of quantifiable data to be

collected and reported with respect to

the academic and vocational

competencies demonstrated by

participants and the number and kinds

of academic and work credentials

acquired by individuals who complete

the training, including participation in

programs providing training at the

associate degree level that is articulated

with an advanced degree option;

(2) The type of data to be collected

and reported with respect to enrollment,

completion, and placement of

participants by sex, racial or ethnic

group, socio-economic status for each

occupation for which training is

provided;

(3) Job or work skill attainment or

enhancement, including participation in

apprenticeship and work-based learning

programs, and student progress in

achieving occupational skills necessary

to obtain employment in the field for

which the student has been prepared,

including occupational skills in the

industry the student is preparing to

enter; and

(4) The types and numbers of

placements into additional training or

education, military service, or

employment;

(c) Includes activities during the

formative stages of the project to help

guide and improve the project, as well

as a summative evaluation that includes

recommendations for replicating project

activities and results. A project that will

continue to operate after Federal

funding ends should also plan for a

summative evaluation that includes

recommendations for improving the

quality of its vocational education

services;

(d) Will yield results that can be

summarized and submitted to the

Secretary for review as a potentially

exemplary and promising educational

program;

(e) Makes use of an external

independent evaluator; and

(f) When appropriate, will provide a

comparison between intended and

observed results and lead to the

demonstration of a clear link between

the observed results and the specific

treatment of project participants.

Note: An application that meets this

invitational priority does not receive

competitive or absolute preference over other

applications.

Selection Criteria: The Secretary uses

the selection criteria contained in 34

CFR 401.21 to evaluate applications for

new grants under this competition.

However, due to the repeal of the

legislation authorizing the Jobs

Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS)

program, the ‘‘program factors’’ criterion

included in this notice no longer

includes references to the JOBS

program. (See Pub. L. 104–193, Title I,

Section 108(e), August 22, 1996.)

Section 401.21 assigns a total of 85

points for these criteria. Under section

401.20(b), the Secretary is authorized to

distribute an additional 15 reserved

points among the criteria contained in

section 401.21 for a maximum of 100

points for the selection criteria. The

maximum score for each criterion is

indicated in parentheses.

Criteria

(a) Program factors. (25 points) The

Secretary reviews each application to

determine the extent to which it—

(1) Proposes measurable goals for

student enrollment, completion, and

placement (including placement in jobs

or military specialties and in continuing

education or training opportunities) that

are realistic in terms of stated needs,

resources, and job opportunities in each

occupation for which training is to be

provided;

(2) Proposes goals that take into

consideration any related goals or

standards developed for the Job

Training Partnership Act (JTPA)(29

U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) training programs

operating in the area, and, where

appropriate, any goals set by the State

Board for vocational education for the

occupation and geographic area;

(3) Describes, for each occupation for

which training is to be provided, how

successful program completion will be

determined in terms of academic and

vocational competencies demonstrated

by enrollees prior to completion and

any academic or work credentials

acquired by enrollees upon completion;

(4) Demonstrates the active

commitment in the project’s planning

and operation by advisory committees,

tribal planning offices, the JTPA

program director, and potential

employers such as tribal enterprises,

private enterprises (on or off

reservation), and other organizations;

(5) Is targeted to individuals with

inadequate skills to assist those

individuals in obtaining new

employment; and

(6) Includes a thorough description of

the approach to be used, including some

or all of the following components:

(i) Methods of participant selection.

(ii) Assessment and feedback of

participant progress.

(iii) Coordination of vocational

instruction, academic instruction, and

support services such as counseling,

transportation, and child care.

(iv) Curriculum and, if appropriate,

approaches for providing on-the-job

training experience.

(b) Need. (15 points) The Secretary

reviews each application to determine

the extent to which the project

addresses specific needs, including—

(1) The job market and related needs

(such as educational level) of the target

population;

(2) Characteristics of that population,

including an estimate of those to be

served by the project;

(3) How the project will meet the

needs of the target population; and

(4) A description of any ongoing and

planned activities relative to those

needs, including, if appropriate, how

the State plan developed under 34 CFR

403.30–403.34 is designed to meet those

needs.

