24868 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR–4056–N–01]

Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Policy Development and Research,

NOFA for Community Outreach

Partnership Centers (COPC)

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Policy Development and

Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability

(NOFA) for Fiscal Year 1996.

SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the

availability of approximately $7.4

million to implement the third year of

a demonstration program to make grants

to public and private nonprofit

institutions of higher education to assist

in establishing or carrying out research

and outreach activities addressing the

problems of urban areas. These funds

shall be used to establish and operate

Community Outreach Partnership

Centers (COPC).

The NOFA contains information

concerning:

(1) The principal objectives of the

competition, the funding available,

eligible applicants and activities and

factors for award;

(2) The application process, including

how to apply and how selections will be

made; and

(3) A checklist of application

submission requirements.

DATES: Application kits may be

requested on or after May 21, 1996.

Applications must be physically

received by the Office of University

Partnerships, in care of the Division of

Budget, Contracts, and Program Control,

in Room 8230 by 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Daylight Savings Time on July 25, 1996.

The above-stated application deadline is

firm as to date, hour and place. In the

interest of fairness to all competing

applicants, the Department will treat as

ineligible for consideration any

application that is received after the

deadline. Applicants should take this

practice into account and make early

submission of their materials to avoid

any risk of loss of eligibility brought

about by unanticipated delays or other

delivery-related problems. Applicants

hand-delivering applications are

advised that considerable delays may

occur in attempting to enter the building

because of security procedures.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the

application kit, contact: HUD USER,

ATTN: COPC, P.O. Box 6091, Rockville,

Maryland 20850. Requests for

application kits must be in writing, but

requests may be faxed to: 301–251–5747

(this is not a toll-free number). Requests

for application kits must include the

applicant’s name, mailing address

(including zip code), telephone number

(including area code) and must refer to

‘‘Document FR–4056.’’ The application

kit is also available on the Internet from

the Office of University Partnerships

Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse can

be accessed from the World Wide Web

at: http://oup.aspensys.com:89; or from

a Gopher Server at: gopher://

oup.aspensys.com:77.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane

Karadbil, Office of University

Partnerships in the Office of Policy

Development and Research, Department

of Housing and Urban Development,

451 Seventh street, S.W., Room 8110

Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202)

708–1537. Hearing or speech-impaired

individuals may call HUD’s TTY

number (202) 708–0770, or 1–800–877–

8399 (Federal Information Relay service

TTY). Other than the ‘‘800’’ number,

these are not toll-free numbers. Ms.

Karadbil can also be contacted via the

Internet at JanelR.lKaradbil@hud.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

The information collection

requirements contained in this notice

have been submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

review under the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520). An

agency may not conduct or sponsor, and

a person is not required to respond to,

a collection of information unless the

collection displays a valid control

number. The OMB control number,

when assigned, will be announced by a

separate notice in the Federal Register.

I. Purpose and Substantive Description

A. Authority

This competition is authorized under

the Community Outreach Partnership

Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 5307 note;

hereafter referred to as the ‘‘COPC Act’’).

The COPC Act is contained in section

851 of the Housing and Community

Development Act of 1992 (P.L. 102–550,

approved October 28, 1992) (HCD Act of

1992). Section 801(c) of the HCD Act of

1992 authorizes $7.5 million for each

year of the 5-year demonstration to

create Community Outreach Partnership

Centers as authorized in the COPC Act.

The COPC Act also required HUD to

establish a national clearinghouse to

disseminate information resulting from

research and outreach conducted at the

centers.

COPC is administered by the Office of

University Partnerships (OUP) in the

Office of Policy Development and

Research. OUP is responsible for four of

the Department’s grant programs for

institutions of higher education—

Community Outreach Partnership

Centers program, Joint Community

Development program, Community

Development Work Study program, and

the Doctoral Dissertation Grant program.

In addition, OUP is responsible for a

variety of new outreach initiatives to

involve these institutions in local

community development, public

housing, and revitalization partnerships.

B. Allocation and Form of Award

The competition in this NOFA is for

$7.4 million to fund the third year of the

COPC program authorized as indicated

above.

