15636 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 57 / Friday, March 24, 1995 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and

Information Administration (NTIA)

[Docket No. 950313071–5071–01]

RIN 0660–ZA00

National Endowment for Children’s

Educational Television (NECET)

AGENCY: National Telecommunications

and Information Administration,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

SUMMARY: The National Endowment for

Children’s Educational Television

(NECET) hereby gives notice of the

availability of funds for the purpose of

enhancing the education of children

through the creation and production of

television programming specifically

directed toward the development of

fundamental intellectual skills.

DATES: The closing date for submission

of all NECET Preliminary Applications

(Pre-Applications) for the fiscal year

(FY) 1995 grant cycle is Tuesday, May

2, 1995. Pre-Applications must be

received at the NECET office no later

than 5:00 p.m. EDT, May 2, 1995,

whether mailed or hand-delivered. Fax

copies will not be accepted.

Successful Pre-Applicants will be

invited to submit Full Applications to

NECET. Full Applications must be

received at the NECET office no later

than 5:00 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July

26, 1995. Fax copies will not be

accepted. NTIA intends to award FY

1995 NECET grants by September 29,

1995.

ADDRESSES: National Endowment for

Children’s Educational Television

(NECET); Office of Telecommunications

and Information Applications (OTIA);

National Telecommunications and

Information Administration (NTIA);

U.S. Department of Commerce; 14th

Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Room H–4096; Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Heather Birnie; Acting Director,

National Endowment for Children’s

Educational Television (NECET);

Telephone: (202) 482–5802; Fax: (202)

501–8009; E-Mail: necet@ntia.doc.gov.

Information on the NECET program may

also be downloaded from the NTIA

Bulletin Board by contacting (202) 482–

1199 via modem or ntiabbs.ntia.doc.gov

via Internet.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

The National Telecommunications

and Information Administration (NTIA),

Department of Commerce, serves as the

President’s principal adviser on

telecommunications and information

policy. NTIA’s functions were codified

as part of the Telecommunications

Authorization Act of 1992, Pub. L. No.

102–538, 106 Stat. 3533 (1992)(codified

at 47 U.S.C. 901–904 (1993)).

The National Endowment for

Children’s Educational Television was

established by The Children’s

Television Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101–

437, 104 Stat. 996, 997 (1990) (codified

at 47 U.S.C. 394 (1991)).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA)

11.551; The National Endowment for

Children’s Educational Television.

Program Description

NECET Background: NECET funds are

intended to support the creation and

production of children’s television

programming that is specifically

directed toward the development of

fundamental intellectual skills. In so

doing, NECET’s efforts are intended to

supplement children’s educational

programming that is funded by other

governmental entities.

Congress directed that NECET be

administered by the Secretary of

Commerce. The Secretary, in turn, has

delegated this responsibility to the

Assistant Secretary for Communications

and Information, who serves as the

Administrator of the National

Telecommunications and Information

Administration (NTIA).

The Children’s Television Act of 1990

stipulates that, during the first two years

following project completion, NECETfunded programming may be offered for

distribution only to noncommercial

public television stations. After the

initial two-year period, NECET-funded

programming may be made available to

commercial media as well, including

broadcast television networks and

stations, and cable television networks

and systems, as long as the

programming is not interrupted by

commercial advertisements.

NECET Objectives: For the FY 1995

grant round, NECET has three major

objectives that applicants should

consider when preparing their

submissions.

• To Improve the Fundamental

Intellectual Skills of Children Through

the Vehicle of Television Programming.

The term ‘‘fundamental intellectual

skills’’ may be defined in a number of

ways. In general, NECET interprets the

term broadly, to include those

competencies and abilities that enable

children to effectively understand and

cope with problems posed by the

contemporary world. Such skills might

include proficiency in traditional

academic disciplines, such as

mathematics, science, history or

reading, or they might consist of more

abstract abilities, concerns or

appreciations, such as problem-solving,

ethics, multiculturalism or diversity.

Regardless of approach, applicants are

also encouraged to incorporate basic

human development skills, such as selfesteem and pro-social behavior

development, into their proposals.

Finally, since most effective educational

television programming for children has

an entertainment element woven

throughout it, NECET applicants are

encouraged to incorporate this element

into the design of their proposals.

• To the Extent Feasible, to Support

the Development of Programming for

Children Aged 6 to 10. Although there

is a need for high-quality educational

television programming for children of

all ages, NECET has identified the sixto-ten-year-old child as currently among

the most underserved by educational

television programming, and therefore

deserving of special consideration for

the FY 1995 grant round. Consistent

with this emphasis, projects that meet

the needs of this particular age group

are more likely to be competitive and to

receive funding consideration than

projects focused on other age groups.