(c) Plan of operation. (15 points) The

Secretary reviews each application to

determine the quality of the plan of

operation for the project, including—

(1) The establishment of objectives

that are clearly related to project goals

and activities and are measurable with

respect to anticipated enrollments,

completions, and placements;

(2) A management plan that describes

the chain of command, how staff will be

managed, how coordination among staff

will be accomplished, and timelines for

each activity; and

(3) The way the applicant intends to

use its resources and personnel to

achieve each objective.

(d) Key personnel. (10 points). (1) The

Secretary reviews each application to

determine the quality of key personnel

the applicant plans to use on the

project, including—

(i) The qualifications of the project

director;

(ii) The qualifications of each of the

other key personnel to be used on the

project;

(iii) The time, including justification

for the time that each one of the key
36322 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

personnel, including the project

director, will commit to the project; and

(iv) Subject to the Indian preference

provisions of the Indian SelfDetermination Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et

seq.) that apply to grants and contracts

to tribal organizations, how the

applicant, as part of its

nondiscriminatory employment

practices, will ensure that its personnel

are selected for employment without

regard to race, color, national origin,

gender, age, or disabling condition.

(2) To determine personnel

qualifications, the Secretary considers—

(i) The experience and training of key

personnel in project management and in

fields particularly related to the

objectives of the project; and

(ii) Any other qualifications of key

personnel that pertain to the quality of

the project.

(e) Budget and Cost Effectiveness. (5

points) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine the extent to

which—

(1) The budget is adequate to support

the project activities;

(2) Costs are reasonable in relation to

the objectives of the project and the

number of participants to be served; and

(3) The budget narrative justifies the

expenditures.

(f) Evaluation Plan. (20 points) The

Secretary reviews each application to

determine the quality of the evaluation

plan for the project, including the extent

to which—

(1) The plan identifies, at a minimum,

types of data to be collected and

reported with respect to the academic

and vocational competencies

demonstrated by participants and the

number and kind of academic and work

credentials acquired by participants

who complete the training;

(2) The plan identifies, at a minimum,

types of data to be collected and

reported with respect to the

achievement of project goals for the

enrollment, completion, and placement

of participants. The data must be broken

down by sex and by occupation for

which training was provided;

(3) The methods of evaluation are

appropriate for the project and, to the

extent possible, are objective and

produce data that are quantifiable; and

(4) The methods of evaluation provide

periodic data that can be used by the

project for ongoing program

improvement.

(g) Employment opportunities. (10

points) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine the quality of

the plan for job placement of

participants who complete training

under this program, including—

(1) The expected employment

opportunities (including any military

specialties) and any additional

educational or training opportunities

that are related to the participants’

training;

(2) Information and documentation

concerning potential employers’

commitment to hire participants who

complete training; and

(3) An estimate of the percentage of

trainees expected to be employed

(including self-employed individuals) in

the field for which they were trained

following completion of training.

Special Considerations

Under 34 CFR 401.20(e), in addition

to the 100 points to be awarded based

on the selection criteria in 34 CFR

401.21, the Secretary awards:

(a) Up to 5 points to applications

proposing exemplary approaches that

involve, coordinate with, or encourage

tribal economic development plans; and

(b) Five points to applications from

tribally controlled community colleges

that—

(1) Are accredited or are candidates

for accreditation by a nationally

recognized accreditation organization as

an institution of postsecondary

vocational education; or

(2) Operate vocational education

programs that are accredited or are

candidates for accreditation by a

nationally recognized accreditation

organization and issue certificates for

completion of vocational education

programs.

Additional Factors

Under 34 CFR 401.22, the Secretary

may decide not to award a grant or

cooperative agreement if—

(a) The proposed project duplicates an

effort already being made; or

(b) Funding the project would create

an inequitable distribution of funds

under this part among Indian tribes.