HUD has decided that it is important

to ensure the institutionalization of the

work of the current COPC grantees as an

integral part of the teaching, service,

and research missions of their colleges

and universities as well as to fund new

grantees. Institutionalization was not an

emphasis of the program in the last two

funding rounds and current COPC

grantees did not necessarily focus their

programs on it. HUD has decided to set

aside part of the FY 1996 allocation to

promote institutionalization among

current grantees. Therefore, there will

be two separate competitions within

this year’s funding. To institutionalize

their COPC functions, $1.1 million will

be set-aside for a competition among the

grantees awarded two-year grants in FY

1994. The remaining $6.3 million will

be used to fund new COPC grantees. FY

1994 grantees are only eligible for

Institutionalization Grants, not for New

Grants. (FY 1995 COPC grantees are not

eligible for either kind of grant.) If any

funds set-aside for Institutionalization

Grants are not awarded, they will be

used instead as part of the funding for

New Grantees. (Program requirements

for Institutionalization Grants are the

same as for New Grants, except as noted

in Section V. below.) It is estimated that

approximately 15 COPC awards to new

grantees can be made with the $6.3

million available.

This year, each New Grant made

under the COPC program will be for a

maximum three-year period of

performance. The grants in previous

funding rounds were for two years.

However, HUD has decided that a

longer grant period is needed to

institutionalize local programs and has

extended the grant period for one year.

The maximum size of any New Grant

will be $400,000, while the minimum

will be $250,000. Applicants must

submit an application within this range

or they will be disqualified.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24869

C. Description of Competition

The Congress has mandated that the

Department carry out ‘‘a 5-year

demonstration to determine the

feasibility of facilitating partnerships

between institutions of higher education

and communities to solve urban

problems through research, outreach

and the exchange of information.’’

The COPC Act stipulates that grants

are to go to public and private

institutions of higher education to

establish and operate COPCs. These

COPCs shall: ‘‘(A) Conduct competent

and qualified research and investigation

on theoretical or practical problems in

large and small cities; and (B) Facilitate

partnerships and outreach activities

between institutions of higher

education, local communities, and local

governments to address urban

problems.’’

Grants under the COPC program must

focus on the following specific

problems: ‘‘problems associated with

housing, economic development,

neighborhood revitalization,

infrastructure, health care, job training,

education, crime prevention, planning,

community organizing, and other areas

deemed appropriate by the Secretary.’’

Furthermore, the COPC Act states:

‘‘The Secretary shall give preference to

institutions of higher education that

undertake research and outreach

activities by bringing together

knowledge and expertise in the various

social science and technical disciplines

that relate to urban problems.’’

COPC programs must combine

research with outreach, work with

communities and local governments and

address the multi-dimensional problems

that beset urban areas. Single purpose

applications are not eligible.

Applications must be multifaceted and

address three or more urban problems,

as described in selection factor #1. The

scope of applications for

Institutionalization Grants is covered

elsewhere below.

To be most effective during the term

of the demonstration, the funded

research must have a clear near-term

potential for solving specific, significant

urban problems. The selected

institutions must have the capacity to

apply their research results and to work

with communities and local

institutions, including neighborhood

groups, in applying these results to

specific real-life urban problems.

The five key concepts of the COPC

program are: (1) the program should

provide outreach, technical assistance,

applied research, and empowerment to

neighborhoods and neighborhood-based

organizations based on what the

residents decide is needed, not based on

what the institution thinks is

appropriate for that neighborhood; (2)

community-based organizations should

be partners with the institutions

throughout the life of the project, from

planning to implementation; (3) the

applied research should be related to

the outreach activities and be usable in

these activities within the grant period

or shortly after it ends, rather than

research without practical application;

(4) the assistance to neighborhoods

should be provided primarily by the

faculty, students, or to a limited extent,

by neighborhood residents or

community-based organizations funded

by the university; and (5) the program

should be part of the institution’s

broader effort to meet its urban mission,

and be supported by senior officials,

rather than just the work of a few faculty

members. Proposed activities should not

duplicate those of other entities in the

community and should be appropriate

for an institution of higher education to

undertake in light of its teaching,

research, and service missions.