NECET, however, will not automatically

reject projects designed for other age

groups. In future grant rounds, NECET

may emphasize projects designed for

different age levels.

• To Encompass a Broad Range of

Subject Areas within the Overall

Context of the Grant Program. NECET is

imposing no limits on the scope of the

proposals that may be submitted for

funding consideration. In selecting the

goals for their projects, applicants may

choose to encompass a broad array of

targeted skills. Alternatively, applicants

may choose to center on a single

learning need.

Funding Availability

The Departments of Commerce,

Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and

Related Agencies Appropriations Act,

1995, Pub.L. No. 103–317, 108 Stat.

1724, 1747 (1994), provides the

Department of Commerce $2.5 million

in assistance for the National

Endowment for Children’s Educational

Television under 47 U.S.C. § 394, to be

used for the creation and production of

television programming specifically

directed toward the development of

fundamental intellectual skills.

Congress has appropriated a total of $2.5

million for NECET for Fiscal Year 1995.

NTIA anticipates that in FY 1995
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 57 / Friday, March 24, 1995 / Notices 15637

NECET will fund up to twelve grant

awards, depending on the nature of the

projects and the need of the recipients,

and that NECET awards will range from

$100,000 to $400,000.

Matching Requirements

NECET grant recipients will be

required to provide matching funds

toward the total eligible costs of their

project. Matching funds may be in the

form of cash or in-kind contributions

(see OMB Circular A–110). An

applicant’s matching share normally

must be drawn entirely from nonFederal sources. Funds from another

Federal Agency may be used as the

source of an applicant’s match only

when those funds have been specifically

authorized by that agency’s enabling

legislation for use as a non-Federal

match for Federal grants.

The Department of Commerce will

award funds up to 50 percent of the

total eligible costs of a project, unless

extraordinary circumstances warrant a

grant of up to 75 percent. Since NECET

funds are limited, applicants are

encouraged to provide as much outside

funding and matching support as

possible, and to explore co-production

and co-funding opportunities for their

projects. Grant funds under this

program will be released in direct

proportion to non-Federal matching

funds raised and/or documented.

Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for awards

made under this program will be a

grant.

Eligibility Criteria

Any individual, partnership,

association, joint stock company, trust,

corporation (not-for-profit or for-profit),

or state or local governmental entity is

eligible to submit an application for

NECET funding.

Award Period

Successful applicants will have up to

twenty-four months to complete their

project, although the grant award period

will vary as a function of the complexity

and scope of the project.

Indirect Costs

The total dollar amount of the indirect

costs proposed in an application under

this program must not exceed the

indirect cost rate negotiated and

approved by a cognizant Federal agency

prior to the proposed effective date of

the award or 100 percent of the total

proposed direct costs dollar amount in

the application, whichever is less.

Application Forms and Kit

The NECET grant program has a twostage application process.

Preliminary Applications: All

applicants are first required to submit a

Preliminary Application (PreApplication) that provides a brief

narrative summary of the general nature

of the proposed project. The PreApplication consists of two parts: 1) a

Standard Form 424 (SF–424) (Rev. 4–92)

Application for Federal Assistance; and

2) a narrative summary of the general

nature of the proposed project, not to

exceed five single-spaced pages. An

original and two copies of each

complete Pre-Application is required for

each project submission. No

organization or individual is permitted

to submit Pre-Applications for more

than three separate projects. Videotapes,

audio cassettes and other related

materials are not permitted with PreApplications. A copy of the SF–424 and

an outline of points to be included in

the Pre-Application narrative summary

is contained in the National Endowment

for Children’s Educational Television

Guidelines for Preparing Applications:

1995 Grant Cycle. This booklet may be

secured by contacting the NECET Office

by telephone, fax, or electronic mail, as

described in the ‘‘Addresses’’ section

above.

Full Applications: The Full

Application is a comprehensive

document that consists of required

Federal forms, four sections of

additional information, and three

exhibits. Detailed instructions for

completing the Full Application are

contained in the Guidelines for

Preparing Applications: 1995 Grant

Cycle cited earlier.

