[Federal Register: February 12, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 29)] [Notices] [Page 5389-5392] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Direct Grant Programs AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of extension of application deadline dates for certain direct grant programs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary extends the deadline dates for the submission of applications under certain direct grant programs. These are some of the programs under which the Secretary or other principal officers of the Department have announced competitions for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 1996. The Secretary also revises the deadlines for intergovernmental review for any of these programs subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs). The Secretary takes this action to allow more time for the preparation and submission of applications by potential applicants adversely affected by the closure of the Department for a number of weeks. The extensions are intended to help these potential applicants compete fairly under these programs. [[Page 5390]] DATES: Group I: The new deadline date for applications under each program listed under the heading ``Group I'' is March 13, 1996. (For an explanation of deadline date for applications, please see the Department of Education General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.102.) For programs in Group I that are subject to Executive Order 12372, the deadline date for the transmittal of State Process Recommendations by State Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) and comments by other interested parties is May 13, 1996. Group II: Any new deadline date for transmitting applications under a program listed under the heading ``Group II'' is listed with that program. ADDRESSES: For Applications or Further Information: The address and telephone number for obtaining applications for, or further information about, an individual program are in the application notice for that program. The date and Federal Register citation of the application notice are listed for each program. For one program of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement listed in Group I--CFDA No. 84.309B (Education Research and Development Centers Program--Priority Area: Improving Adult Learning and Literacy)--the new contact person for applications or further information is Jerome Lord, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 627, Washington, DC 20208-5531. Telephone: (202) 219-2242. For Users of TDD or FIRS: Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD number, if any, listed in the individual application notices. If a TDD number is not listed for a given program, individuals who use a 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. For Intergovernmental Review: The address for transmitting recommendations and comments under Executive Order 12372 is in the appendix to the notice inviting applications for new awards under direct grant programs and fellowship programs published in the Federal Register on August 10, 1995 (60 FR 40956). For Electronic Access to Information: Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260- 9950; on the Internet Gopher Server at GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases); or on the World Wide Web at http://www.ed.gov/money.html However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant competition is the notice published in the Federal Register. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Due to a lack of appropriated funds in November, December and early January and inclement weather in January, the Department of Education, like many other Federal agencies, was closed for a number of weeks. As a result, many prospective applicants were unable to obtain application packages, others could not receive answers to questions about their applications, and still others were precluded from receiving technical assistance in the preparation of their applications. Although the Department was fully operational by mid-January, the backlog of requests and inquiries affected not only those programs and competitions with originally or previously announced deadline dates between December 18, 1995 and January 12, 1996, inclusive, but those with deadlines established for the next several weeks. Thus, with the exception of programs or competitions listed under Group II, the Secretary has decided to extend--until 30 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register--the application deadline date of each program or competition with a deadline date between December 18, 1995 and February 15, 1996. These programs or competitions are listed under Group I, together with their respective Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers and a citation (including the date and page number) for their respective application notices--and for any follow-up notices--previously published in the Federal Register. Applicants should note that in the September 14, 1995 (60 FR 47830) application notice for the FIS (field-initiated studies) grant programs of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement listed in Group I, the Department required applicants to use a ``non-proportional 12- point or larger font'' in preparing the application narrative. However, the Department has decided to eliminate the ``non-proportional'' requirement and to accept all otherwise eligible applications in which the narrative is prepared in 12-point or larger font. Group II contains other programs and competitions with announced deadlines also between December 18, 1995 and February 15, 1996 but requiring special consideration. Group I ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CFDA No. Name of program Application notice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Office of Educational Research and Improvement ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84.305F................... National Institute on Student 9/14/95 (60 FR 47830). Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment FIS (Field-Initiated Studies) Grant Program. 84.306F................... National Institute on the 9/14/95 (60 FR 47830). Education of At-Risk Students FIS Grant Program. 84.307F................... National Institute on Early 9/14/95 (60 FR 47830). Childhood Development and Education FIS Grant Program. 84.308F................... National Institute on Educational 9/14/95 (60 FR 47830). Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management FIS Grant Program. 84.309F................... National Institute on 9/14/95 (60 FR 47830). Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning FIS Grant Program. 84.309B................... Education Research and 9/14/95 (60 FR 47826); 11/29/95 (60 FR 61247). Development Centers Program-- Priority Area: Improving Adult Learning and Literacy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 5391]] Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Office of Special Education Programs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84.023F................... Examining Alternatives for 8/10/95 (60 FR 40956); 8/25/95 (60 FR 44326). Results Assessment for Children with Disabilities. 84.180U................... Collaborative Research on 8/10/95 (60 FR 40956). Technology, Media, and Materials for Children and Youth with Disabilities. 84.237G................... Non-Discriminatory, Culturally 8/10/95 (60 FR 40956). Competent Collaborative Demonstration Models to Improve Services for Students with Serious Emotional Disturbance and Prevention Services for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rehabilitation Services Administration ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84.128G................... Vocational Rehabilitation Service 8/10/95 (60 FR 40956). Projects for Migratory Agricultural and Seasonal Farmworkers with Disabilities. 