D. Eligible Applicants

Applicants for this competition must

be public or private nonprofit

institutions of higher education granting

two- or four-year degrees and accredited

by a national or regional accrediting

agency recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education. Applicants

must submit proposals that address the

problems of urban areas.

Different campuses of the same

university system are eligible to apply,

even if one campus has already received

COPC funding. Such campuses are

eligible as separate applicants only if

they have administrative and budgeting

structures independent of other

campuses in the system.

In previous funding rounds, the

Department decided that community

colleges would not be separately eligible

but would have to apply as part of a

consortium with eligible institutions.

The Department now believes that many

community colleges not only can

implement the kind of comprehensive

projects funded under COPC, but also

have a growing capacity to conduct

applied research. For these reasons, the

Department has changed its earlier

position and will allow community

colleges to apply on their own.

However, consortia of institutions are

still eligible to apply. The selection

criterion on consortia has been deleted

because its primary purpose was to

encourage community colleges to apply.

That selection criterion created a

specific definition of a consortium. As

long as the consortium is composed of

eligible applicants, its specific

composition is now left to the applicant.

If the application is submitted on behalf

of a consortium of institutions, one

institution must be designated as the

legal applicant. Each institution may be

part of only one consortium or submit

only one application. Several

institutions were disqualified last year

because they were part of more than one

application. HUD will hold an

institution responsible for ensuring that

neither it nor any part of the institution,

including specific faculty, participates

in more than one application.

Universities awarded Joint

Community Development (JCD) grants

will not be eligible to apply for New

Grants, nor are FY 1994 or FY 1995

COPC grantees.

E. Program Requirements

Grantees must meet the following

program requirements:

1. Responsibilities. In accordance with

section 851(h) of the HCD Act of 1992,

each COPC shall:

‘‘(a) Employ the research and outreach

resources of its sponsoring institution of

higher education to solve specific urban

problems identified by communities

served by the Center;

(b) Establish outreach activities in

areas identified in the grant application

as the communities to be served;

(c) Establish a community advisory

committee comprised of representatives

of local institutions and residents of the

communities to be served to assist in

identifying local needs and advise on

the development and implementation of

strategies to address those issues;

(d) Coordinate outreach activities in

communities to be served by the Center;

(e) Facilitate public service projects in

the communities served by the Center;

(f) Act as a clearinghouse for

dissemination of information;

(g) Develop instructional programs,

convene conferences, and provide

training for local community leaders,

when appropriate; and

(h) Exchange information with other

Centers.’’

The clearinghouse function in (f)

above refers to a local or regional

clearinghouse for dissemination of

information and is separate and distinct

from the functions in (h) above, which

relate to the provision of information to

the National Clearinghouse.

2. Match. Grantees must meet the

following match requirements:

(a) Research Activities. 50 percent of

the total project costs of establishing

and operating research activities.

(b) Outreach Activities. 25 percent of

the total project costs of establishing

and operating outreach activities.
24870 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

This non-Federal share may include

cash or the value of non-cash

contributions, equipment and other

allowable in-kind contributions as

detailed in Attachment E of OMB

Circular No. A–110, Grants and

Agreements with Institutions of Higher

Education, Hospitals, and other

Nonprofit organizations.

In order to avoid confusion about the

calculation of the match, an example is

provided.

Assume that the total project cost for

a COPC was $500,000, with $125,000 for

research and $375,000 for outreach.

Note that this project meets the

requirement that no more than 25

percent of the total project costs be for

research. The total amount of the

required match would be $156,250. The

research match would be $62,500

($125,000 X 50 percent) and the

outreach match would be $93,750

($375,000 X 25 percent). The Federal

grant requested would be $343,750

($500,000 minus the match of

$156,250). In calculating the match,

administrative costs should be applied

to the appropriate attributable outreach

or research component.

3. Administrative. The grant will be

governed by the provision of OMB

Circulars A–110 (Grants and

Agreements with Institutions of Higher

Education, Hospitals and other

Nonprofit Organizations), A–122 (Cost

Principles for Nonprofit Organizations),

and A–133 (Audits of Institutions of

Higher Education and other Nonprofit

Institutions), as implemented at 24 CFR

part 45. No more than 20% of the

Federal grant funds may be used for

planning and program administrative

costs. Overhead costs directly related to

carrying out activities under research

and outreach need not be considered

planning and program administrative

costs, since those costs are eligible

under that section. Moreover, the 20%

limitation imposed under this program

applies only to Federal funds received

through this grant, not to matching

funds.

