[Federal Register: December 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 248)]
[Notices]
[Page 78915-78934]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26de02-144]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.224C]
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-Alternative
Financing Program Technical Assistance (AFPTA); Notice Inviting
Applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package.
Together with the statute authorizing the program and the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions
you need to apply for a grant under this competition.
Purpose of the Program: The purpose of the AFPTA is to award a
grant to a public or private agency or organization to provide
information and technical assistance to States participating in or
interested in participating in the Alternative Financing Program (AFP).
For FY 2003, the competition for one new award focuses on projects
designed to meet the priority described in the PRIORITY section of this
application notice. We intend this priority to provide technical
assistance to the States and outlying areas to establish or maintain
alternative financing projects to increase access to assistive
technology (AT) services and devices for individuals with disabilities
of all ages.
Eligible Applicants: Parties eligible to apply for this grant are
States; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies;
public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations;
institutions of higher education; and Indian tribes and tribal
organizations with sufficient documented experience, expertise, and
capacity to assist States in the development and implementation of the
Alternative Financing Program carried out under Title III of the AT
Act.
Applications Available: December 26, 2002.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 27, 2003.
Maximum Award Amount: $727,000 for year one; $304,000 for year two
and, $304,000 for year three based on the availability of future
appropriations.
Note: We will reject any application that proposes a budget
exceeding the maximum amount for each of the three 12 month budget
periods.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. Years two and three are subject to the availability of
appropriation for this program.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 85, 86 and 97.
Priority
This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the
Alternative Financing Program Technical Assistance (AFPTA) priority in
the notice of final priority for this program, published elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register.
For FY 2003, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
Selection Criteria
We use the following selection criteria to evaluate applications
under this program (See 34 CFR 75.210). The maximum score for all of
these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is
indicated in parentheses.
(a) Significance (10 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project; and
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the extent to which the results of the proposed
project are to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use
the information or strategies.
(b) Quality of the project design (25 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project; and
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable
(8 points).
(ii) 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 (8 points).
(iii)The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the
competition (6 points).
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community,
State, and Federal resources (3 points).
(c) Quality of project services (15 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project;
(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible proposed project participants who are members of groups that
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability (5 points); and
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services (5 points).
(ii) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources (5 points).
(d) Quality of project personnel (15 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project;
[[Page 78916]]
(2) In determining the quality of proposed project personnel, the
Secretary considers 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 (5 points); and
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator (5 points).
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel (5 points).
(e) Adequacy of resources (15 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization (8 points).
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project (7 points).
(f) Quality of the management plan (10 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, time lines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks (5 points).
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project
(5 points).
(g) Quality of the project evaluation (10 points total).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project (5 points).
(ii) 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 (5 points).
Application Forms and Instructions
The Appendix to this notice contains forms and instructions, a
statement regarding estimated public reporting burden, and various
assurances and certifications. Please organize the parts and additional
materials in the following order:
[sbull] Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424 (Exp.
11/30/2004)) and instructions.
[sbull] Part II: Budget Form--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524)
and instructions and definitions.
[sbull] Part III: Application Narrative.
[sbull] Part IV: Additional Materials
[sbull] Estimated Public Reporting Burden.
[sbull] Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
[sbull] Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension,
and Other Responsibility Matters: and Drug-Free Work-Place Requirements
(ED Form 80-0013).
[sbull] Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension,
Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions
(ED Form 80-0014) and instructions.
Note: ED Form GCS-014 is intended for the use of primary
participants and should not be transmitted to the Department.
[sbull] Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL (if
applicable) and instructions; and Disclosure Lobbying Activities
Continuation Sheet (Standard Form LLL-A).
If you apply in paper format, you may submit information on a
photocopy copy of the application and budget forms, the assurances, and
the certifications. However, the application form, the assurances, and
the certifications must each have an original signature. We will not
award a grant unless we have received a completed application form.
Application Procedures
You have a choice of submitting your applications either in a paper
copy or electronic copy.
The Secretary may reject without consideration or evaluation any
application that proposes a project funding level that exceeds the
stated maximum award amount per year (See 34 CFR 75.104(b)).
