[Federal Register: May 15, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 94)]
[Notices]
[Page 26431-26456]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15my03-142]
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Part IV
Department of Education
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Office of Innovation and Improvement--Arts in Education Model
Development and Dissemination Grant Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Grant Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.351D]
Office of Innovation and Improvement--Arts in Education Model
Development and Dissemination Grant Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Grant Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application
package. Together with the statute authorizing these grants and the
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR),
this notice contains all of the information, application forms, and
instructions needed to apply for an Arts in Education Model
Development and Dissemination grant under this competition. This
grant program is authorized by Title V, Part D, Subpart 15 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as reauthorized by the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
Purpose of Program: The Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination Grant Program supports the development, documentation,
evaluation and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that have
demonstrated their effectiveness in (1) integrating arts into the core
elementary and middle school curricula, (2) strengthening arts
instruction in these grades, and (3) improving students' academic
performance, including their skills in creating, performing, and
responding to the arts.
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant
Program provides resources that local educational agencies (LEAs) and
other eligible applicants can use in pursuit of the objectives of the
No Child Left Behind Act which aims for all elementary and secondary
students to achieve high standards. This program provides an
opportunity for eligible entities to develop programs in schools
identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under
Title I, Part A of the ESEA.
Eligible Applicants: (1) One or more LEAs, including charter
schools that are considered LEAs under State law and regulations, that
may work in partnership with one or more of the following:
[sbull] State or local non-profit or governmental arts
organizations.
[sbull] State educational agencies (SEAs) or regional educational
service agencies.
[sbull] Institutions of higher education.
[sbull] Other public and private agencies, institutions, and
organizations with expertise in the arts.
(2) One or more State or local non-profit or governmental arts
organizations that must work in partnership with one or more LEAs and
may partner with one or more of the following:
[sbull] SEAs or regional educational service agencies.
[sbull] Institutions of higher education.
[sbull] Other public and private agencies, institutions, and
organizations with expertise in the arts.
Note: If more than one LEA or arts organization wishes to form a
consortium and jointly submit a single application, they must follow
the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127-
75.129 of EDGAR.
Notification of Intent to Apply for Funding: The Department will be
able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant
applications if it has an estimate of the number of entities that
intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the
Department with a short e-mail noting the intent to submit an
application for funding. The e-mail need not include information
regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's
intent to submit it. The Secretary requests that this e-mail
notification be sent no later than June 16, 2003. The e-mail
notification should be sent to Diane.Austin@ed.gov. Applicants that
fail to provide this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: 7-10-03.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: 9-8-03.
Estimated Available Funds: $8,360,300.
Estimated Range of Awards: $293,000-$836,000 (total for the 3-year
project period. Funding of continuation awards after the initial year
of funding is contingent upon future Congressional appropriations for
the program).
Estimated Average Size of Awards: 750,000 total for the 3-year
project period; equates to an average of $250,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 33.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates
in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Note: Applicants for multi-year awards are required to provide
detailed budget information for the total grant period requested.
The Secretary will determine at the time of the initial award the
funding levels for each year of the grant award.
Project Directors Meeting. Applicants should budget for a two-day
meeting for project directors in Washington, DC.
Applicable Regulations and Statute: (a) Regulations. EDGAR in 34
CFR Parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) Statute.
Title V, Part D, Subpart 15, of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Coordination Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(1) of the ESEA, the
Secretary requires that each entity funded under this program
coordinate, to the extent practicable, each project or program carried
out with such assistance with appropriate activities of public or
private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, including
museums, arts education association, libraries and theaters.
Supplement, Not Supplant, Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(2) of
the authorizing statute, the Secretary requires that assistance
provided under this program be used only to supplement, and not
supplant, other assistance or funds made available from non-federal
sources for the activities assisted under this subpart.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: While many schools and districts have moved
swiftly in recent years to reform and enhance traditional core academic
programs, most have not made similar efforts to integrate arts
effectively into the regular curriculum, either as a vehicle by which
to strengthen other core academic subjects or as an academic discipline
in its own right. High-quality programs effectively integrating and
improving arts instruction are increasingly important as students face
the demands of the information age in the 21st century. Creating,
performing, and responding to works of art builds creativity, self-
confidence, and critical thinking skills--qualities central to success
in school, work, and life.
For several reasons, high-quality arts and art education programs
have implications for other areas of students' academic development.