F. Eligible Activities

Eligible activities include:

1. Research activities which have

practical application for solving specific

problems in designated communities

and neighborhoods, including

evaluation of the effectiveness of the

outreach activities. Such activities may

not total more than one-quarter of the

total project costs contained in any grant

made under this NOFA (including the

required 50 percent match).

2. Outreach, technical assistance and

information exchange activities which

are designed to address specific

problems in designated communities

and neighborhoods. Such activities

must total no less than three-quarters of

the total project costs contained in any

grant made under this NOFA (including

the required 25 percent match).

Examples of outreach activities

include, but are not limited to:

(a) Job training and other training

projects, such as workshops, seminars

and one-on-one and on-the-job training;

(b) Design of community strategies to

resolve urban problems of communities

and neighborhoods;

(c) Innovative use of funds to provide

direct technical expertise and assistance

to local community groups and

residents to assist them resolve local

problems such as homelessness,

housing discrimination, and

impediments to fair housing choice;

(d) Assistance in business start-up

activities for low-and moderate-income

individuals and organizations,

including business start-up training and

technical expertise and assistance,

mentor programs, assistance in

developing small loan funds, business

incubators, etc;

(e) Work with local public housing

authorities, welfare-to-work initiatives,

and physical transformations of public

or assisted housing;

(f) Assistance to communities to

improve consolidated housing and

community development plans and

remove impediments to design and

implementation of such plans; and

(g) Assistance to communities to

improve the fair housing planning

process.

3. Funds for faculty development

including paying for course time or

summer support to enable faculty

members to work on the COPC.

4. Funds for stipends for students

(which cannot cover tuition and fees)

when they are working on the COPC.

5. Activities to carry out the

‘‘Responsibilities’’ listed under Section

I.E.1.

G. Ineligible Activities

Ineligible activities are:

1. Research activities which have no

clear and immediate practical

application for solving urban problems

or do not address specific problems in

designated communities and

neighborhoods.

2. Any type of construction,

rehabilitation, or other physical

development costs.

3. Costs used for routine operations

and day-to-day administration of regular

programs of institutions of higher

education, local governments or

neighborhood groups.

II. Rating Factors/Selection Process for

New Grantees

A. Rating Factors

HUD will use the following criteria to

rate and rank applications for New

Grants received in response to this

NOFA. Selection factors for

Institutionalization Grants are described

below in Section V.

The Department has made several

changes to the selection criteria, as

described below. The factors and

maximum points for each factor are

provided below. The maximum number

of points is 100.

Rating of the ‘‘applicant’’ or the

‘‘applicant’s organization and staff’’,

unless otherwise specified, will include

any sub-contractors, consultants and

sub-recipients which are firmly

committed to the project.

(1) (5 points) The demonstrated

research and outreach resources

available to the applicant for carrying

out the purposes of the COPC Act. In

rating this factor, HUD will consider the

extent to which the applicant’s

organization and staff have recent,

relevant and successful experience in:

(a) Undertaking research activities in

specific communities which have clear

near-term potential for practical

application to significant urban

problems associated with affordable

housing, fair housing, economic

development, neighborhood

revitalization, infrastructure, health

care, job training, education, crime

prevention, planning and community

organizing, and

(b) Undertaking outreach activities in

specific communities to solve or

ameliorate significant urban problems.

Under this factor, HUD will also

evaluate the capability of the applicant

to provide leadership in solving

community problems and in making

national contributions to solving longterm and immediate urban problems. In

the FY 1994 competition, research and

outreach resources and local and

national prominence were three

separate selection factors.

(2) (5 points) The demonstrated

commitment of the applicant to

supporting research and outreach

programs by providing matching

contributions for the Federal assistance

received. In rating this factor, HUD will

provide an increasing number of points

for increasing amounts of contributions

beyond the statutory 50 percent for

research and 25 percent for outreach.

Maximum points will be awarded for

applications that secure 50 percent more

than the amount of match required.

