FR Doc 04-4554
[Federal Register: March 2, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 41)]
[Notices]
[Page 9813-9817]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr04-39]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Indian Education; Overview Information; Professional
Development; Notice Inviting Applications for New Discretionary Program
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.299B.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 3, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 1, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this program are an
institution of higher education, including an Indian institution of
higher education; a State or local educational agency, in consortium
with an institution of higher education; an Indian tribe or
organization, in consortium with an institution of higher education;
and a Bureau-funded school.
An application from a consortium of eligible entities must meet the
requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. The consortium agreement,
signed by all parties, must be submitted with the application in order
to be considered as a consortium application. Letters of support do not
meet the consortium requirements.
In order to be considered an eligible entity, applicants, including
institutions of higher education, must be eligible to provide the level
and type of degree proposed in the application or must apply in
consortium with an institution of higher education that is eligible to
grant the target degree.
Applicants that apply as an ``Indian organization'' must
demonstrate in the application how they meet all criteria of this term
as defined in 34 CFR 263.3 in order to be considered an eligible Indian
organization.
We will reject any application that does not meet these
requirements.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,791,630.
Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000 to $500,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $424,476.
[[Page 9814]]
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
during the first 24 months of the project. The last 12-month budget
period of a 36-month award will be limited to induction services only,
at a cost not to exceed $75,000. The Deputy Under Secretary may change
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 16.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Professional Development
program are to: (1) Increase the number of qualified Indian individuals
in professions that serve Indian people; (2) provide training to
qualified Indian individuals to become teachers, administrators,
teacher aides, social workers, and ancillary educational personnel; and
(3) improve the skills of qualified Indian individuals who serve in the
education field. Activities may include, but are not limited to,
continuing programs, symposia, workshops, conferences, and direct
financial support.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), these
absolute priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR
263.5(c)(1) and (2)). These priorities are designed to meet two primary
goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-110.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2004 these priorities are absolute
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications
that meet one or both of these priorities.
These priorities are:
Pre-Service Training for Teachers
A project that provides support and training to Indian individuals
to complete a pre-service education program that enables these
individuals to meet the requirements for full State certification or
licensure as a teacher through--
(1)(i) Training that leads to a bachelor's degree in education
before the end of the award period;
(ii) For States allowing a degree in a specific subject area,
training that leads to a bachelor's degree in the subject area as long
as the training meets the requirements for full State teacher
certification or licensure; or
(iii) Training in a current or new specialized teaching assignment
that requires at least a bachelor's degree and in which a documented
teacher shortage exists; and
(2) One year induction services after graduation, certification, or
licensure provided during the award period to graduates of the pre-
service program while they are completing their first year of work in
schools with significant Indian student populations.
Note: In working with various institutions of higher education
and State certification/licensure requirements, we found that states
requiring a degree in a specific subject area (e.g., specialty areas
or teaching at the secondary level) generally require a master's
degree or fifth-year requirement before an individual can be
certified or licensed as a teacher. These students would be eligible
to participate as long as their training meets the requirements for
full State certification or licensure as a teacher.
Pre-Service Administrator Training
A project that provides--
(1) Support and training to Indian individuals to complete a
master's degree in education administration that is provided before the
end of the award period and that allows participants to meet the
requirements for State certification or licensure as an education
administrator; and
(2) One year of induction services during the award period to
participants after graduation, certification or licensure, while they
are completing their first year of work as administrators in schools
with significant Indian student populations.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within each of the absolute
priorities, we give competitive preference to applications that address
the following priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii),
these priorities are from the regulations for this program (34 CFR
263.5(a) and (b)). These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority One
We award five points to an application submitted by an Indian
tribe, Indian organization, or Indian institution of higher education
that is eligible to participate in the Professional Development
program. A consortium application of eligible entities that meets the
requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 of EDGAR and includes an
Indian tribe, Indian organization or Indian institution of higher
education will be considered eligible to receive the five (5) priority
points.
Competitive Preference Priority Two
We award five points to an application submitted by a consortium of
eligible applicants that includes a tribal college or university and
that designates that tribal college or university as the fiscal agent
for the application. The consortium application of eligible entities
must meet the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 of EDGAR to
be considered eligible to receive the five (5) priority points. These
points are in addition to the five (5) competitive preference points we
may award under Competitive Preference One.
Note: The consortium agreement, signed by all parties, must be
submitted with the application in order to be considered a
consortium application. Letters of support do not meet the
consortium requirements. We will reject any application that does
not meet these requirements.
