Request for Pre-Application for 2021 Technology Initiative Grants

Citation86 FR 22466
Record Number2021-08439
Published date28 April 2021
SectionNotices
CourtLegal Services Corporation
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 80 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 22466-22467]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2021-08439]
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                LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
                Request for Pre-Application for 2021 Technology Initiative Grants
                AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation.
                ACTION: Notice.
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                SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this notice
                describing the conditions for submitting a pre-application for 2021
                Technology Initiative Grants.
                DATES: Pre-applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday,
                May 14, 2021.
                ADDRESSES: Pre-applications must be submitted electronically to https://grantease.lsc.gov.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Bonebrake, Program Counsel,
                Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K
                Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; (202) 295-1547 or [email protected].
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                I. Introduction
                 Since 2000, Congress has provided an annual appropriation to LSC to
                award special funding for ``client self-help and information
                technology'' projects. LSC's Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) program
                funds technology tools that help achieve LSC's goal of increasing the
                quantity and quality of legal services available to eligible persons.
                Projects funded under the TIG program develop, test, and replicate
                innovative technologies that can enable grant recipients and state
                justice communities to improve low-income persons' access to high-
                quality legal assistance through an integrated and well-managed
                technology system.
                II. Funding Opportunities Information
                A. Eligible Applicants
                 To be eligible for Technology Initiative Grants, applicants must be
                current grantees of LSC Basic Field-General, Basic Field-Migrant, or
                Basic Field-Native American grants. In addition, applicants must
                receive basic field funding of a least a one-year term, be up to date
                on reporting on any existing TIG-funded projects, and not have had a
                previous TIG terminated in the past three years for reporting or other
                performance issues.
                B. Technology Initiative Grant Purpose and Key Goals
                 Since LSC's TIG program was established in 2000, LSC has made over
                775 grants totaling over $73 million. This grant program encourages
                organizations to use technology in innovative ways to:
                 1. Effectively and efficiently provide high-quality legal
                assistance to low-income persons and to promote access to the judicial
                system through legal information, advice, and representation.
                 2. Improve service delivery, quality of legal work, and management
                and administration of grantees.
                 3. Develop, test, and replicate innovative strategies that can
                enable grantees and state justice communities to improve clients'
                access to high-quality legal assistance.
                C. Area of Interest for the 2021 TIG Cycle
                 The TIG program has one area of interest for the 2021 grant cycle:
                Projects That Enhance Information Security in Legal Services.
                Organizations operate in an increasingly complex technology environment
                where there is a significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized
                access to systems. This area of interest encourages applicants to
                consider creative and innovative technology solutions that can improve
                security for one or more legal services organizations. Specifically,
                LSC is interested in funding three types of security projects:
                 (1) A national initiative focused on capacity building, security
                awareness, and general technical assistance for LSC-funded
                organizations across the United States. This project should include
                national trainings for program leadership and IT staff, development of
                model security policies, guidance on security considerations when
                engaging IT vendors, and broad security notices to the field of LSC
                grantees on emerging
                [[Page 22467]]
                threats and other security considerations. LSC anticipates awarding one
                large-scale, capacity-building TIG to complete this work at the
                national level. Applicants should plan on engaging IT security experts
                to help provide these services to LSC-funded providers across the
                country.
                 (2) New and innovative solutions to address information security.
                These projects will introduce new and innovative approaches to address
                security challenges. While the TIG program cannot support basic
                security infrastructure--LSC grantees must use funding from field
                grants and other sources to cover these critical expenses--it can
                support new technologies or methods that enhance security for one or
                more legal services providers. This might include deploying new machine
                learning technology to prevent phishing and other intrusions or using a
                cloud or automated service to continually assess overall IT posture.
                Applicants in this category should explain how they are using new
                technologies and methods to enhance security and how these innovations
                would be replicable by other LSC grantees.
                 (3) Security Assessments in Technology Improvement Projects.
                Applicants eligible for a Technology Improvement Project can add up to
                $10,000 to their funding request to ensure that security is adequately
                evaluated as part of an IT assessment. Please note that Technology
                Improvement Projects do not require a pre-application--LSC will open
                the application system for these projects by June 15, 2021.
