FR Doc 05-4436
[Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)]
[Notices]
[Page 11199-11202]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr05-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information; Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.206A.
DATES: Applications Available: March 8, 2005.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: April 4, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), or both.
Estimated Available Funds for New Awards: $3,522,122. Contingent
upon the availability of funds and quality of applications, the
Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$400,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $270,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 13.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to carry out a
coordinated program of scientifically based research, demonstration
projects, innovative strategies, and similar activities designed to
build and enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools
nationwide to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented
students.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority
implements section 5464(c) of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented
Students Education Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7253 et seq.).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is based on the ``Special Rule'' in section 5464(c)
of the statute, which provides that in a year in which the Javits
appropriation exceeds the appropriation for FY 2001, the Secretary must
use such excess funds to award grants, on a competitive basis, to State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, or both, to implement
activities described in section 5464(b). In accordance with section
5464(c) and because the FY 2001 Javits appropriation was $7.5 million
and the FY 2005 appropriation is $11 million, the Secretary will
utilize approximately $3.5 million to fund new awards under the
``Special Rule.'' Therefore, the Secretary establishes an absolute
priority for this competition such that applications submitted in
response to this announcement must propose to carry out one or more of
the following 5464(b) activities:
(1) Conducting--
(A) Scientifically based research on methods and techniques for
identifying and teaching gifted and talented students and for using
gifted and talented programs and methods to serve all students; and
(B) Program evaluations, surveys, and the collection, analysis, and
development of information needed to
[[Page 11200]]
accomplish the purpose of the Javits program.
(2) Carrying out professional development (which may include
fellowships) for personnel (which may include leadership personnel)
involved in the education of gifted and talented students.
(3) Establishing and operating model projects and exemplary
programs for serving gifted and talented students, including innovative
methods for identifying and educating students who may not be served by
traditional gifted and talented programs (such as summer programs,
mentoring programs, service learning programs, and cooperative programs
involving business, industry, and education).
(4) Implementing innovative strategies, such as cooperative
learning, peer tutoring, and service learning.
(5) Carrying out programs of technical assistance and information
dissemination, including assistance and information with respect to how
gifted and talented programs and methods, where appropriate, may be
adapted for use by all students.
(6) Making materials and services available through State regional
educational service centers, institutions of higher education, or other
entities.
(7) Providing funds for challenging, high-level course work,
disseminated through technologies (which may include distance
learning), for individual students or groups of students in schools and
local educational agencies that would not otherwise have the resources
to provide such course work.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7253 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $3,522,122. Contingent upon the
availability of funds and quality of applications, the Secretary may
make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applicants
from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$400,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $270,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 13.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), or both.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. Fax: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.206A.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
You may also obtain an application package for this program via the
Internet at the following address: /programs/javits/applicant.html
.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Notice of Intent to Apply: We strongly encourage each potential
applicant to notify us by April 4, 2005, of its intent to submit an
application for funding. We will be able to develop a more efficient
process for reviewing grant applications if we have an estimate of the
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this
competition. Notifications should be sent by e-mail to the following
Internet address: javits@ed.gov. Please put ``Notice of Intent'' in the
subject line. Applicants that do not provide this e-mail notification
may still apply for funding.
Page Limit: It is recommended that the program narrative not exceed
20 pages, size 12 font, double-spaced.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 8, 2005.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 4, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. If you choose to submit
your application to us electronically, you must use e-Application
available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through
the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process.
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.
[[Page 11201]]
Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that
the system is unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays
and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any
modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
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.
Any narrative sections of your application should be
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this.
(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) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline 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. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with
the instructions in this notice.
Submission of Paper Applications by Mail: If you submit your
application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or
a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of
your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the
Department at the applicable following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.206A,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: CFDA Number 84.206A,
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(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; or
(4) Any proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: 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.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you submit
your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier
service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application
by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department
at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: CFDA Number 84.206A, 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter,
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt
acknowledgement within 15 business days from the application deadline
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: We use the following selection criteria from
34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications for new grants under this
competition. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in
parenthesis.
We evaluate an application by determining how well the proposed
project meets the following criteria:
(a) Need for project (20 points). The Secretary considers the need
for the proposed project. In determining the
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need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to
which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or
opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the
proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or
weaknesses.
(b) Quality of the project design (25 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. 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.
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.
iii. The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
(c) Quality of project personnel (10 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
project. In determining the quality of 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. In addition, the Secretary
considers the following:
i. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
ii. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel.
(d) Quality of the management plan (20 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to
achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project tasks.
(e) Quality of the project evaluation (25 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed
project. 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.
ii. The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Pursuant to the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed two measures for
evaluating the overall effectiveness of projects funded under the
Javits program. These measures gauge project quality and improvements
in professional knowledge for teachers and academic achievement in
students served by the projects by assessing: (1) The number of project
designs that are rated by an independent review panel of qualified
scientists and practitioners as being of ``high or above'' quality; and
(2) the number of projects that have evidence of significant gains in
teacher knowledge or student achievement, or both.
The Department will collect data for these measures from grantees'
annual performance reports and other existing data sources.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Danita Woodley, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W253, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 260-8735 or by e-mail: Danita.Woodley@ed.gov. If
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
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 in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Dated: March 3, 2005.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-4436 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am]
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