[Federal Register: November 25, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 228)]
[Notices]
[Page 59867-59868]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.116N]
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education--Special
Focus Competition (Invitational Priority: Institutional Cooperation and
Student Mobility in Postsecondary Education between the United States,
Canada and Mexico); Notice Inviting Application for New Awards for
Fiscal Year (FY) 1997
PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: To provide grants to improve postsecondary
education opportunities by focusing on problem areas or improvement
approaches in postsecondary education.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program is a Special Focus Competition
pursuant to 34 CFR 630.11(b)(1) to support projects addressing a
particular problem area or improvement approach in postsecondary
education. The competition also includes an invitational priority to
encourage proposals designed to support the formation of educational
consortia of American, Canadian and Mexican institutions to encourage
cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students
and the opening of educational opportunities throughout North America.
The invitational priority is issued in cooperation with Canada and
Mexico. Canadian and Mexican institutions participating in any
consortium proposal responding to the invitational priority may apply,
respectively, to Human Resources Development Canada and the Mexican
Bureau of University Development for additional funding under separate
Canadian and Mexican competitions.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or
combinations of such institutions and other public and private
nonprofit educational institutions and agencies.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 1997.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 13, 1997.
Applications Available: December 2, 1996.
Available Funds: $1,150,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000, for three years.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $102,000, for three years.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75 (except as
noted in 34 CFR 630.4(a)(2)), 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, and 86; and (b) the
regulations for this program in 34 CFR Part 630.
Priorities
Invitational Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) and 34 CFR 630.11(b)(1), the Secretary is
particularly interested in applications that meet the following
invitational priority. However, an application that meets this
invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute
preference over other applications.
Invitational Priority: Projects that support consortia of
institutions of higher education that promote institutional cooperation
and student mobility between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Selection Criteria
In evaluating applications for grants under this program
competition, the Secretary uses the following selection criteria chosen
from those listed in 34 CFR 630.32:
(a) Significance for Postsecondary Education. The Secretary reviews
each proposed project for its significance in improving postsecondary
education by determining the extent to which it would--
(1) Achieve the purposes of the program competition, as referenced
in Sec. 630.11(b)(1), by addressing a particular problem area or
improvement approach in postsecondary education;
(2) Address an important problem or need;
(3) Represent an improvement upon, or important departure from,
existing practice;
(4) Involve learner-centered improvements;
(5) Achieve far-reaching impact through improvements that will be
useful in a variety of ways and in a variety of settings; and
(6) Increase the cost-effectiveness of services.
(b) Feasibility. The Secretary reviews each proposed project for
its feasibility by determining the extent to which--
(1) The proposed project represents an appropriate response to the
problem or need addressed;
(2) The applicant is capable of carrying out the proposed project,
as evidenced by, for example--
(i) The applicant's understanding of the problem or need;
(ii) The quality of the project design, including objectives,
approaches, and evaluation plan;
(iii) The adequacy of resources, including money, personnel,
facilities, equipment, and supplies;
(iv) The qualifications of key personnel who would conduct the
project; and
(v) The applicant's relevant prior experience;
(3) The applicant and any other participating organizations are
committed to the success of the proposed project, as evidenced by, for
example--
(i) Contribution of resources by the applicant and by participating
organizations;
(ii) Their prior work in the area; and
(iii) The potential for continuation of the proposed project beyond
the period of funding (unless the project would be self-terminating);
and
(4) The proposed project demonstrates potential for dissemination
to or adaptation by other organizations, and shows evidence of interest
by potential users.
(c) Appropriateness of funding projects. The Secretary reviews each
application to determine whether support of the proposed project by the
Secretary is appropriate in terms of availability of other funding
sources for the proposed activities.
In accordance with 34 CFR 630.32 the Secretary announces the
methods that will be used in applying the selection criteria.
The Secretary gives equal weight to the selection criteria on
significance, feasibility, and appropriateness. Within each of these
criteria, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the criteria
listed above. In applying the criteria, the Secretary first analyzes an
application in terms of each individual criterion. The Secretary then
bases the final judgement of an application on an overall assessment of
the degree to which the applicant addresses all selection criteria.
For Applications or Information Contact: Fund for the Improvement
of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, 7th
and D Streets, S.W., Room 3100, ROB-3, Washington, D.C. 20202-5175.
Telephone: (202) 708-5750 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. Individuals may also
request applications by submitting the name of
[[Page 59868]]
the competition, their name, and postal mailing address to the e-mail
address (FIPSE@ED.GOV). By January 15, 1997, individuals will also be
able to obtain the application text from the Internet address (http://
www.ed.gov/prog__info/FIPSE/). Individuals who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday.
Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board),
telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server (at GOPHER:/
/gcs.ED.GOV/); or on the World Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov).
However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135a-3.
Dated: November 18, 1996.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 96-30026 Filed 11-22-96; 8:45 am]
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