Instructions for Transmittal of

Applications

Applicants are required to submit one

original signed application and two

copies of the grant application. All

forms and assurances must have ink

signatures. Please mark applications as

‘‘original’’ or ‘‘copy.’’ To aid with the

review of applications, the Department

encourages applicants to submit four

additional copies of the grant

application. The Department will not

penalize applicants who do not provide

additional copies.

(a) If an applicant wants to apply for

a grant under this competition, the

applicant must either—

(1) Mail the original and two copies

of the application on or before the

deadline date to: U.S. Department of

Education, Application Control Center,

Attention: (CFDA #84.101), Washington,

D.C. 20202–4725, or

(2) Hand deliver the original and two

copies of the application by 4:30 p.m.

(Washington, D.C. time) on or before the

deadline date to: U.S. Department of

Education, Application Control Center,

Attention: (CFDA #84.101), Room

#3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th

and D Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C.

(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.

(4) Any other proof of mailing

acceptable to the Secretary.

(c) If an application is mailed through

the U.S. Postal Service, the Secretary

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.

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

uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before

relying on this method, an applicant should

check with its local post office.

(2) The Application Control Center will

mail a Grant Application 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 U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center at (202) 708–

9494.

(3) The applicant must indicate on the

envelope and—if not provided by the

Department—in Item 10 of the Application

for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424)

the CFDA number—and suffix letter, if any—

of the competition under which the

application is being submitted.

Application Instructions and Forms:

All forms and instructions are included

as Appendix A of this notice. Questions

and answers pertaining to this program

are included, as Appendix B, to assist

potential applicants.

To apply for an award under this

program competition, your application

must be organized in the following

order and include the following five

parts. The parts and additional materials

are as follows:

PART I: Application for Federal

Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4–

88)) and instructions.

PART II: Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED Form No.

524) and instructions.

PART III: Budget Narrative.

PART IV: Program Narrative.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36323

Estimated Public Reporting Burden.

PART V: Additional Assurances and

Certifications:

a. Assurances—Non-Construction

Programs (Standard Form 424B).

b. Certification regarding Debarment,

Suspension, and Other Responsibility

Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements (ED 80–0013) and

instructions.

c. Certification regarding Debarment,

Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary

Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered

Transactions (ED Form 80–0014, 9/90)

and instructions.

Note: ED Form 80–0014 is intended for the

use of grantees and should not be transmitted

to the Department.

d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(Standard Form LLL)(if applicable) and

instructions. This document has been

marked to reflect statutory changes. See

the notice published by the Office of

Management and Budget at 61 FR 1413

(January 19, 1996).

e. Notice to All Applicants.

No grant may be awarded unless a

completed application form has been

received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gwen Washington, Linda Mayo or Sonja

Turner, Special Programs Branch,

Division of National Programs, Office of

Vocational and Adult Education, U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W. (Room

4512, Mary E. Switzer Building),

Washington, D.C. 20202–7242.

Telephone (202) 205–9351. 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.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this notice in an alternate format

(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or

computer diskette) on request to the

contact persons listed in the preceding

paragraph. Please note, however, that

the Department is not able to reproduce

in an alternate format the standard

forms included in the notice.

Electronic Access to This Department

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format(pdf) on the World

Wide Web at either of the following

sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the

Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with

Search, which is available free at either

of the preceding sites. If you have

questions about using the pdf, call the

U.S. Government Printing Office toll

free at 1–888–293–6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy on an electronic

bulletin board of the Department.

Telephone (202) 219–1511 or, toll free,

1–800–222–4922. The documents are

located under Option G—Files/

Announcements, Bulletins and Press

Releases.

Note: The official version of this document

is the document published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2313(b).

Dated: June 26, 1998.

Patricia W. McNeil,

Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and

Adult Education.

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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Appendix A
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BILLING CODE 4001–01–C
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36329

PART II—BUDGET INFORMATION

Instructions for Part II—Budget

Information

Sections A and B—Budget Summary by

Categories

1. Personnel: Show salaries to be paid

to personnel for each budget year.

2. Fringe Benefits: Indicate the rate

and amount of fringe benefits for each

budget year.