In addition, those applicants

requesting funds for production of a

series, individual program(s), or special

program(s) are also strongly

recommended to submit a half-inch

VHS videocassette that represents the

quality of work of which the applicant

is capable. This tape may take the form

of a pilot or other sample tape of the

proposed project, or may be a tape of an

unrelated nature that demonstrates the

creative and technical capability of the

applicant. Applicants requesting NECET

funds for pre-production activities only

(e.g., planning, research, development,

scripting, etc.) and/or for production of

a pilot program do not need to submit

a videocassette with their Full

Applications. Videocassettes will not be

returned.

Because of the high level of public

interest in projects supported by

NECET, the program anticipates

receiving requests for copies of

applications. Applicants are hereby

notified that the applications they

submit are subject to the Freedom of

Information Act. Applicants may

identify sensitive information and label

it ‘‘confidential’’ to assist NTIA in

making disclosure determinations.

Project Funding Priorities

In general, NECET funds are available

to support all of the varied tasks

associated with the production of

children’s television, and project

eligibility is not limited to any

particular stage of production or type of

activity as long as it is germane to the

production of children’s television

programming that furthers the objectives

of the 1990 Act.

In general, NECET expects to award

funds for four categories of projects:

Series: To initiate new series

productions, or to complete a series

project already underway.

Individual Programs or Specials. To

support production of new individual

program(s) or special(s).

Pilot Programs. To support various

pre-production activities (e.g., planning,

research, development, scripting, etc.)

up through and including the

production of pilot program(s).

Pre-Production Projects. To support

preliminary pre-production activities,

such as planning, research,

development and/or scripting, that will

eventually lead to production.

Programming funded by NECET is

primarily intended for general at-home

viewing by children, although it may

also have value and be used within a

school-based instructional context.

Evaluation Criteria

Five Evaluation Criteria will be used

to evaluate all NECET Pre-Application

and NECET Full Application

submissions received during the FY

1995 grant cycle. These criteria, and the

weight accorded each criterion, are as

follows:

Creativity (30 points): The proposed

project must display a high degree of

creativity, originality and artistic

imagination and, ideally, be unique and

innovative in its approach.

Clarity of Educational Objectives;

Plan for Evaluating Educational

Effectiveness; Indication of

Developmental Appropriateness (30

points): Applicants must provide: (1) A

clear statement of the educational

objectives of their proposal; (2) a plan

for evaluating the educational

effectiveness of the proposed project,

and (3) an indication that the proposed

project is developmentally appropriate

for the target audience specified in the

proposal.
15638 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 57 / Friday, March 24, 1995 / Notices

Conformance with NECET Objectives

(15 points): Applicants must satisfy

NECET that their project will further the

three NECET objectives discussed

earlier in this Notice: (1) To Improve the

Fundamental Intellectual Skills of

Children through the Vehicle of

Television Programming; (2) To the

Extent Feasible, to Support the

Development of Programming for

Children Aged 6 to 10; and (3) To

Encompass a Broad Range of Subject

Areas within the Overall Context of the

Grant Program.

Applicant Capability (15 points):

Applicants must indicate why NECET

may be confident that they will be able

to complete the proposed project in a

satisfactory manner. Applicants may

demonstrate this capability in various

ways, including documentation of

previous experience, description of

qualifications of key personnel

associated with the project, and

presentation of a well-developed plan.

Thoroughness of Project Plan (10

points): Applicants must provide

evidence of a well-developed and sound

plan for execution of their project,

including a detailed and realistic budget

that accurately reflects the needs of the

project. Project timetables are also

acceptable and may be included in an

attachment to the application.

Selection Procedures

NECET grants are awarded on the

basis of a competitive review process.

Pre-Applications: Upon receipt, each

NECET Pre-Application will be

thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by

outside reviewers with demonstrated

expertise in the area of children’s

television programming. Criteria to be

used in the evaluation of each proposal

are listed in the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’

section of this Notice. Reviewers will

provide written comments and assign

numerical points to each PreApplication proposal, and then make a

non-binding recommendation to NECET

staff regarding each project. Written

comments and points assigned by

reviewers will not be made available to

the applicant, and Pre-Application

submissions will not be returned.

Following reviewer evaluation, the

NECET Director will prepare a proposed

slate of the highest rated PreApplications based solely on the

comments, recommendations and points

assigned by outside reviewers. This

proposed slate is then submitted for

consideration to the NTIA

Administrator, who, as the selecting

official, shall make a final determination

regarding successful and unsuccessful

Pre-Applications. Successful and

unsuccessful Pre-Applicants will be

notified by letter about their proposals

in early June, 1995. Those determined to

be unsuccessful Pre-Applicants will be

dropped from further consideration for

the FY 1995 NECET grant cycle. Those

determined to be successful PreApplicants will be invited to submit

Full Applications to NECET. However,

not all successful Pre-Applicants who

are invited to submit Full Applications

will be funded.