Points for this factor have been reduced,

with the additional points being added
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24871

to Factor 7 on institutionalization. The

latter factor is being increased because

the test of the institution’s commitment

is not only how much in-kind

contribution it is willing to make, but

also the many other ways it chooses to

institutionalize community

partnerships.

(3) (10 points) The extent of need in

the communities to be served by the

applicant. The applicant must

demonstrate that it is serving areas with

substantial low-income populations,

low standards of living, and large

numbers of empty or abandoned

dwellings. HUD will consider the extent

to which the proposal clearly delineates

a need or needs in the specific

communities or neighborhoods, that can

be resolved through the activities of a

COPC. The applicant must demonstrate

how these needs were determined and

how the COPC will help resolve these

needs. The applicant should

demonstrate a strong familiarity (based

on sufficient investigation) with the

existing and planned efforts of

government agencies, community-based

organizations, faith-based institutions,

for-profit firms and any other entities to

address such needs in the communities

to be served, and should demonstrate

that the applicant can cost-effectively

complement any such efforts to attain

measurable impacts.

(4) (10 points) The demonstrated

ability of the applicant to disseminate

results of research and successful

strategies developed through outreach

activities to other COPCs and

communities served through this

demonstration program. In rating this

factor, HUD will evaluate the past

experience of the applicant’s staff and

the scope and the quality of the

applicant’s proposal to disseminate

information on COPC research results

and strategies to: (a) local communities

in its area and (b) other communities

and COPCs through the OUP

Clearinghouse.

(5) (35 points) The projects and

activities that the applicant proposes to

carry out under the grant. This factor

has three sub-factors: (a) effectiveness of

the research strategy (10 points); (b)

effectiveness of the outreach strategy (15

points); and (c) work on specific HUD

priority activities (10 points).

(a) In rating the effectiveness of the

research strategy, HUD will consider:

(i) The extent to which the applicant’s

proposal outlines a clear research

agenda, based on a thorough familiarity

with existing research on the subject,

that can be successfully carried out

within the grant period. (The applicant

should demonstrate that the proposed

research builds on existing research in

the field and does not duplicate

research previously completed, or

currently underway, by others.); and

(ii) The extent to which the applicant

demonstrates how the research to be

undertaken will fit into the outreach

strategy and activities. Although the

proposed outreach activities should be

supported by a reasonably strong

existing knowledge base, an application

is strengthened to the extent that the

proposed research will further inform—

and be strengthened by knowledge

gained through—the outreach activities.

(b) In rating the effectiveness of the

outreach strategy factor, HUD will

consider the extent to which:

(i) The application identifies a clear

outreach agenda related to locallyidentified needs that can be successfully

carried out within the period of this

grant;

(ii) The outreach agenda includes

design or strengthening and

implementation of a community strategy

to resolve community and neighborhood

problems. Applicants will be expected

to have involved the community in

designing the strategy and to identify an

agenda that they have already worked

with the community to design;

(iii) There is a plan for involving the

university in the execution of the

outreach strategy; and

(iv) The outreach program provides

for on-site or a frequent presence in the

communities and neighborhoods to be

assisted through outreach activities.

(c) If all of the applicant’s work is to

be in an Empowerment Zone or

Enterprise Community, five (5) points

will be awarded. If some of an

applicant’s work is related to public

housing transformation, distressed

assisting housing, or Campus of

Learners/Neighborhood Networks, five

(5) points will be awarded.

(6) (10 points) The extent of

neighborhood and neighborhood based

organization participation in the

planning and implementation of the

COPC. In rating this factor, HUD will

consider whether:

(a) One or more effective community

advisory committees comprised of

representatives of local institutions and

a balance of the race, ethnic, disability

status, gender and income of residents

of the communities to be served has

been or will be formed to participate in

identifying local needs to be addressed

by the COPC and to form a partnership

with the COPC to develop and

implement strategies to address those

needs. Applicants will be expected to

demonstrate that they have already

formed such a committee(s) or secured

the commitment of the appropriate

persons to serve on the committee(s),

rather than just describing generally the

types of persons whose involvement

they will seek.

