New Awards for Fiscal Year (2008): Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Programs

Federal Register: May 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 92)

Notices

Page 26970-26974

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr12my08-23

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Asian

American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions

(AANAPISI) and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI)

Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year

(FY) 2008

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.382B and 84.382C.

DATES:

Applications Available: May 12, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 26, 2008.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 25, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

1. Funding Opportunity Description

   Purpose of Program: The AANAPISI and the NASNTI programs provide grants to eligible institutions of higher education to enable them to improve their academic quality, increase their self sufficiency and strengthen their capacity to serve students. To meet the definition of an AANAPISI, an institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American

   Pacific Islander. To meet the definition of an NASNTI, an institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native American at the time of application.

   Program Authority: Section 499A and Title III of the Higher

   Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1099e.

   Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

   Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) 34 CFR 607.5. (c) Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the authorizing statute.

   Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

2. Award Information

   Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

   Estimated Available Funds: $5,000,000.

   Estimated Average Size of Awards: See following chart.

   Maximum Award: See following chart.

   Estimated Number of Awards: See following chart.

   Estimated

   Estimated

   Program name and type of award

   Maximum award

   number of

   average award amount

   awards

   amount

   Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving

   Institutions (AANAPISI): 2-year development grants................................

   $1,250,0000

   4

   $1,250,000

   Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI): 2-year development grants................................

   1,250,000

   4

   1,250,000

   Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

   Project Period: Up to 24 months.

3. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: An institution of higher education is eligible to receive funds if such institution is a AANAPISI or a

   NASNTI. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost sharing or matching.

4. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Darlene B. Collins, U.S.

   Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7576 or by e-mail: darlene.collins@ed.gov.

   If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the

   Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

   Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application packages for these programs.

   Page Limits: We have established mandatory page limits for the applications to be submitted under this notice. You must limit your application to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages for an individual development grant under the AANAPISI and the NASNTI programs, using the following standards:

   A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the 1'' margins.

   Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except single

   Page 26971

   space titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs.

   Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10 point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

   Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,

   Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font

   (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will be rejected.

   The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for

   Federal Assistance Face Sheet (SF 424); the Supplemental Information for SF 424 Form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the

   Budget Information Summary Form (ED Form 524); and Part IV, the

   Assurances and Certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a

   Table of Contents and the Program Abstract. If you include any attachments or appendices, these items will be counted as part of the

   Program Narrative (Part III of the application) for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the program narrative. The page limit applies to all of the application narrative section [Part III].

   We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times:

   Applications Available: May 12, 2008.

   Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 26, 2008.

   Applications for grants under these programs must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission

   Requirements in this notice.

   We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

   Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

   Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 25, 2008. 4. Intergovernmental Review: These programs are subject to

   Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

   Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under

   Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for these programs. 5. Funding Restrictions: We reference the regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.

   Applicability of Executive Order 13202. Applicants that apply for construction funds must comply with Executive Order 13202 signed by

   President George W. Bush on February 17, 2001, and amended on April 6, 2001. This Executive Order provides that recipients of Federal construction funds may not ``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s)'' or ``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or remain signatories or otherwise adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other construction project(s).''

   However, the Executive Order does not prohibit contractors or subcontractors from voluntarily entering into these agreements.

   Projects funded under these programs that include construction activity will be provided a copy of this Executive Order and will be asked to certify that they will adhere to it. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the

   AANAPISI and the NASNTI Programs must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section. a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

   Applications for grants under the AANAPISI and the NANSTI programs, authorized by Section 499A of the HEA must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http:// www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

   We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.

   You may access the electronic grant application for the AANAPISI and the NASNTI programs at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program competition by the CFDA Number. Do not include the CFDA Number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.382, not 84.382B or 84.382C).

   Please note the following:

   When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.

   Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

   Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application if it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the

   Grants.gov system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

   The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

   You should review and follow the Education Submission

   Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for these programs to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/

   GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.

   Page 26972

   To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http:// www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1)

   Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative

   (AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.

   Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step

   Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/

   Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition, you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

   You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.

   You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms:

   Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of

   Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-

   Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the

   Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).

   You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable

   Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.

   Your electronic application must comply with any page- limit requirements described in this notice.

   After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The

   Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award Number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).

   We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

   Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov

   Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a

   Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

   If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

   If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in Section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with

   Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

   Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the

   Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

   Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because--

   You do not have access to the Internet; or

   You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and

   No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days; or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.

   If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

   Address and mail or fax your statement to: Darlene Collins, U.S.

   Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8513. FAX: (202) 502-7861.

   Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

   If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address:

   By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education,

   Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number: 84.382B or 84.382C), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or

   By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,

   Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number: 84.382B or 84.382C), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

   Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

   (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.

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   (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

   (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the

   U.S. Department of Education.

   If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 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.

   If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

   Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

   If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

   U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:

   (CFDA Number: 84.382B or 84.382C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041,

   Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

   The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,

   Sundays, and Federal holidays.

   Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--

   (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the

   Department--in Item 11 of the SF-424 the CFDA Number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

   (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application

   Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

5. Application Review Information 1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for these programs are in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations

   (EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.210. Applicants must address each of the following selection criteria (separately for each proposed activity). The total weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses.

1. Need for project. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

   1. The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (10 points)

   2. The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 points)

   3. The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)

2. Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the

   Secretary considers:

   1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

      (10 points)

   2. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (5 points)

3. Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:

   1. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services. (10 points)

   2. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (5 points)

4. Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:

   1. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (5 points)

   2. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (5 points)

5. Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

   1. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (3 points)

   2. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

   (2 points)

6. Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points) In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

   1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (10 points)

   2. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)

   3. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products and services from the proposed project. (5 points)

7. Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:

   1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points)

   2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible. (5 points)

   3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (5 points) 2. Review and Selection Process: For two-year individual development grants, awards will be made in rank order according to the average score received from a panel of three readers.

6. Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your

   U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and

   Page 26974

   send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.

   If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable

   Regulations section in this notice.

   We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html. 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of these programs:

   (a) The percentage change, over the two-year grant period, of the number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at

   AANAPISI and NASNTI.

   (b) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at the same AANAPISI and NASNTI institution.

   (c) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year AANAPISI and NASNTI who graduate within six years of enrollment.

   (d) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year AANAPISI and NASNTI who graduate within three years of enrollment.

7. Agency Contact

   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darlene Collins, U.S. Department of

   Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20006-8513.

   Telephone: (202) 502-7576 or by e-mail: darlene.collins@ed.gov.

   If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

8. Other Information

   Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format

   (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER

   INFORMATION CONTACT in Section VII in this notice.

   Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal

   Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the

   Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.

   To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.

   Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

   Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal

   Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ nara/index.html.

   Dated: May 7, 2008.

   Diane Auer Jones,

   Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

   FR Doc. E8-10520 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am

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