The Secretary strongly recommends the following:
(1) A one-page abstract;
(2) An Application Narrative (i.e., Part III that addresses the
selection criteria that will be used by reviewers in evaluating
individual proposals) of no more 75 numbered, double-spaced (no more
than 3 lines per vertical inch) 8.5' x 11'' pages (on one side only)
with one inch margins (top, bottom, and sides). The application
narrative page limit recommendation does not apply to: Part I--the
electronically scannable form; Part II--the budget section (including
the narrative budget justification); and Part IV--the assurances and
certifications; and
(3) A font no smaller than a 12-point font and an average character
density no greater than 14 characters per inch.
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet the following deadline requirements:
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
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 Fiscal Year 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 Alternative Financing Program
Technical Assistance (AFPTA) (CFDA No. 84.224C) is one of the programs
included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the AFPTA,
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 Grant 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
[[Page 78917]]
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 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
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 AFPTA 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 and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
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 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) 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 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the AFPTA 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) elsewhere in this notice.
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet the following deadline requirements:
(A) If You Send Your Application by Mail: You must mail the
original and two copies of the application on or before the deadline
date. To help expedite our review of your application, we would
appreciate your voluntarily including an additional seven copies of
your application. Mail your application to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA
84.224C), 7th & D Streets, SW., Room 3671, Regional Office Building 3,
Washington, DC 20202-4725.
You must show one of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
If you mail an application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
(B) If You Deliver Your Application by Hand: You or your courier
must hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by
4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on or before the deadline date. To help
expedite our review of your application, we would appreciate your
voluntarily including an additional seven copies of your application.
Deliver your application to: U.S. Department of Education, Application
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA 84.224C), 7th & D Streets,
SW., Room 3671, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time), except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. The Center accepts
application deliveries through the D Street entrance only. A person
delivering an application must show identification to enter the
building.
(C) If You Submit Your Application Electronically: You must submit
your grant application through the Internet using the software provided
on the e-Grants Web site (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://e-grants.ed.gov) by 4:30 p.m.
(Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. until 12:00 midnight (Washington, DC time) Monday-Friday and 6:00
a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Saturdays. The system is unavailable on the second
Saturday of every month, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Please note
that on Wednesdays the Web site is closed for maintenance at 7:00 p.m.
(Washington, DC time).
Notes:
(1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
(2) If you send your application by mail or if you or your courier
deliver it by hand, the Application Control Center will mail a Grant
Application Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the
notification of application receipt within 15 days from the date of
mailing the application, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 708-9493.
(3) If your application is late, we will notify you that we will
not consider the application.
(4) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA number--and suffix
letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(5) If you submit your application through the Internet via the e-
Grants Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment when we
receive your application.
For Further Information Contact: Carol Cohen, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3420, Switzer Building,
[[Page 78918]]
Washington, DC 20202-2645. Telephone: (202) 205-5666 or via the
Internet: carol.cohen@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475.
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 under For Further
Information Contact.
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 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 3056.
Dated: December 19, 2002.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
AppendixInstructions for Estimated Public Reporting Burden
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, you are not
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this
collection of information is 1820-0634. Expiration date: 10/31/2003. We
estimate the time required to complete this collection of information
to average 30 hours per response, including the time to review
instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data needed, and
complete and review the collection of information. If you have any
comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions
for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education,
Washington, DC 20202-4651.
If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your
submission of this form, write directly to: Donna Nangle, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3412, Switzer
Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645.
Parity Guidelines Between Paper and Electronic Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand the pilot project that allows applicants to use an Internet-
based electronic system for submitting applications. This competition
is among those that have an electronic submission option available to
all applicants. The system, called e-APPLICATION, allows an applicant
to submit a grant application to us electronically, using a current
version of the applicant's Internet browser. To see e-APPLICATION visit
the following address: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://e-grants.ed.gov.
Users of e-APPLICATION, a data driven system, will be entering data
on-line while completing their applications. This will be more
interactive than just e-mailing 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 go into a
database and ultimately will be accessible in electronic form to our
reviewers.