(b) There is a plan for involving the

community advisory committee(s) in the

execution of the research and outreach

agenda; and

(c) The outreach agenda includes

training projects for local community

leaders, when appropriate.

(7) (25 points) The extent to which the

proposed COPC will result in the

institutionalization of the COPC

function and activities as part of the

urban mission of the institution. In

reviewing this factor, HUD will consider

the extent to which the COPC activities

are part of, and will enhance, a broader

set of existing or planned activities and

a climate that rewards faculty and

student work on these activities, and the

extent to which these activities are

supported at the highest levels of

institutional leadership. This factor has

been substituted for the factor on the

interrelatedness of the project’s

components because HUD believes that

only through institutionalization of

these activities will institutions be able

to truly meet their urban mission. The

points related to the eliminated

consortium factor have been merged

into this factor, to underscore its

importance to HUD.

B. Selection Process for New Grantees

Applications for funding under this

NOFA will be evaluated competitively

and points will be awarded as specified

in the Rating Factors section described

above. After assigning points based

upon the factors all applications will be

listed in rank order. Applications will

then be funded in rank order until all

available funds have been expended.

However, in order to be funded, an

applicant must receive a minimum

score of 70. HUD reserves the right to

fund all or portions of the proposed

activities identified in each application,

based upon the eligibility of the

proposed activities.

If two or more applications have the

same number of points, the application

with the most points for rating factor (7)

shall be selected. If there is still a tie,

the application with the most points for

rating factor (6) shall be selected.

If the amount remaining after funding

as many of the highest ranking

applications as possible is insufficient

for the next highest ranking application,

HUD shall determine (based upon the

proposed activities) if it is feasible to

fund part of the application and offer a

smaller grant to the applicant. If HUD

determines that given the proposed

activities a smaller grant amount would

render the activities infeasible, or if the
24872 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

applicant turns down the reduced grant

amount, HUD shall make the same

determination for the next highest

ranking application until all

applications with scores of at least 70

points or available funds have been

exhausted.

C. Geographic Distribution

HUD reserves the right to make

selections out of rank order to provide

for a geographic distribution of funded

COPCs. The approach HUD will use, if

it decides to implement this option, will

be based on combining two adjacent

standard HUD regions (e.g., Southwest

and Southeast Regions, Great Plains and

Midwest Regions, etc.) If the rank order

does not yield at least one fundable

COPC within each combined region,

then HUD may select the highest

ranking application from such a

combination, as long as the minimum

score of 70 is achieved.

It is HUD’s intent to fund at least one

eligible applicant (see Section I.D.) that

serves the colonias, as defined by

Section 916(d) of the Cranston-Gonzalez

National Affordable Housing Act, as

long as the applicant receives a

minimum score of 70.

III. Application Process

A. Obtaining Applications

To obtain a copy of the application

kit, contact: HUD USER, ATTN: COPC,

P.O. Box 6091, Rockville, Maryland

20850. Requests for application kits

must be in writing, but requests may be

faxed to: 301–251–5747 (this is not a

toll-free number). Requests for

application kits must include the

applicant’s name, mailing address

(including zip code), telephone number

(including area code) and must refer to

‘‘Document FR–4056.’’ HUD strongly

recommends the use of the fax

transmission option to promote

accuracy and expedite HUD response

time. The application kit is also

available on the Internet from the Office

of University Partnerships

Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse can

be accessed from the World Wide Web

at: http://oup.aspensys.com:89; or from

a Gopher Server at: gopher://

oup.aspensys.com:77.

B. Application Deadline

To be considered for funding, the

application package must be physically

received by the Office of University

Partnerships, Office of Policy

Development and Research, Department

of Housing and Urban Development, in

care of the Division of Budget,

Contracts, and Program Control, Room

8230, 451 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20410 by 4:30 p.m.

Eastern Daylight Savings Time on July

25, 1996. The application deadline is

firm as to date, hour and place. In the

interest of fairness to all competing

applicants, the Department will treat as

ineligible for consideration any

application that is received after the

deadline. Applicants should take this

practice into account and make early

submission of their materials to avoid

any risk of loss of eligibility brought

about by unanticipated delays or other

delivery-related problems. Applicants

hand-delivering applications are

advised that considerable delays may

occur in attempting to enter the building

because of security procedures.

