No. However, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to submit a short e-mail note to the Department indicating that it intends to submit an application. This will give us a better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply under this program, and will allow for a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications. The e-mail should not include information regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it. We request this e-mail notification be sent no later than March 8, 2006 to the following address: Academies@ed.gov. Applicants who fail to provide this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.

Applications will be evaluated by a three-person technical review panel and scored according to the selection criteria contained in the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, as published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2006. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review these criteria carefully and to develop responses that fully and clearly address each criterion. An applicant can earn up to 100 points for responses to the selection criteria.

Yes, contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, the Department may make additional awards in 2007 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Applicants for the Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics Education program must address each requirement of the absolute priority in their project narrative. Applications that do not respond to the absolute priority will not be eligible to compete. Applicants are encouraged to address the invitational priority. Please note that an applicant who addresses the invitational priority receives no competitive or absolute preference over applications that do not meet the priority. The absolute priority and the invitational priority can be found in the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards under Section I, "Funding Opportunity Description."

An applicant would address the absolute and invitational priorities as part of its Project Narrative. The project narrative is where the applicant responds to the selection criteria.

The Department will not be holding a competition for the Presidential Academies in FY 2006.