Studies have found that improving the quality of arts education has a
particularly positive impact on students from low-income backgrounds.
Unfortunately, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are almost
twice as likely to attend arts-poor schools, while students from socio-
economically advantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to attend
``arts-rich'' schools.
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant
Program seeks to address the lack of high quality, research-based
models by encouraging partnerships of arts and education specialists to
further develop and document effective models for improving arts
education and student achievement--particularly for students
[[Page 26433]]
from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Description of Program: The Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination Grant program is authorized under section 5551, Part D,
Subpart 15 of Title V of the ESEA. The Arts in Education Model
Development and Dissemination Grant program furthers the development of
promising comprehensive models for integrating arts into the school
curriculum. In this case, ``integrating'' should be understood as both
strengthening the use of high-quality arts within other academic
instruction and strengthening the place of arts as a core academic
subject in the regular school curriculum.
This program seeks to provide more communities with solid
information regarding innovative, research-based models for effectively
strengthening arts instruction, improving students' skills in creating,
performing, and responding to works of arts, and increasing student
achievement in other academic subjects.
These grants are designed to enable LEAs and organizations with
arts expertise to further develop and create materials for the
replication or adaptation of current comprehensive approaches for
integrating a range of arts disciplines--such as music, dance, theater,
and visual arts, including folk arts--into the elementary and middle
school curriculum. Such development work should yield more systematic
information about effective models that provide quality arts
instruction and use the arts to enhance instruction in other core
academic subjects.
Use of funds may include, but are not limited to all of the
following activities:
[sbull] Field testing and evaluating nascent educational
strategies;
[sbull] Field testing and evaluating model in-service and pre-
service professional development programs for arts educators and other
instructional staff;
[sbull] Ensuring comprehensive coverage of the arts disciplines--
such as visual arts, dance, music, and theater, including the folk
arts;
[sbull] Developing partnerships among schools, arts organizations,
and others with expertise in the arts to combine resources and enhance
the quality and sustainability of effective programming;
[sbull] Creating materials documenting the implementation and
achievement of the model program for other educators and agencies; and
[sbull] Obtaining the services of outside experts in the
implementation and assessment of the model. (This might include
assistance in such areas as curriculum development, implementation
strategies, data collection, evaluation design, or other appropriate
activities.)
Application Requirements
To be eligible for Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination funds, applicants must propose to--
(1) Further the development of programs designed to improve or
expand the integration of arts education in elementary or middle school
curricula;
(2) Develop materials designed to help replicate or adapt the
program;
(3) Document the program's outcomes and benefits; and
(4) Develop products and services that can be used to replicate the
program in other settings.
Grant applications must describe an existing set of strategies for
integrating the arts into the regular elementary and middle school
curriculum. These strategies would then be successfully implemented,
expanded, documented, evaluated, and disseminated. Taken together,
these strategies and methods must comprise a research-based,
comprehensive arts in education model that--
[sbull] Is based, to the extent possible, on the most rigorous
theory, research, and evaluation available, and is effective in
improving student achievement and performance and other program
objectives;
[sbull] Is linked to State and national standards enabling all
students to meet challenging expectations, and to improving student and
school performance;
[sbull] Has the potential to improve students' achievement both in
creating, performing, and responding to works of art and in other core
academic subjects;
[sbull] Demonstrates the feasibility of further replication and
dissemination;
[sbull] Is applicable to a broad range of high-poverty and
disadvantaged, rural and urban schools, including those that are
chronically low-performing;
[sbull] Makes effective use of technology to further the model's
goals;
[sbull] Describes methods by which the applicant will assess the
model's outcomes; and
[sbull] Describes activities that, to the extent possible,
coordinate model development with relevant activities of public and
private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, such as
museums, arts education associations, libraries, and theaters. (20
U.S.C. 7271 (f)(1))
In addition to any dissemination work in which the applicants
choose to engage, the Department intends to take the products and
information resulting from these demonstration grants and share them
widely with other communities. Upon completion of the project, the
Department requires that any materials or products developed as a part
of model development activities be provided to the Department for
further dissemination. Such activities will be carried out in full
compliance with copyright requirements.
Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications
that meet the following absolute priority.
