FR Doc 03-3868
[Federal Register: February 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 31)]
[Notices]
[Page 7512-7514]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14fe03-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No: 84.184H]
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools--Grant Competition to
Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students--
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Purpose of Program: The Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk
Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students provides awards to
develop or enhance, implement, and evaluate campus- and/or community-
based strategies to prevent high-risk drinking or violent behavior
among college students.
For FY 2003 the competition for new awards focuses on projects
designed to meet the priorities we describe in the Priorities section
of this application notice.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs),
consortia thereof, public and private nonprofit organizations, or
individuals.
Applications Available: February 14, 2003.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 31, 2003.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 30, 2003.
Estimated Available Funds: The Department expects to make available
$2,250,000 for this program for FY 2003. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications at this time to allow enough time to complete the grant
process before the end of the current fiscal year.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 18.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) the notice of final priority
and selection criteria, as published in the Federal Register on
December 27, 2000 (65 FR 82224-82226) and January 10, 2001 (66 FR
1963), apply to this competition.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application under this program should
address the specific needs of the
[[Page 7513]]
applicant and propose activities specifically designed to meet those
needs. The Deputy Under Secretary strongly discourages applicants from
using ``form'' applications or proposals that address general rather
than specific local needs.
Priorities: This competition focuses on projects designed to meet
either of the two priorities in the notice of final priorities for this
program, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2000 (65 FR
82224-82226) and January 10, 2001 (66 FR 1963).
Absolute Priority 1--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and
Evaluate Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies To Prevent High-Risk
Drinking Among College Students
Under this priority, applicants are required to:
(1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
(2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on
campus to document prevalence rates related to high-risk drinking by
the population selected;
(3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will
be measured annually;
(4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in
preventing high-risk drinking by the target population;
(5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that
assess and document the strategies used; and
(6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available
to show impact within the grant period.
Absolute Priority 2--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and
Evaluate Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies To Prevent Violent
Behavior Among College Students
Under this priority, applicants are required to:
(1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
(2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on
campus to document prevalence rates related to violent behavior;
(3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will
be measured annually;
(4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in
preventing violent behavior among college students;
(5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that
assess and document the strategies used; and
(6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available
to show impact within the grant period.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet
either of the priorities.
Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria are used to
evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The
maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum
score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is indicated in
parentheses.
(1) Need for project. (15 points)
In determining the need for the proposed project, the following
factors are considered:
(a) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the
proposed project. (10 points)
(b) 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) Significance. (20 points)
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
following factors are considered:
(a) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement. (5 points)
(b) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the
field of study. (10 points)
(c) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (5 points)
(3) Quality of the project design. (30 points)
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project,
the following factors are considered:
(a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(10 points)
(b) 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)
(c) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points)
(d) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population. (5 points)
(4) Quality of project personnel. (10 points)
In determining the quality of project personnel, the following
factors are considered:
(a) 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. (3 points)
(b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel. (7 points)
(5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors
are considered:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (10 points)
(b) 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. (10 points)
(c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
For Applications and Further Information Contact: Richard Lucey,
Jr., U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E252, Washington, DC 20202-
6123. Telephone: 202/205-5471. Fax: 202/260-7767. E-mail:
richard.lucey@ed.gov. To download a copy of the application, visit the
Web site for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS
.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800/877-8339.
[[Page 7514]]
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under For
Applications and Further Information Contact.
Individuals with disabilities also may obtain a copy of the
application package in an alternative format by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative
format the standard forms included in the application package.
Application Procedures
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
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project for electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking
or Violent Behavior Among College Students is one the programs included
in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Grant
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among
College Students, 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) portion of the Grants Administration
and Payment System (GAPS). Users of e-Application will be entering data
on-line while completing their applications. You may not e-mail a soft
copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in this voluntary
pilot project by submitting an application electronically, the data you
enter on-line will be saved into a database. We request your
participation in e-Application. We shall continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any 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. When you enter the e-
Application system, you will find information about its hours of
operation.
[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] 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 the e-Application system.
(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.
[sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Grant
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among
College Students and you are prevented from submitting your application
on the closing 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. For us
to grant this extension--
(1)You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET), on the
deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system must be 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. (ET)) on the deadline date. The
Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension you must
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS help desk at 888/336-
8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Grant
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among
College Students at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-Application
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ed.gov/legislation/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 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
Dated: February 12, 2003.
Judge Eric G. Andell,
Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 03-3868 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
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