3. Travel: Indicate the amount

requested for both local and out of State

travel of Project Staff for each budget

year. Include funds for at least one trip

for two people to attend the Project

Director’s Workshop.

4. Equipment: Indicate the cost of

non-expendable personal property that

has a cost of $5,000 or more per unit for

each budget year.

5. Supplies: Include the cost of

consumable supplies and materials to be

used during the project period for each

budget year.

6. Contractual: Show the amount to

be used for: (1) procurement contracts

(except those which belong on other

lines such as supplies and equipment);

and (2) sub-contracts for each budget

year.

7. Construction: Not Applicable.

8. Other: Indicate all direct costs not

clearly covered by lines 1 through 6

above, including consultants and capital

expenditures for each budget year.

9. Total Direct Cost: Show the total for

Lines 1 through 8 for each budget year.

10. Indirect Costs: Indicate the rate

and amount of indirect costs for each

budget year.

11. Training/stipend Cost: Indicate

cost per student and number of hours of

instruction. The amount of a stipend

may be the greater of either the

minimum hourly wage prescribed by

state or local law or the minimum

hourly wage set under the Fair Labor

Standards Act. Please carefully read 34

CFR 401.3(c) for additional information

on stipends.

12. Total Costs: Show total for lines 9

through 11 for each budget year.

Instructions for Part III—Budget

Narrative

The budget narrative should explain,

justify, and, if needed, clarify your

budget summary. For each line item

(personnel, fringe benefits, travel, etc.)

in your budget, explain why it is there

and how you computed the costs.

Please limit this section to no more

than five pages. Be sure that each page

of your application is numbered

consecutively.

Instructions for Part IV—Program

Narrative

The program narrative will comprise

the largest portion of your application.

This part is where you spell out the

who, what, when, why, and how, of

your proposed project.

Although you will not have a form to

fill out for your narrative, there is a

format. This format is based on the

selection criteria. Because your

application will be reviewed and rated

by a review panel on the basis of the

selection criteria, your narrative should

follow the order and format of the

criteria.

Before preparing your application,

you should carefully read the legislation

and regulations of the program,

eligibility requirements, special

considerations, and the selection criteria

for this competition.

Your program narrative should be

clear, concise, and to the point. Begin

the narrative with a one page abstract or

summary of your project. Then describe

the project in detail, addressing each

selection criterion in order.

The Secretary strongly suggests that

you limit the program narrative to no

more than 30 double-spaced, typed

pages (on one side only), although the

Secretary will consider your application

if it is longer. Be sure to number

consecutively ALL pages in your

application.

You may include supporting

documentation as appendices to the

program narrative. Be sure that this

material is concise and pertinent to this

program competition.

You are advised that—

(a) The Secretary considers only

information contained in the

application in ranking applications for

funding consideration. Letters of

support sent separately from the formal

application package are not considered

in the review by the technical review

panels. (34 CFR 75.217)

(b) The technical review panel

evaluates each application solely on the

basis of the selection criteria contained

in this notice and in 34 CFR 401.21 and

the special consideration contained in

this notice and in 34 CFR 401.20(e)(1).

(c) The Secretary awards five points to

applications from tribally-controlled

community colleges, under the terms of

34 CFR 401.20(e)(2).

(d) Letters of support included as

appendices to an application, that are of

direct relevance to or contain

commitments that pertain to the

established selection criteria, such as

commitment of resources, will be

reviewed by the panel.

Estimated Burden Statement

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

collection is 1830–0013. (Expiration

date: 06/30/99). The time required to

complete this information collection is

estimated to average 90 hours per

response, including the time to review

instructions, search existing data

resources, gather the data needed, and

complete and review the information

collection.

If you have any comments concerning

the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or

suggestions for improving this form,

please write to: U.S. Department of

Education, Washington, D.C. 20202–

4651.

If you have comments or concerns

regarding the status of your individual

submission of this form, write directly

to: Gwen Washington, Linda Mayo or

Sonja Turner, Division of National

Programs, Office of Vocational and

Adult Education, U.S. Department of

Education, 600 Independence Avenue,

S.W. (Room 4512, Mary E. Switzer

Building), Washington D.C. 20202–

7242.