Absolute Priority: The Secretary will only fund applications from
eligible applicants that propose to work with at least one elementary
and/or middle school with no less than 35 percent of its students from
low-income families based on poverty criteria set out in Title I,
section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA, and that propose projects that meet all
of the requirements described under APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
Competitive Priorities: This competition focuses on projects
designed to meet the following priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 25 points depending on
how well the application meets the priorities. These points are in
addition to any points the application earns under the selection
criteria.
Competitive Priority 1--Projects in rural or inner-city
communities: The Secretary will award five (5) points to projects
proposing models that involve schools in rural or inner-city
communities.
Competitive Priority 2--Research-based evaluation: The project is
designed to determine, through a rigorous evaluation, whether the
implemented program produces meaningful effects on student achievement
or teacher performance. Evaluations using an experimental design are
best for determining program effectiveness. Thus, the project
preferably uses an experimental design under which participants--that
is, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools--are randomly assigned
(a) to receive the program being evaluated or (b) to be in a control
group that does not receive the program. Evaluations using an
experimental design will receive up to 20 points in addition to any
points the application earns under the selection criteria.
If random assignment is not feasible, the project may use a quasi-
experimental design with carefully matched comparison conditions. This
alternative design attempts to approximate a randomly assigned control
group by matching program participants-that is, students, teachers,
classrooms or schools--with non-participants having similar pre-program
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characteristics. Evaluations of this type will receive up to 15 points
in addition to any points the application earns under the selection
criteria.
Proposed evaluations that use neither experimental designs with
random assignment nor quasi-experimental designs using a matched
comparison group will receive 0 points under this competitive
preference priority.
Before and after participation in the program or the comparison
condition, the project evaluator should collect--before the program
commences and after it ends--valid and reliable data that measure the
impact of participation in the program or in the comparison group.
We determine points under this priority by the quality of the
proposed evaluation. We will consider the extent to which the applicant
presents a feasible, credible plan that includes the following:
[sbull] The type of design to be used (that is, random assignment
or matched comparison).
[sbull] Outcomes to be measured.
[sbull] A discussion of how the applicant plans to assign students,
teachers, classrooms, or schools to the program or match them for
comparison with other students, teachers, classrooms, or schools.
[sbull] A proposed evaluator, preferably independent, with the
necessary background and technical expertise to carry out the proposed
evaluation.
Definitions: In addition to definitions in the statute and EDGAR,
the following definitions apply:
Inner-City Community, for the purpose of this program, is any place
that fits code 1, 2 or 3 of the National Center for Educational
Statistics (NCES) locale codes. The locale codes are:
1. Central city of a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CMSA) or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with population of
250,000 or more or a population.
2. Central city of a CMSA or MSA but not designated as a large
central city.
3. Place within the CMSA or MSA of a large central city.
4. Place within the CMSA or MSA of a mid-size central city.
5. Place not within a CMSA or MSA but with population of 25,000 or
more and defined as urban.
6. Place not within a CMSA or MSA with a population of at least
2,500 but less than 25,000.
7. Place not within a CMSA or MSA and designated as rural.
8. Place within a CMSA or MSA designated as rural (this code not
available prior to 1998).
Research-based, when used with respect to an activity or a program,
means that, to the extent possible, the activity or program is based on
the most rigorous theory, research, and evaluation available and is
effective in improving student achievement and performance and other
program objectives.
Rural, for the purpose of this program, is any place that fits 6, 7
or 8 of the NCES locale codes. Please see the list under the definition
of Inner-City Community.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: In accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), it is the practice of the
Secretary to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on
proposed rules. Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking
requirements rules governing the first grant competition under a new or
substantially revised program authority (20 U.S.C. section 1232(d)(1)).
This program is the first Model Arts competition under the program as
reauthorized by Public Law 107-100, the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001, and therefore qualifies for this exemption. The Secretary, in
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA has decided to forego public
comment in order to ensure timely grant awards. These rules will apply
for the FY 2003 competition only.
Selection Criteria: The Secretary uses the following selection
criteria to evaluate applications for grants under this competition. In
all instances where the word ``project'' appears in the selection
criteria, the reference to an Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination grant program should be made.
The maximum composite score for all of these criteria is 100
points. The maximum score an applicant may receive is 125 if they fully
meet both of the competitive priorities.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
Within each criterion, the Secretary evaluates each factor equally.
(a) Need for project. (10 points)
In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the model addresses specific needs of
students at risk of educational failure.
