Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/08/31/00-22384/solicitation-notice-environmental-education-grants-program-fiscal-year-2001
Timestamp: 2017-09-23 05:56:40
Document Index: 219359004

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 1', 'arts 4', 'art 47', 'art 47', 'art 31', 'art 30']

Federal Register :: Solicitation Notice: Environmental Education Grants Program; Fiscal Year 2001
Solicitation Notice: Environmental Education Grants Program; Fiscal Year 2001
53145-53156 (12 pages)
FRL-6861-4
Section I.—Overview and Deadlines
Section II.—Eligible Applicants and Activities
Section III.—Funding Priorities
Section IV.—Requirements for Proposals and Matching Funds
Section V.—Review and Selection Process
Section VI.—Grantees Responsibilities
Section VII.—Resource Information and Mailing List
X. Mailing List for Year 2002 Environmental Education Grants
Complete Section B—Budget Categories—Columns (1), (2) and (5)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/00-22384 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/00-22384
Section VII—Resource Information & Mailing List
(1) Due Date—November 15, 2000. This is the postmark due date for an original proposal signed by an authorized representative plus one copy to be mailed to EPA. Proposals mailed or sent after this date will not be considered for funding.
(2) Rejection Letters—EPA Headquarters and 10 Regional Offices send these out at different times as determined by scheduling to accommodate review teams. Letters are usually sent between April and June.
(3) Start Date for Projects—July 1, 2001 is the earliest start date that applicants should plan on and enter on their application forms and timelines.
EPA anticipates funding of less than $3 million for this annual grant cycle, subject to appropriations and the availability of funds. Since implementation of this grants program in 1992, there has been a great deal of public enthusiasm for developing environmental education projects. Consequently, EPA has consistently received many more applications for these grants than can be supported with available funds. The competition for grants is intense, especially at Headquarters which usually receives about 250 proposals and is able to fund less than 5% of the applicants. Regional offices generally fund about 15% of proposals seeking over $5,000 and more than 30% of proposals for $5,000 or less.
Grants in excess of $150,000 have seldom been awarded through this program. Although the Act sets a maximum limit of $250,000 in environmental education grant funds for any one project, because of limited funds, EPA prefers to award smaller grants to more recipients. Also, Congress requires that at least 25% of available funds go to small grants of $5,000 or less. In summary, you will significantly increase your chance of being funded if you request $5,000 or less from a Regional Office or $100,000 or less from Headquarters.
Any local education agency, state education or environmental agency, college or university, not-for-profit organization as described in Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entity may submit a proposal. “Tribal education agencies” which may also apply include a school or community college which is controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These terms are defined in Section 3 of the Act and 40 CFR 47.105.
Applicant organizations must be located in the United States and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States, Canada and/or Mexico. A teacher's school district, an educator's nonprofit organization, or a faculty member's college or university may apply, but an individual teacher, educator, or faculty member may not. Tribal organizations also do not qualify unless they meet the criteria listed above.
An organization may submit more than one proposal if the proposals are for different projects. No organization will be awarded more than one grant for the same project during the same fiscal year. Applicants who received one of these grants in the past may submit a new proposal to expand a previously funded project or to fund an entirely different one. Each new proposal will be evaluated based upon the specific criteria set forth in this solicitation and in relation to the other proposals received in this fiscal year. Due to limited resources, EPA does not generally sustain projects beyond the initial grant period. This grant program is geared toward providing seed money to initiate new projects or to advance existing projects that are “new” in some way, such as reaching new audiences or new locations. If you have received a grant from this program in the past, it is essential that you explain how your current proposal is “new.” Start Printed Page 53147
(5) Construction projects EPA will not fund construction activities such as the acquisition of real property (e.g., buildings) or the construction or modification of any building. EPA may, however, fund activities such as creating a nature trail or building a bird watching station as long as these items are an integral part of the environmental education project, and the cost is a relatively small percentage of the total amount of federal funds requested.
Headquarters Priorities (Federal funds in excess of $25,000):
Regional Office Priorities ($25,000 or less in Federal funds):
(1-3) All of the Above
Environmental issue is one of importance to the community, state, or region being targeted by the project, e.g., one community may have significant air pollution problems which makes teaching about human health effects from it and solutions to air pollution important, while rapid development in another community may threaten a nearby wildlife habitat, thus making habitat or ecosystem protection a high priority issue. Start Printed Page 53148
Partnerships refers to the forming of a collaborative working relationship between two or more organizations such as governmental agencies, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and/or the private sector. It may also refer to intra-organizational unions such as the science and art departments within a university collaborating on a project.