IV. Checklist of Application Submission

Requirements

A. Application Content

The application kit contains

instructions which must be followed in

submitting an application. The

following is a checklist of the

application contents that will be

specified in the Request for Grant

Applications (the technical term for the

application kit).

(1) Transmittal letter signed by the

Chief Executive Officer of the

institution;

(2) OMB Standard Forms 424

(Application for Federal Assistance),

Form 424B (Non-Construction

Assurances) and Budget;

(3) One- to two-page executive

summary of the proposed COPC;

(4) Narrative Project Management

Work Plan;

(5) Narrative statement addressing

each of the rating factors in Section II of

this NOFA;

(6) Certifications and Exhibits—

Applications must also include the

following:

(a) Drug-Free Workplace Certification.

(b) Form SF–LLL, Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities, if applicable.

(7) Financial management and audit

information.

V. Program and Application

Requirements for Institutionalization

Grants

(a) General Requirements. All

requirements of Parts I, III and IV of this

NOFA apply also to this part unless

otherwise herein noted. The maximum

size of any Institutionalization Grant

will be $100,000, and grant requests

shall not exceed this amount. The term

of the grant will be for one year. If the

grantee proposes entirely new activities,

it may conduct activities under both

grants, until funds from both are fully

expended. If the applicant proposes

continuation of current activities, it

must expend all the funds under the

current grant before expending any new

funds under an Institutionalization

Grant. Current grantees may request a

no-cost extension from HUD if

necessary to finish expending all their

FY 1994 grant funds.

(b) Eligible Applicants. Only

institutions awarded COPC grants in FY

1994 are eligible for Institutionalization

Grants. These grantees are not eligible

for New Grants. Institutionalization

Grants to current grantees will be for a

one-year period. Universities that

received Joint Community Development

Grants (JCD) are not eligible to compete

for Institutionalization Grants because

they have already demonstrated,

through winning a JCD Grant, that they

have institutionalized COPC-type

activities. Current COPC grantees that

received grants as consortia must apply

again as consortia, with all current

member institutions participating in the

proposed Institutionalization Grant, and

with the same lead applicant as in their

current COPC.

(c) Eligible Activities. Instead of

proposing a range of activities to be

undertaken, applicants should propose

activities that will bring their COPC

projects to a successful conclusion or

could result in securing continuation

funding from other sources.

(d) Rating Factors/Selection Process

(i) Rating Factors. The selection

factors contained in Section II.A. have

been modified. Applicants will be

required to meet three selection factors

(which are simply consolidations of the

factors used for new grantees),

summarized as ‘‘Past Performance,’’

‘‘Proposed Activities,’’ and ‘‘Potential

for Institutionalization.’’ Each factor and

the maximum points assigned to it are

described below:

((a)) (30 points) The demonstrated

past performance of the applicant, as

measured by: the research and outreach

resources made available to the

applicant under the current COPC grant;

the ability of the applicant to provide

local leadership and disseminate results

of the grant; and the effectiveness of the

activities undertaken in the grant.

((b)) (30 points) The effectiveness of

the proposed research and outreach

activities, as measured by: need for the

activities; involvement of the

community in these activities;

demonstrated commitment of the

application by providing a matching

contribution; and likelihood that these

activities can be successfully carried out

within the grant period.

((c)) (40 points) The potential of the

proposed outreach strategy to ensure

institutionalization of the COPC
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24873

functions at the college or university, as

measured by the extent to which the

proposed COPC functions will become

an integral part of the teaching, research

and urban service mission of the

institution and the extent to which the

COPC activities are supported by the

highest levels of institutional

leadership. In reviewing this factor,

HUD will consider the extent to which

the COPC activities are part of and will

enhance a broader set of existing or

planned activities and will foster a

culture that rewards faculty and student

work on these activities.

(ii) Selection Process. An applicant

must receive a score of at least 70 points

in order to be funded. Applications will

be rated but not ranked. There is

sufficient funding for all eligible

applications. Applications requesting

over $100,000 will be ineligible.