(ii) The extent to which specific gaps, weaknesses, or
opportunities have been identified in effectively integrating arts into
the core curricula, strengthening arts instruction and improving
students' academic performance, including skills in creating,
performing, and responding to the arts. Also, the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses and the degree to which they will be
addressed by the proposed model.
(b) Significance. (20 points)
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased
knowledge or understanding of effective strategies for strengthening
the use of high-quality arts in the course of other academic
instruction and/or strengthening the place of arts as a core academic
subject in the regular school curricula.
(ii) The likely utility and replicability of the proposed model and
the extent to which its products (including information, materials,
processes, or techniques) will be effective in a variety of settings.
(c) Quality of the project design. (30 points)
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 over the proposed project period are clearly specified and
measurable.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed model is based on reliable
research, effective practice, and/or coherent theory as a means for
strengthening the use of high-quality arts in the course of other
academic instruction and/or strengthening the place of arts as a core
academic subject in the regular school curricula.
(iii) The extent to which the proposed model aims to strengthen the
academic performance of students in creating, performing, and
responding to the arts, and in the rest of the core curriculum.
(iv) The extent to which the project will document and evaluate the
success of the model and disseminate relevant information.
(d) Quality of the management plan. (15 points)
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, relevant contributions and commitment from
partners, timelines, continuous improvement strategies, and milestones
for accomplishing project tasks.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience
of key project personnel, major partners,
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project consultants, and/or subcontractors.
(e) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are rigorous,
thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and
outcomes of the proposed project.
(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 on the results of the program.
(iii) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance
about effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79.
One of the objectives of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism. The
Executive order relies on processes developed by State and local
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance.
If you are an applicant, you must contact the appropriate State
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about, and to comply with,
the State's process under Executive Order 12372. If you propose to
perform activities in more than one State, you should immediately
contact the SPOC for each of those States and follow the procedure
established in each State under the Executive order. If you want to
know the name and address of any SPOC, see the latest official SPOC
list on the Web site of the Office of Management and Budget at the
following address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. In
States that have not established a process or chosen a program for
review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit
comments directly to the Department.
Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a
SPOC and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and local
entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this
application notice to the following address: The Secretary, E.O. 12372-
CFDA 84.351D, U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-0125.
We will determine proof of mailing under 34 CFR 75.102 (Deadline
date for applications). Recommendations or comments may be hand-
delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the date indicated
in this notice.
Please note that this address is not the same address as the one to
which an applicant submits its completed application. Do not send
applications to the above address.
Application Instructions and Forms
The Appendix to this notice contains forms and instructions, a
statement regarding estimated public reporting burden, a notice to
applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of the General
Education Provisions Act, and various assurances and certifications.
Please organize the parts and additional materials in the following
order:
[sbull] Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424 (Exp.
11/30/2004)) and instructions and definitions.
[sbull] Protection of Human Subjects in Research (Attachment to ED
424).
[sbull] Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No.
524) and instructions.
[sbull] Application Narrative.
[sbull] Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B)
(Rev. 7-97).
[sbull] Certifications regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension,
and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
(ED 80-0013, 12/98) and instructions.
[sbull] Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension,
Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions
(ED 80-0014, 9/90) and instructions. (NOTE: ED 80-0014 is intended for
the use of grantees and should not be transmitted to the Department.)
[sbull] Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance in
Certain Programs (ED 80-0016 9/92)).
[sbull] Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL (Rev.
7-97)) and instructions.
[sbull] Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants and
survey instructions.
You may submit information on a photocopy 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.
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
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. However, the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in this
application notice.
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://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
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Austin, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-6140.
Telephone: (202) 260-1280 or via Internet: diane.austin@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.
Application Procedures
The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998, (Pub. L.
105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement
Act of 1999, (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to undertake initiatives to
improve our grant processes. Enhancing the ability of individuals and
entities to conduct business with us electronically is a major part of
our response to these Acts. Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the
Internet as our chief means of conducting transactions in order to
improve services to our customers and to simplify and expedite our
business processes.
We are requiring that applications for grants for FY 2003 under the
Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant program
(CFDA 84.351D) be submitted electronically using e-Application
available through the Department of Education's e-GRANTS system. The e-
GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
.
[[Page 26436]]
Applicants who are unable to submit an application through the e-
GRANTS system may apply for a waiver to the electronic submission
requirement. To apply for a waiver, applicants must explain the reason
or reasons that prevent them from using the Internet to submit their
applications. The reasons must be outlined in a letter addressed to:
Diane Austin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 3C124, Washington, DC 20202-6140. We must receive your letter no
later than two weeks before the deadline for transmittal of
applications.