Work Plan and Appendices: A work plan describes your proposed project and your budget. Appendices establish your timeline, your qualifications, and your partnerships with other organizations, where applicable. Include all five sections described below which will be evaluated and scored by reviewers. The highest possible score per proposal is 100 points as outlined in this section and in paragraph (N).
(d) Delivery Method: Explain how you will reach your audience, such as workshops, conferences, interactive programs, etc.
(a) Why: Explain the purpose of your project and how it will address an educational priority listed in Section III, such as education reform or children's health; and address an environmental issue, such as clean air, ecosystem protection, or cross-cutting issues. Explain the importance to your community, state, or region. Specify if the project has the potential for wide application, and/or can serve as a model for use in other locations with a similar audience.
(b) Who: Explain who will conduct the project; identify the target audience and demonstrate an understanding of the needs of that audience (including cultural diversity where appropriate); explain your recruitment plan to attract your target audience; and clarify if you have incentives such as stipends or continuing education credits.
(4) Budget and Timeframe: Clarify how EPA funds and non-federal matching funds will be used for specific items or activities, such as personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, and indirect costs. Include a table which Start Printed Page 53149lists each major proposed activity, and the amount of EPA funds and/or matching funds that will be spent on each activity. Smaller grants with uncomplicated budgets may have a table that lists only a few activities. Budget periods not to exceed one-year are preferred by EPA for all grants and are mandatory for small grants of $5,000 or less. Budget periods for larger grants cannot exceed two-years.
(a) Timeline—Include a “timeline” to link your activities to a clear project schedule and indicate at what point over the months of your budget period each action, event, product, development, etc. occurs.
(b) Key Personnel—Attach a one page resume for the key personnel conducting the project (Maximum of three resumes please).
This subsection will be scored based upon: (1) Whether the timeline clarifies the workplan and allows reviewers to determine that the project is well thought out and feasible as planned; (2) whether the key personnel are qualified to implement the proposed project; and (3) whether letters of commitment are included (if partners are used) and the extent to which a firm commitment is made.
The Work Plan should not exceed 5 pages. “One page” refers to one side of a single-spaced typed page. The pages must be letter sized (8 1/2 x 11 inches), with margins at least one-half inch wide and with normal type size (10 or 12 font), rather than extremely small type. This page limit applies to Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Work Plan, (i.e., the Summary, Project Description, and Project Evaluation). Parts 4 and 5 (i.e. Budget and Appendices) are not included in these page limits.
The applicant must submit one original and one copy of the proposal (a signed SF-424, an SF-424A, a work plan, a budget, and the appendices listed above). Do not include other attachments such as cover letters, tables of contents, additional federal forms or appendices other than those listed above. Grant reviewers often lower scores on proposals for failure to follow instructions. The SF-424 should be the first page of your proposal and must be signed by a person authorized to receive funds. Blue ink for signatures is preferred. Proposals must be reproducible; they should not be bound. They should be stapled or clipped once in the upper left hand corner, on white paper, and with page numbers. Mailing addresses for submission of proposals are listed at the end of this document.
Proposals submitted to EPA headquarters and regional offices will be evaluated using the same criteria, as defined here and in Section IV of this solicitation. Proposals will be reviewed in two phases—the screening phase and the evaluation phase. During the screening phase, proposals will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the basic requirements of this Start Printed Page 53150document. Only those proposals which meet all of the basic requirements will enter the full evaluation phase of the review process. During the evaluation phase, proposals will be evaluated based upon the quality of their work plans. Reviewers conducting the screening and evaluation phases of the review process will include EPA officials and external environmental educators approved by EPA. At the conclusion of the evaluation phase, the reviewers will score work plans based upon the scoring system described in more detail in Section IV. In summary, the maximum score of 100 points can be reached as follows:
Grant recipients may begin incurring costs on the start date identified in the EPA grant award agreement. Activities must be completed and funds spent within the time frames specified in the document.
Specific financial and other reporting requirements will be identified in the EPA grant award agreement. Grant recipients receiving more than $100,000 from EPA will be required to submit formal semi-annual progress reports; and grantees for less may be required to submit brief semi-annual reports. Grant recipients will submit two copies of their final report and two copies of all work products to the EPA project officer within 90 days after the expiration of the budget period. This report will be accepted as the final requirement unless the EPA project officer notifies you that changes must be made.