84.128J................... Projects for Initiating 8/10/95 (60 FR 40956). Recreation Programs for Individuals with Disabilities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Group II Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs CFDA No. 84.194Q Bilingual Education--State Grant Program. (8/10/95 (60 FR 40956)) Applications for this program were not available until the beginning of February. In order to give applicants sufficient time to develop and submit quality applications, the Secretary has extended the application deadline date. The original deadline date was January 26, 1996. The new deadline date for the submission of applications is March 22, 1996. The new deadline date for the transmittal of State Process Recommendations by SPOCs and comments by other interested parties is May 21, 1996. CFDA No. 84.195E Bilingual Education--Career Ladder Program. (8/10/ 95 (60 FR 40956)) Applications for this program were not available until the beginning of February. In order to give applicants sufficient time to develop and submit quality applications, the Secretary has extended the application deadline date. The original deadline date was January 5, 1996. The new deadline date for the submission of applications is March 22, 1996. The new deadline date for the transmittal of State Process Recommendations by SPOCs and comments by other interested parties is May 21, 1996. CFDA No. 84.288S Bilingual Education--Program Development and Implementation Grants. (8/10/95 (60 FR 40956); 8/25/95 (60 FR 44326)) Applications for this program were not available until the beginning of February. In order to give applicants sufficient time to develop and submit quality applications, the Secretary has extended the application deadline date. The original deadline date was January 26, 1996. The new deadline date for the submission of applications is March 22, 1996. The new deadline date for the transmittal of State Process Recommendations by SPOCs and comments by other interested parties is May 21, 1996. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education CFDA No. 84.004C Desegregation of Public Education--State Educational Agency (SEA) Desegregation Program. (12/20/95 (60 FR 65644)) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of information collection has expired. After OMB's extension or renewal of this approval, the Department will announce a new deadline date for receipt of applications. CFDA No. 84.004D Desegregation of Public Education--Desegregation Assistance Center (DAC) Program. (12/20/95 (60 FR 65643)) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of information collection has expired. After OMB's extension or renewal of this approval, the Department will announce a new deadline date for receipt of applications. Impact Aid fiscal year 1996 section 8002 grants and fiscal year 1997 section 8003 grants. The annual application deadline, as specified by Impact Aid regulations (34 CFR 222.3), is January 31. A notice extending the application deadline date for these grants is being published separately in the Federal Register. Office of Postsecondary Education CFDA No. 84.204A School, College, and University Partnerships Program (8/10/95 (60 FR 40956)) The Secretary has determined it is unlikely that funds will be sufficient to make new awards under this program in FY 1996. Therefore, the Department is not currently making applications available. CFDA No. 84.116J Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special Focus Competition (Invitational Priority: Institutional Cooperation and Student Mobility between United States and Member States of European Union) (10/30/95 (60 FR 55248)) This competition is being held by FIPSE in cooperation with a similar competition for European institutions being conducted by Directorate General XXII (Task Force on Education and Training of Youth) of the European Commission. Because the European participants have a different fiscal year from that of the U.S., they are required to obligate funds for their competition by March 31, 1996. An extension of the deadline for receipt of applications in the FIPSE competition would likely preclude the European partners of U.S. applicants from securing further European funding. Thus, the Secretary has determined that the application deadline date should not be extended. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services/Office of Special Education Programs CFDA No. 84.158A State Systems for Transition for Youth with Disabilities (8/10/95 (60 FR 40956)) This competition was open only to State agencies that had not received a grant under the program. The application deadline date was December 22, 1995. The Department has confirmed that all eligible applicants that intended to submit applications did so before the deadline date. Thus, the Secretary has determined that an extension of the application deadline date is not necessary. [[Page 5392]] Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services/National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research CFDA No. 84.133D Knowledge Dissemination and Utilization Program (Priority: Regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers) (12/12/95 (60 FR 63868)) Publication of the application announcement just before the closure of the Department on December 18 effectively precluded most potential applicants from obtaining applications until mid-January. Because the program office initially had granted potential applicants two months in which to develop and submit applications, the Secretary extends by 30 days the initial deadline date of February 12, 1996. The new deadline date for the submission of applications is March 13, 1996. Office of Vocational and Adult Education CFDA No. 84.278D School-to-Work Opportunities--Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants (11/14/95 (60 FR 57276)) Under section 303(b)(1) of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, applicants were required to submit completed applications for this program to their States for comment no later than December 29, 1995. Since applicants had to have completed their applications by December 29, it is unlikely that either the lapse in appropriations or the inclement weather would have interfered with potential applicants' ability to meet the deadline for submission to the Department by January 29, 1996. Thus, the Secretary has determined that no extension is necessary for submission of applications. The Department of Labor, which jointly administers this program, concurs with this decision. Eligibility The extensions granted in this notice are intended primarily to assist potential applicants that were unable to obtain applications or further information. However, any applicant that previously submitted an application under any program or competition for which an extension is granted by this notice may submit an amended or replacement application. In that case, the applicant is requested to (1) indicate clearly that the application being submitted is an amendment or replacement; and (2), if the applicant has received an acknowledgment receipt postcard from the Department's Application Control Center, include the PR number assigned to the application, as indicated on the postcard. Available Funds Applicants should note that the Congress has not yet enacted a fiscal year 1996 appropriation for the Department. However, based on actions taken so far, the Congress may eliminate or reduce funding in 1996 for some of the discretionary grant programs referenced in this notice. Thus, final action on the 1996 appropriation may require the Department to cancel some of these competitions. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS NOT BOUND BY ANY OF THE ESTIMATES IN THE APPLICATION NOTICES ANNOUNCING THE COMPETITIONS REFERENCED IN THIS NOTICE. Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3474. Dated: February 8, 1996. Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education. [FR Doc. 96-3165 Filed 2-9-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P