Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, CFDA Number 84.120A [OPE]

FR Doc E6-8751
[Federal Register: June 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 109)]
[Notices]
[Page 32934-32938]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jn06-63]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Minority
Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP); Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.120A

Dates: Applications Available: June 7, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 20, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: The eligibility of an applicant is dependent
on the type of MSEIP project. There are four types of MSEIP projects:
institutional, design, special projects, and cooperative. We will not
award design grants in the FY 2006 competition.
A. For institutional, design, and special projects described in 34
CFR 637.12 through 637.14, eligible applicants include public and
private nonprofit minority institutions of higher education as defined
in section 361(1) and (2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA).
B. For special projects described in 34 CFR 637.14(b) and (c),
eligible applicants are, in addition to those described in paragraph A,
nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional scientific
societies, and institutions of higher education that award
baccalaureate degrees and meet the requirements of section 361(3) of
the HEA, and consortia of organizations that meet the requirements of
section 361(4) of the HEA.
C. For cooperative projects described in 34 CFR 637.15, eligible
applicants are groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities
whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible minority institution as
defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

Note: As defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b), a minority institution
means an accredited college or university whose enrollment of a
single minority group or combination of minority groups exceeds 50
percent of the total enrollment.

Estimated Available Funds: $3,273,443.
Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grant: $25,000-
$200,000. Special Project Grant: $25,000-$100,000. Cooperative Project
Grant: $100,000-$300,000.
Estimated Number of Awards:
Institutional Project Grant: 14.
Special Project Grant: 14.
Cooperative Project Grant: 4.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Institutional Project Grant:
$120,000. Special Project Grant: $50,000. Cooperative Project Grant:
$200,000.
Maximum Awards: Institutional Project Grant: $200,000. Special
Project Grant: $100,000. Cooperative Project Grant: $300,000. We will
not fund any application at an amount exceeding the maximum amounts
specified above for a single budget period of 12 months. We may choose
not to further consider or review applications with budgets that exceed
the maximum amounts specified above, if we conclude, during our initial
review of the application, that the proposed goals and objectives
cannot be obtained with the specified maximum amount.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. Applicants should periodically check the MSEIP Web site for
further information on this program. The address is:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html.
.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect long-range
improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly
minority institutions and to increase the flow of underrepresented
ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and
technological careers.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), these
priorities are from

[[Page 32935]]

allowable activities specified in section 352 of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1067b(b)).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 1. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii), we give
preference to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority
2 and Competitive Preference Priority 3 over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1. Applications from institutions
that have not received a MSEIP grant within five years prior to this
competition.
Competitive Preference Priority 2. Applications from previous
grantees with a proven record of success.
Competitive Preference Priority 3. Applications that contribute to
achieving balance among funded projects with respect to--(a) geographic
region; (b) academic discipline; and (c) project type.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority 1. Applications that focus on the development
of bridge programs that target pre-freshmen entering into science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields.
Invitational Priority 2. Applications that focus directly on
student learning that encourage and facilitate implementation of new
pedagogical approaches such as web-based course strategies or
interactive course modules to increase student retention in STEM
fields.
Invitational Priority 3. Applications that focus on mentoring
programs designed to increase the number of underrepresented student
graduates with STEM undergraduate majors.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067-1067k.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34
CFR part 637.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds: $3,273,443.
Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grant: $25,000-
$200,000. Special Project Grant: $25,000-$100,000. Cooperative Project
Grant: $100,000-$300,000.
Estimated Number of Awards:
Institutional Project Grant: 14.
Special Project Grant: 14.
Cooperative Project Grant: 4.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Institutional Project Grant: $120,000.
Special Project Grant: $50,000.
Cooperative Project Grant: $200,000.
Maximum Awards: Institutional Project Grant: $200,000. Special
Project Grant: $100,000. Cooperative Project Grant: $300,000. We will
not fund any application at an amount exceeding the maximum amounts
specified above for a single budget period of 12 months. We may choose
not to further consider or review applications with budgets that exceed
the maximum amounts specified above, if we conclude, during our initial
review of the application, that the proposed goals and objectives
cannot be obtained with the specified maximum amount.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: The eligibility of an applicant is
dependent on the type of MSEIP project. There are four types of MSEIP
projects: Institutional, design, special projects, and cooperative. We
will not award design grants in the FY 2006 competition.
A. For institutional, design, and special projects described in 34
CFR 637.12 through 637.14, eligible applicants include public and
private nonprofit minority institutions of higher education as defined
in section 361(1) and (2) of the HEA.
B. For special projects described in 34 CFR 637.14(b) and (c),
eligible applicants are, in addition to those described in paragraph A,
nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional scientific
societies, institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate
degrees and meet the requirement of section 361(3) of the HEA, and
consortia of organizations that meet the requirements of section 361(4)
of the HEA. C. For cooperative projects described in 34 CFR 637.15,
eligible applicants are groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and
universities whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible minority
institution as defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program has no cost sharing or
matching requirements.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: Ms. Carolyn Proctor,
Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Service, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Room 6048,
Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 502-7567, by fax (202) 502-
7861 or by e-mail: Carolyn.Proctor@ed.gov
or ope.mseip@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
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 in this section.
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 and instructions for this
program. Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant, address the criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established a
mandatory page limit for the narrative portion for each type of project
application. The page limits are as follows: Institutional Project
Application: 40 pages. Special Projects Application: 35 pages.
Cooperative Project Application: 50 pages. You must use the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and a document
identifier may be within the 1'' margin.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts,
tables, and graphs.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted

[[Page 32936]]

in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
Use not less than a 12-point font.
The page limit does not apply to the following forms required by
the Department: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424); Department
of Education Supplemental Information Form for SF 424; U.S. Department
of Education Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (ED 524);
ED Abstract Form; Other Attachment Form; ED GEPA 427 Form; Assurances
for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B); Grants.gov Lobbying Form
(formerly Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013)); Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL); Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered
Transactions (ED 80-0014), and Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants.
The page limit also does not apply to the program abstract or
should you decide to include one, a table of contents. If you include
any attachments or appendices, these items will be counted as part of
the Program Narrative (Part III of the application) for purposes of the
page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the
selection criteria in the program narrative.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: June 7,
2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 20, 2006.
Applications for grants under this program competition must be
submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov).
For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, 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: September 20, 2006.
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 program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference the regulations outlining
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program
(MSEIP)--CFDA Number 84.120A must be submitted electronically using the
Grants.gov Apply site at: http://www.grants.gov.
Through this site, you

will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the MSEIP at:
http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application

package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA
number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time on the
application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program competition to
ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission
Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.

To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) Registering

your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf
). You must also provide on your

application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete and you must have completed all registration steps to allow
you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information typically included on the Application for Federal
Education Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction
Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. You
must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a
.DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
If you

[[Page 32937]]

upload a file type other than the three file types specified above or
submit a password protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the application deadline date because of
technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an
extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business
day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the
mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you
submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
deadline date, please contact either of the persons listed elsewhere in
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an
explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov,
along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We
will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a federal holiday, the next business
day following the federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Dr. Bernadette Hence,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6071,
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Fax: (202) 502-7861.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail
(through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your
application to the Department. 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
84.120A), 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
84.120A), 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 other 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
qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you
(or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the
Department by hand. You 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
84.120A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7067, 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 Application for Federal Education
Assistance (SF 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 acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment 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: The selection criteria for this program
competition are from 34 CFR 637.32(a) through (j), and are listed
below. Applicants must address each of the section criteria. The total
weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each
criterion is noted in parentheses.
(a) Plan of operation (Total 15 points).
(b) Quality of key personnel (Total 5 points).

[[Page 32938]]

(c) Budget and cost effectiveness (Total 5 points).
(d) Evaluation plan (Total 10 points).
(e) Adequacy of resources (Total 5 points).
(f) Identification of need for the project (Total 20 points).
(g) Potential institutional impact of the project (Total 10
points).
(h) Institutional commitment to the project (Total 10 points).
(i) Expected Outcomes (Total 15 points).
(j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed project (Total
5 points).
2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in
selecting an application for an award are in 34 CFR 75.217.
Tiebreaker for Institutional, Special Project, and Cooperative
Grants. If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the
same total scores, applications will receive preference in the
following order: first, applications that satisfy the requirement of
Competitive Preference Priority 1; second, the applications that
satisfy the requirements of both Competitive Preference Priorities 2
and 3; and third, applications that satisfy the requirements of
Competitive Preference Priority 2.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we will notify
your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notice (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we will 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 provide an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 75.720.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
the MSEIP program: (1) The percentage change in the number of full-
time, degree-seeking minority undergraduate students at grantee
institutions enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or
biological sciences, compared to the average minority enrollment in the
same fields in the three-year period immediately prior to the beginning
of the current grant; (2) the percentage of minority students at
grantee institutions enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical
or biological sciences at the beginning of the previous school year,
who are still enrolled at the same institution at the beginning of the
current school year; and (3)(a) in four-year grantee institutions, the
percentage of the minority students who enrolled in engineering or
physical or biological sciences in the school year that was six years
prior to the current school year, who graduated by the current year
with a major in those fields; or (b) in two-year grantee institutions,
the percentage of the minority students who enrolled in engineering or
physical or biological sciences in the school year that was three years
prior to the current school year, who graduated by the current year
with a major in those fields, or transferred to a four-year
institution.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Room 6071,
Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 219-7038, by fax (202) 502-
7861, or by e-mail: Bernadette.Hence@ed.gov
or ope.mseip@ed.gov; or

Carolyn Proctor, Telephone: (202) 502-7567, by fax (202) 502-7861,
or by e-mail: Carolyn.Proctor@ed.gov or
ope.mseip@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Services (FRS) 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 persons 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: June 1, 2006.
James F. Manning,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6-8751 Filed 6-6-06; 8:45 am]

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