Resources: Please visit our website where you can view and download this solicitation notice, tips for developing successful grant applications, descriptions of projects funded under this program by state, and other education links and resource materials. The “Excellence in EE” series of publications listed there includes guidelines for: developing and evaluating educational materials; the initial preparation of environmental educators; and using environmental education in grades K-12 to support state and local education reform goals. In addition, a tutorial for grant applicants is available at: www.epa.gov/​seahome/​grants/​src/​grant.htm
Forms: If you receive this solicitation electronically and if the standard federal forms for Application (SF-424) and Budget (SF-424A) cannot be printed by your equipment, you may locate them the following ways (but please read our instructions which have been modified for this grant program): The Federal Register in which this document is published contains the forms and is available to be copied at many public libraries; many federal offices use the forms and have copies available; or you may call or write the appropriate EPA office listed at the end of this document.
Please note that this is a very competitive grants program. Limited funding is available and many grant applications are expected to be received. Therefore, EPA cannot fund all applications. If your project is not funded, you may wish to review a listing of other EPA grant programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. This publication is available at local libraries, colleges, and universities.
The Environmental Education Grant Program Regulations, published in the Federal Register on March 9, 1992, provides additional information on EPA's administration of this program (57 FR 8390; Title 40 CFR, part 47 or 40 CFR part 47). Also, EPA's general assistance regulations at 40 CFR part 31 applies to state, local, and Indian tribal governments and 40 CFR part 30 applies to all other applicants such as nonprofit organizations.
Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted a report containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the General Accounting Office prior to publication of this rule in today's Federal Register. This rule is not a “major rule” as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804 (2).
EPA develops an entirely new mailing list for the grants program each year. The Fiscal Year 2002 mailing list will automatically include all applicants who submit proposals for a FY 2001 grant and anyone who specifically requests the next Solicitation Notice. If you do not submit a proposal for the year 2001 and wish to be added to our future mailing list, mail your request—please do not telephone—along with your name, organization, address, and phone number to: Environmental Education Grant Program (Year 2002), EPA Office of Environmental Education, Start Printed Page 53151(1704 A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20460.
Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Communications, Education, and Media Relations.
Applicants who need more information about this grant program or clarification about specific requirements in this Solicitation Notice, may contact the Environmental Education Office in Washington, D.C. for grant requests of more than $25,000 or their EPA regional office for grant requests of $25,000 or less.
Mail proposals to: Environmental Education Grant Program, Office of Environmental Education (1704 A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20460.
Information: Diane Berger and Sheri Jojokian, (202) 260-8619.
Information: Nan Ides, (215) 814-5546.
Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region IV, Enviro Education Grants, Office of External Affairs, 61 Forsyth Street, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.
Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region X, Enviro Education Grants, Public Environmental Resource Center, 1200 Sixth Avenue (EXA-124), Seattle, WA 98101
5. Legal name of applicant organization, name of primary organizational unit which will undertake the grant activity, complete address of the applicant organization, and name and telephone number of the person to contact on matters related to this application.
13. Self-explanatory (see Section IV, K4 in Solicitation Notice).
15. Amount requested or to be contributed during the funding/budget period by each contributor. Line (a) is for the amount of money you are requesting from EPA. Lines (b-e) are for the amounts either you or another organization are providing for this project. Line (f) is for any program income which you expect will be generated by this project. Examples of program income are fees for services performed, income generated from the sale of a brochure produced with the grant funds, or admission fees to a conference financed by the grant funds. The total of lines (b-e) must be at least 25% of line (g), as this grant has a match requirement of 25% of the Total Allowable Project Costs. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate lines as applicable. If both basic and supplemental amounts Start Printed Page 53152are included, show breakdown on an attached Budget sheet. For multiple program funding, use totals and show breakdown using same categories as item 15.
All applications should contain a breakdown by the relevant object class categories shown in Lines (a-h): columns (1), (2), and (5) of Section B. Include Federal funds in column (1) and non-Federal (matching) funds in column (2), and put the totals in column (5). Many applications will not have entries in all object class categories. Line 6(i)—Show the totals of lines 6(a) through 6(h) in each column. Line 6(j)—Show the amount of indirect costs, but ONLY if your organization has already prepared an “indirect cost rate” proposal and has it on file, subject to audit. Line 6(k)—Enter the total of amounts of Lines 6(i) and 6(j). Line 7—Program Income—Enter the estimated amount of income, if any, expected to be generated from this project. Do not add or subtract this amount from the total project amount. Describe the nature and source of income in the detailed budget description.
Detailed Itemization of Costs: The proposal must also contain a detailed budget description as specified in the Notice in Section IV, K4, and should conform to the following:
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[FR Doc. 00-22384 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]