This pilot project continues the Department's transition to an
electronic grant award process. In addition to e-APPLICATION, the
Department plans to expand the number of discretionary programs using
the electronic peer review (e-READER) system and to increase the
participation of discretionary programs offering grantees the use of
the electronic annual performance reporting (e-REPORTS) system. To help
ensure parity and a similar look between electronic and paper copies of
grant applications, we are asking each applicant that submits a paper
application to adhere to the following guidelines:
[sbull] Submit your application on 8\1/2\'' by 11'' paper.
[sbull] Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides.
[sbull] Use consistent font throughout your document. You may also
use boldface type, underlining, and italics. However, please do not use
colored text.
[sbull] Please use black and white, also, for illustrations,
including charts, tables, graphs and pictures.
[sbull] For the narrative component, your application should
consist of the number and text of each selection criterion followed by
the narrative. The text of the selection criterion, if included, does
not count against any page limitation.
[sbull] Place a page number at the bottom right of each page
beginning with 1; and number your pages consecutively throughout your
document.
Application Forms and Instructions
Paper applicants are advised to reproduce and complete the
application forms in this section. Paper applicants are required to
submit an original and two copies of each application as provided in
this section. However, paper applicants are encouraged to submit an
additional seven copies of each application in order to facilitate the
peer review process and minimize copying errors.
Frequent Questions
1. Can I Get an Extension of the Due Date?
No. On rare occasions the Department of Education may extend a
closing date for all applicants. If that occurs, a notice of the
revised due date is published in the Federal Register. However, there
are no extensions or exceptions to the due date made for individual
applicants except as noted for unavailability of the e-APPLICATION
system.
2. What Should Be Included in the Application?
The application should include a project narrative, vitae of key
personnel, and a budget, as well as the Assurances forms included in
this package. Vitae of staff or consultants should include the
individual's title and role in the proposed project, and other
information that is specifically pertinent to this proposed project.
The budgets for both the first year and all subsequent project years
should be included.
If collaboration with another organization is involved in the
proposed activity, the application should include assurances of
participation by the other parties, including written agreements or
assurances of cooperation. It is not useful to include general letters
of support or endorsement in the application.
Many applications contain voluminous appendices that are not
helpful and in many cases cannot even be mailed to the reviewers. It is
generally not helpful to include such things as brochures, general
capability statements of collaborating organizations, maps, copies of
publications, or descriptions of other projects completed by the
applicant.
3. What Format Should Be Used for the Application?
NIDRR generally advises applicants that they may organize the
application to follow the selection criteria that will be used. The
specific review criteria vary according to the specific program,
[[Page 78919]]
and are contained in this Consolidated Application Package.
4. May I Submit Applications to More Than One NIDRR Program Competition
or More Than One Application to a Program?
Yes, you may submit applications to any program for which they are
responsive to the program requirements. No, you may not submit more
than one application to this competition.
5. What is the Allowable Indirect Cost Rate?
The limits on indirect costs vary according to the program and the
type of application. The AFPTA does not place any limit on indirect
costs.
6. Can Profitmaking Businesses Apply for Grants?
Yes. However, for-profit organizations will not be able to collect
a fee or profit on the grant.
7. Can Individuals Apply for Grants?
No. Only organizations are eligible to apply for grants under the
AFPTA program.
8. Can I Call NIDRR to Find Out if My Application is Being Funded?
No. When NIDRR is able to release information on the status of
grant applications, it will notify applicants by letter. The results of
the peer review cannot be released except through this formal
notification.
9. If My Application is Successful, Can I Assume I Will Get the
Requested Budget Amount in Subsequent Years?
No. Funding in subsequent years is subject to availability of funds
and project performance.
10. Will All Approved Applications be Funded?
No. It often happens that the peer review panels approve for
funding more applications than NIDRR can fund within available
resources. Applicants who are approved but not funded are encouraged to
consider submitting similar applications in future competitions.
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
[[Page 78920]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.005
[[Page 78921]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.006
[[Page 78922]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.007
[[Page 78923]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.008
[[Page 78924]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.009
[[Page 78925]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.010
[[Page 78926]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.011
[[Page 78927]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.012
[[Page 78928]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.013
[[Page 78929]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.014
[[Page 78930]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.015
[[Page 78931]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.016
[[Page 78932]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.017
[[Page 78933]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.018
[[Page 78934]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26DE02.019
[FR Doc. 02-32576 Filed 12-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C