Any application that receives a waiver to the electronic submission
requirement will be given the same consideration in the review process
as an electronic application.
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 Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination Grant program (CFDA 84.351D) is one of the
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under
the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant
program, you must submit your application to us in electronic format or
receive a waiver.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application) 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. 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.
In submitting an electronic application, please note the following:
[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. (Note: We accept your
submission of an application in paper format only if we have granted
you a waiver as described in the preceding section of this notice.)
[sbull] When you enter the e-Application system, you will find
information about its hours of operation.
[sbull] You must 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 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., 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.
We have included additional information about the e-Application
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) elsewhere in this notice.
Instructions for Transmitting Applications
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet these deadline requirements:
[sbull] If you apply for and we grant you a waiver from the
electronic submission requirement, you must follow the transmittal
instructions under (A) If You Send Your Application by Mail or (B) If
You Deliver Your Application by Hand.
[sbull] Otherwise, you must follow the transmittal instructions
under (C) If You Submit Your Application Electronically.
(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. One copy of the application should be unbound and suitable for
photocopying. To expedite our review of your application, we would
appreciate you voluntarily including an additional three copies of your
application. We will not penalize applicants who do not provide
additional copies. Mail your application to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA
84.351D, 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. One
copy of the application should be unbound and suitable for
photocopying. To expedite our review of your application, we would
appreciate you voluntarily including an additional three copies of your
application. We will not penalize applicants who do not provide
additional copies. Deliver your application to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA
84.351D, 7th & D Streets, SW., Room 3671, Regional Office
Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
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The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily
between 8 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://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 a.m.
Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until midnight
Saturday (Washington, DC time). The system is unavailable on Sunday and
Federal holidays and is closed for maintenance at 7 p.m. (Washington,
DC time) on Wednesday.
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.
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 provide for the electronic submission of
applications by all applicants. Under this system, called e-
APPLICATION, an applicant submits 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://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 submit 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.
Because this competition mandates the filing of electronic
applications, the following guidelines apply only if--as described
elsewhere in this notice--we have granted you a waiver to submit an
application in paper format.
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.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7271 et seq.
Dated: May 9, 2003.
Nina S. Rees,
Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
Appendix
Instructions 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 1855-0006. Expiration date:
May 31, 2004. We estimate the time required to complete this
collection of information to average 60 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, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4651.
If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your
submission of this form, write directly to: Diane Austin, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20202-6140.
Instructions for Application Narrative
Before preparing the Application Narrative you should read
carefully the description of the program, the information regarding
priorities, and the selection criteria we use to evaluate
applications.
The narrative should--
1. Begin with an abstract; that is, a summary of your proposed
project;
2. Describe your proposed project in light of each of the
selection criteria in the order in which we list the criteria in
this notice;
3. List each function or activity for which you are requesting
funds; and
4. Include any other pertinent information that might assist us
in reviewing your application. When applying for funds as a
consortium, individual eligible applicants must enter into an
agreement signed by all members. The consortium's agreement must
detail the activities each member of the consortium plans to
perform, and must bind each member to every statement and assurance
made in the consortium's application. The designated applicant must
submit the consortium's agreement with its application.
Note: The section on PAGE LIMIT elsewhere in this application
notice applies to your application.
Instructions for Budget Narrative
The budget should reflect costs that are reasonable and
necessary for administration, and for developing and implementing
activities described in the narrative. Complete ED Form 524 Section
A--Budget Summary U.S. Department of Education Funds to indicate
funds requested for the 36-month project period. Complete ED Form
Section B--Non-Federal Funds to indicate support from other public
or private United States sources.
Fill in columns (a) Project Year 1; (b) Project Year 2; Project
Year 3; and (f) Total. In addition to ED Form 524, applicants must
attach budget detail pages that itemize and explain the costs
requested for each budget category for each year of the project. The
budget forms and budget detail pages are not included in the page
limit.
Note: Successful applicants will be expected to report annually
on the progress of each project or study included in the grant,
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including a description of preliminary or key findings and an
explanation of any changes in goals, objectives, methodology, or
planned products or publications.
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[FR Doc. 03-12119 Filed 5-14-03; 8:45 am]
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