                D. Funding Categories
                1. General Technology Initiative Grants
                 Projects in this category (1) implement new or innovative
                approaches for using technology in legal services delivery; (2) enhance
                the effectiveness and efficiency of existing technologies so that they
                may be better used to increase the quality and quantity of services to
                clients; or (3) replicate, adapt, or provide added value to the work of
                prior technology projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the
                implementation and improvement of tested methodologies and technologies
                from previous TIG projects. We also encourage replication of proven
                technologies from non-LSC funded legal aid organizations as well as
                sectors outside the legal aid community. LSC recommends a minimum
                amount for funding requests in this category of $40,000, but projects
                with lower budgets will be considered. There is no maximum amount for
                TIG funding requests that are within the total appropriation for TIG.
                All applicants in this category must submit a pre-application according
                to the process and requirements outlined in this notice.
                2. Technology Improvement Projects
                 LSC recognizes that grantees need sufficient technology
                infrastructure in place before they can take on a more innovative TIG
                project, and this grant category is for applicants that need to improve
                their basic technology infrastructure. Only LSC grantees that have not
                received a TIG award in the last five years (since 2016) are eligible
                to apply for a Technology Improvement Project. LSC has increased the
                maximum amount for funding requests in this category from $25,000 to
                $35,000 so that applicants can incorporate information security reviews
                into their assessments.
                 Please note that Technology Improvement Projects do not require a
                pre-application. LSC will open the application system and provide
                guidance for this category by June 15, 2021.
                E. Available Funds and Additional Consideration for 2021 Grants
                 LSC anticipates awarding up to $4,250,000 through TIG grants in
                2021. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds
                and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by
                law. LSC will not designate fixed or estimated amounts for the two
                different funding categories and will make grant awards for the two
                categories within the total amount of funding available.
                 As mentioned above, proposals focused on innovative solutions for
                information security challenges will receive additional consideration
                in the application review process.
                F. Grant Terms
                 Applicants may propose grant terms between 12 and 36 months. LSC
                may instruct applicants to include additional time to the grant term
                for evaluation, final reporting, and financial reporting. Budgets
                submitted should be for the entire grant term.
                III. Grant Application Process
                A. Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) Application Process
                 This year, the Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) application
                process will be administered in LSC's unified grants management system,
                GrantEase. Applicants must first submit a pre-application (formerly
                Letter of Intent to Apply for Funding or ``LOI'') to LSC in GrantEase
                by May 14, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, to be considered for a grant. After
                review by LSC staff, LSC's president decides which applicants will be
                asked to submit a full application. Applicants will be notified of
                approval to submit a full application by mid-June 2021. Full
                applications are due to LSC in the GrantEase system on August 6, 2021,
                at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Once received, full applications will undergo a
                rigorous review by LSC staff. LSC's president makes the final decisions
                on funding for the Technology Initiative Grant program.
                B. Late or Incomplete Applications
                 LSC may consider a request to submit a pre-application after the
                deadline, but only if the applicant has submitted an email to
                [email protected] explaining the circumstances that caused the delay
                prior to the pre-application deadline. Communication with LSC staff,
                including assigned program liaisons, is not a substitute for sending a
                formal request and explanation to [email protected]. At its
                discretion, LSC may consider incomplete applications. LSC will
                determine the admissibility of late or incomplete applications on a
                case-by-case basis.
                C. Multiple Pre-Applications
                 Applicants may submit multiple pre-applications under the same or
                different funding category. If applying for multiple grants, applicants
                should submit separate pre-applications for each funding request.
                D. Additional Information and Guidelines
                 Additional guidance and instructions on the pre-application and
                application processes for Technology Initiative Grants will be
                available and regularly updated at https://www.lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/tig.
                 Dated: April 19, 2021.
                Mark Freedman,
                Senior Associate General Counsel.
                [FR Doc. 2021-08439 Filed 4-27-21; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 7050-01-P
                

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