[Federal Register: October 1, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 190)]
[Notices]
[Page 61605-61607]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01oc02-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA NO. 84.200A]
Office of Postsecondary Education; Graduate Assistance in Areas
of National Need (GAANN) Program; Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Purpose of Program: GAANN provides fellowships in areas of national
need to assist graduate students with excellent academic records who
demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree
available in their course of study.
Eligible Applicants: Academic departments of institutions of higher
education that meet the requirements in 34 CFR 648.2.
Applications Available: October 11, 2002.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 22, 2002.
[[Page 61606]]
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 22, 2003.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$31,000,000 for this program for FY 2003. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process, if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $145,184-$750,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $219,354.
Estimated Number of Awards: 69.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GAANN Stipend Level: The Secretary will
determine the GAANN fellowship stipend for the academic year 2003-2004
based on the level of support provided by the National Science
Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowships as of February 1, 2003, except
that the amount will be adjusted as necessary so as not to exceed the
GAANN fellow's demonstrated level of financial need.
GAANN Institutional Payment: The Secretary will determine the
institutional payment for the academic year 2003-2004 by adjusting the
previous academic year institutional payment, which was calculated to
be $11,031 per fellow, by the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price
Index for the 2002 calendar year.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 35 pages, using the following standards:
[sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
[sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
[sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (character per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes,
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must include
all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
[sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
[sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
Note: Multi-disciplinary applications must abide by the page
limits for each academic discipline for which fellowships are
requested.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34
CFR part 648.
Priority: Absolute Priority: This competition focuses on projects
designed to meet a priority in the regulations for this program (34 CFR
648.33).
Areas of National Need: A project must provide fellowships in one
or more of the following areas of national need: Biology, chemistry,
computer and information sciences, engineering, geological and related
sciences, mathematics, and physics.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet
the priority.
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications: Note: Some of the
procedures in these instructions for transmitting applications differ
from those in the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR 75.102. Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, these
amendments make procedural changes only and do not establish new
substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary
has determined that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The GAANN Program--CFDA No. 84.200A is one of the
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under
the GAANN Program, you may submit your application to us in either
electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the
following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
[sbull] You can submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
[sbull] Within three working days of submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative
signs this form.
3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying
number unique to your application).
4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED
424.
5. Fax 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.
You may access the electronic grant application for the GAANN
Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
Note: Please note that due to the Department's end of the fiscal
year close out activities, the e-APPLICATION system will be
unavailable on October 1. It will become available for users again
on Wednesday, October 2.
For Applications and Further Information Contact: Brandy A.
Silverman, U.S. Department of Education, International Education and
Graduate Programs Service, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th Floor, Washington,
DC 20006-8521. Telephone: (202) 502-7886 or via Internet: ope--gaann--
program@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call
[[Page 61607]]
the Federal Information 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 under For
Applications and Further Information Contact.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However,
the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the
standard forms included in the application package.
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:
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.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135.
Dated: September 26, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-24922 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
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