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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BILLING CODE 4000–01–C
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices 36337

Notice to All Applicants

Thank you for your interest in this

program. The purpose of this enclosure

is to inform you about a new provision

in the Department of Education’s

General Education Provisions Act

(GEPA) that applies to applicants for

new grant awards under Department

programs. This provision is section 427

of GEPA, enacted as part of the

Improving America’s Schools Act of

1994 (Pub. L. 103–382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects

applicants for new discretionary grant

awards under this program. All

applicants for new awards must include

information in their applications to

address this new provision in order to

receive funding under this program.

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant

for funds (other than an individual

person) to include in its application a

description of the steps the applicant

proposes to take to ensure equitable

access to, and participation in, its

federally-assisted program for students,

teachers, and other program

beneficiaries with special needs.

This section allows applicants

discretion in developing the required

description. The statute highlights six

types of barriers that can impede

equitable access or participation that

you may address: gender, race, national

origin, color, disability, or age. Based on

local circumstances, you can determine

whether these or other barriers may

prevent your students, teachers, etc.

from equitable access or participation.

Your description need not be lengthy;

you may provide a clear and succinct

description of how you plan to address

those barriers that are applicable to your

circumstances. In addition, the

information my be provided in a single

narrative, or, if appropriate, may be

discussed in connection with related

topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to

duplicate the requirements of civil

rights statutes, but rather to ensure that,

in designing their projects, applicants

for Federal funds address equity

concerns that may affect the ability of

certain potential beneficiaries to fully

participate in the project and to achieve

to high standards. Consistent with

program requirements and its approved

application, an applicant may use the

Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate

barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an

Applicant Might Satisfy the

Requirement of This Provision?

The following examples may help

illustrate how an applicant may comply

with section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to

carry out an adult literacy project

serving, among others, adults with

limited English proficiency, might

describe in its application how it

intends to distribute a brochure about

the proposed project to such potential

participants in their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to

develop instructional materials for

classroom use might describe how it

will make the materials available on

audio tape or in braille for students who

are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to

carry out a model science program for

secondary students and is concerned

that girls may be less likely than boys

to enroll in the course, might indicate

how it tends to conduct ‘‘outreach’’

efforts to girls, to encourage their

enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants

may already be implementing effective

steps to ensure equity of access and

participation in their grant programs,

and we appreciate your cooperation in

responding to the requirements of this

provision.

Estimated Burden Statement

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

collection is 1830–0013 (Exp. 6/30/99).

The time required to complete this

information collection is estimated to

vary from 1 to 3 hours per response,

with an average of 1.5 hours, including

the time to review instructions, search

existing data resources, gather and

maintain the data needed, and complete

and review the information collection. If

you have any comments concerning the

accuracy of the time estimate(s) or

suggestions for improving this form,

please write to: U.S. Department of

Education, Washington, DC 20202–

4651.

Potential applicants frequently direct

questions to officials of the Department

regarding application notices and

programmatic and administrative

regulations governing various direct

grant programs. To assist potential

applicants, the Department has

assembled the following most

commonly asked questions followed by

the Department’s answers.

Q. Can we get an extension of the

deadline?

A. No. A closing date may be changed

only under extraordinary circumstances.

Any change must be announced in the

Federal Register and must apply to all

applications. Waivers for individual

applications cannot be granted

regardless of the circumstances.

Q. How many copies of the

application should I submit and must

they be bound?

A. Applicants are required to submit

one original and two copies of the grant

application. To aid with the review of

applications, the Department

encourages applicants to submit four

additional copies of the grant

application. The Department will not

penalize applicants who do not provide

additional copies. The binding of

applications is optional.

Q. We just missed the deadline for the

XXX competition. May we submit under

another competition?

A. Yes, however, the likelihood of

success is not good. A properly

prepared application must meet the

specifications of the competition to

which it is submitted.

Q. I’m not sure which competition is

most appropriate for my project. What

should I do?

