[Federal Register: April 9, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 68)]
[Notices]               
[Page 17351]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09ap99-40]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.334]

 
Office of Postsecondary Education; Gaining Early Awareness and 
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP); Notice Announcing a 
Two-Tier Review Process for Applications Received Under the Fiscal Year 
(FY) 1999 Competition

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces the use of a two-tier review process 
to evaluate applications submitted for new awards under the FY 1999 
GEAR UP program for Partnership grants. The Secretary takes this action 
to ensure a thorough review and assessment of the large number of 
applications expected to be received under the FY 1999 competition. 
This competition was announced previously in a notice published in the 
Federal Register on March 2, 1999 (64 FR 10190). That notice, however, 
did not explain that a two-tier review process is to be used in the 
evaluation of GEAR UP Partnership applications. Because the 
announcement of a two-tier review process does not affect the contents 
of the applications in this competition, the date by which applications 
must be received remains as originally announced, April 30, 1999.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will follow the procedures in 
the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 
CFR part 75, except as indicated below.

Application Review Procedures

    The Secretary will use a two-tier process for reviewing 
applications for Partnership grants in this competition. At each tier 
of the review process, panels of experts will read the applications 
under consideration to determine which applications are most deserving 
of further consideration in light of the published selection criteria. 
Reviewers will forward recommended applications and applications 
recommended with reservations to Tier II for further consideration. The 
same evaluation criteria and procedures will be used in Tier II as in 
Tier I with the goal of funding the highest quality applications until 
available funds are exhausted. If all applications of comparable merit 
cannot be funded, the Secretary will use the competitive priority 
already published. If applications are still of comparable merit after 
the competitive priority has been applied, the Secretary will determine 
which application contributes most to the mission of GEAR UP.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Secretary to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, since this 
notice merely establishes procedural requirements for review of 
applications and does not create substantive policy, proposed 
rulemaking is not required under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia Ross, Office of Postsecondary 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 
6248, Portals Building, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone (202) 708-4650, 
e-mail Sylvia__Ross@ed.gov, or fax (202) 260-4269. 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.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access To This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) via the Internet at either of the 
following sites:

 http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-21

    Dated: April 6, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-8909 Filed 4-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U