Note: Tribal colleges and universities are those institutions
cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), any other institution that
qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled College or
University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), or Dine
College (formerly Navajo Community College), authorized in the
Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a et seq.).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7442.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99; and (b) 34 CFR part 263.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,791,630.
Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000 to $500,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $424,476.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
during the first 24 months of the project. The last 12-month budget
period of a 36-month award will be limited to induction services only,
at a cost not to exceed $75,000. The Deputy Under Secretary may change
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 16.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
[[Page 9815]]
Project Period: 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this program are an
institution of higher education, including an Indian institution of
higher education; a State or local educational agency, in consortium
with an institution of higher education; an Indian tribe or
organization, in consortium with an institution of higher education;
and a Bureau-funded school.
An application from a consortium of eligible entities must meet the
requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. The consortium agreement,
signed by all parties, must be submitted with the application in order
to be considered as a consortium application. Letters of support do not
meet the consortium requirements.
In order to be considered an eligible entity, applicants, including
institutions of higher education, must be eligible to offer the level
and type of degree proposed in the application or must apply in
consortium with an institution of higher education that is eligible to
grant the target degree.
Applicants that apply as an ``Indian organization'' must
demonstrate in the application how they meet all criteria of this term
as defined in 34 CFR 263.3 in order to be considered an eligible Indian
organization.
We will reject any application that does not meet these
requirements.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other:
(a) Indian institution of higher education. The term ``Indian
institution of higher education'' means an accredited college or
university within the United States cited in section 532 of the Equity
in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), any
other institution that qualifies for funding under the Tribally
Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.), and Dine College (formerly Navajo Community College),
authorized in the Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a et
seq.).
(b) Budget Requirement. Projects funded under this competition must
budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC
during each year of the project period.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site:
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.299B.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed under For
Further Information Contact elsewhere in this notice.
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 package for this program.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that are used by reviewers in evaluating
the application. You must limit the narrative to the equivalent of no
more than 50 double-spaced pages, using the following standards:
[sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
[sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
[sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must
include all of the application narrative in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
[sbull] Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
[sbull] Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 3, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2004. The dates
and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand
(including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this program. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 1, 2004.
4. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: This program is 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 this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We will reject any application that
proposes a budget exceeding $500,000 for a single budget period of 12
months during the first 24 months of the project. The last 12-month
budget period of a 36-month award will be limited to induction services
only, at a cost not to exceed $75,000.
Stipends may be paid only to full-time students. For the payment of
stipends to project participants being trained, the Secretary expects
to set the stipend maximum at $1,775 per month for full-time students
and provide for a $275 allowance per month per dependent during an
academic term. The terms ``stipend,'' ``full-time student,'' and
``dependent allowance'' are defined in 34 CFR 263.3.
We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
program.
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy.
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined
that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of
applications to include additional formula grant programs and
additional discretionary grant
[[Page 9816]]
competitions. The Professional Development program--CFDA Number
84.299B--is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you
are an applicant under the Professional Development program, you may
submit your application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application). If you use e-Application, you will
be entering data online while completing your application. You may not
e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. If you
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its
improvement.
If you participate in e-APPLICATION, please note the following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] When you enter the e-Application system, you will find
information about its hours of operation. We strongly recommend that
you not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
[sbull] You will not receive additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format.
[sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
[sbull] Your e-Application must comply with any page limit
requirements described in this notice.
[sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
[sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202)
260-1349.
[sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot
for the Professional Development program and you are prevented from
submitting your application on the application deadline date because
the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension
of one business day in order to transmit your application
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and have initiated
an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the
Professional Development program at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in
the application package and 34 CFR 263.6.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and 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 will 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 of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of 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 this 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.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
the Professional Development program: To increase the percentages of
the teacher and principal workforces serving American Indian and Alaska
Native students who are themselves American Indian and Alaska Native.
The program target is to increase the percentage of American Indian and
Alaska Native principals and teachers in public schools with 25 percent
or more American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Under the selection criteria ``Quality of project services'' and
``Quality of the project evaluation,'' we will consider the extent to
which the applicant demonstrates a strong capacity to provide reliable
data on these indicators.
All grantees will be expected to submit, as part of their
performance report, information documenting their progress with regard
to these performance measures.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Victoria Vasques, Office of Indian
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3W205, Washington, DC 20202-6335. Telephone: (202) 260-3774 or by e-
mail: oiegrant@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
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 this section.
VII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department
[[Page 9817]]
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: February 25, 2004.
Victoria Vasques,
Deputy Under Secretary for Indian Education.
[FR Doc. 04-4554 Filed 3-01-04; 8:45 am]
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