31364 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 19, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.101]

Indian Vocational Education Program;

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996

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 Bureau-funded 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: August 2, 1996.

Available Funds: $11,482,511 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: 31.

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 to 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 458(d); 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.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary uses the selection

criteria contained in 34 CFR 401.21 to

evaluate applications for new grants

under this competition. 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
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standards developed for Job

Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS)

programs (42 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) and 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 JOBS

program office, 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

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. (10 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.

(h) Employment opportunities. (20

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.
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Instructions for Transmittal of

Applications

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.

(a) If an applicant wants to apply for

a grant under this competition, the

applicant must—

(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.

(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 date 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. 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.

All applicants must submit ONE

original signed application having an

ink signature on all forms and

assurances and two copies of the

application. Please mark each

application as original and 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.

No grant may be awarded unless a

completed application form has been

received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gwen Washington or David Jones,

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) 205–9270.

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.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server

at GOPHER.ED.GOV (under

Announcements, Bulletins and Press

Releases). However, the official

application notice for a discretionary

grant competition is the notice

published in the Federal Register.

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

Dated: June 13, 1996.

Patricia W. McNeil,

Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and

Adult Education.

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Appendix A
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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 nonexpendable 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) subcontracts 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

(minimum wage is the basis for amount per

hour—$4.25) for each budget year.

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 completion.

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

considerations contained in this notice and

in 34 CFR 401.20(e). Letters of support

included as appendices to the 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.

Paperwork 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 or David Jones,

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.

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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 may 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 1801–0004 (Exp. 8/

31/98). 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.

Appendix B

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. 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 negotiations?

A. During negotiations 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
31382 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 19, 1996 / Notices

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

negotiation have been resolved.

Q. How do I provide an assurance?

A. Except for SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances—NonConstruction 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).

[FR Doc. 96–15648 Filed 6–18–96; 8:45 am]

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