A. We are happy to discuss any such

questions with you and provide

clarification on the unique elements of

the various competitions.

Q. Will you help us prepare our

application?

A. We are happy to provide general

program information. Clearly, it would

not be appropriate for staff to participate

in the actual writing of an application,

but we can respond to specific questions

about application requirements,

evaluation criteria, and the priorities.

Applicants should understand,

however, that prior contact with the

Department is not required, nor will it

in any way influence the success of an

application.

Q. When will I find out if I’m going

to be funded?

A. You can expect to receive

notification within 3 to 4 months of the

application closing date, depending on

the number of applications received and

the number of Department competitions

with similar closing dates.

Q. Once my application has been

reviewed by the review panel, can you

tell me the outcome?

A. No. Every year we are called by a

number of applicants who have a

legitimate reason for needing to know

the outcome of the panel review prior to

official notification. Some applicants

need to make job decisions, some need

to notify a local school district, etc.
36338 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

Regardless of the reason, because final

funding decisions have not been made

at that point, we cannot share

information about the results of panel

review with anyone.

Q. Will my application be returned if

I am not funded?

A. No. We no longer return

unsuccessful applications. Thus,

applicants should retain at least one

copy of the application.

Q. Can I obtain copies of reviewers’

comments?

A. Upon written request, reviewers’

comments will be mailed to

unsuccessful applicants.

Q. Is travel allowed under these

projects?

A. Travel associated with carrying out

the project is allowed. Because we may

request the project director of funded

projects to attend an annual project

directors’ meeting, you may also wish to

include a trip or two to Washington, DC

in the travel budget. Travel to

conferences is sometimes allowed when

the purpose of the conference will be of

benefit and relates to the project.

Q. If my application receives high

scores from the reviewers, does that

mean that I will receive funding?

A. Not necessarily. It is often the case

that the number of applications scored

highly by the reviewers exceeds the

dollars available for funding projects

under a particular competition. The

order of selection, which is based on the

scores of all the applications reviewed

and other relevant factors, determines

the applications that can be funded.

Q. What happens during pre-award

clarification discussions?

A. During pre-award clarification

discussions, technical and budget issues

may be raised. These are issues that

have been identified during the panel

and staff reviews that require

clarification. Sometimes issues are

stated as ‘‘conditions.’’ These are issues

that have been identified as so critical

that the award cannot be made unless

those conditions are met. Questions may

also be raised about the proposed

budget. Generally, these issues are

raised because an application contains

inadequate justification or explanation

of a particular budget item, or because

the budget item seems unimportant to

the successful completion of the project.

If you are asked to make changes that

you feel could seriously affect the

project’s success, you may provide

reasons for not making the changes or

provide alternative suggestions.

Similarly, if proposed budget reductions

will, in your opinion, seriously affect

the project activities, you may explain

why and provide additional justification

for the proposed expenses. An award

cannot be made until all issues under

discussion have been resolved.

Q. How do I provide an assurance?

A. Except for SF–424B,

‘‘Assurances—Non-Construction

Programs,’’ you may provide an

assurance simply by stating in writing

that you are meeting a prescribed

requirement.

Q. Where can copies of the Federal

Register, program regulations, and

Federal statutes be obtained?

A. Copies of these materials can

usually be found at your local library. If

not, they can be obtained from the

Government Printing Office by writing

to Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC 20402. Telephone:

(202) 708–8228. When requesting copies

of regulations or statutes, it is helpful to

use the specific name or public law,

number of a statute, or part number of

a regulation. The material referenced in

this notice should be referred to as

follows:

(1) The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and

Applied Technology Education Act

(Pub. L. 101–302).

(2) Education Department General

Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR

parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 90, 81, and 85.

(3) 34 CFR parts 400 (Vocational and

Applied Technology Education

Programs—General Provisions) and 401

(Indian Vocational Education Program)

as published in the Federal Register on

August 14, 1992 (57 FR 36724).

Copies of these materials may be

found on the World Wide Web at http:/

/www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

[FR Doc. 98–17582 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P