Full Applications: NECET Full

Applications and, as may be relevant,

accompanying videocassettes will be

thoroughly reviewed by a panel of

outside reviewers with demonstrated

expertise in the area of children’s

television programming. The review

panels will evaluate Full Applications

using criteria identical to those used in

the evaluation of Pre-Applications.

These criteria are listed elsewhere in

this Notice. Reviewers will provide

written comments and assign numerical

points to each Full Application

proposal, and then make a non-binding

recommendation to NECET staff

regarding each project. Written

comments and points assigned by

reviewers will not be made available to

the applicant, and Full Application

submissions and videocassettes will not

be returned. Following review panel

evaluation, the NECET Director will

prepare a proposed slate of the highest

rated projects based solely on the

comments, recommendations and points

assigned by review panelists. This

proposed slate is then submitted for

consideration to the NTIA

Administrator, who, as the selecting

official, shall make a final determination

regarding those Full Applications to be

negotiated for a possible grant award. In

making their final decisions, the NECET

Director and the NTIA Administrator

will consider the following selection

criteria:

• The written evaluations and points

assigned by the outside reviewers;

• The degree to which the slate of

applications, taken as a whole, satisfies

NECET Objectives and Project Funding

Priorities;

• The extent to which a proposed

children’s television project is intended

to be used within a general at-home

viewing context, as opposed to a schoolbased instructional viewing context;

• The ability of an applicant to

immediately proceed with the project,

as demonstrated by the availability and

amount of non-Federal matching funds,

either raised or documented; and

• The availability of NECET funds.

After applications have been selected

in this manner, negotiations will take

place between NECET staff and the

applicant. These negotiations are

intended to resolve any differences that

exist between the applicant’s original

funding request and what NECET

proposes to fund. Not all applicants

who are contacted for negotiation will

necessarily receive a NECET grant.

When the negotiations are completed,

the NECET Director will recommend

final award actions to the NTIA

Administrator. Applying the same

factors listed above, the Administrator

will then make the final selection of

grant recipients from the pool of

negotiated applications.

Program Standards

Programs produced with NECET grant

funding must meet broadcast-quality

production and technical standards

consistent with those of the Public

Broadcasting Service (PBS). All

programs must be closed-captioned.

Programming funded by NECET may

not be interrupted with commercial

advertising messages for the life of the

program. All NECET-funded

programming must be aired with a

funding (underwriting) credit for the

National Endowment for Children’s

Educational Television (NECET), and

any ancillary materials produced with

this grant shall contain a similar credit.

Such funding credit shall be consistent

with common practice for funding

announcements on public broadcasting

stations.

Rights, Clearances, and Distribution

NECET grant recipients are entitled to

retain continuing rights to the

programming that they create with

NECET funding assistance. Recipients of

NECET grant funding must comply with

all requirements of United States

copyright law, including requirements

to obtain permission from owners of

copyright in works of authorship and to

pay any required license fees.

Accordingly, NECET requires that all

completed creative works supported by

NECET funding have appropriate

clearances, releases, and/or other

documentation demonstrating that the

organization or individual producing

the programming either has obtained

rights for the use of all elements in the

programs, or has itself originally created

the work. These rights and clearances

apply to all elements of such

programming.

NECET Applicants should note that

they will need to obtain an option on

any material critical to the successful

completion of their projects before they

apply to NECET, unless all such

material has already been cleared or is

entirely original with the applicant.
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 57 / Friday, March 24, 1995 / Notices 15639

Other Requirements

Federal Policies and Procedures:

Recipients and sub-recipients are

subject to all applicable Federal laws

and Federal and Department of

Commerce policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to Federal

financial assistance awards.

Past Performance: Unsatisfactory

performance under prior Federal

financial assistance awards may result

in an application not being considered

for funding.

Pre-award Activities: If applicants

incur any costs prior to the awarding of

funds, they do so solely at their own

risk of not being reimbursed by the

government. Applicants are hereby

notified that, notwithstanding any

verbal or written assurance that they

may have received, there is no

obligation on the part of the Department

of Commerce or NTIA to cover preaward costs.

No Obligation for Future Funding: If

an application is selected for funding,

the Department of Commerce has no

obligation to provide any additional

future funding in connection with that

award. Renewal of an award to increase

funding or extend the period of

performance is at the total discretion of

the Department of Commerce. Receipt of

a NECET grant, however, will not

eliminate the recipient from

consideration for future funding.

