060499b: Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program: Notice Inviting Applications for Grants Under the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999, CFDA No. 84.345 [OPE]


[Federal Register: June 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 107)]
[Notices]               
[Page 30209-30211]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04jn99-138]


[[Page 30209]]

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Part IV

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Department of Education





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Office of Postsecondary Education; Underground Railroad Educational and 
Cultural Program: Inviting Applications for Grants Under the 
Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 1999; Notice


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.345]

 
Office of Postsecondary Education; Underground Railroad 
Educational and Cultural Program: Notice Inviting Applications for 
Grants Under the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999

    Purpose of program: To provide grants to nonprofit educational 
organizations that are established to research, display, interpret, and 
collect artifacts relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
    Eligible applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that are 
established to research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts 
relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
    Deadline for transmittal of applications: July 6, 1999.
    Deadline for intergovernmental review: September 7, 1999.
    Available funds: $1,750,000.
    Estimated range of awards: $100,000 to $1,750,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $580,000.
    Estimated number of awards: 1-3.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Applicable statute and regualtions: (a) Section 841 of the Higher 
Education Amendments of 1998, Public Law 105-244, 20 U.S.C. section 
1153; and (b) the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, and 86.

Other Requirements

Authorized Activities

    As required by statute, each nonprofit educational organization 
awarded a grant under this program must enter into an agreement with 
the Department. Each agreement must require the organization--
    (1) To establish a facility to house, display, and interpret the 
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad, and to 
make the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher 
education that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree;
    (2) To demonstrate substantial private support for the facility 
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a 
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of 
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the 
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the 
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more 
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal 
Government;
    (3) To create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls in the 
costs of the on-going operations of the facility;
    (4) To establish a network of satellite centers throughout the 
United States to help disseminate information regarding the Underground 
Railroad throughout the United States, if these satellite centers raise 
80 percent of the funds required to establish the satellite centers 
from non-Federal public and private sources;
    (5) To establish the capability to electronically link the facility 
with other local and regional facilities that have collections and 
programs that interpret the history of the Underground Railroad; and
    (6) To submit, for each fiscal year for which the organization 
receives funding under this program, a report to the Department that 
contains--
    (a) A description of the programs and activities supported by the 
funding;
    (b) The audited financial statement of the organization for the 
preceding fiscal year;
    (c) A plan for the programs and activities to be supported by the 
funding as the Secretary may require; and
    (d) An evaluation of the programs and activities supported by the 
funding as the Secretary may require.

Selection Criteria

    Applications for Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural 
Program grants will be evaluated using the following weighted selection 
criteria from section 841 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 
and 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parentheses. The maximum overall score is 100 points. Your grant 
application must carefully address each of the selection criteria and 
describe your efforts in these areas in detail.
    (1) Overall Concept (20 points). How well the facility supported by 
the proposed grant would effectively house, display, and interpret 
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad and make 
the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher education 
that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
    (2) Public-Private Support (20 points). How well the applicant 
organization demonstrates substantial private support for the facility 
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a 
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of 
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the 
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the 
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more 
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal 
Government.
    (3) Endowment (5 points). How well the applicant organization 
addresses the requirement to create an endowment to fund any and all 
shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the facility.
    (4) Satellite Center (10 points). How well the applicant 
organization addresses the requirement to establish a network of 
satellite centers throughout the United States to disseminate 
information regarding the Underground Railroad and demonstrates the 
ability to raise 80 percent of the funds required from non-Federal 
public and private sources.
    (5) Electronic Link (10 points). How well the applicant 
organization addresses the requirement to establish the capability to 
electronically link the facility with other local and regional 
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the 
history of the Underground Railroad.
    (6) Quality of Program Personnel (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
program. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the following:
    (a) The qualifications including relevant training and experience 
of key personnel. (5 points)
    (b) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. (5 points)
    (7) Quality of Management Plan (15 points). The Secretary considers 
the quality of the management plan for the proposed grant program. In 
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following:
    (a) 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. (5 points)
    (b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (c) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives 
are brought to

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bear in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (8) Quality of Project Evaluation (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
program. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evolution are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (7 points)
    (b) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings. (3 points)

Application Requirements

    An application submitted for funding under this program must 
include--
    (1) The name, address, and web site address, if any, of the 
nonprofit educational organization seeking to participate, and the 
name, title, mailing and e-mail address, and telephone number of a 
contact person for the organization.
    (2) A description of the facility that will be used to house, 
display, and interpret the artifacts related to the history of the 
Underground Railroad and to make the interpretive efforts available to 
institutions of higher education that award a baccalaureate or graduate 
degree.
    (3) A description of the substantial private support for the 
facility through the implementation of a public-private partnership 
between a State or local public entity and a private entity for the 
support of the facility and documentation that these entities will 
provide matching funds as required in section 841(b)(2) of the Higher 
Education Amendments of 1998.
    (4) A description of how the endowment will be created to fund any 
and all shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the 
facility and expected sources of these funds.
    (5) A statement as to whether the applicant organization intends to 
establish a network of satellite centers throughout the United States 
to help disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad 
throughout the United States. If the applicant's organization does 
intend to establish a network, the applicant must describe the network 
and document how the satellite centers will raise 80 percent of the 
funds required from non-Federal public and private sources.
    (6) A detailed description of how the applicant intends to 
electronically link the facility with other local and regional 
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the 
history of the Underground Railroad, including a listing of the 
facilities the applicant intends to include.

Instructions for Submitting an Application

    Applicants should submit a narrative that addresses the elements 
described in this notice under ``Application Requirements.'' There is 
no prescribed application form for the program. All applications should 
clearly designate a contact person, telephone number, and the e-mail 
address of the contact person. Applicants need only submit one original 
application. No copies are necessary. Applications must be postmarked 
on or before the deadline date.
    Mail the application on or before the deadline date to Linda 
Kleckner, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 
4050, ROB-3, Washington, DC 20202, or hand deliver the application by 
4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the deadline date to Linda Kleckner, 
U.S. Department of Education, Seventh & D Streets, SW., Room 4050, ROB-
3, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Kleckner at the address in the 
previous paragraph, by e-mail at Linda__Kleckner@ed.gov, or by 
telephone at (202) 708-9086. Information concerning the program can 
also be found on the Web site of the Department (http://ed.gov). 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

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 either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC 
area, at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.

    Program Authority: Section 841 of the Higher Education 
Amendments of 1998, Pub. L. 105-244, 20 U.S.C. 1153.

    Dated: May 28, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-14117 Filed 6-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U