VI. Corrections to Deficient

Applications

After the submission deadline date,

HUD will screen each application to

determine whether it is complete. If an

application lacks certain technical items

or contains a technical error, such as an

incorrect signatory, HUD will notify the

applicant in writing that it has 14

calendar days from the date of HUD’s

written notification to cure the technical

deficiency. If the applicant fails to

submit the missing material within the

14-day cure period, HUD may disqualify

the application.

This 14-day cure period applies only

to non-substantive deficiencies or

errors. Any deficiency capable of cure

will involve only items not necessary

for HUD to assess the merits of an

application against the factors specified

in this NOFA.

VI. Other Matters

Environmental Review

In accordance with 40 CFR 1508.4 of

the regulations of the Council on

Environmental Quality and 24 CFR

50.20(b) of the HUD regulations, the

policies and procedures in this

document relate only to the provision of

research, training and technical

assistance which do not result in

physical change and therefore are

categorically excluded from the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act.

Federalism Impact

The General Counsel, as the

Designated Official under section 6(a) of

Executive Order 12612, Federalism, has

determined that the policies and

procedures contained in this notice will

not have substantial direct effects on

States or their political subdivisions, or

the relationship between the federal

government and the States, or on the

distribution of power and

responsibilities among the various

levels of government. As a result, the

notice is not subject to review under the

Order. Specifically, the notice solicits

participation in an effort to provide

assistance to institutions of higher

education for establishing and carrying

out research and outreach activities

addressing the problems of urban areas.

The COPCs established under this

notice will work with local

communities to help resolve urban

problems. The notice does not impinge

upon the relationships between the

Federal government and State or local

governments.

Impact on the Family

The General Counsel, as the

Designated Official under Executive

Order 12606, The Family, has

determined that this notice will likely

have a beneficial impact on family

formation, maintenance, and general

well-being. The assistance to be

provided by the funding under this

NOFA is expected to help local

residents to become self-sufficient by

improving living conditions and

standards. Accordingly, since the

impact on the family is beneficial, no

further review is considered necessary.

Documentation and Public Access

Requirements: HUD Reform Act

HUD will ensure that documentation

and other information regarding each

application submitted pursuant to this

NOFA are sufficient to indicate the basis

upon which assistance was provided or

denied. This material, including any

letters of support, will be made

available for public inspection for a fiveyear period beginning not less than 30

days after the award of the assistance.

Material will be made available in

accordance with the Freedom of

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and

HUD’s implementing regulations at 24

CFR part 15. In addition, HUD will

include the recipients of assistance

pursuant to this NOFA in its Federal

Register notice of all recipients of HUD

assistance awarded on a competitive

basis. (See 24 CFR 12.14(a) and 12.16(b),

and the notice published in the Federal

Register on January 16, 1992 (57 FR

1942), for further information on these

requirements.)

Prohibition Against Advance

Information on Funding Decisions

HUD’s regulation implementing

section 103 of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development

Reform Act of 1989, codified as 24 CFR

part 4, applies to the funding

competition announced today. The

requirements of the rule continue to

apply until the announcement of the

selection of successful applicants. HUD

employees involved in the review of

applications and in the making of

funding decisions are limited by part 4

from providing advance information to

any person (other than an authorized

employee of HUD) concerning funding

decisions, or from otherwise giving any

applicant an unfair competitive

advantage. Persons who apply for

assistance in this competition should

confine their inquiries to the subject

areas permitted under 24 CFR part 4.

Applicants or employees who have

ethics related questions should contact

the HUD Office of Ethics (202) 708–

3815. (This is not a toll-free number.)

For HUD employees who have specific

program questions, such as whether

particular subject matter can be

discussed with persons outside HUD,

the employee should contact the

appropriate Field Office Counsel, or

Headquarters counsel for the program to

which the question pertains.

Protection of Human Subjects

45 CFR part 46, Subtitle A on the

protection of human subjects does not

apply to the COPC program because the

research activities to be conducted

under the program are only incidentally

regulated by the Department solely as

part of its broader responsibility to

regulate certain types of activities

whether research or non-research in

nature.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 5307 note.

Dated: May 8, 1996.

Michael A. Stegman,

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development

and Research.

[FR Doc. 96–12274 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

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