Delinquent Federal Debts: No award

of Federal funds shall be made to an

applicant who has an outstanding

delinquent Federal debt until either:

• The delinquent account is paid in

full;

• A negotiated repayment schedule is

established and at least one payment is

received; or

• Other arrangements satisfactory to

the Department of Commerce are made.

No Funding for Sectarian Purposes:

The Department of Commerce has a

long-standing policy of not funding

projects for purposes the essential thrust

of which is sectarian. Consistent with

this policy, NECET will not fund

projects the essential thrust of which is

sectarian. Sectarian organizations,

however, are eligible applicants and

may request funds for non-sectarian

purposes. [Compare with NTIA Public

Telecommunications Facilities Program

(PTFP) regulations at 15 C.F.R.

§§ 2301.1, 2301.22(d); Fordham

University v. Brown, No. 93–2120

(CRR)(D.D.C. June 29, 1994), appeal

docketed, No.94–5229 (D.C.Cir. Aug. 22,

1994)]

Name Check Review: All non-profit

and for-profit applicants are subject to a

name check review process. Officials of

state and local governments and

officials of accredited colleges and

universities who are acting on behalf of

their respective entities in applying for

assistance are exempt from the name

check review process. In addition, all

elected officials of state and local

governments who are serving in

capacities other than their elected

capacities when applying for assistance

are also exempt. Name checks are

intended to reveal if any key individuals

associated with the applicant have been

convicted of or are presently facing

criminal charges such as fraud, theft,

perjury, or other matters that

significantly reflect on the applicant’s

management honesty or financial

integrity.

Primary Applicant Certifications: All

primary applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying.’’ The

following explanations are hereby

provided:

• Non-procurement Debarment and

Suspension. Prospective participants (as

defined at 15 C.F.R. Part 26, Section

105) are subject to 15 C.F.R. Part 26,

‘‘Non-procurement Debarment and

Suspension’’ and the related section of

the certification form prescribed above

applies;

• Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR part 26, Section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Government-wide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants) and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

• Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined

at 15 CFR part 28, Section 105) are

subject to the lobbying provisions of 31

U.S.C. 1352, ‘‘Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain

Federal contracting and financial

transactions,’’ and the lobbying section

of the certification form prescribed

above applies to applications/bids for

grants, cooperative agreements, and

contracts for more than $100,000, and

loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000 or the single family maximum

mortgage limit for affected programs,

whichever is greater; and

• Anti-Lobbying Disclosure. Any

applicant that has paid or will pay for

lobbying in connection with a covered

Federal action, such as the awarding of

any Federal contract, the making of any

Federal grant, the making of any Federal

loan, the entering into of any

cooperative agreement, or the extension,

continuation, renewal, amendment, or

modification of any Federal contract,

grant loan, or cooperative agreement

using any funds must submit an SF–

LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities,’’ as required under 15 CFR

part 28, Appendix B.

Lower Tier Certifications: Grant

recipients shall require applicants/

bidders for sub-grants, contracts,

subcontracts, or other lower tier covered

transactions at any tier under the award

to submit, if applicable, a completed

Form CD–512, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier

Covered Transactions and Lobbying’’

and disclosure from SF–LLL,

‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.’’

Form CD–512 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to DOC. SF–LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or sub-recipient should be

submitted to DOC in accordance with

the instructions contained in the award

document.

False Statements: A false statement on

an application is grounds for denial or

termination of funds and grounds for

possible punishment by a fine or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C.

1001.

Intergovernmental Review:

Applications under this program are

subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

Requirement to Buy American-Made

Equipment or Products: Applicants are

hereby notified that they will be

encouraged, to the greatest extent

practicable, to purchase American-made

equipment and products with funding

provided under this program in

accordance with Congressional intent as

set forth in the resolution contained in

Public Law 103–317, Sections 607 (a)

and (b).

Paperwork Reduction Act: The

standard forms have been approved by

the Office of Management and Budget

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act under OMB Approval Nos. 0348–

0043, 0348–0044, 0348–0040 and 0348–

0046.

Executive Order 12866: This Notice

has been determined to be not

significant for purposes of Executive

Order 12866.

Dated: March 17, 1995.

Larry Irving,

Assistant Secretary for Communications and

Information.

[FR Doc. 95–7109 Filed 3–23–95; 8:45 am]

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